Apparatus for driving power seat for vehicle

• US 5,427,345 A
• Filed: 03/09/1994
• Issued: 06/27/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsuba Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsuba Electric Manufacturing Company Limited (Mitsuba Corporation), Tachi-S Company Limited
• Inventors: Nakahara, Shigeru, Yamakami, Gensaku, Nemoto, Akira, Sakamoto, Takao
• Primary Examiner(s): FOSS, J
• Application Number:
  US08/207,680
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: 248/419, 248/393, 248/394, 248/395, 248/429, 248/430, 248/424, 297/344.17, 297/344.1, 76/665 N
• US Class Current: 248/394
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0296 Central command actuator to selectively switch on or engage one of several special purpose circuits or mechanisms

Abstract

A seat moving apparatus performs adjustments of a seat portion in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle as well as height or tilting adjustments using only one electric motor to decrease the number of elements of the apparatus and to reduce the weight and size of the apparatus. A linkage for driving a seat for a vehicle is disclosed which is arranged in such a manner that first and second nut members are matably attached to operational shafts connected to the single motor. The first nut members are fixed to a floor of the vehicle. The second nut members are attached to the seat through linkages. A clutch body of each nut member can be, by a clutch operation mechanism, selectively switched between a movement state and a non-movement state. In the movement state, a clutch body of the clutch mechanism is positioned at a second shifting position and the nut members are engaged with and longitudinal moved along the threaded operation shafts. In the non-movement state, the clutch body is positioned in a first shifting position and the nut members are not moved during rotation of the operational shafts. The first nut members adjust the positions of the seat in the longitudinal direction and the second nut members adjust the height or tilt of the seat.

Claims

1. A linkage for moving a seat for a vehicle comprising:

threaded operation shafts rotatably driven by a same motor, each of said threaded operation shafts having a joining portion formed in an outer surface thereof;

a first nut member attached to one of said threaded operation shafts, relative movements of said first nut member during rotation of said threaded operation shafts enabling the seat to be moved in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle;

second nut members attached to said threaded operation shafts so that the movement of said second nut members with respect to said threaded operation shafts enables adjustment of the seat in a different direction from said longitudinal direction;

each of said first nut member and said second nut members including;

a casing having two ends through which one of said threaded operation shafts penetrates;

a rotary member disposed on one of the two ends of said casing, said rotary member being disposed around said one threaded operation shaft and engaged with said joining portion of said one threaded operation shaft to allow rotation with said one threaded operation shaft about a longitudinal axis of said one operation shaft but disengaged from threads of said one threaded operation shaft to prevent axial movement of said rotary member along the longitudinal axis during rotation of said operational shafts, said rotary member having a first clutch receiving portion on an end thereof;

a nut body threaded on said one threaded operation shaft and disposed adjacent to said end of said rotary member;

a clutch body movably attached to an outer peripheral surface of said nut body, said clutch body being rotatable with said nut body when said nut body is rotated around the longitudinal axis and axially movable relative to said nut body, said clutch body having at one end thereof a first clutch joining portion detachably engaged to said first clutch receiving portion and at a second end thereof a second clutch joining portion;

a clutch receiver integrally attached to the other end of said casing and penetrated by said one threaded operation shaft, said clutch receiver having a second clutch receiving portion to which said second clutch joining portion is detachably engaged; and

clutch urging means acting on said clutch body to move said clutch body axially causing said clutch body to switch between a non-movement state in which said clutch joining portion is engaged to said first clutch receiving portion and a movement state in which said second clutch joining portion is engaged to said second clutch receiving portion.

2. The linkage of claim 1, wherein said urging means is a spring.

3. The linkage of claim 1, wherein said urging means is an exciting coil.

4. The linkage of claim 3, wherein said exciting coil is coaxially arranged around said nut body.

5. The linkage of claim 1, wherein a spring forms part of said urging means for urging said clutch mechanism to one of said first movement state and said second movement state and an exciting coil forms part of said urging means for overcoming a force exerted by said spring and urging said clutch mechanism to the other of said first movement state and said second movement state.

