Longitudinal seat adjustment device, especially in a motor vehicle

• US 20040108436A1
• Filed: 01/20/2004
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IMS Gear SE & Co. KGaA
• Original Assignee: IMS Gear GmbH
• Inventors: Wohrle, Michael, Probst, Frank, Krimmel, Fred, Hofschulte, Wolfram-Heinrich
• Granted Patent: US 7,198,243 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 248/424
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/067 by linear actuators, e.g. linear screw mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0705 omega-shaped

Abstract

The invention relates to a longitudinal seat adjustment device comprising an upper rail (40) and a lower rail (10). The upper rail (40) sits in the lower rail (10). Between the two rails (10, 40) a spindle (14) is fixedly connected to the lower rail (10). Drivable on said spindle (14) is a transmission (30), which can be retained in a specific manner by means of slotted bridges in the case of a crash.

Claims

1. Longitudinal seat adjustment device, especially in a motor vehicle, having a lower rail fixed to a chassis, inside which lower rail an upper rail to which a seat is attached can be propelled by motor, a spindle sitting inside the upper rail and having its respective ends fixed to the lower rail, on which spindle a transmission fixedly coupled to the upper rail is arranged in axially movable fashion, characterized in that there are recesses in opposite side walls of the upper rail into which a thrust ring, fixed to the spindle and sitting with its principal surface transverse to the longitudinal axis of the spindle, intrudes and is pressed against the side walls of the upper rail in the case of a crash.

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one of the wall parts of the upper rail has a notch through which a flexible shaft coupled to a drive motor is guided.

4. Device according to claim 1, 2 or 3 characterized in that side walls of the upper rail wall parts (=“

slotted bridges”

) are pressed into the interior of the upper rail and in that the transmission housing brace itself against these slotted bridges.

5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the transmission housing has two housing shells made of plastic, which are connected to one another by ultrasonic welding.

6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the clamping holding of the transmission by metal stirrups bent into an L-shape made oppositely in a recess in the upper rail, between which stirrups the transmission housing is slipped with wall tapers.

7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the transmission has a spindle nut resting on the spindle with worm gear and a worm engaging with the worm gear.

8. Device according to claims 7, characterized in that a thrust ring is integrally molded onto the spindle nut.

9. Device according to claims 8, characterized in that the spindle nut and the thrust ring are made of metal.

10. Device according to claims 8 or 9, characterized in that the worm gear is coaxially applied to the spindle nut by plastic injection.

2. Longitudinal seat adjustment device, especially in a motor vehicle, having a lower rail fixed to a chassis, inside which lower rail an upper rail to which a seat is attached can be propelled by motor, a spindle sitting inside the upper rail and having its respective ends fixed to the lower rail, on which spindle a transmission fixedly coupled to the upper rail is arranged in axially movable fashion, characterized in that the transmission is clampingly held in the upper rail and has a transmission housing whose opposite housing walls lie between wall parts of the upper rail and whose upper wall projects from the upper rail.