The disclosure relates to a seat depth adjustment of a motor vehicle seat, which has a seating area, which is connected to a base plate of the seat depth adjustment, and with a support plate, which can be adjusted with relation to the base plate in a sliding direction in different positions, wherein the support plate forms the leading edge of the seating area.
In the previously known adjustment device according to DE 198 26 823 C1, an electric motor drives toothed gears that are mounted directly on the support plate. This can be adjusted with relation to a seat frame in which it is guided on the side.
In the motor vehicle seat previously known from DE 196 28 381 A1, a support plate is inserted into a U-shaped recess of the seat part that is open toward the front. The longitudinal guide is formed by a pipe and a sliding sleeve. A regulation between the support plate and the seat part is achieved by a winding spring and is carried out by operating manually.
A vehicle seat with an adjustable seat depth is known from DE 698 27 303 T2, in which a front seat part is adjusted relative to a rear seat part by means of an electric motor. In the case of the vehicle seat known from DE 199 13 503 A1, the seating area also has a front section and a rear section, which can be positioned at different distances by means of a manually operated adjustment device so that the seat depth can be adjusted.
A disadvantage of the previously known adjustment device of this type is that they are only intended for a manual or motorized embodiment. If both a manual as well as a motorized design is desired, the constructions are significantly different and the proportion of identical parts for both embodiments is very low. In light of the disclosure, this is seen as a disadvantage. It aims to use as many identical parts as possible for both embodiments.
Accordingly, the disclosure avoids the disadvantages of the previously known adjusting devices and to specify a seat depth adjustment device that uses as many identical parts as possible for both embodiments, thereby offering the possibility of converting the one embodiment into the other embodiment, even later on.
This task is achieved by means of a seat depth adjustment device for a vehicle seat, which can be adjusted in its seat depth in an adjustment direction by means of an electric motor or for a vehicle seat that can be manually adjusted by means of an operating lever
In the case of this adjustment device, both the support plate and the base plate are used identically for both embodiments, thereby being suitable for both embodiments and being prepared accordingly. This leads to one feature or the other not being required for an embodiment, for example, the slot not being required for the motorized embodiment. However, it is always the case that the non-required feature in the other embodiment does not create any type of disruption.
In the assembled state, the two guides of the support plate engage into the guide means of the base plate. Thus, a relative movement between the support plate and the base plate is achieved and determined only in the sliding direction. The sliding path in the sliding direction is respectively delimited in both directions by a stop. Thus, the sliding path forward is delimited by the front apron of the support plate coming to rest against the front guides of the base plate.
The detent recesses of the guide means are preferably open upward. They are only used for the manual embodiment. Preferably, the guide means of the base plate protrude upward against a middle region of the base plate. This results in a free space between the support plate and the base plate, which is only accessible in the sliding direction. On the side, it is delimited by the engaged guide means and guides. The free space is used for the accommodation of at least one section of the operating lever or a spindle of a motor drive. This has a motorized rotary spindle and a spindle nut engaged with this; the latter is held on the base plate.
Preferably, the guides in the sliding direction push forward against the front apron, in particular, they are connected to this at the front. Delimiting of the sliding path forward is achieved by means of this. Preferably, two bearing regions for the pivot axis of the operating lever are provided on the underside of the support part. They each accommodate an end region of the pivot axis. In this case, it is advantageous if each bearing region is formed by a recess and a spring-loaded tongue located in its opening. When the end regions of the pivot axis are pressed into the recess, the tongues spring to the side until the end regions are in the recess and the tongues block the access to the recess again so that the return path is blocked.
Preferably, the guide means in the sliding direction are shorter than the guides; in particular, they are at least 30% shorter. Preferably, independently of the adjustment position of the support plate with relation to the base plate, the guide means are completely within the guide by at least over 80% of their length, preferably at least over 90% of their length. Supporting the support plate across the entire length of the guide means is achieved by means of this.
Preferably, at its front end, the base plate has an inlet located between the guide means. This inlet offers space for either the electric motor or the operating lever.
Preferably, the support plate has two supports arranged in the slot, which are each between the longitudinal centre of the slot and an end region of the detent spring. The detent spring rests on these supports. When the middle region of the detent spring is pushed downward by means of the operating lever; the free ends of the detent springs move upward. These free ends are usually engaged with detent recesses, which are formed in the base plate and are open upward. When the free ends are moved upward, they come out of the detent recesses. It is then possible to adjust the seat depth.
Preferably, the slot has a pocket located in the middle between the guides, which is an indentation of the slot. This indentation is directed toward the back. The pocket preferably takes up a nib of the operating lever, which moves up and down when actuating the operating lever within the pocket. Normally, the operating lever abuts a stop of the support part under the effect of the detent spring. The detent spring is thus used for a plurality of tasks. It is used for adjustment in the sliding direction by engaging into the detent recesses. Engagement is automatically; when sliding, the ends of the detent spring slide over the guide means and automatically engage into a detent recess, as long as this is not prevented by the operating lever.
Preferably, the operating lever comprises a U-shaped region with a front limb located in front of the front apron, with a base located below the front apron, and with a rear limb located behind the front apron. The operating lever is thus shaped in such a way that it supports the front apron; in other words, the lower one is guided around the front apron. Its front limb is in front of the front apron. Preferably, the operating lever furthermore has a flange adjoining the upper end of the rear limb, which is located in the space between the support plate and the base part. This flange supports the pivot axis of the operating lever. Two end regions of the pivot axis protrude away from the flange on side. These end regions or stumps are located in one of the bearing regions. The nib of the flange runs parallel to the sliding direction and extends into the pocket of the slot. It reaches through a middle region of the detent spring, thereby taking the centre of the detent spring with it during operating lever movements. Specifically, it pushes them downward when the front limb is pulled upward. Normally, the detent spring presses the operating lever against a stop. This holds the operating lever in its normal position. The operating lever is also referred to as a handle. It has a handle on the top end of the front limb.
