Vertical movement apparatus for vehicle seat

• US 20010005003A1
• Filed: 11/30/2000
• Published: 06/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Koga, Yoshitaka, Uryu, Naoyuki
• Granted Patent: US 6,572,065 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 248/421
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/067 by linear actuators, e.g. linear screw mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1615 Parallelogram-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/164 Linear actuator, e.g. screw mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1685 characterised by a lock
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/43 Safety locks for back-rests B60N2/433
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/929 linear
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/26 secured to the seat

Abstract

A vertical movement apparatus for a vehicle seat includes a seat bracket supported on a seat member, a floor bracket adapted to be supported on a floor member, a link supported by the floor bracket to move the seat bracket in the vertical direction of the seat member, a driving member operatively connected to the link to drive the link and move the seat bracket in the vertical direction, and a link control mechanism. The link control mechanism includes an elongated hole located in either the seat bracket or the floor bracket, a pin operatively engaged with the other of the floor bracket or the seat bracket and slidably disposed within the elongated hole, and a depression portion located on the inside surface of the elongated hole to prevent the pin from sliding within the elongated hole.

Claims

1. A vertical movement apparatus for a vehicle seat comprising:

a seat bracket supported on a seat member;

a floor bracket adapted to be supported on a floor member;

a link supported by the floor bracket to move the seat bracket in a vertical direction;

a driving member operatively connected to the link to drive the link and move the seat bracket in the vertical direction; and

a link control mechanism including an elongated hole formed in one of the seat bracket and the floor bracket, a pin operatively connected to the other of the seat bracket and the floor bracket and disposed within the elongated hole with a clearance provided between the pin and an inside surface of the elongated hole, and a depression portion formed on the inside surface of the elongated hole to be engaged by the pin to prevent the pin from moving within the elongated hole.

2. The vertical movement apparatus for a vehicle seat according to

claim 1

, wherein the pin is mounted on an anchor bracket which is rotatably connected with said other of the seat bracket and the floor bracket.

3. The vertical movement apparatus for a vehicle seat according to

claim 2

, wherein one end of a seat belt is connected with the anchor bracket.

4. The vertical movement apparatus for a vehicle seat according to

claim 2

, wherein the anchor is rotatably connected with the seat bracket by way of a pin passing through the anchor bracket and the seat bracket and a spring disposed between the anchor bracket and an end of the pin.

5. The vertical movement apparatus for a vehicle seat according to

claim 2

, wherein the anchor bracket is connected to one end portion of a linking member, said linking member also being connected to a rod positioned in an elongated hole formed in the seat bracket to allow the rod to move.

6. The vertical movement apparatus for a vehicle seat according to

claim 1

, wherein the depression portion is defined by a plurality of spaced apart concavities.

7. A vertical movement apparatus for a vehicle seat comprising:

a seat bracket supported on a seat member;

an anchor bracket rotatably supported by the seat bracket;

a floor bracket adapted to be supported on a floor member;

a link supported by the floor bracket to move the seat bracket in a vertical direction;

a driving member operatively connected to the link for driving the link to move the seat bracket in the vertical direction; and

an engaging mechanism located between the anchor bracket and the floor bracket to prevent the seat bracket from moving in the vertical direction of the seat member upon application of a load exceeding a predetermined load.

8. The vertical movement apparatus for a vehicle seat according to

claim 7

, wherein the anchor bracket rotates to engage the anchor bracket with the floor bracket when the load, which operates on the anchor bracket, is more than the predetermined load.

9. The vertical movement apparatus for a vehicle seat according to

claim 8

, wherein one end of a seat belt is operatively connected with the anchor bracket.

10. The vertical movement apparatus for a vehicle seat according to

claim 8

, wherein the anchor bracket includes deceleration detecting means for detecting deceleration.

11. The vertical movement apparatus for a vehicle seat according to

claim 10

, wherein the deceleration detecting means is a weight attached to the anchor bracket.

12. The vertical movement apparatus for a vehicle seat according to

claim 7

, including a spring attached to the anchor bracket and the seat bracket.

13. The vertical movement apparatus for a vehicle seat according to

claim 7

, wherein the anchor bracket and the floor bracket each include a teeth portion, the teeth portion on the anchor bracket engaging the teeth portion of the floor bracket upon application of the load exceeding the predetermined load.

14. The vertical movement apparatus for a vehicle seat according to

claim 7

, wherein the anchor bracket is connected to one end portion of a linking member, said linking member also being connected to a rod positioned in an elongated hole formed in the seat bracket to allow the rod to move.

15. A vertical movement apparatus for a vehicle seat comprising:

a seat bracket supported on a seat member;

a floor bracket adapted to be supported by a floor member;

a link supported by the floor bracket to move the seat bracket in a vertical direction;

a driving member operatively connected to the link for driving the link to move the seat bracket in the vertical direction;

a connecting link located between the driving member and the link to transmit a driving force from the driving member to the link; and

a pin fixed on the connecting link and a slit formed in the seat bracket, the slit being provided with a depression portion and the pin being positioned in the slit and engageable with the depression portion.

16. The vertical movement apparatus for a vehicle seat according to

claim 15

, wherein the depression portion is defined by a plurality of spaced apart concavities.

17. The vertical movement apparatus for a vehicle seat according to

claim 15

, wherein the driving member includes a rod connected to the connecting link at a connection point which allows the rod and the connecting link to be positioned out of axial alignment with one another.