Suspension device for vehicle seats and/or vehicle cabins having an elastomer member

• US 8,800,977 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2011
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Grammer AG (Ningbo Jifeng Auto Parts Co.,Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Grammer AG (Ningbo Jifeng Auto Parts Co.,Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kolb, Jens
• Primary Examiner(s): Siconolfi, Robert A
• Assistant Examiner(s): POON, CHARLES YULUNG
• Application Number:
  US13/316,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20120153551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 267/131, 267/136, 267/140.3, 267/140.4, 267/140.5, 267/30, 267/133, 267/160, 267/158, 267/269, 267/37.1, 267/37.2, 267/292, 267/294, 267/47, 267/140.11, 267/141, 297/216.1, 297/216.15, 297/216.16, 297/216.17, 297/216.18
• US Class Current: 267/131
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 99/002 Suspension details of the suspension of the vehicle body on the vehicle chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 99/004 Other suspension arrangements with rubber springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/502 attached to the base of the seat B60N2/504 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/542 made of rubber or other material having high internal friction, e.g. polymers
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 1/371 characterised by inserts or auxiliary extension or exterior elements, e.g. for rigidification F16F1/387 takes precedence; non-embedded reinforcing elements for flexibly-walled air springs F16F9/0436

Abstract

The invention relates to a suspension device for vehicle seats and/or vehicle cabins for applying a spring force to a vibratory motion of a first component relative to a second component, preferably in the longitudinal and/or transverse direction of the vehicle, wherein at least one elongate spring member extending at least in the longitudinal and/or transverse direction of the vehicle is connected in at least one end region to the first component and in the central region thereof to the second component, wherein the elongate spring member is made from a flexible elastomer material that is formed to be rod-shaped.

Claims

1. A suspension device for vehicle seats and/or vehicle cabins for applying a spring force to a vibratory motion of a first component relative to a second component, in a longitudinal or transverse direction of a vehicle, wherein at least one elongate spring member extending in the longitudinal or transverse direction of the vehicle is connected at a first end and at a second end to the first component and in a central region thereof to the second component,

wherein the elongate spring member is made from a flexible elastomer material that is formed to be rod-shaped, and wherein at least two metal strip members that at least partially extend parallel to each other are arranged in a longitudinal direction of the spring member within the elastomer material and/or adjacent thereto, wherein the elongate spring member is rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof, wherein a first rotary position of the elongate spring member has a first deformation characteristic, wherein a second rotary position of the elongate spring member has a second deformation characteristic.

2. The suspension device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central region of the elongate spring member is at least partially clamped by the second component in a clamping region.

3. The suspension device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the length of the at least two metal strip members is smaller than the length of the entire spring member, so that elastomer regions that are free from any of the at least two metal strip members exist in the at least one end region of the spring member.

4. The suspension device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least two metal strip members extend from a parallel position and diverge towards the at least one end region thereof.

5. The suspension device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spring member has a round cross-section in the central region thereof so as to enable it to be mounted in a rotatable manner about the longitudinal axis thereof in a clamping region of the second component formed to be complementary thereto.

6. The suspension device as claimed in claim 5, wherein metal strip members extend widthwise in the second rotary position about the longitudinal axis thereof in a vibration direction of the components in a locked position.

7. The suspension device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the metal strip members extend widthwise in the first rotary position about the longitudinal axis thereof vertically to the vibration direction of the components.

8. The suspension device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one end region of the spring member include a section having a square or rectangular cross-section.

9. The suspension device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the metal strip members are rigid in a width direction thereof and are flexible vertically to a lateral direction.

10. A suspension device for vehicle seats and/or vehicle cabins for applying a spring force to a vibratory motion of a first component relative to a second component, in a longitudinal and/or transverse direction of a vehicle, wherein at least one elongate spring member extending in the longitudinal or transverse direction of the vehicle is connected at a first end and at a second end to the first component and in a central region thereof to the second component,

wherein the elongate spring member is made from a flexible elastomer material that is formed to be rod-shaped, and the elongate spring member is formed in the central region with a smaller diameter than in the first end and the second end, wherein the elongate spring member is rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof, wherein a first rotary position of the elongater spring member has a first deformation characteristic, wherein a second rotary position of the elongate spring member has a second deformation characteristic.