Adjusting device for a vehicle seat with a spindle and an associated spindle nut

• US 6,575,421 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2000
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Adient Luxembourg Holding S.A R.L. (Adient plc)
• Original Assignee: C ROB Hammerstein GmbH & Company KG (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Becker, Burkhard, Houston, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan; Korie
• Application Number:
  US09/696,849
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 248/424,429,430 297/330
• US Class Current: 248/429
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0224 Non-manual adjustments, e.g. with electrical operation
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02253 characterised by the transmission between the electric motor and the seat or seat parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/067 by linear actuators, e.g. linear screw mechanisms

Abstract

The invention relates to an adjusting device for a vehicle seat having a first adjusting element (20) and a second adjusting element (22) that is motion-linked to the first adjusting element (20), particularly a length-adjustment device for an underframe of the vehicle seat relative to a seat part, whereas the adjusting device (24) has a spindle (26) and an associated spindle nut (30) encompassing the spindle (26) and whereas the spindle (26) is non rotatably fastened onto the first adjusting element (20) of the adjusting device and the spindle nut (30) a) is rotatably carried in the second adjusting element (22), b) forms on its outer case a worm wheel that engages the worm (32) which may be connected to a multi turn actuation (36), c) is made of synthetic material and d) is encompassed on either of its two axial end areas by a reinforcing barrel (60) that encircles the corresponding end area of the spindle nut (30).

Claims

1. An adjusting device for an adjustable vehicle seat, said adjusting device arranged between a first adjusting element and a second adjusting element, said adjusting device being capable of adjusting said first adjusting element relative to said second adjusting element, said adjusting device comprising:

a threaded spindle and an associated spindle nut, the spindle nut encompassing the spindle, the spindle being fixed to the first adjusting element of the adjusting device whereby the spindle is non-rotatable;

wherein the spindle nut;

a) is carried by the second adjusting element so that the spindle nut can be rotated,

b) has an outer case and defines a worm wheel on said outer case that engages a worm which is connectable to a multi-turn actuation device;

c) is made of a synthetic material; and

d) has two axial end areas and is encompassed on each of these two axial end areas by a reinforcing barrel that encircles the corresponding axial end area of the spindle nut and is non-rotatably linked to the spindle nut.

2. The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing barrel is provided with an annular vault, which annular vault is arranged at the axial end area of the spindle nut, said annular vault forming a bearing surface for a ball bearing.

3. The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein a ring made of elastic material is arranged between the reinforcing barrel and the spindle nut.

4. The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein a central area of the spindle nut has an outer diameter and wherein the axial end areas of the spindle nut have a smaller outer diameter than said central area of the spindle nut.

5. The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein said worm wheel has a minor diameter, said minor diameter being measured in valleys of a gearing of the worm wheel, and the axial end areas of the spindle nut have a diameter which is larger than the minor diameter of the worm wheel.

6. The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the axial end areas of the spindle nut are provided with at least one shoulder.

7. The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the outer diameter of the spindle nut diminishes stepwise in its axial end areas and toward a free axial end of the spindle nut and that the reinforcing barrel is pushed axially onto the free axial end.

8. The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein a bearing is provided in the vicinity of a free end of the spindle nut.

9. The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the spindle has an axis and the worm has a rotational axis, said rotational axis running across the axis of the spindle.

10. The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing barrel is made of metal.

11. The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the spindle nut is encompassed by a plastic casing and a bearing is provided between this plastic casing and the spindle nut.

12. The adjusting device according to claim 11, wherein the plastic casing is encompassed by an U-shaped holder, which U-shaped holder has a base and two flanges, said flanges each projecting toward said base, a passageway for the spindle being provided in each of said flanges.

13. The adjusting device according to claim 3, wherein said ring made of elastic material is an O-ring made of a rubber.

14. The adjusting device according to claim 3, wherein said ring made of elastic material is a spring lock washer made of a metal.

15. The adjusting device according to claim 8, wherein said bearing is a ball bearing.

16. The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the worm is connected directly with an output shaft of an electric motor.

17. The adjusting according to claim 11, wherein a bearing is provided at each free axial end of the spindle nut.