Seat suspension device

• US 4,729,539 A
• Filed: 07/03/1986
• Issued: 03/08/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tachi-S Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Tachi-S Company Limited
• Inventors: Nagata, Shojiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Foss, J. Franklin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Talbott, David L.
• Application Number:
  US06/882,142
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 297/347, 297/339, 248/421, 248/608, 248/561, 248/587, 248/588, 248/595, 248/575, 248/590, 248/584, 108/136, 267/154, 267/131
• US Class Current: 248/575
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/502 attached to the base of the seat B60N2/504 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/505 Adjustable suspension including height adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/508 Scissors-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/548 Torsion springs, e.g. torsion helicoidal springs

Abstract

A seat suspension device for use in an automotive seat which comprises a pair of right and left X-shaped links for connecting a lower frame with an upper frame and a torsion bar journaled to the pivotally-connected portions of the two X-shaped links. The torsion bar includes two ends, with one end thereof being engaged with one of the X-shaped links and the other end engaged with the other X-shaped link, so that the upper frame can be supported resiliently relative to the lower frame.

Claims

1. A seat suspension device comprising:

a lower frame to be mounted on the floor of a vehicle;

an upper frame for mounting a seat thereto;

a pair of pivotally connected, X-shaped links respectively disposed on opposite sides of, between said upper and lower frames, and supporting said upper frame in a manner such that the upper frame is moveable in a vertical direction relative to said lower frame, and

a torsion bar journaled to the point of pivotal connection connecting the link members of said X-shaped links, said torsion bar comprising a center portion having a terminal portion at each end thereof, each of said terminal portions being disposed at substantially right angles to said center portion, and being disposed in substantially opposing directions with respect to each other, wherein one of said terminal portions is engaged with a link member of one of said pair of X-shaped links, while the other said terminal portion is engaged with a link member of the other of said X-shaped links, or wherein one of said terminal portions is engaged with one side of one of said frames, while the other terminal portion is engaged with the other side of the other of said frames, said torsion bar being adapted to resiliently support said upper frame relative to said lower frame.

2. The seat suspension device of claim 1 wherein said torsion bar is journaled in the central portion of said X-shaped links, and wherein a first terminal portion of said torsion bar is bent in a U-shaped form and is inserted into an engagement bore formed in the front half section of a link member of one of said X-shaped links, and a second terminal portion of said torsion bar is bent in an L-shaped form in a direction substantially opposed to said first terminal portion, said second terminal portion being engaged by means of an adjustment mechanism with the rear half section of a link member of the other of said X-shaped links.

3. The seat suspension device of claim 1, wherein a first terminal portion of said torsion bar is bent forwardly in an L-shaped form, and is abutted against a receiving metal fitting mounted on the front portion of a first outer side surface of said lower frame, while a second terminal portion of said torsion bar is bent in an L-shaped form in a direction substantially opposite to said first terminal portion, and is abutted against said adjustment mechanism mounted to a second outer side surface of a rear half section of said upper frame.

4. The seat suspension device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said seat adjustment mechanism comprises handle operated slide means against which said second terminal portion of said torsion bar is operably abutted, whereby when said handle is operated, then said slide means operates to adjust the resilient force produced by said torsion bar.

5. The seat suspension device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said adjustment mechanism comprises handle operated slide means against which said second terminal portion of said torsion bar is operably abutted, whereby when said handle is operated, then said slide means operates to adjust the resilient force produced by said torsion bar.

6. The seat suspension device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said adjustment mechanism comprises a rotatable cam means fixed to a handle whereby said handle can be rotated to turn said cam means so as to adjust the resilient force of said torsion bar.

7. A seat suspension device comprising:

a lower frame to be mounted on the floor side of a vehicle;

an upper frame for mounting a seat thereto;

a pair of X-shaped links respectively disposed right and left between said lower and upper frames to support said upper frame in a manner that said upper frame is moveable in a vertical direction; and

,

a torsion bar journaled to the pivotally-connected portions of said right and left X-shaped links to resiliently support said upper frame relative to said lower frame;

wherein said torsion bar includes two end portions respectively bent, and one of said end portions engaged with a first link member of one of said X-shaped links and the other end portion is engaged with a second link member of the other X-shaped link so as to energize said right and left X-shaped links in the respective stand-up direction thereof, and

wherein said torsion bar journals said right and left X-shaped links in the central portion thereof, and wherein said one end portion of said torsion bar is bent in a U-shaped form and is inserted into an engagement bore formed in the front half section of said first link member of said one shaped link, and said the other end portion is bent in an L-shaped form in a direction opposite to said one end portion and is engaged via an adjustment mechanism with the rear half section of said second link member of said other X-shaped link, and

wherein further, said adjustment mechanism comprises an operation shaft with a threaded portion moveable in the peripheral direction thereof but immoveable axially, a slide bracket threadedly engaged with said threaded portion of said operation shaft and formed in a sloping shape, and a handle fixed to the end of said operation shaft, while said the other end portion of said torsion bar is abutted against said sloped surface of said slide bracket, whereby when said handle is rotationally operated, then said slide bracket can be moved to adjust the resilient force of said torsion bar.