Abstract:
A linear drive, particularly useful for locking or unlocking a door lock mechanism or the like permits manual operation by providing an output shaft that can move freely regardless whether the output shaft is in extended or retracted positions without back driving the motor. The output shaft is coaxially slideably situated over a worm gear shaft which moves a nut that is threadingly engaged therewith and moves inside the output shaft along the axial direction of the worm gear shaft. The output shaft is not threadingly engaged with the worm gear shaft. The output shaft thus is freely movable relative to the worm gear shaft, which results in essentially zero back drive of the worm gear shaft and the motor. To provide for manual operation, the nut is automatically moved back to its neutral position every time the output shaft is extended or retracted by a torsion spring or the like which can store energy therein. Whenever the motor is operated to drive the worm gear shaft, the spring gear is also rotated, which causes the spring to store energy therein. As soon as the motor is turned off,the energy stored in the spring causes the worm gear to rotate in the direction opposite to the last motor driven direction to move the nut to the neutral position it was in prior to energization of the motor.
Abstract:
A child seat module (16) integrated with a rear vehicle seat (10), and including fold-down lower (19) and upper (20) segments, interconnected by a flexible and detachable hinge (21) and plastic back panel (26) mounted against the back frame of the bench seat. A plastic seat pad support platform (40) is mounted on the inner surface of the lower segment. A pad (90) having seat and back segments is removably mounted on the platform and against the back panel. A safety belt system (22) is operably included in the module. The interconnected lower and upper segments are adapted to being folded down to form, with the platform (40) and pad (90) a child seat cushion and leg support. Alternatively, the leg support (20) may be removed for a child whose size is such that use of the leg support would be uncomfortable.
Abstract:
A lock and release system for a vehicle seat is operatively associated with the seat back cushion assembly and has a locking member movable between a released position permitting the adjusting movements of the seat back cushion assembly and a locked position preventing movement of the seat back cushion assembly. The secondary lock and release system includes shock absorbing structure constructed and arranged to control the movement of the locking member in response to the sensing of a crash condition which occurs while the locking and releasing device is in the releasing position. To compensate for temperature variations in the hydraulic shock absorbing structure a temperature sensitive spiral spring made of NITINOL (Ni-Ti alloy) is controlling the actuator of the inertie lock.
Abstract:
A vehicle seat movable through a cycle of access movement which includes (1) forward movement of the seat back cushion assembly into a seat back access position and forward movement of the seat and seat back cushion assemblies together from a seat operating position into said seat access position and (2) rearward movements of the seat and seat back assemblies together from the seat access position into a seat operating position and the seat back cushion assembly into a seat back operating position. A blocking mechanism is provided operative associated with a motion transmitting assembly for the seat operable during a cycle of access movement to prevent the seat back cushion assembly from reaching a seat back operating position during the rearward movement of the seat back cushion assembly from the seat back access position in the event the aforesaid rearward movement of the seat back cushion assembly precedes the rearward movement of the seat and seat back cushion assemblies together into a seat operating position.
Abstract:
A method of making an interior panel of an automotive vehicle door having an exterior surface which is to face toward the interior of the automotive vehicle when installed therein which comprises the steps of forming a bolster laminate (124) including a textile outer layer, a flexible imperforate layer and an inner surface layer of a material which becomes tacky when heated, mounting the bolster laminate in a vacuum mold part, heating a sheet (126) of predetermined material content presenting a vinyl surface, vacuum forming the heated sheet in the vacuum mold part so that the vinyl surface bondingly interengages the tacky material of the film inner layer of the bolster laminate, molding material (130) between the vacuum mold part with the bolster laminate and the sheet therein and a cooperating opposed mold part to form an integrally molded panel having a content between an exterior bolster and vinyl surface and an opposed surface which includes a relatively hard substrate defining the opposed surface, a layer of sheet vinyl presenting the vinyl surface and a layer of relatively soft foamed material adjacent the layer of sheet vinyl.
