Guard member for adjustable seat in a vehicle
AssigneeNissan Technical Center North America, Inc.
InventorNiko Jovicevic
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A guard member for a seat installed on the floor of a vehicle and having an adjustment mechanism to move the seat up and down relative to the floor of the vehicle. The guard member includes a first segment fixed to a track mounted on the vehicle floor, an intermediate segment, and a second segment fixed to the seat. A first hinge pivotally couples the first segment to the intermediate segment and a second hinge couples the intermediate segment to the second segment. When the adjustment mechanism moves the seat up relative to the floor of the vehicle, the intermediate member prevents longitudinal access to a space between the raised seat and the floor.
Claims19
A seat assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
- a seat;
- a track having a lower rail fixed to the floor of the vehicle and an upper rail slidably coupled to the lower rail;
- a vertical adjustment mechanism mounted to the upper rail and the seat and configured to move the seat vertically relative to the upper rail;
- a guard member having a first segment fixed to one of the vehicle floor and the track, a second segment fixed to the seat, and an intermediate segment, the guard member having a first hinge pivotally coupling the first segment to the intermediate segment and a second hinge pivotally coupling the intermediate segment to the second segment,
- wherein the intermediate member is configured and arranged to span the distance between the seat and the track and prevent access to a space between the seat and the track;
- and
- wherein the second hinge includes a hinge pin defining a hinge axis, wherein at least one of the intermediate member and second member is configured so that the position of the hinge pin can be translated along a direction that is perpendicular to the hinge axis.
A protective assembly for a seat installed on the floor of a vehicle having a frame, an adjustment mechanism to move the seat vertically relative to the floor of the vehicle, and a support structure coupling the seat to the floor, comprising:
- a first segment fixed to the support structure;
- an intermediate segment;
- a second segment fixed to the seat;
- a first hinge coupling the first segment to the intermediate segment;
- and
- a second hinge coupling the intermediate segment to the second segment;
- wherein, at least a portion of the intermediate member is interposed between the seat and the support structure of the vehicle to prevent access to a space between the seat and the support structure;
- and
- wherein at least one of the first and second hinges includes a first hinge pin defining a hinge axis, and at least one ring forming an elongated slot having a longitudinal axis substantially perpendicular to the hinge axis, the first hinge pin being inserted through the at least one ring to permit the hinge axis to move translationally within the slot when the adjustment mechanism moves the seat vertically relative to the floor of the vehicle.
A seat assembly for a vehicle, comprising:
- a seat;
- a track having a lower rail fixed to the floor of the vehicle and an upper rail slidably coupled to the lower rail, the track configured and arranged to move the seat longitudinally with respect to the vehicle;
- a vertical adjustment mechanism coupled to the upper rail and the seat and configured and arranged to move the seat vertically relative to the upper rail;
- a guard member having a first segment fixed to one of the vehicle floor and the track, and a second segment fixed to the seat, and an intermediate segment, the guard member having a first hinge pivotally coupling the first segment to the intermediate segment and a second hinge pivotally coupling the intermediate segment to the second segment, at least one of the first and second hinges including a hinge pin defining a hinge axis and at least one ring defining an elongated slot having a longitudinal axis that is substantially perpendicular to the hinge axis, wherein the hinge pin is inserted through the slot to permit the hinge axis to move translationally along the elongated slot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.