Patent ID: 6892995
Filing Date: 2005-05-17
Classification: B60N

Abstract:
1. A seat track assembly for adjusting a seat assembly of an automotive vehicle comprising: a lower track having a first plurality of apertures; an upper track slidably mounted to said lower track and having second plurality of apertures; a latch assembly fixedly mounted to said upper track, said latch assembly including a plurality of locking fingers projecting through said apertures in said upper track and adapted to be received in at least one of said apertures in said lower track, an actuator for moving said at least two of said fingers between a locked condition engaged with at least one of said apertures in said lower track and an unlocked condition spaced from each of said apertures in said lower track, and a biasing member for biasing said fingers to said locked condition regardless of a relative position between said upper and lower tracks; wherein each of said apertures in said lower track has a predetermined width and predetermined space therebetween and each of said locking fingers has a predetermined width and predetermined distance between the leading edge of one locking finger and the trailing edge of an adjacent locking finger whereby said distance is less than said width of said aperture for allowing two adjacent locking fingers to be received within a single aperture in said locked condition; said seat track assembly further including a support housing mounted to said upper track for slidably supporting and independently guiding each of said locking fingers between said locked and unlocked condition, said housing including a plurality of openings therein for slidably supporting a respective one of said locking fingers; wherein each of said locking fingers includes a cam portion operatively engaged with said actuator and a projection portion extending through said opening in said housing for engagement with said apertures in said upper and lower tracks; and said actuator includes a base portion pivotally coupled to said support housing by a pivot rod and a plurality of cam fingers engaged with said cam portions of said locking fingers for sliding said locking fingers through said openings between said locked and unlocked condition in response to pivotal movement of said actuator about said pivot rod.