Adjusting device for a vehicle seat

• US 7,140,682 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2001
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Jaeger, David, Xiromeritis, Nick, Clark, Marc, Karacsonyi, Tamas
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Jr., Milton
• Application Number:
  US10/363,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20040075322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,922 Days
• Field of Search: 297/330, 297/325, 297/344.15, 297/316, 297/328, 297/340, 297/344.17, 297/344.16, 297/322, 297/329, 297/344.2, 248/394, 248/395, 248/396, 248/397, 248/421, 248/393
• US Class Current: 297/330
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0224 Non-manual adjustments, e.g. with electrical operation
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/045 Longitudinal adjustment by means of articulated rods supporting the seat, e.g. parallelogram mechanisms B60N2/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1695 with simultaneous height and inclination adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/181 Rods
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1814 Parallelogram-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1846 pivoting about a distant axis, e.g. virtual
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1853 Linear actuator, e.g. screw mechanism

Abstract

A vehicle seating system for adjusting, without rails, the vertical and longitudinal position and the inclination of a vehicle seat relative to a vehicle floor has, in one embodiment, first and second pivot levers, spaced apart from one another in an adjustment direction. The pivot levers are articulated respectively on the vehicle seat and on the vehicle floor by way of pivot pins extending parallel to one another. The pivot pins arranged on the vehicle seat and on the vehicle floor of at least one of the pivot levers are lockable independently of one another.

Claims

1. A vehicle seating system, comprising:

a vehicle seat;

a first pivot lever and a second pivot lever spaced apart from one another in an adjustment direction;

a plurality of pivot pins pivotally coupling the pivot levers to the vehicle seat and adapted to couple the pivot levers to a vehicle floor, the pivot pins extending parallel to one another;

wherein the pivot pins of the second pivot lever are lockable independently of one another by at least one drive apparatus, the second pivot lever comprising an additional pivot pin extending parallel to the plurality of pivot pins.

2. The vehicle seating system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle seat is movable over a length of at least 200 mm in the adjustment direction.

3. The vehicle seating system of claim 1, wherein the pivot levers have a length such that the vehicle seat describes a rising motion in the adjustment direction and a falling motion in the opposite direction.

4. The vehicle seating system of claim 1, wherein an intermediate lever is arranged to be between the additional pivot pin and the vehicle floor is of V-shaped configuration, its open angle facing approximately toward the first or the second pivot lever.

5. The vehicle seating system of claim 4, wherein the lockable pivot pin adapted to couple the second pivot lever to the vehicle floor can be driven by an electric motor.

6. The vehicle seating system of claim 4, wherein the lockable pivot pin adapted to couple the second pivot lever to the vehicle floor can be driven by means of a manually operated stepped shifting mechanism.

7. The vehicle seating system of claim 4, wherein the intermediate lever includes pivot pins having a shorter distance between them than the respective pivot pins arranged on the first pivot lever.

8. The vehicle seating system of claim 4, wherein the pivot pins arranged on the vehicle seat are driven by way of the at least one drive apparatus, locking of these pivot pins being accomplished via the at least one drive apparatus.

9. The vehicle seating system of claim 8, wherein the drive apparatus is embodied as a telescopic spindle-nut drive, driven by an electric motor, that at one end is articulated on the second pivot lever between the additional pivot pin and the vehicle seat, and at the other end is attached approximately in the vicinity of the pivot pin coupling the first pivot lever to the vehicle seat.