Motor vehicle seat with a seat height adjustment

• US 6,250,705 B1
• Filed: 08/23/1999
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Faurecia Autositze GmbH & Company KG (Forvia SE)
• Original Assignee: Faurecia Autositze GmbH & Company KG (Forvia SE)
• Inventors: Zuch, Harald
• Primary Examiner(s): Pedder, Dennis H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ENGLE, PATRICIA LYNN
• Application Number:
  US09/379,119
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 296/65.05, 296/65.01, 296/65.08, 296/65.09, 296/68.1, 297/216.1, 297/216.16, 297/216.2, 248/422
• US Class Current: 296/68.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1615 Parallelogram-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/169 Stepwise movement mechanisms, e.g. ratchets B60N2/167 takes precedence

Abstract

A motor vehicle seat with a seat frame and a seat height adjustment device has two guide bars attached to the motor vehicle chassis. The guide bars are pivotable by a propulsion device about a horizontal axis to adjust the height of the seat in various positions of inclination. The guide bars are connected so as to resist torsion, and on the side of the seat opposite the propulsion device, a locking device which is sensitive to inertia is provided between the seat frame and the adjacent guide bar.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle seat with a seat frame and a seat height adjustment device having two guide bars attached to a motor vehicle chassis;

said guide bars pivotable by pivoting means about a horizontal axis into various positions of inclination in order to adjust the height of the seat;

wherein;

said guide bars are connected so as to resist torsion; and

on the side of the seat opposite said pivoting means, a locking device which is sensitive to inertia is provided between the seat frame and an adjacent guide bar.

2. The motor vehicle seat of claim 1, said locking device comprising a pivotable locking element with dentiform projections having an unlocked position and a locked position, wherein:

in said unlocked position, a spring holds said locking element out of engagement with dentiform projections on said adjacent guide bar; and

when a prescribed force of acceleration is exceeded, said locking element assumes said locked position by pivoting to make contact with a stop affixed to said seat frame, and the dentiform projections on the locking element engage the dentiform projections on the guide bar.

3. The motor vehicle seat of claim 2, wherein said dentiform projections on said locking element and said guide bar have a saw-tooth form.

4. The motor vehicle seat of claim 3, wherein said dentiform projections and the gaps between them increase in size in a direction opposite a direction of acceleration.

5. The motor vehicle seat of claim 2, wherein said locking element has the form of a disc, and at its center, has a recess in which said dentiform projections are arranged.

6. The motor vehicle seat of claim 5, said locking element further having a tappet on its outer circumference which makes contact with a contact bolt.