Seat track having selectable end stop positions
View Patent ↗A seat track assembly includes a moveable rail configured to support a seat and a stationary rail configured to be mounted to a floor structure. The moveable rail is selectively positioned relative to the stationary rail is a plurality of use positions. The moveable and stationary rails include end stop structures that cooperate to adjust the overall travel length and travel midpoint position of the moveable rail relative to the stationary rail.
1. A seat track assembly comprising:
a first rail and a second rail that are engaged with one another for relative movement, wherein:
the first rail has a plurality of different variable-position stop bracket positions provided therein;
the second rail has both a first plurality of intermediate stop tabs and a second plurality of intermediate stop tabs provided therein that are located on opposite sides of the plurality of the different variable-position stop bracket positions;
a variable-position stop bracket is secured to the first rail at a selected one of the plurality of the different variable-position stop bracket positions, wherein the variable position stop bracket is generally rectangular in shape and includes a bottom wall, a pair of side walls respectively extending from the bottom wall, and a pair of top flanges respectively extending from the pair of side walls inwardly toward one another;
each of the first plurality of intermediate stop tabs is deformable from a bypass position, wherein it is positioned so as to not be able to engage the variable-position stop bracket secured to the first rail and thereby not be able to interfere with relative movement of the first and second rails relative to the first rail, to an intermediate end stop position, wherein it is positioned so as to be able to engage the variable-position stop bracket secured to the first rail and thereby be able to interfere with relative movement of the first and second rails relative to the first rail; and
each of the second plurality of intermediate stop tabs is deformable from a bypass position, wherein it is positioned so as to not be able to engage the variable-position stop bracket secured to the first rail and thereby not be able to interfere with relative movement of the first and second rails relative to the first rail, to an intermediate end stop position, wherein it is positioned so as to be able to engage the variable-position stop bracket secured to the first rail and thereby be able to interfere with relative movement of the first and second rails relative to the first rail.
2. The seat track assembly defined in claim 1 wherein a width defined by the pair of top flanges is wider than a width defined by the bottom wall.
3. The seat track assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the variable-position stop bracket is secured to the first rail at the selected one of the plurality of the different variable-position stop bracket positions by one of welding, adhesive bonding, riveting, or fastening.
4. The seat track assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the first rail includes a mounting wall connecting two spaced-apart wall sections, and wherein the variable position stop bracket is fixed to at least one of the mounting wall and the two spaced-apart wall sections.
5. The seat track assembly defined in claim 4 wherein the variable position stop bracket is fixed to the mounting wall of the first rail.
6. The seat track assembly defined in claim 4 wherein the variable position stop bracket is fixed to at least one of the two spaced-apart wall sections of the first rail.
7. The seat track assembly defined in claim 1 wherein one of the first rail and the second rail includes an end stop provided on each end thereof so as to limit a furthest length of travel of the other of the first rail and the second rail.