Pneumatic motor vehicle seat with stabilized static height

• US 6,616,116 B1
• Filed: 09/21/2001
• Issued: 09/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Isringhausen GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Isringhausen GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Rochau, Stefan, Lieker, Reiner
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Ramon O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SZUMNY, JONATHON A
• Application Number:
  US09/937,200
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 248/550, 248/562, 248/564, 248/567, 248/584, 248/588, 248/631, 248/421, 261/113, 261/131
• US Class Current: 248/564
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/501 actively controlled suspension, e.g. electronic control
• 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 2/525 using gas

Abstract

A pneumatic motor vehicle seat, whose static height is held constant independently of the weight of the respective seat occupant. The inventive device provides a magnetically actuated air valve (16) which is enclosed 20 in a plastic valve housing for aerating and deaerating the pneumatic valve. The air valve is controlled by an external permanent magnet and according operates, quietly, cleanly and with little wear. Also a motor vehicle seat includes an integrated height adjustment mechanism, comprising a control system which automatically and simultaneously dampens the vehicle seat vibrations to a maximum, whilst the static height is being adjusted.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle seat supported to vibrate by means of a mechanical vibration system and a pneumatic spring

wherein static height is held constant automatically independently of the weight of the respective seat occupant wherein said mechanical vibration system actuates an aerating valve or a deaerating valve for lowering or raising said pneumatic spring independent of the vibration travel by means of a control system

wherein the deaerating valve is opened by a vibration travel exceeding the static height, and the acrating valve is opened by a vibration travel falling below the static height, and that said valves are closed after reversal of the respective vibration travel and before the static height is reached,

wherein the distance between vibration travel switching positions and the static height when the valves are closed is shorter than the distance between the vibration travel switching positions and the static height when the valves are opened to provide a trailing distance for holding the valves in the open position,

wherein the valves each comprise a stopping device (23, 24) that lifts off of a valve seat (25, 26) for opening the valve against the force of a closing spring (27, 28),

wherein the stopping device (23, 24) consists of a ferromagnetic material and is disposed in a plastic valve housing,

and the control system for opening the valves consists of a control lever (18) or a control carriage with a permanent magnet (22) which approaches the stopping device of the aerating valve (24/26) or the stopping device of the deaerating valve (23/25) in a non-contacting manner dependent on the vibration travel in such a way that the respective stopping device (23, 24) in the valve open position is a non-contacting distance from the permanent magnet which is shorter than the total valve height because the valve in the open position is closer to the permanent magnet (22) due to the lift off motion of the stopping device from its valve seat.

2. The motor vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein

the stopping device (24) of the aerating valve and the stopping device (23) of the deaerating valve are disposed in a common valve housing having lift off motions from their valve seats (26, 25) which are parallel and oriented in the same direction,

the valve housing largely hermetically seals the stopping devices and the respective ranges of their lift off motions against external effects

and the permanent magnet (22) is mounted on said control lever (18) which is disposed so as to pivot on an external wall surface of the valve housing dependent on the vibration travel, and causes the permanent magnet to approach the respective stopping devices on the external wall surface of the valve housing transversely to the lift off motions of the stopping devices, such that in the final stage of approach the pole surface of the permanent magnet (22) is plane-parallel opposite, and at a distance from a preferably plane bottom area of the respective stopping device (23, 24).

3. The motor vehicle seat according to claim 2 with integrated height adjustment, wherein

the valve housing is disposed so as to turn about an axis (17) at the crossing point of a scissors-type rod vibration system,

and the precise turning position of the valve housing can be adjusted and set by means of a Bowden cable (30) mounted on the scissors-type rod and on the valve housing and loaded by tension and/or pressure.

4. The motor vehicle seat with integrated height adjustment, according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the motor vehicle seat comprises said control system with which the maximum vibration of the motor vehicle seat is adjustable automatically and simultaneously with the static height adjustment.

5. The motor vehicle seat according to claim 4, wherein the control system comprises at least an eccenter (40) and a catch lever (45), where the eccenter (40) and the catch lever (45) are movable relative to each other dependent on the motor vehicle seat vibration, up to a limit stop position, and interact with each static height adjustment, wherein a constant maximum vibration of the motor vehicle seat is adjustable automatically and simultaneously.

6. The motor vehicle seat according to claim 5, characterized in that the eccenter (40) is adjustable relative to any static height adjustment by means of a two-stage gear (50).