Adjustable vehicle seat mounting

Claim 2

An adjustable vehicle seat mounting comprising: a pair of fixed lower support members, each of said lower support members being provided with an elongated opening having a plurality of teeth provided along the upper edge thereof; a pair of upper support members slidably disposed upon said lower support members for longitudinal movement relative thereto, each of said upper support members comprising a generally U-shaped cross section defined by downwardly depending side flanges extending along opposite sides of said lower support members connected by a bridge portion extending over the top of said lower support members; a pair of aligned apertures in each of said upper support members registering with each of said elongated openings in said lower support members; latch means pivotally secured to one side flange of each of said upper support members, each of said latch means having a portion extending through said pair of aligned apertures in said side flangEs of each of said upper support members and through said elongated opening in each of said lower support members, such that said portion of each of said latch means extends outwardly of the other of said side flanges of each of said upper support members; means biasing each portion of said latch means to a first position for normal engagement between a selected pair of said teeth of said openings to thereby lock said upper support members against longitudinal movement relative to said lower support members; handle means pivotally secured to the other side flange of one of said upper support members, said handle means being movable between a first position wherein it is spaced from the outwardly extended portion of said latch means associated with said one upper support member, and a second position wherein said handle means engages said last-mentioned latch outwardly extending portion to pivot the same downwardly to a second position out of engagement with said selected pair of said teeth to free said one upper support member for movement along said roller support members; and means for operatively connecting said last-mentioned latch means to the other of said latch means for pivoting said other latch means from said first position to a second position out of engagement with its associated pair of teeth.

Claim 3

The seat mounting defined in claim 1, wherein said handle means comprises a lever pivotally mounted on said other side flange of said one upper support member, said lever having a handle portion of a predetermined length and an opposite end portion of a selected length less than said first-mentioned predetermined length, said handle portion and said end portion extending in opposite directions from the point of pivotal movement of said lever, said opposite end portion being disposed over said outwardly extending portion of said latch means associated with said one upper support member so that upon movement of said opposite end portion of said lever by actuation of said handle portion, said end portion exerts a force on said latch extended portion to pivot said latch means out of engagement with said selected pair of teeth; and means normally biasing said end portion to said first-mentioned portion.

Claim 4

The seat mounting defined in claim 2, wherein said last-mentioned biasing means comprises: a spring, one end of which is carried by said handle portion, the other end of which is carried by said other side flange of said one upper support member to normally pivot said handle portion downwardly and thus pivot said opposite end portion upwardly away from engagement with said outwardly extended latch portion.

Claim 5

A vehicle seat mounting comprising: a pair of fixed lower support members, each of said lower support members being provided with an elongated opening having a plurality of teeth provided along the upper edge thereof; a pair of upper support members slidably disposed on said lower support members for longitudinal movement relative thereto, each of said upper support members comprising a generally U-shaped cross section defined by downwardly depending side flanges extending along opposite sides of said lower support members connected by a bridge portion extending over the top of said lower support members; a pair of aligned apertures in each of said side flanges of each of said upper support members registering with said elongated openings in each of said lower support members; one of said upper support members and the lower support member associated therewith defining a first slide mechanism, the other of said upper support members and the lower support member associated therewith defining a second slide mechanism, said first and second slide mechanisms being spaced-apart a selected distance such that one side flange of said first slide mechanism is in opposing relationship to one side flange of said second slide mechanism; a pair of latch means, one of said latch means being pivotally secured to said one side flange of said first slide mechanism and having a portion extending through said pair of aligned apertures in said side flanges of said upper support member and through said elongated opening in the lower support member of said first slide mechanism, the other of said latch means being pivotally secured to the other side flange of said second slide mechanism, said other latch means having a portion extending through said pair of aligned apertures in said side flanges of said upper support member and through the elongated opening in said lower support member of said second slide mechanism; each of said latch means being movable between a first position for normal engagement between a selected pair of said teeth of said openings to thereby lock said upper support members against longitudinal movement relative to their associated lower support members and a second position wherein said latch means are moved out of engagement with said selected pair of teeth to free said upper support members for movement along their associated lower support members; a pair of lever arms associated with each of said latch means, said lever arms being mounted for pivotal movement and extending in an upwardly fashion; means connecting the upper ends of said lever arms such that pivotal movement of one of said latch means causes simultaneous pivotal movement of its associated lever arm, the other of said lever arms and pivotal movement of the other of said latch means; means biasing said latch means to said first-mentioned position; and means for operatively engaging said one of said latch means to pivot the same to said second position whereby said connecting means between said pair of lever arms causes said other latching means to simultaneously move to said second position.

Claim 6

A vehicle seat mounting comprising: a pair of fixed lower support members, each of said lower support members being provided with an elongated opening having a plurality of teeth provided along the upper edge thereof; a pair of upper support members slidably disposed on said lower support members for longitudinal movement relative thereto, each of said upper support members comprising a generally U-shaped cross section defined by downwardly depending side flanges extending along opposite sides of said lower support members connected by a bridge portion extending over the top of said lower support members; a pair of aligned apertures in each of said side flanges of each of said upper support members registering with said elongated openings in each of said lower support members; one of said upper support members and the lower support member associated therewith defining a first slide mechanism, the other of said upper support members and the lower support member associated therewith defining a second slide mechanism, said first and second slide mechanisms being spaced-apart a selected distance such that one side flange of said first slide mechanism is in opposing relationship to one side flange of said second slide mechanism; a pair of latch means, one of said latch means being pivotally secured to said one side flange of said first slide mechanism and having a portion extending through said pair of aligned apertures in said side flanges of said upper support member and through said elongated opening in the lower support member of said first slide mechanism, the other of said latch means being pivotally secured to the other side flange of said second slide mechanism, said other latch means having a portion extending through said pair of aligned apertures in said side flanges of said upper support member and through the elongated opening in said lower support member of said second slide mechanism; each of said latch means being movable between a first position for normal engagement between a selected pair of said teeth of said openings to thereby lock said upper support members against longitudinal movement relative to their associated lower support members and a second position wherein said latch means are moved out of engagement with said selected pair of teeth to free said upper support members for movement along their associated lower support members; a pair of lever arms associated with each of said latch means, said lever arms being mounted for pivotal movement and extending in an upwardly fashion; means connecting the upper ends of said lever arms such that pivotal movement of one of said latch means causes simultaneous pivotal movement of its associated lever arm, the other of said lever arms and pivotal movement of the other of said latch means; means biasing said latch means to said first-mentioned position; and means for operatively engaging said one of said latch means to pivot the same to said second position whereby said connecting means between said pair of lever arms causes said other latching means to simultaneously move to said second position.

