Vehicle seat with free-pivoting function

• US 9,975,456 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2012
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Company KG Coburg
• Original Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Company KG Coburg
• Inventors: Hofmann, Jochen, Alex, Marcus, Gleiberg, Marco
• Primary Examiner(s): Allred, David E
• Application Number:
  US13/472,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20120292972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,198 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/20 the back-rest being tiltable, e.g. to permit easy access B60N2/04, B60N2/22 , B60N2/3002 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2352 with external pawls
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2356 with internal pawls
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2205/50 Interlocking shaft arrangements transmitting movement between hinge mechanisms on both sides of a seat

Abstract

A vehicle seat with a seat part, a backrest and a fitting which pivotally connects the backrest with the seat part. The fitting includes a backrest-side fitting part coupled with the backrest via a locking mechanism, and a rotary fitting mechanism. A driving device is arranged on the backrest for driving the rotary fitting mechanism. In a locking position, the locking mechanism firmly couples the backrest-side fitting part with the backrest, and in a free-pivoting position decouples the backrest-side fitting part from the backrest, so that the backrest is pivotable into a folded position in a swivel direction about the swivel axis. The driving device is formed to actuate the rotary fitting mechanism for pivoting the backrest-side fitting part by a predetermined angle against the swivel direction, when the locking mechanism is actuated for pivoting the backrest into the folded position.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat comprising

a seat part,

a backrest,

a fitting which pivotally connects the backrest with the seat part about a swivel axis, wherein the fitting includes a seat-part-side fitting part firmly connected with the seat part, a backrest-side fitting part coupled with the backrest via a locking mechanism, and a rotary fitting mechanism pivotally connecting the seat-part-side fitting part with the backrest-side fitting part about the swivel axis,

a driving device arranged on the backrest for driving the rotary fitting mechanism, and

at least one seat-part-side stop and at least one backrest-side stop for limiting a swivel path of the seat-part-side fitting part and the backrest-side fitting part relative to each other, the locking mechanism

being movable between a locking position in which the locking mechanism firmly couples the backrest-side fitting part with the backrest, so that the backrest is adjustable in its inclination relative to the seat part by driving the rotary fitting mechanism, and

a free-pivoting position in which the locking mechanism uncouples the backrest-side fitting part from the backrest, so that the backrest can be pivoted into a folded position in a swivel direction about the swivel axis,

wherein the driving device is formed to actuate the rotary fitting mechanism for pivoting the backrest-side fitting part by a predetermined angle opposite to the swivel direction when the locking mechanism is actuated for pivoting the backrest into the folded position.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the driving device is configured to act on a shaft in order to drive the rotary fitting mechanism by rotating the shaft.

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein the driving device is coupled with the shaft via a self-locking transmission.

4. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism is formed by a pawl stationarily arranged relative to the backrest, which in the locking position is in locking engagement with the backrest-side fitting part, whereas in the free-pivoting position it is not in engagement with the backrest-side fitting part.

5. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the driving device is formed to actuate the rotary fitting mechanism by the predetermined angle in the swivel direction when the backrest is erected from its folded position opposite to the swivel direction.

6. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein an actuation of the rotary fitting mechanism is blocked when the backrest is in the folded position.

7. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the rotary fitting mechanism is formed by a reduction gear.

8. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the rotary fitting mechanism is formed by a wobble gear or a planetary gear.

9. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the following applies for the predetermined angle (γ

);

10. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, further comprising a tilt detection means for detecting the tilt position of the backrest, wherein the driving device is formed to

actuate the rotary fitting mechanism with known tilt position of the backrest such that the rotary fitting mechanism is stopped at a tilt setting before the at least one backrest-side stop is spaced from the at least one seat-part-side stop by less than the predetermined angle, and

only when the tilt position of the backrest is not known, actuate the rotary fitting mechanism for pivoting the backrest-side fitting part by the predetermined angle opposite to the swivel direction, when the locking mechanism is actuated for pivoting the backrest into the folded position.