US 7,551,068 B2
	Vehicle seat alert system
David A. Powell, Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (US); H. Winston Maue, Northville, Mich. (US); Oliver J. Young, Grosse Pointe, Mich. (US); and John F. Nathan, White Lake, Mich. (US)
Assigned to Lear Corporation, Southfield, Mich. (US)
Filed on Aug. 28, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/467,619.
Prior Publication US 2008/0055055 A1, Mar. 06, 2008
Int. Cl. B60Q 1/00 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 340—438  [340/436; 340/439; 340/407.1; 340/425.5; 340/665; 340/666; 340/667]

18 Claims

1. A vehicle system for alerting an occupant within a vehicle seat, the system comprising: a vehicle alert element for generating an alert signal in response to a triggering event; a striker configured to strike a structural component of the vehicle seat upon receipt of the alert signal, the striker having a striking element slidable along a support, the striking element sliding from a first to a second position while in contact with the structural component; and wherein the striking element is attached to a rotary actuated armature and the striking element is spring-loaded to progressively ride up an inclined face of the structural component to the second position as the armature rotates, the second position being defined as a compressed position proximate at top of the inclined face, when struck against the face and to reflex to the first position, the first position being defined as an uncompressed position when removed from the face by the rotary action of the armature.