Seat assembly for vehicles

Claim 1

A seat assembly having a back rest mounted on a back rest frame and being mounted on a floor through sliding means, comprising: first and second parallel lower rail brackets fixed on said floor, each lower rail bracket comprising a lower rail of unitary construction extending in a longitudinal direction of said seat assembly, said lower rail comprising a base portion having a substantially flat upper surface, first and second extensions extending upwardly from opposite sides of said base portion, and first and second bent portions extending toward each other from upper portions of said extensions and ending in respective downwardly directed portions; a seat frame comprising a body of unitary construction having first and second longitudinally-extending side portions joined at ends thereof by a transversely-extending portion, each side portion of said seat frame having a lower end formed as a longitudinally-extending upper rail slidably received in said lower rail, said upper rail having a substantially flat lower surface in sliding contact with said substantially flat upper surface of said lower rail and first and second upwardly-extending protrusions, said first and second bent portions of said lower rail restrainingly engaging said upper rail from above and comprising means for cooperating with said protrusions for resisting collision-generated forces tending to separate such upper and lower rails and for minimizing damage to said upper and lower rails, there being a longitudinally-extending channel formed in each side portion of said seat frame above said upper rail, each said channel being formed by upper and lower straight and parallel shoulders extending longitudinally of and outwardly from a substantially planar side face of said side portion of said seat frame; a back rest frame; first and second brackets respectively disposed on opposite sides of said seat frame, being fixed on said seat frame and supporting said back rest frame, each said bracket comprising at least first, second and third bracket portions, said first bracket portion being disposed adjacent said channel, but transversely spaced therefrom, and extending upwardly to a location above the level of the top of the seat frame, said second bracket portion comprising a rear projection extending rearwardly from the rear of said first bracket portion and into said channel, said rear projection having a substantially flat face in surface contact with said substantially planar side face of said side portion of said seat frame and further having upper and lower surfaces, said upper surface of said rear projection being in surface contact with said upper shoulder of said channel, said third bracket portion comprising a forward projection extending forward from the front of said first bracket portion and into said channel, said forward projection having a substantially flat face in surface contact with said substantially planar side face of said side portion of said seat frame and further having upper and lower surfaces, said lower surface of said forward projection being in surface contact with said lower shoulder of said channel; fastening means fixing both rear projections on said seat frame; and fastening means fixing both forward projections on said seat frame, wherein said forward and rear projections and said upper and lower shoulders comprise means for dispersing collision-generated forces from said brackets over an extended portion of said seat frame and relieving said fastening means of at least a portion of said collision-generated forces.