Claims
- 1. A fitting for a vehicle seat, comprising:
first and second fitting parts that are mounted to a bearing shaft so that the second fitting part is capable of pivoting at least through an angular range relative to the first fitting part, with the pivoting being around an axis defined by the bearing shaft; and a spring having first and second portions that are spaced apart from one another along a length of the spring, wherein the spring is mounted so that for at least the angular range: the first portion of the spring bears on the first fitting part, the second portion of the spring bears on a bearing component of the second fitting part, and the spring is deformed, so that the spring exerts a force that at least opposes pivoting of the second part relative to the first part in a first direction in the angular range, and wherein at least part of the bearing component of the second fitting part is coaxial with the axis.
- 2. A fitting according to claim 1, wherein the spring is spirally coiled about a center of the spring so that the first portion of the spring is an outer end of the spring and the second portion of the spring is an inner end of the spring, with the center of the spring being positioned eccentrically with respect to the axis.
- 3. A fitting according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the bearing component is in the shape of a polyhedron or a bowl.
- 4. A fitting according to claim 3, wherein the spring is spirally coiled around a center of the spring so that the first portion of the spring is an outer end of the spring and the second portion of the spring is an inner end of the spring, wherein the inner end of the spring is positioned on the polyhedron or the bowl, and wherein the center of the spring is positioned eccentrically with respect to the axis.
- 5. A fitting according to claim 4, wherein the inner end of the spring is positioned on the polyhedron, and the polyhedron is positioned eccentrically with respect to the axis.
- 6. A fitting according to claim 4, wherein the inner end of the spring comprises a receiver that is clamped onto the polyhedron, with the receiver and the polyhedron frictionally interacting with one another over a substantial surface area by virtue of corresponding profiles of the polyhedron and the receiver in at least in some areas.
- 7. A fitting according to claim 3, wherein the polyhedron has at least one holding lug for axially securing the second portion of the spring.
- 8. A fitting according to claim 2, wherein the outer end of the spring bears against a pin of the first fitting part.
- 9. A fitting according to claim 8, wherein torque provided by the spring is a function of a distance between the pin and the center of the spring, and the pin and the spring are arranged so that the distance between the pin and the center of the spring changes as the second fitting part pivots relative to the first fitting part about the axis.
- 10. A fitting according to claim 1, wherein the spring is mounted so that torque provided by the spring changes nonlinearly as the second fitting part pivots relative to the first fitting part about the axis.
- 11. A fitting according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the part of the bearing component that is coaxial with the axis is positioned inside the bearing shaft.
- 12. A fitting according to claim 1, wherein the spring is positioned exterior of the combination of the first and second fitting parts, and the bearing component protrudes externally of the combination of the first and second fitting parts.
- 13. A fitting according to claim 1, wherein the fitting is in combination with the vehicle seat, with the first fitting part mounted to a first part of the vehicle seat and the second fitting part mounted to a second part of the vehicle seat so that the second part of the vehicle seat is capable of pivoting relative to the first part of the vehicle seat.
- 14. A fitting for a vehicle seat, comprising:
first and second fitting parts that are mounted to a bearing shaft so that the second fitting part is capable of pivoting at least through an angular range relative to the first fitting part, with the pivoting being around an axis defined by the bearing shaft; and a spring spirally coiled about a center of the spring, with the center of the spring positioned eccentrically with respect to the axis, wherein the spring is mounted so that for at least the angular range: an outer end of the spring bears on the first fitting part, an inner end of the spring bears on a bearing component of the second fitting part, and the spring is deformed, so that the spring exerts a force that at least opposes pivoting of the second part relative to the first part in a first direction in the angular range, and wherein at least a part of the bearing component is in the shape of a polyhedron, the inner end of the spring is mounted to the polyhedron, and the polyhedron is positioned eccentrically with respect to the axis.
- 15. A fitting according to claim 14, wherein the inner end of the spring comprises a receiver that is clamped onto the polyhedron, with the receiver and the polyhedron frictionally interacting with one another over a substantial surface area by virtue of corresponding profiles of the polyhedron and the receiver in at least in some areas.
- 16. A fitting according to claim 14, wherein the polyhedron has at least one holding lug for axially securing the inner end of the spring.
- 17. A fitting according to claim 14, wherein the outer end of the spring bears against a pin of the first fitting part, the torque provided by the spring is a function of a distance between the pin and the center of the spring, and the pin and the spring are arranged so that the distance between the pin and the center of the spring changes as the second fitting pivots relative to the first fitting part about the axis.
- 18. A fitting according to claim 14, wherein a portion of the bearing component is coaxial with the axis and is positioned inside the bearing shaft.
- 19. A fitting according to claim 14, wherein the spring is positioned exterior of the combination of the first and second fitting parts, and the bearing component protrudes externally of the combination of the first and second fitting parts.
- 20. A fitting for a vehicle seat, comprising:
first and second fitting parts that are mounted to a bearing shaft so that the second fitting part is capable of pivoting at least through an angular range relative to the first fitting part, with the pivoting being around an axis defined by the bearing shaft; and a spring spirally coiled about a center of the spring, with an inner end of the spring mounted on a bearing component of the second fitting part, wherein the bearing component and the center of the spring are both positioned eccentrically with respect to the axis, and wherein the spring is mounted so that for at least the angular range: the spring is deformed and an outer end of the spring bears on the first fitting part so that the spring exerts a force that at least opposes pivoting of the second part relative to the first part in a first direction in the angular range.
- 21. A fitting according to claim 20, wherein the bearing component has at least one holding lug for axially securing the inner end of the spring.
- 22. A fitting according to claim 20, wherein the outer end of the spring bears against a pin of the first fitting part, the torque provided by the spring is a function of a distance between the pin and the center of the spring, and the pin and the spring are arranged so that the distance between the pin and the center of the spring changes as the second fitting pivots relative to the first fitting part about the axis.
- 23. A fitting according to claim 20, wherein a portion of the bearing component is coaxial with the axis and is positioned inside the bearing shaft.
Priority Claims (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
101 44 832.5 |
Sep 2001 |
DE |
|
201 20 768.0 |
Dec 2001 |
DE |
|
102 14 453.2 |
Mar 2002 |
DE |
|
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This is a continuation of PCT/EP02/09535, which was filed Aug. 27, 2002, and is entirely incorporated herein by reference.
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
PCT/EP02/09535 |
Aug 2002 |
US |
Child |
10684901 |
Oct 2003 |
US |