Seat Frame of a Motor Vehicle Seat with a seat Carrier having Two Side Parts

• US 20080179932A1
• Filed: 01/31/2008
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keiper Seating Mechanisms Company Limited
• Original Assignee: C ROB Hammerstein GmbH & Company KG (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Beneker, Wilfried, Becker, Burckhard
• Granted Patent: US 7,775,592 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/367
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1695 with simultaneous height and inclination adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/181 Rods
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1814 Parallelogram-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1842 pivoting about an axis located in the rear
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1846 pivoting about a distant axis, e.g. virtual
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1853 Linear actuator, e.g. screw mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/23 by linear actuators, e.g. linear screw mechanisms

Abstract

The invention relates to a seat frame of a motor vehicle seat with a seat carrier having two side parts that are oriented transverse to a front axis and to a rear axis, a pivotal bridge being pivotal about at least one of said axes, said bridge comprising a tie bar and two side arms, and with an adjustment device having a motor-driven drive unit. The drive unit is arranged for pivotal movement about a hinge shaft that is substantially centered on that axis of the two axes about which said pivotal bridge is pivotal. Said hinge shaft is shorter than the distance between the two seat parts and is not in contact with said two seat parts, but if at all with only one side part. There is provided at least one inner arm that connects said tie bar to said hinge shaft and is located in proximity to said drive unit.

Claims

1. A seat frame of a motor vehicle seat comprising:

a seat carrier including two side parts that are oriented transverse to a front axis and to a rear axis;

a pivotal bridge being pivotal about at least one of said front and rear axes, said bridge comprising a tie bar and two side arms; and

an adjustment device including

a motor-driven drive unit arranged for pivotal movement about a hinge shaft that is substantially centered on that axis of the front and rear axes, about which said pivotal bridge is pivotal, and

at least one inner arm that connects said tie bar to said hinge shaft and is located in proximity to said drive unit,

wherein the hinge shaft is shorter than the distance between the two side parts and at least one of (i) the hinge shaft does not contact the two side parts and (ii) the hinge shaft contacts one of the side parts.

2. The seat frame as defined claim 1, wherein the hinge shaft extends from one side arm to the at least one inner arm, and the free length of the hinge shaft is not substantially longer than at least one of (i) the corresponding length of the drive unit and (ii) about 5 cm.

3. The seat frame as defined in claim 1, wherein two inner arms are provided, the hinge shaft extends between said two inner arms and the clear distance between the two inner arms is not substantially greater than at least one of (i) the corresponding distance of the drive unit and (ii) about 5 cm.

4. The seat frame as defined in claim 1, wherein the hinge shaft, one of the inner arms, the tie bar and either an additional inner arm or a side arm form a supporting four-bar linkage for receiving the drive unit.

5. The seat frame as defined in claim 1, further comprising a seat pan and a height adjustment device for adjusting the height of the front edge of the seat pan, wherein the height adjustment device comprises the pivotal bridge and the tie bar.

6. The seat frame as defined in claim 1, further comprising a seat pan and a back rest, wherein the adjustment device is a height adjustment device for the seat pan or an incline adjustment device for the back rest.

7. The seat frame as defined in claim 1, wherein the adjustment device comprises a spindle that is inclined at an angle of less than about 20°

relative to the side parts.

8. The seat frame as defined in claim 7, wherein the spindle is inclined at an angle of less than about 10°

relative to the side parts.

9. The seat frame as defined in claim 1, wherein there is a free space between the hinge shaft and one of the two side parts.

10. The seat frame as defined in claim 1, further comprising at least one additional adjustment device.