Seat track assembly with load pins

Abstract

An assembly for mounting a seat on a track in a vehicle, the track including inboard and outboard parallel spaced apart track portions with each track portion including a lower track affixed to the vehicle and an upper track at least partially enclosing the lower track and reciprocally movable therealong. The assembly includes a pair of seat mounting plates associated with each inboard and outboard track portion with each pair including parallel spaced apart plates affixed to the seat and formed to partially enclose the associated track portion. A set of load pins is associated with each pair of seat mounting plates and extends between the associated seat mounting plates with one load pin of the set positioned below the lower track and another load pin of the set positioned above the upper track.

1 . An assembly for mounting a seat on a track in a vehicle, the track including inboard and outboard parallel spaced apart track portions with each track portion including a lower track affixed to the vehicle and an upper track at least partially enclosing the lower track and reciprocally movable therealong, the assembly comprising:
 a pair of seat mounting plates associated with each inboard and outboard track portion, each pair including parallel spaced apart plates affixed to the seat and formed to partially enclose the associated track portion; and   a set of load pins associated with each pair of seat mounting plates and extending between the associated seat mounting plates with one load pin of the set positioned below the lower track and another load pin of the set positioned above the upper track.   
   
   
       2 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the one load pin of the set is further positioned proximate a rear end of the associated seat mounting plates and the another load pin is further positioned proximate a front end of the associated seat mounting plates so as to substantially prevent rearward rotation of the seat during rearward loading of the vehicle. 
   
   
       3 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the one load pin of the set is further positioned proximate a front end of the associated seat mounting plates and the another load pin is further positioned proximate a rear end of the associated seat mounting plates so as to substantially prevent forward rotation of the seat during forward loading of the vehicle. 
   
   
       4 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the set of load pins includes a pair of rearward load pins and a pair of forward load pins, the pair of rearward load pins includes a first rearward load pin positioned below the lower track proximate a forward end of the associated seat mounting plates and a second rearward load pin positioned above the upper track proximate a rearward end of the associated seat mounting plates and the pair of forward load pins includes a first forward load pin positioned below the lower track proximate a rearward end of the associated seat mounting plates and a second forward load pin positioned above the upper track proximate a forward end of the associated seat mounting plates. 
   
   
       5 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 4  wherein the second rearward load pin and the second forward load pin extend through an upwardly extending portion of the upper track and at least partially support the seat. 
   
   
       6 . An assembly for mounting a seat in a vehicle comprising:
 a track including inboard and outboard parallel spaced apart track portions with each track portion including a lower track affixed to the vehicle and an upper track at least partially enclosing the lower track and reciprocally movable therealong;   a pair of seat mounting plates associated with each inboard and outboard track portion, each pair including parallel spaced apart plates affixed to the seat and formed to partially enclose the associated track portion; and   a set of load pins associated with each pair of seat mounting plates and extending between the associated seat mounting plates with one load pin of the set positioned below the lower track and another load pin of the set positioned above the upper track.   
   
   
       7 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 6  wherein the one load pin of the set is further positioned proximate a rear end of the associated seat mounting plates and the another load pin is further positioned proximate a front end of the associated seat mounting plates so as to substantially prevent rearward rotation of the seat during rearward loading of the vehicle. 
   
   
       8 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 6  wherein the one load pin of the set is further positioned proximate a front end of the associated seat mounting plates and the another load pin is further positioned proximate a rear end of the associated seat mounting plates so as to substantially prevent forward rotation of the seat during forward loading of the vehicle. 
   
   
       9 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 6  wherein the set of load pins includes a pair of rearward load pins and a pair of forward load pins, the pair of rearward load pins includes a first rearward load pin positioned below the lower track proximate a forward end of the associated seat mounting plates and a second rearward load pin positioned above the upper track proximate a rearward end of the associated seat mounting plates and the pair of forward load pins includes a first forward load pin positioned below the lower track proximate a rearward end of the associated seat mounting plates and a second forward load pin positioned above the upper track proximate a forward end of the associated seat mounting plates. 
   
   
       10 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the second rearward load pin and the second forward load pin extend through an upwardly extending portion of the upper track and at least partially support the seat. 
   
   
       11 . An assembly for mounting a seat in a vehicle comprising:
 a track including inboard and outboard parallel spaced apart track portions, the inboard track portion including a lower inboard track affixed to the vehicle and an upper inboard track at least partially enclosing the lower inboard track and reciprocally movable therealong, and the outboard track portion including a lower outboard track affixed to the vehicle and an upper outboard track at least partially enclosing the lower outboard track and reciprocally movable therealong;   a first pair of seat mounting plates associated with the inboard track portion and a second pair of seat mounting plates associated with the outboard track portion, the first pair of seat mounting plates including first parallel spaced apart plates affixed to the seat and formed to partially enclose the inboard track portion and the second pair of seat mounting plates including second parallel spaced apart plates affixed to the seat and formed to partially enclose the outboard track portion;   a first set of rearward load pins extending between the first pair of seat mounting plates and including a first rearward load pin positioned below the lower track of the inboard track portion proximate a forward end of the first pair of seat mounting plates and a second rearward load pin positioned above the upper track of the inboard track portion proximate a rearward end of the first pair of seat mounting plates;   a first set of forward load pins extending between the first pair of seat mounting plates and including a first forward load pin positioned below the lower track of the inboard track portion proximate a rearward end of the first pair of seat mounting plates and a second forward load pin positioned above the upper track of the inboard track portion proximate a forward end of the first pair of seat mounting plates;   a second set of rearward load pins extending between the second pair of seat mounting plates and including a first rearward load pin positioned below the lower track of the outboard track portion proximate a forward end of the second pair of seat mounting plates and a second rearward load pin positioned above the upper track of the outboard track portion proximate a rearward end of the second pair of seat mounting plates; and   a second set of forward load pins extending between the second pair of seat mounting plates and including a first forward load pin positioned below the lower track of the outboard track portion proximate a rearward end of the second pair of seat mounting plates and a second forward load pin positioned above the upper track of the outboard track portion proximate a forward end of the first pair of seat mounting plates;   the first set of rearward load pins and the second set of rearward load pins being positioned to substantially prevent rearward rotation of the seat during rearward loading of the vehicle and the first set of forward load pins and the second set of forward load pins being positioned to substantially prevent forward rotation of the seat during forward loading of the vehicle.   
   
   
       12 . An assembly as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the second rearward load pins of the first and second sets of rearward load pins and the second forward load pins of the first and second sets of forward load pins extend through an upwardly extending portion of the upper track of the inboard track portion and an upwardly extending portion of the upper track of the outboard track portion, respectively, and at least partially support the seat.