Stopper structure for seat lifter

• US 6,729,594 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2003
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TF-Metal Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Fuji KIKO Company Limited
• Inventors: Ikegaya, Isao
• Primary Examiner(s): Braun, Leslie A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHULTERBRANDT, KOFI A
• Application Number:
  US10/443,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20030222192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: 248/429, 248/421, 248/430, 248/424, 248/423, 248/396, 296/64, 296/65.1, 296/68.1, 297/344.1, 297/463.1, 297/311
• US Class Current: 248/421
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1615 Parallelogram-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/165 Gear wheel driven mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/168 and provided with braking systems

Abstract

A stopper structure for a seat lifter includes a stopper formed at another end of a connecting rod to abut on a connecting shaft when a cushion frame is located in a lifting limit position and a lowering limit position with respect to the base frame. When the cushion frame is located in the lifting limit position, the stopper restricts rotation of a sector gear in the direction of lifting the cushion frame with respect to the base frame. When the cushion frame is located in the lowering limit position, the stopper restricts rotation of the sector gear in the direction of lowering the cushion frame with respect to the base frame.

Claims

1. A stopper structure for a seat lifter, comprising:

a base frame;

a bell crank rotatably mounted to the base frame;

a cushion frame linked with one swinging end of the bell crank;

a pinion gear rotatably mounted to one of the base frame and the cushion frame;

a connecting shaft rotatably mounted to the one of the base frame and the cushion frame;

a sector gear meshed with the pinion gear, the sector gear being fixed to the connecting shaft, the sector gear being rotated to swing the bell crank for upward and downward movement of the cushion frame with respect to the base frame;

a connecting rod having one end linked with another swinging end of the bell crank and another end linked with the sector gear in a position offset with respect to the connecting shaft; and

a stopper formed at the another end of the connecting rod, the stopper abutting on the connecting shaft when the cushion frame is located in at least one of a lifting limit position and a lowering limit position with respect to the base frame, when the cushion frame is located in the lifting limit position the stopper restricting rotation of the sector gear in a direction of lifting the cushion frame with respect to the base frame, when the cushion frame is located in the lowering limit position the stopper restricting rotation of the sector gear in a direction of lowering the cushion frame with respect to the base frame.

2. A stopper structure for a seat lifter, comprising:

first and second base frames;

first and second bell cranks rotatably mounted to the first and second base frames, respectively;

first and second cushion frames linked with swinging ends of the first and second bell cranks, respectively;

first and second links having ends linked with the first and second base frames and other ends linked with the first and second cushion frames, respectively;

first and second connecting rods having ends linked with other swinging ends of the first and second bell cranks, respectively;

a pinion gear rotatably mounted to one of the first base frame and the first cushion frame;

a sector gear meshed with the pinion gear, the sector gear being linked with another end of the first connecting rod, the sector gear being rotated to swing the first and second bell crank for upward and downward movement of the first and second cushion frames with respect to the first and second base frames;

a connecting link fixed at the another end of the second connecting rod;

a connecting shaft having one end fixed to the sector gear and another end fixed to the connecting link, the one end being rotatably mounted to the one of the first base frame and the first cushion frame, another end being rotatably mounted to a corresponding one of the second base frame and the second cushion frame; and

first and second stoppers formed at the another end of the first connecting rod and another end of the second connecting rod the first and second stoppers abutting on the connecting shaft when the first and second cushion frames are located in at least one of a lifting limit position and a lowering limit position with respect to the first and second base frames, when the first and second cushion frames are located in the lifting limit position the first and second stopper restricting rotation of the sector gear in a direction of lifting the first and second cushion frames with respect to the first and second base frames, when the first and second cushion frames are located in the lowering limit position the first and second stoppers restricting rotation of the sector gear in a direction of lowering the first and second cushion frames with respect to the first and second base frames.