This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0147147, filed on Nov. 26, 2018, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to a position adjustment apparatus of a seat for a vehicle.
The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Generally, a car includes front seats in which a driver and a passenger are seated and rear seats behind the front seats for additional passengers, and the seats include various comfortable equipment for improving convenience of the driver and passengers.
For example, the equipment mounted to a seat includes a seat position adjustment device controlling a position of a seat by moving the seat in forward/rearward directions according to a body type of a passenger, a reclining device adjusting the inclination of a seat back, and a height adjustment device adjusting a height of the seat.
Recently, as the development of an autonomous vehicle is being increased, a seat position adjustment device is being applied more widely. However, we have discovered that as for a conventional height adjustment device, a height adjustment angle in the seat of the vehicle is not sufficiently obtained, which does not respond to various postures of a passenger, and a seat height adjustment is performed only by a specific link, which lowers durability.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known to a person of ordinary skill in the art.
The present disclosure relates to a height adjustment apparatus of a vehicle seat. Due to the height adjustment apparatus of a seat cushion in the present disclosure, a desired tilting angle and height of the seat cushion is obtained. Accordingly, a seat comfort for an occupant is improved in response to various postures of the occupant.
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the height adjustment apparatus of a vehicle seat having a cushion frame, a position of which is adjusted in upward/downward directions on a seat rail includes a height link, which has a plurality of links, rotatably coupled to a side frame of the cushion frame and to the seat rail and allowing the cushion frame to be moved in the upward/downward directions by the plurality of links being unfolded or folded, a drive unit provided on the cushion frame and including a power transmission part changeable in a length in forward/rearward directions during an operation of the drive unit, and a drive mechanism connected to the power transmission part and the height link so as to operate in cooperation with the drive unit and the height link such that as the length of the power transmission part increases during the operation of the drive unit, the plurality of links constituting the height link unfolds for the cushion frame to lift.
According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, the height link may include a first link rotatably provided on the seat rail and a second link rotatably provided on the side frame, and the first link and the second link may be rotatably coupled to each other. A guide slot curvedly extended as an arc shape may be provided on the side frame, and a guide part may be provided on a connection portion between the first link and the second link of the height link, and the guide part may be placed in and passes through the guide slot. After the guide slot extends downward from an upper side thereof, the guide slot may be configured to extend in an advancing direction of the power transmission part.
According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, the first link may be provided by extending so as to bend upward and a reinforcement bead may be provided by bending along an edge of the first link.
According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, the drive unit may include a drive motor fixed to the cushion frame and the power transmission part advancing and withdrawing during an operation of the drive motor, and the drive motor may be provided to incline upward such that the power transmission part advances to incline upward.
According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, the drive mechanism may include a rotation link rotatably provided on a front end of the power transmission part, a first connection bar, each of opposite ends of which is rotatably connected to a connection portion between the first link and the second link and being in contact with a front end part of the rotation link, and a second connection bar, each of opposite ends of which is rotatably connected to a connection portion between the second link and the side frame and being connected to an end part of the rotation link.
The rotation link may include a holding part provided on the front end part thereof such that the first connection bar is placed in the holding part so as to be held in and connected to the holding part.
The first connection bar may include a middle portion being in contact with the front end part of the rotation link and a connection end portion connected to the connection portion between the first link and the second link after each of opposite ends of the first connection bar bends.
According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, the height adjustment apparatus may further include a gear link, a first end part of which is rotatably provided on the seat rail and a second end part of which is rotatably provided on the cushion frame and having gear teeth provided on a portion of a circumference of the gear link, and an operation unit provided on the cushion frame and having a drive gear engaged with the gear teeth of the gear link. In addition, the gear link may be rotated on the seat rail by a rotation of the drive gear during an operation of the operation unit so as to lift and lower the cushion frame.
An extension slot may be provided on the gear link, and the extension slot is extended curvedly along a curve of the gear teeth that is extended. A protrusion may be provided on the side frame so as to be placed in the extension slot.
The height link, the drive unit, and the drive mechanism may be provided on front portions of the seat rail and the cushion frame, and the gear link and the operation unit may be provided on rear portions of the seat rail and the cushion frame.
The height adjustment apparatus may further include a controller controlling the drive unit and the operation unit, and the controller may operate the drive unit and the operation unit so as to adjust a height and an angle of the cushion frame such that a hip-point of a seated passenger is changed.
