Vehicle seat track assembly

Claim 1

A vehicle seat track assembly for use with a vehicle seat having a seat cushion member and a seat back member pivotally movable over said seat cushion member from a first relatively upright position to a second relatively folded position said vehicle seat track assembly comprising: a first track member adapted for being securely mounted on a vehicle; a second track member for being securely affixed to said seat cushion member and being slidably mounted on said first track member; a track locking means mounted on one of said first and second track members and movable between a locking configuration wherein said track locking means physically engages the other of said track members so as to thereby lock the second track member in position with respect to the first track member in a selected one of a plurality of relative locking positions, and an unlocking configuration wherein said track locking means is disengaged from said other of said track members so as to thereby permit relative sliding movement of said second track member with respect to said first track member, wherein said track locking means is biased toward said locking configuration; and, an actuating device for controlling movement of said track locking means between said locking and said unlocking configurations, said actuating device comprising: a frame member securely attached to a selected one of said first and second track members; an arm member movably mounted on the frame member in operative engagement with said track locking means for movement between a rest position, at which rest position said arm member is positioned to permit said track locking means to assume said locking configuration, and a cocked position, at which cocked position said arm member restrains said track locking means in said unlocking configuration; first biasing means acting on the arm member to bias the arm member to said rest position; link means for operative interconnection between said seat back member and the arm member to selectively move said arm member from its rest position to its cocked position against the action of said first biasing means upon said pivotal movement of the seat back member from its first relatively upright position to its second relatively folded position; a cam follower means movably mounted on said frame member so as to be in progressive operative contact with said arm member for movement between a first position corresponding with the rest position of the arm member and a second position corresponding with the cocked position of the arm member, at which second position the cam follower means restrainingly engages the arm member to hold fast said arm member in said cocked position against the spring biasing of said arm member, independently of the action of the link means; and, a cam member securely attached to the other of said first and second track members at a predetermined position along said other track member, said cam member being dimensioned and otherwise adapted to contact said cam follower means in its second position upon movement of said cam follower means therepast, thereby to urge said cam follower means to move from its said second position to its said first position so as to permit release of said arm member from the cocked position as aforesaid.