Seat vertical position adjusting device

• US 20030178875A1
• Filed: 02/21/2003
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Nihonmatsu, Hideo, Ito, Sadao, Moriyama, Genta, Hoshihara, Naoaki
• Granted Patent: US 6,814,406 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/284.11
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/181 Rods
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1839 pivoting about an axis located in an intermediate position
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/1864 Gear wheel driven mechanism

Abstract

A seat vertical position adjusting device includes a driving mechanism equipped to a base plate portion of a seat cushion for driving a cushion frame to be movable in the vertical direction relative to the base plate portion. The driving mechanism includes a shaft having a first axial portion and a second axial portion which is positioned on the first axial portion, and eccentrically rotated relative to the first axial portion, a first internal gear, a second internal gear, and a pinion gear is mounted on the second axial portion. The number of gear teeth of the first internal gear is less than the number of gear teeth of the second internal gear at least by one.

Claims

1. A seat vertical position adjusting device comprising:

a seat cushion applied with a load when an occupant is seated thereon;

a base plate portion supporting the seat cushion;

a cushion frame housed in the seat cushion and supported by the base plate portion so as to be movable in a vertical direction;

a driving mechanism equipped to one of the cushion frame and the base plate portion for driving the cushion frame to be movable in the vertical direction relative to the base plate portion, the driving mechanism including;

a shaft having a first axial portion and a second axial portion which is positioned on the first axial portion, eccentrically rotated relative to the first axial portion, and connected to a driving member;

a stationary gear member fixed to the one of the cushion frame and the base plate portion, mounted on one side of the first axial portion, and having a first internal gear;

a driving arm connected to the other one of the cushion frame and the base plate portion, mounted on the other side of the first axial portion, having a second internal gear of which number of gear teeth is different from the number of gear teeth of the first internal gear, and disposing the second axial portion between the driving arm and the stationary gear member; and

a pinion gear mounted on the second axial portion and engaged with the first and second internal gears.

2. A seat vertical position adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the second axial portion is positioned at an axially central portion of the first axial portion.

3. A seat vertical position adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein an addendum modification coefficient of the first internal gear is different from an addendum modification coefficient of the second internal gear.

4. A seat vertical position adjusting device according to claim 3, wherein the number of gear teeth of the first internal gear is less than the number of gear teeth of the second internal gear at least by one.

5. A seat vertical position adjusting device according to claim 4, wherein the first internal gear, the second internal gear, and the pinion gear possesses the same tooth module.

6. A seat vertical position adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the driving member is an operation handle or an electric motor, wherein the driving arm is rotated in response to operation of the operation handle or driving of the electric motor.

7. A seat vertical position adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the driving mechanism further includes:

a first shoulder portion provided at the driving arm; and

a first pin for fixing the driving mechanism to the one of the cushion frame and the base plate portion, wherein a rotation in a direction of the driving arm is limited when the first shoulder portion becomes in contact with the first pin.

8. A seat vertical position adjusting device according to claim 7, wherein the driving mechanism further includes:

a second shoulder portion provided at the diving arm; and

a second pin for fixing the driving mechanism to the one of the cushion frame and the base plate portion, wherein a rotation in a reverse direction of the driving arm is limited when the first shoulder portion becomes in contact with the first pin.

9. A seat vertical position adjusting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a driven arm assembled to the one of the cushion frame and the base plate portion, and connected to the other one of the cushion frame and the base plate portion, the driven arm being rotatable in response to a rotation of the driving arm;

an elongated hole defined at a side wall of the seat cushion for connecting the driven arm and the driving arm to the seat cushion by means of a pin; and

an interconnecting bar connecting the driven arm and the driving arm, wherein the seat cushion is moved in the vertical direction in response to the rotation of the driving arm and the driven arm.

10. A seat vertical position adjusting device according to claim 9, wherein the interconnecting bar connects the driven arm and the driving arm with a welding method.

12. A seat vertical position adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the interconnecting bar connects the driving arm and the driven arm with a welding method.

13. A seat vertical position adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the driven arm is assembled to the one of the pair of base plate portions, the driving mechanism including the driving arm and the stationary gear member is equipped to the other one of the pair of base plate portions, and the driven arm and the driving arm are rotatably connected to the cushion frame, wherein the seat cushion is moved in the vertical direction in response to the rotation of the driving arm and the driven arm connected to the driving arm via the interconnecting bar.

14. A seat vertical position adjusting device according to claim 13, wherein the second axial portion is positioned at an axially central portion of the first axial portion.

15. A seat vertical position adjusting device according to claim 14, wherein an addendum modification coefficient of the first internal gear is different from an addendum modification coefficient of the second internal gear.

16. A seat vertical position adjusting device according to claim 15, wherein the number of gear teeth of the first internal gear is less than the number of gear teeth of the second internal gear at least by one.

17. A seat vertical position adjusting device according to claim 16, wherein the first internal gear, the second internal gear, and the pinion gear possesses the same tooth module.

11. A seat vertical position adjusting device comprising:

a seat cushion applied with a load when an occupant is seated thereon;

a pair of base plate portions arranged at each side of the seat cushion and opposing to each other;

a cushion frame housed in the seat cushion and supported by the pair of base plate portions so as to be movable in a vertical direction;

a driven arm assembled to one of the cushion frame and one of the pair of base plate portions and connected to the other one of the cushion frame and the one of the pair of base plate portions;

a driving mechanism equipped to one of the cushion frame and the other one of the pair of base plate portions, the driving mechanism including;

a shaft having a first axial portion and a second axial portion which is positioned on the first axial portion, eccentrically rotated relative to the first axial portion, and connected to a driving member;

a stationary gear member fixed to the one of the cushion frame and the other one of the pair of base plate portions, mounted on one side of the first axial portion, and having a first internal gear;

a driving arm connected to the other one of the cushion frame and the other one of the pair base plate portions, mounted on the other side of the first axial portion, having a second internal gear of which number of gear teeth is different from the number of gear teeth of the first internal gear, and disposing the second axial portion between the driving arm and the stationary gear member; and

a pinion gear mounted on the second axial portion and engaged with the first and second internal gears;

a pair of elongated holes defined at side walls of the seat cushion for connecting the driving arm, which is connected to the other one of the cushion frame and the other one of the pair base plate portions, to the seat cushion by means of a pin and for connecting the driven arm, which is connected to the other one of the cushion frame and the one of the pair of base plate portions, to the seat cushion by means of a pin; and

an interconnecting bar connecting the driven arm and the driving arm, wherein the seat cushion is moved in the vertical direction in response to rotation of the driving arm and the driven arm.

18. A seat vertical position adjusting device according to claim 11, wherein the driving member is an operation handle or an electric motor, wherein the driving arm is rotated in response to operation of the operation handle or driving of the electric motor.

19. A seat vertical position adjusting device according to claim 11, wherein the driving mechanism further includes:

a first shoulder portion provided at the driving arm; and

a first pin for fixing the driving mechanism to the one of the cushion frame and the other one of the pair of base plate portions, wherein a rotation in a direction of the driving arm is limited when the first shoulder portion becomes in contact with the first pin.

20. A seat vertical position adjusting device according to claim 20, wherein the driving mechanism further includes:

a second shoulder portion provided at the diving arm; and

a second pin for fixing the driving mechanism to the one of the cushion frame and the base plate portion, wherein a rotation in a reverse direction of the driving arm is limited when the first shoulder portion becomes in contact with the first pin.