When the controller operates the drive unit and the operation unit to adjust the height of the cushion frame, the plurality of links constituting the height link may be rotated and unfolded by the operation of the drive unit and the gear link may be rotated by the operation of the operation unit, so that the hip-point may be changed while tracing a curve forward.
When the controller operates the drive unit so as to adjust the angle of the cushion frame, the plurality of links constituting the height link may be rotated and unfolded by the operation of the drive unit, so that the hip-point may be changed while tracing a curve rearward.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
In order that the disclosure may be well understood, there will now be described various forms thereof, given by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:
The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.
The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.
Referring to
That is, during the operation of the drive unit 40 on the seat rail 10, the drive mechanism 50 receives a power of the drive unit 40 and allows the height link 30 to unfold or fold such that a position of the cushion frame 20 is adjusted in the upward/downward directions.
As shown in
For specifically describing the operation of the drive unit 40 in
Accordingly, the height link 30 includes the first link 31 and the second link 32 and may be unfolded or folded by relative rotations of the first link 31 and the second link 32. That is, since the first link 31 is provided on the seat rail 10 and the second link 32 is provided on the side frame 21, the first link 31 and the second link 32 are arranged by being spaced apart from each other at a lower side and an upper side, respectively. Furthermore, since the first link 31 and the second link 32 are rotatably coupled to each other, a vertical height of the side frame 21 decreases while the first link 31 and the second link 32 fold and the vertical height of the side frame 21 increases while the first link 31 and the second link 32 unfold.
As shown in
After the guide slot 21a extends downward from an upper side thereof, the guide slot 21a is configured to extend in an advancing direction of the power transmission part 41. Accordingly, when the guide part 33 moves along the guide slot 21a, the unfolding movements of the first link 31 and the second link 32 are stably guided and rotating movements of the first link 31 and the second link 32 are efficiently performed such that discomfort of the passenger caused by a height adjustment can be reduced.
Meanwhile, as shown in
In addition, the reinforcement bead 31a is provided on the edge of the first link 31 so as to increase an entire rigidity of the first link 31. As shown in
Meanwhile, as shown
The drive motor 42 may include a motor rotatable clockwise/counterclockwise, and the power transmission part 41 may be made of a screw so as to advance/withdraw while transferring a rotational power of the drive motor 42. As the drive motor 42 is provided on the cushion frame 20 so as to incline upward, the power transmission part 41 advances to incline upward. Accordingly, the drive mechanism 50 connected to the power transmission part 41 also receives a power for moving upward, and the height link 30 connected to the drive mechanism 50 also receives a power for moving inclinedly forward and upward, so that the cushion frame 20 may be operated to lift.
As shown in
As described above, the drive mechanism 50 includes the rotation link 51, the first connection bar 52, and the second connection bar 53. In addition, the rotation link 51 is rotatably provided on the front end of the power transmission part 41, and the first connection bar 52 and the second connection bar 53 are connected to the front end part of the rotation link 51 and the end part thereof, respectively, while being spaced apart from each other, whereby the rotation link 51 connected to the first connection bar 52 and the second connection bar 53 may rotate in cooperation with the power transmission part 41 moving during the operation of the drive unit 40.
As shown in
Since the first connection bar 52 and the second connection bar 53 are arranged at different positions each other on the rotation link 51, the first connection bar 52 may be connected to the connection portion between the first link 31 and the second link 32, and the second connection bar 53 may be connected to the connection portion between the second link 32 and the side frame 21. Particularly, referring to
Accordingly, the first connection bar 52 is connected to the front end part of the rotation link 51 and the second connection bar 53 is connected to the end part of the rotation link 51, and as the rotation link 51 rotates on the power transmission part 41 during the operation of the drive unit 40, the first connection bar 52 and the second connection bar 53 move the first link 31 and the second link 32 of the height link 30 so as to fold or unfold the height link 30.
Meanwhile, the first connection bar 52 may include a middle portion 52a being in contact with the front end part of the rotation link 51 and a connection end portion 52b connected to the connection portion between the first link 31 and the second link 32 after each of opposite ends of the first connection bar 52 bends. Accordingly, the first connection bar 52 may be efficiently connected to the rotation link 51 provided on the power transmission part 41. In addition, the middle portion 52a is pushed and moved by the power transmission part 41 and the rotation link 51 advancing during the operation of the drive unit 40, and while the middle portion 52a rotates relative to the connection end portion 52b connected to the connection portion between the first link 31 and the second link 32, an efficient operation between the drive unit 40 and the height link 30 may be performed.
Meanwhile, in the present disclosure, the height adjustment may be performed by the height link 30, the drive unit 40, and the drive mechanism 50 described above and also by components described hereinafter.
