VEHICLE SEAT WITH FREE-PIVOTING FUNCTION

• US 20120292972A1
• Filed: 05/15/2012
• Published: 11/22/2012
• 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, GLEIßERG, Marco
• Granted Patent: US 9,975,456 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/354.12
• 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, wherein the locking mechanism

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

in a free-pivoting position decouples 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,

characterized in

the driving device (5) is formed to actuate the rotary fitting mechanism (25) for pivoting the backrest-side fitting part (251) by a predetermined angle (γ

) against the swivel direction (V), when the locking mechanism (24) is actuated for pivoting the backrest (11) into the folded position (PK).

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, characterized in that the driving device (5) acts on a shaft (4), in order to drive the rotary fitting mechanism (25) by rotating the shaft (4).

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 2, characterized in that the driving device (5) is coupled with the shaft (4) via a self-locking transmission (51).

4. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking mechanism (24) is formed by a pawl stationarily arranged relative to the backrest (11), which in the locking position is in locking engagement with the backrest-side fitting part (251), whereas in the free-pivoting position it is not in engagement with the backrest-side fitting part (251).

5. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, characterized in that the driving device (5) is formed to actuate the rotary fitting mechanism (25) by the predetermined angle (γ

) in the swivel direction (V), when the backrest (11) is erected from its folded position (PK) against the swivel direction (V).

6. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, characterized in that shifting the rotary fitting mechanism (25) is blocked, when the backrest (11) is in the folded position (PK).

7. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotary fitting mechanism (25) is formed by a reduction gear.

8. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotary fitting mechanism (25) is formed by a wobble gear or a planetary gear.

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

);

10. The vehicle seat according to claim 1, characterized by a tilt detection means (7) for detecting the tilt position of the backrest, wherein the driving device (5) is formed to

actuate the rotary fitting mechanism (25) with known tilt position of the backrest (11) such that the rotary fitting mechanism (25) is stopped at a tilt setting, before the at least one backrest-side stop (252) is spaced from the at least one seat-part-side stop (210) by less than the predetermined angle (γ

), and

only when the tilt position of the backrest (11) is not known, actuate the rotary fitting mechanism (25) for pivoting the backrest-side fitting part (251) by the predetermined angle (γ

) against the swivel direction (V), when the locking mechanism (24) is actuated for pivoting the backrest (11) into the folded position (PK).

11. A method for forward-pivoting a backrest of a vehicle seat, wherein the vehicle seat comprises:

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 electromotive 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, wherein the backrest

is adjusted in its inclination by driving the rotary fitting mechanism relative to the seat part, in that in a locking position the backrest-side fitting part firmly couples with the backrest, and

is pivotable into a folded position in a swivel direction about the swivel axis, in that in a free-pivoting position the backrest-side fitting part decouples from the backrest,

characterized in

the driving device (5) moves the rotary fitting mechanism (25) for pivoting the backrest-side fitting part (251) by a predetermined angle (γ

) against the swivel direction (V), when the locking mechanism (24) is actuated for pivoting the backrest (11) into the folded position (PK).

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the driving device (5) actuates the rotary fitting mechanism (25) by the predetermined angle (γ

) in the swivel direction (V), when the backrest (11) is erected from its folded position (PK) against the swivel direction (V).

13. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the driving device (5)

actuates the rotary fitting mechanism (25) with known tilt position of the backrest (11) such that the rotary fitting mechanism (25) is stopped at a tilt setting, before the at least one backrest-side stop (252) is spaced from the at least one seat-part-side stop (210) by less than the predetermined angle (γ

), and

only when the tilt position of the backrest (11) is not known, actuates the rotary fitting mechanism (25) for pivoting the backrest-side fitting part (251) by a predetermined angle (γ

) against the swivel direction (V), when the locking mechanism (24) is actuated for pivoting the backrest (11) into the folded position (PK).