Importance

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Abstract

An adjustment mechanisms suited for vehicle seats, and particularly mechanisms that include a memory feature. The inventive adjustment system is of the type that provides a method of selecting a preferred seat position, releasing the adjustment mechanism for free movement of the seat, and automatically arresting the adjustment mechanism, securing the seat at the selected position. In the case of some prior art seat adjustment mechanisms, using the recline adjustment control to dump the seat does not allow the passenger to automatically return the seat back to the selected position. Other prior art seat adjustment mechanism separate the recline adjustment and the dump controls but rely upon relatively bulky stamped metal components to capture and latch the seat after dumping. The present invention uses a take-up reel and flexible cable assembly to set and retain a selected seat position and to re-engage the same locking mechanism for both recline adjustments and dumping, eliminating the need for stamped or machined metal components that can be bulky, heavy, expensive, and difficult to manufacture and assemble.

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First Claim