Referring to
The gear link 60 may be provided in a shape of a sector gear, and the operation unit 70 may further include an operation motor 72 (see
As shown in
According to a form of the present disclosure, as shown in
An operation of the present disclosure will be described below in detail.
Referring back to
As shown in
As shown in
The drive unit 40 and the operation unit 70 described above may be operated by a controller 80 (see
The height adjustment apparatus may further include the controller 80 operating the drive unit 40 and the operation unit 70, and the controller 80 operates the drive unit 40 and the operation unit 70 for adjusting a height and an angle of the cushion frame such that a hip-point of a seated passenger or driver is changed.
For example, the hip-point of a passenger is a position on which the hip of the passenger is located while the passenger is seated on the seat. According to a form of the present disclosure, during the operation of the drive unit 40 and the operation unit 70, a height and an angle of the cushion frame 20 are adjusted by rotations of the height link 30 and the gear link 60 described above so as to change the hip-point of a passenger, whereby various modes may be performed according to the height and angle of the cushion frame 20.
When the controller 80 operates the drive unit 40 and the operation unit 70 to adjust the height of the cushion frame 20, the plurality of links constituting the height link 30 may be rotated and unfolded by the operation of the drive unit 40 and the gear link 60 is rotated by the operation of the operation unit 70, so that the hip-point may be changed while tracing a curve forward.
As shown in
Furthermore, when the controller 80 operates the drive unit 40 so as to adjust the angle of the cushion frame 20, the plurality of links constituting the height link 30 may be rotated and unfolded by the operation of the drive unit 40, so that the hip-point may be changed while tracing a curve rearward.
As shown in
Accordingly, the height adjustment apparatus of the present disclosure, as shown in
Apart from kinds of operation modes shown in
According to the height adjustment apparatus of a vehicle seat having a structure described above, during the height adjustment of the seat cushion, a desired tilting angle of the seat cushion is obtained and heights of the front part and a rear part of the seat cushion are individually adjusted, whereby a comfort of the seat is improved due to angles of the seat cushion adjusted in response to various postures of a passenger. In addition, a link connection is structurally secured and its durability is improved.
While this present disclosure has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary forms, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the disclosed forms, but, on the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10-2018-0147147 | Nov 2018 | KR | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
6021990 | Freund | Feb 2000 | A |
10358052 | Mizukoshi | Jul 2019 | B1 |
20090230752 | Adragna | Sep 2009 | A1 |
20110210586 | Masutani | Sep 2011 | A1 |
20140361592 | Kuno | Dec 2014 | A1 |
20180001793 | Pleskot | Jan 2018 | A1 |
20190061568 | Hirata | Feb 2019 | A1 |
20190152352 | Handigol | May 2019 | A1 |
20190308527 | Nakamura | Oct 2019 | A1 |
20200009996 | Brodersen | Jan 2020 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
105358368 | Feb 2016 | CN |
19914163 | Oct 2000 | DE |
10113153 | Apr 2002 | DE |
102011122275 | Jun 2013 | DE |
102013101540 | Aug 2014 | DE |
102016015170 | Jun 2018 | DE |
0 575 243 | Dec 1993 | EP |
2 567 861 | Mar 2013 | EP |
2 157 671 | Jun 1973 | FR |
2 901 196 | Nov 2007 | FR |
2 911 817 | Aug 2008 | FR |
3058943 | Nov 2018 | FR |
2018583 | Oct 1979 | GB |
2004306923 | Nov 2004 | JP |
2006001388 | Jan 2006 | JP |
2007308050 | Nov 2007 | JP |
2009-520638 | May 2009 | JP |
2009202844 | Sep 2009 | JP |
2009227011 | Oct 2009 | JP |
2013035517 | Feb 2013 | JP |
2017019441 | Jan 2017 | JP |
20030049786 | Jun 2003 | KR |
101526979 | Jun 2015 | KR |
101557098 | Oct 2015 | KR |
20180005344 | Jan 2018 | KR |
WO-2008099538 | Aug 2008 | WO |
WO-2012036212 | Mar 2012 | WO |
WO-2018020836 | Feb 2018 | WO |
Entry |
---|
Extended European Search Report for European Application No. 18205597.0, dated Jul. 29, 2019, 8 pgs. |
Korean Office Action dated Oct. 29, 2019 from the corresponding Korean Application No. 10-2018-0033293, 6 pp. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20200164772 A1 | May 2020 | US |