In the case a seat depth adjustment device operated by motor, the electric motor comprises a gearbox connected to a spindle. This is located in the space between the support plate and the base plate. It extends in the sliding direction. It is engaged with a spindle nut, which is connected to the base plate.
Further advantages and features of the disclosure arise from the other claims as well as the following description of two exemplary embodiments, which are to be understood as being non-restrictive, shall be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing. The figures in this drawing show the following:
A right-handed, orthogonal x, y, z coordinate system is used for the description. The x-axis is in the sliding direction; the positive x-axis points toward the seating surface that is becoming longer. The y-axis is on the plane of the seating surface; the z-axis points perpendicularly upward from the plane of the seating surface. This coordinate system essentially corresponds to the coordinate system commonly used in automotive technology and is identical to this if the x-y plane is parallel to the road level.
The manual embodiment is shown in
The guide means 32 only extend across a part of the length of the two guides 30. Across the entire permissible adjustment path, the guide means 32 always remain within the region of the guides 30 by at least 70%. The sliding path forward, in a positive x-direction, is delimited by the guides 30 leading into the front apron 24.
The front apron 24 essentially extends in the y-z plane; it is slightly bent around an axis parallel to the z-direction. It extends downward from a leading edge of the support part 22. The front apron 24 is reinforced by ribs 34. The support part 22 is striped due to the bars 36 arranged in a square pattern located on its top side. They extend obliquely to the x- and also to the y-axis. They are near the leading edge at least twice as high in the z-direction, as at the rear end of the support part 22.
The support part 22 has a slot 38 extending in the direction of the y-axis. It extends from the centre of the support part 22 in both directions of the y-axis to the guides 30 respectively and ends within the guides 30; see
The guide means 32 have open recesses 42 upward in the positive z-direction, which are arranged one following the other in the sliding direction 28. The exemplary embodiment shows five such detent recesses 42. In the normal position, that is, the locking position, a free end of a limb of the detent spring 40 each engages into a detent recess 42. In the process, it is guided in the immediate vicinity of the detent recess 42 in the slot 38, which acts here as a shearing slot. This reduces the load on the limb in the event of an accident or the like.
The manual embodiment has an operating lever 44. It has (i) a U-shaped region with a front limb 46, which is located in front of the front apron 24 and supports a handle on its upper end, a rear limb 48, which is located behind the front apron 24 and a base that connects these two limbs 46, 48 and is located below the lower edge of the front apron 24. It has (ii) a flange 50 which attaches to the upper end of the rear limb 48 and extends toward the back, essentially toward the negative x-axis. This flange 50 is located in a space 52 between support part 22 and base plate 26. This space 52 is only accessible in the sliding direction 28. It has a clear height of a minimum of one to a maximum of 8 cm.
The flange 50 supports a pivot axis 54, which runs in the y-direction. Two end regions are spaced away from it, which are mounted in the bearing regions 56 of the support part 22. They can be clipped into these bearing regions 56 by a movement in the positive x-direction. Furthermore, the flange 50 has a nib 58 protruding in the negative x-direction. It bears down on the annular middle region of the detent spring 40 and takes it with when operating the operating lever 44. This movement is essentially in the z-direction. In its longitudinal centre, the slot 38 has a pocket that takes up the free end of the nib 58.
The support part 22 forms a support 60 within the slot 38 for each limb of the detent spring 40. Each limb lies on a support 60 approximately at its longitudinal centre; it is located above the support 60. The two limbs of the detent spring 40 are at an angle to each other, which is less than 180°, preferably about 150°. As a result, the nib 58 is elastically preloaded in the positive z-direction upward and the flange 50 is attached to the support part 22 so that the normal position of the operating lever 44 is predetermined. The detent spring 40 thus keeps the operating lever 44 elastic in its normal position.
When the operating lever 44 is actuated, whereby the front limb 46 is pulled upward, the nib 58 and thus the annular middle region move downward. The limbs are pressed more strongly onto the support 60. Their free ends move upward. As a result, they are released from the detent recesses 42. An adjustment can be performed.
The base plate 26 has an inlet 62 at its leading edge between the guide means 32. There is a zone of the operating lever 44 in this inlet 62; in particular; the rear limb 48 and the flange 50 are at least partially located there. In the region of inlet 62, there is also a recess 64 of the support part 22. It creates space upward. At their lower surface, projections 66 of the flange 50 come to rest; they delimit the pivot path of the operating lever 44 into the normal position.
In the motorized embodiment shown in
The electric motor 68 is designed according to the most recent background art. The electric motor 68 is located in the immediate vicinity of the front apron 24. It has a gearbox connected to a spindle 74. This runs in the sliding direction 28. It is located at least partially in the space 52. It is engaged with a spindle nut 76, which is held on a bar part 37 connected to the base plate 26. The spindle 74 is located on the plane where the guide 30 and guide means 32 interlock with one another.
The support plate 20 is essentially symmetrical to the x-z plane. Therefore, in
Terms such as ‘substantially’, ‘preferably’ and ‘the like’, as well as possibly inaccurate specifications are to be understood in such a way that a deviation of plus/minus 5%, preferably plus/minus 2% and, in particular, plus/minus one percent from the normal value is possible.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2018 106 173.0 | Mar 2018 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2019/056124 | 3/12/2019 | WO | 00 |