Abstract:
An automatic transmission lever position indicating device (10) comprising a housing (12) including a face wall structure (16) presenting within an opaque background a sequence of translucent characters (20) corresponding in sequence with the positions of the lever. A circuit board is mounted within the housing including leads for receiving and transmitting signals including the input signals of the automatic transmission. An illuminating assembly is carried by the circuit board for illuminating all of the sequence of translucent characters (20) and additionally indicating by illumination one of the sequence of translucent characters (20) corresponding to the position the lever is in. The illuminating assembly includes a light emitting diode (32) associated with each translucent character (20) of the sequence, the light emitting diodes (32) being connected with the leads for energizing the light emitting diodes (32) in a manner determined by the input signals received so as to illuminate the one light emitting diode (32) associated with the translucent character (20) of the sequence corresponding to the position the lever is in so that the illumination of the associated one light emitting diode (32) provides said additional indication by illumination.
Abstract:
A vehicle seat having an adjusting mechanism including a locking and releasing device constructed and arranged to be moved between (1) a locking position wherein the locking and releasing device is operable to lock the adjusting mechanism to prevent adjusting movement and (2) a releasing position wherein the locking and releasing device is operable to release the adjusting mechanism to permit manual movement in one direction and return movement in the opposite direction. The adjusting mechanism includes a power operated assembly constructed and arranged to enable the locking and releasing device to be moved between the locking and releasing positions thereof, and a manually actuated remote control constructed and arranged to operate the power operated assembly to enable the locking and releasing device to be selectively moved between the locking and releasing positions thereof.
Abstract:
A vehicle seat track assembly wherein guide elements are mounted on one of a pair of cooperating track structures. The guide elements have generally vertically facing guide surfaces which have been broached to be positioned a predetermined distance vertically from generally opposed spaced surfaces on the one track structure. The vertically facing guide surfaces slidably engage generally oppositely facing surfaces of another of the track structures so as to effectively prevent relative vertical movement in a direction tending to vertically separate the track structures. When used in a manually actuated mode, the track assembly includes a locking assembly comprising a pair of abutting metal plates stamped to provide abutting elongated mounting portions having a plurality of spaced abutting locking portions extending transversely therefrom, a mounting structure within which the mounting portions of the abutting plates extend and a spring constructed and arranged to resiliently bias the mounting structure and abutting plates into a locking position wherein the locking portions are within selected notches and to enable the mounting structure and abutting plates to be manually moved against the resilient bias into a releasing position wherein the locking portions are out of the notches.
Abstract:
A connector structure (30) for connecting a rigid member disposed towards the lower portion of one side of an automobile seat back (20) to a rearward portion of an automobile seat (12). The connector structure enables the seat back to be reclined at varying angles with respect to the automobile seat by being pivoted about a first pivot point (34) and further enables the seat back to be positioned in a manner which permits a back surface thereof to provide a horizontal cargo support by being pivoted about a second pivot point (38). The connector structure comprises a seat member (40), an arm (42) with a releasable locking assembly (43), a latch assembly (100), and a lever mechanism (50).
Abstract:
A transducer and tone generator embodying the same and method of assembling the transducer components with the use of an assembly fixture. The transducer components include a rigid annular structure (18), a pole piece (38), an electromagnetic coil assembly (46), and a diaphragm (42). The method of assembly includes the steps of engaging (1) a diaphragm-engaging surface (22) of the rigid annular structure and (2) an end surface (40) of the pole piece with (1) an outer annular fixture surface (92) and (2) a central fixture surface (90) respectively while a pole piece end portion (40) is engaged with a pole piece engaging surface (90) of the rigid annular structure (88) so as to establish a predetermined axial space between the diaphragm-engaging surface (22) and the end surface (40), securing the pole piece (38) and rigid annular structure (18) together against relative axial movement with respect to one another and the electromagnetic coil (46) assembly in aligned relation thereto within a central space of the rigid annular structure (18) and in surrounding relation to the pole piece (38), and mounting the diaphragm (42) in assembled relation within the transducer (12) solely by engaging a marginal edge portion thereof with the diaphragm engaging surface (22) to be retained therein solely by the magnetic attraction of a permanent magnet (38) of the rigid annular structure (18).