Actuator for electric adjusting device of vehicle seat with several adjusting functions

• US 9,000,641 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2011
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), C ROB Hammerstein GmbH & Company KG (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Becker, Burckhard, Schwanse, Werner, Ho, Van-Toan
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANG D
• Application Number:
  US13/331,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20120153755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 310/80, 310/83, 310/98, 310/99, 310/112, 310/20, 310/21, 310/29, 310/32, 310/37
• US Class Current: 310/83
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02253 characterised by the transmission between the electric motor and the seat or seat parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0296 Central command actuator to selectively switch on or engage one of several special purpose circuits or mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/116 with gears

Abstract

An actuator for an electric adjusting device of a vehicle seat has several adjusting functions. The actuator includes a frame, an electric drive motor disposed on the frame, having an output shaft and a pinion gear disposed on the output shaft, and rotating between a first position and a second position, a first toothed wheel disposed on the frame and engaging with a pinion gear at a first position of the drive motor, a second toothed wheel disposed on the frame and engaging with the pinion gear at a second position of the drive motor, and an adjusting unit disposed on the frame and selectively moving an electric or mechanical actuating part and a motor to the first position or the second position.

Claims

1. An actuator for an electric adjusting device of a vehicle seat with several adjusting functions, the actuator comprising:

a frame;

an electric drive motor disposed on the frame and having an output shaft and a pinion gear disposed on the output shaft, the electric drive motor swiveling between a first position and a second position;

a first toothed wheel disposed on the frame and engaging with the pinion gear at the first position of the electric drive motor;

a second toothed wheel disposed on the frame and engaging with the pinion gear at the second position of the electric drive motor; and

an adjusting unit disposed on the frame, and selectively moving an actuating part and the drive motor between the first position and the second position,

wherein the actuating part includes a movable connecting link, and an electric servo motor coupled with a motor shaft located in an end of the movable connecting link,

wherein the servo motor is configured to drive a front wheel using the motor shaft,

and wherein the movable connecting link has a bearing indentation, and the front wheel has an eccentric inserted into the bearing indentation.

2. The actuator of claim 1, wherein the drive motor swivels relative to the frame about a swivel axis, and the swivel axis is positioned near an end of the frame.

3. The actuator of claim 1, wherein the frame is a housing, the housing accommodating the drive motor, the servo motor, the pinion gear, the first toothed wheel and the second toothed wheel, and the housing is at least partially surrounded by a portion of the vehicle seat.

4. The actuator of claim 1, wherein:

the pinion gear comprises a screw wheel;

the first and second toothed wheels are formed, respectively, as spindle nuts; and

a first spindle and a second spindle are provided to be coupled to the spindle nuts.

5. The actuator of claim 1, wherein the servo motor has electric power smaller than that of the drive motor by at least a factor of 3.

6. The actuator of claim 1, wherein the servo motor has electric power smaller than that of the drive motor by at least a factor of 5.

7. The actuator of claim 1, wherein the first toothed wheel and/or the second toothed wheel are swivelably disposed in the frame, a rotating movement being performed around the swivel axis at an angle less than 20°

or being performed around a swivel point within a conical area having a cone angle less than 20°

.

8. The actuator of claim 1, wherein the frame is disposed on a seat carrier of the vehicle seat.

9. The actuator of claim 1, wherein the electric drive motor swivels between the first and second positions at a swivel angle less than 5°

.

10. The actuator of claim 1, wherein the electric drive motor swivels between the first and second positions at a swivel angle less than 3°

.