6. The linkage of claim 1, wherein said first clutch receiving portion includes a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves separated by ridges and said first clutch joining portion has a corresponding complementary plurality of grooves separated by ridges for mating with said first clutch receiving portion.

7. The linkage of claim 1, wherein said nut body has a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves separated by ridges, the grooves and ridges extending an entire longitudinal length of said nut body.

8. The linkage of claim 7, wherein said first clutch receiving portion includes a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves separated by ridges corresponding to said grooves and ridges of said nut body and said first clutch joining portion has a corresponding complementary plurality of grooves separated by ridges for mating with said first clutch receiving portion and said grooves and ridges of said nut body, said grooves and ridges of said first clutch joining portion extending an entire length of said clutch body.

9. The linkage of claim 1, wherein said first nut member is attached on the side of a floor of the vehicle and the second nut members are attached to the seat through height adjustment mechanisms.

10. The linkage of claim 1, wherein a plurality of said second nut members are attached to the seat through height adjustment mechanisms and movement of one of said second nut members along said operation shaft relative to the other said second nut members tilts the seat relative to a floor of the vehicle.

11. The linkage of claim 1, wherein two of said second nut members are attached to the seat through height adjustment mechanisms and movement of both second nut members in a same direction along said operation shaft causes raising or lowering of the seat relative to a floor of the vehicle.

12. The linkage of claim 1, wherein said second nut members are located on a same operational shaft.

13. The linkage of claim 1, wherein three substantially parallel, spaced operational shafts are provided, said second nut members being provided on a central one of said operational shafts and two first nut members being provided, one on each of the remaining two operational shafts.

14. A linkage for moving a seat for a vehicle comprising:

threaded operation shafts rotatably driven by a same motor, each of said threaded operation shafts having a joining portion formed in an outer surface thereof;

a first nut member attached to one of said threaded operation shafts, relative movements of said first nut member during rotation of said threaded operation shafts enabling the seat to be moved in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle;

second nut members attached to said threaded operation shafts so that the movement of said second nut members with respect to said threaded operation shafts enables adjustment of the seat in a different direction from said longitudinal direction;

each of said first nut member and said second nut members including;

a casing having two ends through which one of said threaded operation shafts penetrates;

a rotary member disposed on one of the two ends of said casing, said rotary member being disposed around said one threaded operation shaft and engaged with said joining portion of said one threaded operation shaft to allow rotation with said one threaded operation shaft about a longitudinal axis of said one operation shaft but disengaged from threads of said one threaded operation shaft preventing axial movement of said rotary member along the longitudinal axis due to rotation of said operational shafts, said rotary member having a first clutch receiving portion on an end thereof;

a nut body threaded on said one threaded operation shaft and disposed adjacent to said end of said rotary member;

a clutch body movably attached to an outer peripheral surface of said nut body, said clutch body being rotatable with said nut body when said nut body is rotated around the longitudinal axis and axially movable relative to said nut body, said clutch body having at one end thereof a first clutch joining portion detachably engaged to said first clutch receiving portion and at a second end thereof a second clutch joining portion;

a clutch receiver integrally attached to the other end of said casing and penetrated by said one threaded operation shaft, said clutch receiver having a second clutch receiving portion to which said second clutch joining portion is detachably engaged; and

clutch urging means located coaxially around said clutch body, said clutch urging means moving said clutch body axially between a non-movement state in which said clutch joining portion is engaged to said first clutch receiving portion and a movement state in which said second clutch joining portion is engaged to said second clutch receiving portion.

15. The linkage of claim 14, wherein said clutch urging means is an exciting coil.

16. The linkage of claim 14, wherein said first nut member is in the movement state when no power is supplied to said exciting coil and said second nut members are in the non-movement state when no power is supplied to said exciting coil.