Vehicle seat with height adjuster

• US 6,733,075 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2003
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Keiper GmbH & Company KG (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Keiper GmbH & Company KG (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Teufel, Ingo, Schumann, Kai, Mühlberger, Joachim
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US10/462,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20030213885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 330 Days
• Field of Search: 297/344.12, 297/344.13, 297/216.1, 297/216.14, 297/216.15, 297/216.16
• US Class Current: 297/344.12
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1615 Parallelogram-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4214 longitudinal
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42709 involving residual deformation or fracture of the structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/42781 mechanical triggering
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/4279 electric or electronic triggering
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/43 Safety locks for back-rests B60N2/433
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/433 Safety locks for back-rests, e.g. with locking bars activated by inertia

Abstract

In a vehicle seat, particularly a motor vehicle seat, having a height adjuster (25) for setting the height of a seat frame (10) of the vehicle seat (1) relative to an understructure (3) connected with the vehicle structure, a substantially irreversible change in the geometry of the height adjuster (25) in the event of a crash activates at least one crash locking device (27, 30), allowing an alternative force transfer between the seat frame (10) and the understructure (3).

Claims

1. A vehicle seat for being mounted to a vehicle structure and for performing advantageously in the event of a crash, the vehicle seat comprising:

a height adjuster mounted between a seat frame and an understructure for adjusting a height of the seat frame relative to the understructure, wherein the understructure is for being connected to the vehicle structure, the height adjuster is operative so that a change in geometry of the height adjuster occurs in the event of a crash in which the vehicle seat experiences at least a predetermined load, and the change in the geometry of the height adjuster is substantially irreversible; and

at least one locking device mounted for locking in response to the change in geometry to provide an alternative force transmission path between the seat frame and the understructure,

wherein;

the height adjuster is operative so that at least one additional degree of freedom of mobility is added to the height adjuster in the event of the crash, and the additional degree of freedom of mobility at least partially facilitates the change in the geometry of the height adjuster,

the height adjuster includes;

at least two components that are mounted for there being relative rotation therebetween, with the change in geometry including there being relative rotation between said two components, and

a connecting element which holds together said two components to restrict the relative rotation therebetween,

the connecting element is operative for deforming in the event of the crash so that the connecting element no longer holds together said two components to restrict the relative rotation therebetween, whereby the additional degree of freedom of mobility is added to the height adjuster,

the locking device includes a locking element that is stationary with respect to the seat frame during the adjusting of the height of the seat frame prior to the crash, and

the locking element is engaged to a locking element of one of said two components while the locking device is locked.

2. A vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the additional degree of freedom of mobility causes the change in the geometry of the height adjuster to result in the locking of the locking device.

3. A vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein the locking of the locking device causes degrees of freedom of mobility of the height adjuster to be reduced by at least two.

4. A vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the connecting element comprises at least one pin with a predetermined breaking point.

5. A vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the locking device is operative for functioning in two different load directions.

6. A vehicle seat according to claim 5, wherein the connecting element comprises:

a pin with a predetermined breaking point for one of the load directions; and

another pin with a predetermined breaking point for the other load direction.

7. A vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein:

the change in geometry is a first change in geometry,

the height adjuster is operative so that the first change in geometry of the height adjuster occurs in the event of a crash in which the vehicle seat experiences at least the predetermined load in a first direction,

the height adjuster is operative so that a second change in geometry of the height adjuster occurs in the event of a crash in which the vehicle seat experiences at least a predetermined load in a second direction, with the first and second directions being different from one another and the second change in the geometry of the height adjuster being substantially irreversible,

the locking element of the one of said two components is a first locking element,

the locking element that is stationary with respect to the seat frame during the adjusting of the height of the seat frame prior to the crash is first locking counter-element,

the locking device further includes a second locking counter-element that is stationary with respect to the seat frame during the adjusting of the height of the seat frame prior to the crash, and

the first locking element is mounted for;

moving into engagement with the first locking counter-element, rather than into engagement with the second locking counter-element, for locking purposes in response to the first change in geometry, and

moving into engagement with the second locking counter-element, rather than into engagement with the first locking counter-element, for locking purposes in response to the second change in geometry.

8. A vehicle seat according to claim 7, wherein:

the height adjuster and the first locking element are arranged so that the first locking element travels along a path during the adjusting of the height of the seat frame prior to the crash, and

the first and second counter-elements are positioned on opposite sides of the path from one another.

9. A vehicle seat according to claim 8, wherein the connecting element comprises at least one pin with a predetermined breaking point.

