The present application is a Continuation of International Application No. PCT/EP2006/050131 filed Jan. 10, 2006, which claims the benefit of German Priority Application No. DE 10 2005 002 853.5 filed Jan. 20, 2006. The disclosures of International Application No. PCT/EP2006/050131 and German Priority Application No. DE 10 2005 002 853.5 are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
There is presented a device for the axial fixation of a bolt or a shaft in a component or for the axial fixation of a component to a bolt or a shaft, and more particularly, to an armrest of a vehicle seat including the device for axial fixation of the armrest to the seat.
The device is, for example, disclosed in the German patent DE 199 04 713 C1. This device, however, has the drawback that it may only be released by a specific tool, which firstly means an increased assembly cost and secondly prevents use of the device in restricted spatial conditions. The device for axial fixation with a bolt and/or a hollow shaft, with an external and/or internal radial groove as well as with a securing device provided with tongues projecting inwardly and/or outwardly and distributed over its periphery does not have this drawback, the tongues being able to be brought into releasable engagement with the groove. Said device may be released without tools. The securing device provided with tongues is, however, a sharp-edged component which is relatively difficult to produce.
One exemplary embodiment relates to a device for the axial fixation of a shaft in a component including a groove which is defined on the shaft and a securing device configured to releasably engage the groove. The axial force required for releasing the securing device varies depending on the rotational position of the securing device relative to the shaft.
In another exemplary embodiment, there is provided an armrest including a shaft coupled to a holder including a device. The device includes a groove which is defined on the shaft and a securing device configured to releasably engage the groove. The axial force required for releasing the securing device is able to be altered depending on the rotational position of the securing device relative to the shaft.
In another exemplary embodiment, there is provided a seat including a seatback. The seatback includes an armrest including a shaft, coupled to the seatback. A device for axial fixation of the armrest to the seatback includes a groove which is defined on the shaft and a securing device configured to releasably engage the groove. The axial force required for releasing the securing device varies depending on the rotational position of the securing device relative to the shaft
This disclosure presents a device for the axial fixation of a bolt or a shaft in a component or for the axial fixation of a component to a bolt or a shaft, by a means which is arranged on the shaft or the bolt and with a securing device which may be brought positively and/or non-positively as well as releasably into engagement with the means, the axial force required for releasing the securing device being able to be altered depending on the rotational position thereof relative to the bolt or the shaft and the securing device being a wire structure.
It was extremely surprising and unexpected for the person skilled in the art that, with a simple wire structure, a device may be produced for the axial fixation of a bolt or a shaft in a component or for the axial fixation of a component to a shaft. The device according to the invention allows the securing of a bolt or a shaft and the release of a bolt or a shaft without a tool by rotating the means and the securing device relative to one another. The device according to the invention has to The wire structure may be easily and cost-effectively produced. It comprises no sharp edges, so that the wear of the device according to the invention is low.
The securing device preferably comprises at least two fixing regions which may, however, be simultaneously brought releasably positively and/or non-positively into engagement with the means, the means comprising at least one release region and the number of fixing regions being greater than the number of release regions.
Also presented is another embodiment of a device for the axial fixation of a bolt or a shaft in a component or for the axial fixation of a component to a bolt or a shaft, by a means which is arranged on the shaft or the bolt and by a securing device which may be brought positively and/or non-positively as well as releasably into engagement with the means, in which the axial force required for releasing the securing device may be altered depending on the rotational position thereof relative to the bolt or the shaft and in which the securing device comprises at least two fixing regions which may, however, be simultaneously brought releasably positively and/or non-positively into engagement with the means, the means comprising at least one release region and the number of fixing regions being greater than the number of release regions.
The device may also be produced exceptionally easily, and a bolt or a shaft may be secured thereto or dismantled without tools. Preferably, in this embodiment of the device the securing device is a wire structure. The wire structure has no sharp edges so that the wear of the device according to the invention is low.
The vehicle seat 1 shown in
In
As a result of this configuration, both in normal use and also in the event of an accident, the inadvertent release of the armrest 4 is eliminated. The theoretical possibility that the armrest 4, manually in the event of an accident or by its mass inertia, is pivoted precisely as far as an angle a and at this moment is laterally loaded, is of no importance in practice.
The armrest, especially for a motor vehicle, which is connected to a shaft which is mounted in a holder which comprises the device. The armrest is connected fixedly in terms of rotation to the shaft and the shaft is rotatably mounted in the fixed holder. Further, the armrest is unreleasably connected to the holder in its positions of use and releasably connected thereto in at least one intermediate position. The holder is, in turn, preferably a portion of a seat, especially a vehicle seat.
As is visible from
The device illustrated in
The unsecured state of the device is shown in perspective in
For purposes of this disclosure, the term “coupled” means the joining of two components (electrical or mechanical) directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary in nature or movable in nature. Such joining may be achieved with the two components (electrical or mechanical) and any additional intermediate members being integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two components or the two components and any additional member being attached to one another. Such joining may be permanent in nature or alternatively may be removable or releasable in nature
The person skilled in the art recognizes that the holder does not have to be accessible either for the release or for the insertion of the armrest into the seat. It may thus be arranged entirely behind cladding or a cover and be assembled or disassembled without any tool.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/EP2006/050131 | Jan 2006 | US |
Child | 11878166 | US |