Automotive seat track locking mechanism

Claim 1

A latchable track assembly for use with a seat in a vehicle, said assembly comprising: first and second slidably engaged track members adapted for relative sliding movement with respect to each other along a first longitudinal axis, with said first track member being secured to said vehicle and said second track member being supported in slidable engagement by said first track member; said first track member having a first row of consecutive teeth on said first track member with said first row of consecutive teeth in aligned, generally parallel relation to said first axis, said consecutive teeth defining interstices positioned one between each pair of said consecutive teeth; said second track member having a second row of consecutive teeth on said second track member with said second row of consecutive teeth in aligned, generally parallel relation to said first axis, said consecutive teeth defining interstices positioned one between each pair of said consecutive teeth; wherein said first and second track members are each generally U-shaped and when in place in said vehicle form a generally enclosed space therebetween, with said first track member being substantially enclosed by said second track member; wherein at least some of said interstices of said first row of teeth are alignable with a corresponding number of said interstices of said second row of teeth so as to establish a corresponding number of pairs of aligned interstices; a locking member comprising a plurality of detent portions extending outwardly from the locking member and rigidly joined to one another at their respective outer ends by a spanning portion, the detent portions being dimensioned to be positionable within at least two of said corresponding pairs of aligned interstices in transverse intruding relation to said first row of consecutive teeth; a bracket member rigidly attached to said second track member and adapted to laterally support said locking member in juxtaposed relation to said first track member; and, wherein said locking member is mounted on said bracket member such that said detent portions are selectively movable into and out of said aligned interstices in a plane substantially transverse to said first longitudinal axis by corresponding selective operation of said locking member, thereby to selectively retain said first and second track members in fixed longitudinal latched relation with respect to each other; and, wherein said teeth of said first track member are retained within said generally enclosed space, and said spanning portion is at all times also retained within said enclosed space.