Claim 7

The mounting as defined in claim 4 wherein said operatively engaging means is adapted to engage the outwardly extending portion of the latch means carried by said first slide mechanism.

Claim 8

The seat mounting as defined in claim 4 wherein said operatively connecting means actuates the latch means carried by said first slide mechanism, said last-mentioned latch means comprising a flange member carried by said one side flange of said first slide mechanism; a latch member, one end of which is pivotally mounted to said flange member about an axis generally parallel to the axis of relative longitudinal movement of said upper and lower support members of said first slide mechanism, the other end of said latch member extending through said pair of apertures and engaging said selected pair of teeth associated with said first slide mechanism, said upwardly extending lever arm associated with said one latch means being supported for pivotal movement by said flange member about the same axis of pivotal movement as said latch member, said last-mentioned lever arm having a finger extending therefrom; said latch member having an abutment formed on said one end and engaging said lever arm finger to pivot said lever arm in the same direction about said pivot axis as said latch member pivots when actuated by said operatively engaging means; said pair of lever arms being connected in such a fashion that accidental disengagement of the latch mans associated with said second slide mechanism is ineffective to cause disengagement of the latch means associated with said first slide member as said one latch member associated lever arm is adapted for independent pivotal movement in the direction corresponding to the direction which causes disengagement of said latch member with said selected pair of teeth.

Claim 9

An adjustable vehicle seat mounting comprising: a pair of fixed lower support members, each of said lower support members being provided with a first elongated opening having a plurality of teeth provided along its upper edge, said lower support members each having a second elongated opening spaced from said first elongated opening, said second elongated opening being of a selected predetermined length; a pair of uPper support members slidably disposed on said lower support members for longitudinal movement relative thereto, each of said upper support members comprising a generally U-shaped cross section defined by downwardly depending side flanges extending along opposite sides of said lower support members and connected by a bridge portion extending over the top of said lower support members; a pair of aligned apertures in each of said side flanges of each of said upper support members registering with said first elongated opening in said lower support members; fastening means extending through each side flange in each upper support member and said second elongated opening in each lower support member, said fastening means preventing separation of said side flanges when subjected to an external force; bearing means carried by each of said fastening means and disposed in said second elongated openings for providing a rolling antifriction engagement between the upper support members and their associated lower support members, the amount of relative longitudinal movement between each upper support member and its associated lower support member being limited by the abutment of said bearing means with the opposite ends of said second elongated opening; latch means pivotally secured to each of said upper support members and extending through said pair of aligned apertures in said side flanges of each of said upper support members and through said elongated openings in each of said lower support members; said latch means being movable between a first position for normal engagement between a selected pair of said teeth in said first elongated opening to thereby lock said upper support members against longitudinal movement relative to said lower support member; and means to move said latch means to a second position out of engagement with said selected pair of said teeth to free said upper support members for movement along said lower support members between the limits defined by the abutment of said bearing means with the opposite ends of said second elongated opening.

Claim 10

An adjustable vehicle seat mounting comprising: a pair of fixed lower support members, each of said lower support members being provided with a first elongated opening having a plurality of teeth provided along its upper edge, said lower support members each having a second elongated opening spaced from said first elongated opening, said second elongated opening being of a selected predetermined length; a pair of uPper support members slidably disposed on said lower support members for longitudinal movement relative thereto, each of said upper support members comprising a generally U-shaped cross section defined by downwardly depending side flanges extending along opposite sides of said lower support members and connected by a bridge portion extending over the top of said lower support members; a pair of aligned apertures in each of said side flanges of each of said upper support members registering with said first elongated opening in said lower support members; fastening means extending through each side flange in each upper support member and said second elongated opening in each lower support member, said fastening means preventing separation of said side flanges when subjected to an external force; bearing means carried by each of said fastening means and disposed in said second elongated openings for providing a rolling antifriction engagement between the upper support members and their associated lower support members, the amount of relative longitudinal movement between each upper support member and its associated lower support member being limited by the abutment of said bearing means with the opposite ends of said second elongated opening; latch means pivotally secured to each of said upper support members and extending through said pair of aligned apertures in said side flanges of each of said upper support members and through said elongated openings in each of said lower support members; said latch means being movable between a first position for normal engagement between a selected pair of said teeth in said first elongated opening to thereby lock said upper support members against longitudinal movement relative to said lower support member; and means to move said latch means to a second position out of engagement with said selected pair of said teeth to free said upper support members for movement along said lower support members between the limits defined by the abutment of said bearing means with the opposite ends of said second elongated opening.

Claim 11

The seat mounting defined in claim 7 including means for mounting said seat to said upper support member.

Claim 12

The seat mounting as defined in claim 8 including means adapted to secure a safety belt to said fastening means such that said safety belt is movable with said upper support members as said upper support members move relative to said lower support members.