FITTING FOR A VEHICLE SEAT

• US 20110068612A1
• Filed: 01/14/2009
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Keiper GmbH & Company KG (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Keiper GmbH & Company KG (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Thiel, Peter
• Application Number:
  US12/674,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20110068612A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/344.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/123 and provided with memory locks
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/20 the back-rest being tiltable, e.g. to permit easy access B60N2/04, B60N2/22 , B60N2/3002 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2252 in which the central axis of the gearing lies inside the periphery of an orbital gear, e.g. one gear without sun gear
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2352 with external pawls
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/433 Safety locks for back-rests, e.g. with locking bars activated by inertia

Abstract

A fitting (5) for a vehicle seat (1), in particular for a motor vehicle seat, includes an adjustment fitting (11) for adjusting the inclination of the backrest (2) of the vehicle seat (1) in relation to a seat part (3) of said vehicle seat. A free-pivoting unit (12) is provided for freely pivoting the backrest (2) centrally (2) from at least one operating position into a free-pivoting position, that can be released by means of a free-pivoting operational element (8). A fitting lower part (9) is provided that is to be connected to the seat part (3) and that supports the adjustment fitting (11) and a fitting upper part (14) is associated with the free-pivoting unit (12) that is to be connected to the backrest (2) and that is locked in the operating position. A fastening catch (64) is coupled in a pivotable manner to the fitting upper part (14); and which fastens the fitting upper part (14) in the free-pivoting position of the backrest (2). The fastening catch (64) is then opened by at least the free-pivoting operating element (8), the fastening catch (64) fastening the fitting upper part (14) to the fastening lower part (9) and is then opened by a longitudinal adjusting element (81) of the vehicle seat (1).

Claims

1. A fitting for a vehicle seat, the fitting comprising:

an adjustment fitting for the inclination adjustment of a backrest of the vehicle seat relative to a seat part of the vehicle seat;

a freely-pivoting unit for the central free-pivoting of the backrest from at least one position of use into a freely-pivoted position

a freely-pivoting operating element, said freely-pivoting unit being triggered by means of the freely-pivoting operating element;

a fitting lower part, which may be connected to the seat part and which carries the adjustment fitting;

a longitudinal adjuster for longitudinal adjustment of the vehicle seat;

a fitting upper part associated with the freely-pivoting unit, which may be connected to the backrest, and which is locked in the position of use; and

a securing latch which is pivotably articulated to the fitting upper part and which secures the fitting upper part in the freely-pivoted position of the backrest, the securing latch being able to be opened at least by means of the freely-pivoting operating element wherein the securing latch secures the fitting upper part to the fitting lower part and the securing latch securing the fitting upper part may also be opened by means of the longitudinal adjuster of the vehicle seat.

2. The fitting as claimed in claim 1, wherein for limiting the inclination adjustment of the backrest a stop is provided on the fitting lower part and a detent element cooperating with the stop is provided on the adjustment fitting.

3. The fitting as claimed in claim 1, wherein the freely-pivoting unit comprises a locking device with a latch for locking the fitting upper part in the position of use, a prestressed clamping element for securing the locked latch during normal operation and a catch element for supporting the latch in the event of a crash.

4. The fitting as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

the latch is pivotably articulated to the fitting upper part; and

the freely-pivoting unit comprises a detent element which is connected to the adjustment fitting and by which the latch is locked.

5. The fitting as claimed in claim 1, wherein the securing latch cooperates for securing the fitting upper part with a stop on the fitting lower part, the stop defining the inclination adjustment.

6. The fitting as claimed in claim 5, wherein the securing latch, in the position of use, bears against a component of the freely-pivoting unit and/or during the free-pivoting of the backrest, slides along a component of the freely-pivoting unit until reaching the stop.

7. The fitting as claimed in claim 6, wherein the securing latch brought to bear against the stop slightly pivots upward with the further pivoting motion of the backrest and slides along the underside of the stop until it engages behind the stop after passing the stop by means of a securing latch contour in a non-self-locking manner.

8. The fitting as claimed in claim 5, wherein the securing latch is prestressed with the securing latch cooperating with the stop for securing, the securing latch being secured by a prestressed operating lever by means of an operating lever contour.

9. The fitting as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

the securing latch is prestressed with the securing latch cooperating with the stop for securing, the securing latch being secured by a preferably prestressed operating lever by means of an operating lever; and

the securing latch contour and the operating lever contour are configured such that a degree of closing is produced, which is independent of a wobble motion of the adjustment fitting.

10. The fitting as claimed in claim 8, wherein the freely-pivoting unit comprises a rotatably mounted switching ring, which may be rotated by means of the freely-pivoting operating element, the rotated switching ring acting on the operating lever by means of a switching contour opening the operating lever.

11. The fitting as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

the freely-pivoting unit comprises a rotatably mounted switching ring, which may be rotated by means of the freely-pivoting operating element, the rotated switching ring acting on the operating lever by means of a switching contour opening the operating lever; and

the actuated freely-pivoting operating element, by means of a first control cable, pivots the catch element, which acts on the switching ring, in order to rotate said switching ring.

12. The fitting as claimed in claim 8, wherein the longitudinal adjuster, in particular a memory device of the longitudinal adjuster, when reaching the previously set longitudinal seat position, in particular by means of a second control cable, acts on the operating lever, in particular opens the operating lever.

13. A vehicle seat comprising:

a backrest which may be adjusted in its inclination and is freely pivotable;

a longitudinal adjuster by means of which the vehicle seat when freely pivoting the backrest may be moved to the front; and

a fitting for adjusting the inclination and for freely pivoting the backrest, said fitting comprising;

an adjustment fitting for the inclination adjustment of the backrest of the vehicle seat relative to a seat part;

a freely-pivoting unit for a central free-pivoting of the backrest from at least one position of use into a freely-pivoted position;

a freely-pivoting operating element, said freely-pivoting unit being triggered by means of the freely-pivoting operating element;

a fitting lower part, which may be connected to the seat part and which carries the adjustment fitting;

a fitting upper part associated with the freely-pivoting unit, which may be connected to the backrest, and which is locked in the position of use; and

a securing latch which is pivotably articulated to the fitting upper part and which secures the fitting upper part in the freely-pivoted position of the backrest, the securing latch for being opened by means of the freely-pivoting operating element wherein the securing latch secures the fitting upper part to the fitting lower part and the securing latch may also be moved to a non secured position by means of the longitudinal adjuster of the vehicle seat.

14. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 13, wherein the longitudinal adjuster comprises a memory device, which locates the longitudinal seat position set before the free-pivoting, and then opens the securing latch.