10. A vehicle seat according to claim 7, wherein:

the first counter-element is a first toothed segment mounted to the seat frame so that the first toothed segment is stationary with respect to the seat frame during the adjusting of the height of the seat frame prior to the crash,

the second counter-element is a second toothed segment mounted to the seat frame so that the second toothed segment is stationary with respect to the seat frame during the adjusting of the height of the seat frame prior to the crash,

the first locking element is a toothed element, whereby;

the toothed element moves into engagement with the first toothed segment, rather than into engagement with the second toothed segment, for locking purposes in response to the first change in geometry, and

the toothed element moves into engagement with the second toothed segment, rather than into engagement with the first toothed segment, for locking purposes in response to the second change in geometry.

11. A vehicle seat according to claim 10, wherein:

the height adjuster and the toothed element are arranged so that the toothed element travels along a path during the adjusting of the height of the seat frame prior to the crash, and

the first and second toothed segments are positioned on opposite sides of the path from one another.

12. A vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein:

the locking element that is stationary with respect to the seat frame during the adjusting of the height of the seat frame prior to the crash is a toothed segment mounted to the seat frame so that the toothed segment is stationary with respect to the seat frame during the adjusting of the height of the seat frame prior to the crash, and

the locking element of the one of said two components is a toothed element, whereby the toothed segment is engaged to the toothed element while the locking device is locked.

13. A vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein:

the at least two components of the height adjuster includes;

a pawl pivotably mounted to the understructure for pivoting relative to the understructure during the adjusting of the height of the seat frame, and

a leg pivotably mounted to the seat frame for there being relative pivoting between the leg and the seat frame during the adjusting of the height of the seat frame, with the leg also being mounted to the pawl for there being relative pivoting between the pawl and the leg in the event of the crash, with the change in geometry including there being the relative pivoting between the pawl and the leg;

the connecting element holds together the pawl and the leg to restrict the relative pivoting between the pawl and the leg prior to the crash, wherein the connecting element is operative for deforming in the event of the crash so that the connecting element no longer holds together the pawl and the leg to restrict the relative pivoting therebetween;

the locking element that is stationary with respect to the seat frame during the adjusting of the height of the seat frame prior to the crash is a toothed segment mounted to the seat frame, and the locking element of the one of said two components is a toothed element of the pawl, whereby the toothed segment is for lockingly engaging the toothed element of the pawl in response to the relative pivoting between the pawl and the leg, with the locking of the locking device comprising the engagement between the toothed segment and the toothed element, and the alternative force transmission path extending through the pawl; and

the height adjuster is configured so that relative pivoting between the leg and the seat frame is prevented while the toothed segment is lockingly engaging the toothed element.

14. A vehicle seat according to claim 13, wherein the connecting element comprises at least one pin with a predetermined breaking point.

15. A vehicle seat according to claim 13, wherein the connecting element includes at least one shear pin that is mounted between the pawl and the leg.

16. A vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein:

the change in geometry is a first change in geometry,

the height adjuster is operative so that the first change in geometry of the height adjuster occurs in the event of a crash in which the vehicle seat experiences at least the predetermined load in a first direction,

the connecting element comprises at least a first pin with a predetermined breaking point in the first direction,

the height adjuster further includes at least a second pin with a predetermined breaking point in a second direction that is different from the first direction, so that a second change in geometry of the height adjuster occurs in the event of a crash in which the vehicle seat experiences at least a predetermined load in the second direction, with the second change in geometry including there being relative rotation between said two components, and

the locking device locks in response to the second change in geometry to provide an alternative force transmission path between the seat frame and the understructure.

17. A vehicle seat for being mounted to a vehicle structure and for performing advantageously in the event of a crash, the vehicle seat comprising:

a height adjuster mounted between a seat frame and an understructure for adjusting a height of the seat frame relative to the understructure, wherein the understructure is for being connected to the vehicle structure, and the height adjuster includes;

a pawl pivotably mounted to the understructure for pivoting relative to the understructure during the adjusting of the height of the seat frame,

a leg pivotably mounted to the seat frame for there being relative pivoting between the leg and the seat frame during the adjusting of the height of the seat frame, with the leg also being mounted to the pawl for there being relative pivoting between the pawl and the leg in the event of a crash in which the vehicle seat experiences at least a predetermined load, and

a shear pin connecting the pawl to the leg to restrict relative pivoting between the pawl and the leg prior to the crash, wherein the shear pin is for breaking in the event of the crash so that there is relative pivoting between the pawl and the leg in the event of the crash; and

at least one locking device including a toothed segment mounted to the seat frame for lockingly engaging a toothed element of the pawl in response to the relative pivoting between the pawl and the leg, to provide an alternative force transmission path between the seat frame and the understructure,

wherein the height adjuster is configured so that relative pivoting between the leg and the seat frame is prevented while the toothed segment is lockingly engaging the toothed element, and

wherein the toothed segment is mounted to the seat frame so that the toothed segment is stationary with respect to the seat frame during the adjusting of the height of the seat frame prior to the crash.