Chun Zheng, 332711 Magnolia Tree Ln, Durham, NC 27703

2002014, Oct 10, 2002

Dec 13, 2001

10/015443

Chun Zheng - Staten Island NY, US
H. Maue - Northville MI, US
Rory Pheiffer - Novi MI, US
Luke Massery - Glenview IL, US
Daniel Sandoval - El Paso TX, US
Ernesto Blanco - Belmont MA, US

Lear Corporation - Southfield MI

A47C001/02

297/344100

A vehicle seat drive for driving a vehicle seat includes a mechanical inchworm linear motion actuator. A linearly movable shaft is coupled to the vehicle seat such that the vehicle seat moves as the shaft moves. The actuator includes a jamming module and an actuation module. The jamming module has left and right jamming plates operable for engaging and disengaging the shaft while moving linearly with respect to the shaft. The actuation module is operable for applying linear forces on the jamming plates to have the jamming plates engage and disengage the shaft and move linearly with respect to the shaft. The actuation module applies a first linear force in a first linear direction on a jamming plate to have the jamming plate engage and move the shaft in the first linear direction thereby moving the vehicle seat in the first linear direction while causing the other jamming plate to disengage from the shaft. The process is repeated and reversed to move the vehicle seat in an inchworm fashion between fore and aft positions.