GB2180740A

GB2180740A - Apparatus for the adjustment of a vehicle seat

Info

Publication number: GB2180740A
Application number: GB08614207A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ulrich Budde; Wolfgang Doerre; Klaus Krumme
Original assignee: Alfred Teves GmbH
Current assignee: Continental Teves AG and Co oHG
Priority date: 1985-06-19
Filing date: 1986-06-11
Publication date: 1987-04-08
Also published as: DE3521836A1; GB8614207D0; GB2180740B; DE3521836C2

Abstract

For the adjustment of a seat in a vehicle with a slanted floor, slide rails 6 are provided at the seat frame, slide shoes 7 are retained at the floor (4), or vice versa, and adjusting spindles 8 are positioned longitudinally of said rails 6. The shoes 7 are each provided with a threaded bore 10 interacting with a spindle 8 which is supported rotatably, but unslidably with respect to the rail 6, the shoe 7 being furnished with a pair of projections, pivots or sliding jaws 11, 12 which extend transversely of the bore 10, and diametrically opposite each other and are supported in recesses or openings 13, 14 in a supporting bracket (9) fixed to the floor (4). On rotation of spindles 8, rails 6 and the seat move in the longitudinal direction. As the seat changes its inclination relative to the slanting floor, shoes 7 perform a rotary motion with respect to the bracket (9). On impact, tongues or lugs 30,31 hook into the shaped sections of rails 6. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for the adjustment of a vehicle seat This invention relates to an apparatus for the adjustment of a vehicle seat, with slide rails arranged at the floor of the vehicle, or at the seat frame of the vehicle seat, respectively, and disposed parallel to each other, with slide shoes being retained at the seat frame, or at the vehicle floor, respectively, and with adjusting spindles positioned longitudinally of the slide rails.

Vehicle seats are known to whose seat frames slide rails arranged parallel to each other are fixed by means of which the vehicle seat slides in guide rails screwed to the vehicle floor, the vehicle seat being slidable in the longitudinal direction with the aid of an adjusting spindle which is arranged between the guide rails and is driven by an electric motor. For this purpose, the adjusting spindle is rigidly coupled to the output shaft of the motor which is supported at the vehicle floor, the adjusting spindle interacting with an adjusting nut which is secured to the seat frame.

This prior-art adjusting mechanism, although having an unsophisticated design and being sturdy, has, however, the disadvantage that an adjustment of the inclination of the seat frame is not possible while the vehicle seat is being moved in the longitudinal direction.

It is an object of the present invention to create an apparatus for the adjustment of a vehicle seat which renders it possible to adjust the inclination of the seat frame during the longitudinal slide of the vehicle seat. The apparatus should have an unsophisticated setup and be sturdy and of long-life. Furthermore, the apparatus should permit mounting at the vehicle quickly and easily and should, finally, to be suited also for different types and kinds of vehicles without the floor of the vehicle requiring to be furnished each time with a special profile for the fixation of the apparatus.

According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus for the adjustment of a vehicle seat, with slide rails arranged at the floor of the vehicle, or at the seat frame of said vehicle seat, respectively, and disposed parallel to each other, with slide shoes being retained at said seat frame, or at said vehicle floor, respectively, and with adjusting spindles positioned longitudinally of said slide rails, characterised in that at least one said slide shoe is provided with a threaded bore interacting with a said adjusting spindle which is supported rotatably, but unslidably with re spect to the said slide rail, the said slide shoe being furnished with a pair of projections, pivots or sliding jaws which extend horizontally with respect to the said threaded bore and diametrically opposed to each other and are each supported in recesses or openings which are provided at a supporting bracket.

Preferably, the slide shoe is configured as a substantially parallelopiped-shaped body, the sliding jaws being disposed at two diametrically opposite lateral surfaces and designed as pivots with circular disc-shaped cross-sectional surfaces.

In order to render possible a rotating motion of the slide shoe relative to the supporting bracket, at least one section of each pivotshaped sliding jaw presents a cross-section corresponding to a circular segment. Jamming of the threaded spindle with respect to the slide shoe is excluded by the circumstance that the two sliding jaws of each slide shoe extend at right angles to the threaded bore.

Advantageously, the upper lateral surface of the slide shoe extending parallel to the threaded bore is guided at one of the sliding surfaces of the inside wall of the slide rail, the two pivot-shaped sliding jaws of the slide shoe which extend diametrically opposite each other being each furnished with a plane guide surface which is disposed parallel to the lateral surface and is also guided at a sliding surface of the slide rail.

The slide rail expediently presents a multilimb, preferably a five-limb cross-section, at least two limbs arranged opposite and parallel to each other having sliding surfaces which extend in one plane.

In order to allow the slide shoe to be retained stationarily but tiltably, the supporting bracket is comprised of two lateral elements with two abutment faces arranged opposite and parallel to each other, each lateral element of a supporting bracket being furnished with an opening or bore and both openings or bores being arranged opposite each other and aligned with each other.

Preferably, the supporting bracket is constituted by two plate metal blanks bent to Lshape and forming the two lateral elements, said lateral elements being kept at a distance from each other by one or several pins and those limbs of the lateral elements which are bent off at right angles being rigidly coupled, for example screwed, to the floor of the vehicle or of the seat frame.

In order that the slide shoes are safely retained in the supporting bracket in the event of an accident, the lateral elements of the supporting bracket are formed with arms, tongues or lugs which extend outwardly at right angles and whose outer contours are roughly adapted to the inside shape of the slide rail.

Expediently, the lateral elements facing each other and belonging to two juxtaposed sup porting brackets are interconnected by means of a strut or a spacing element.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accom panying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is the side view of a vehicle seat with the apparatus for the adjustment of the inclination of the seat relative to the floor of the vehicle; Figure 2 is a perspective illustration showing an exploded view of the components of the apparatus; and Figure 3 shows the components of the apparatus according to Figure 2 in the assembled condition and viewed in the longitudinal direction of the slide rail (longitudinal direction of the vehicle).

The apparatus is substantially comprised of the two lateral elements 23, 24 which are bent to an L-shaped and are affixed to the floor 4 of the vehicle by way of their lower stems or bases 28, 29 with the aid of screws 33, 34, a slide shoe 7 supported between said lateral elements 23, 24, an adjusting spindle 8 screwed to the slide shoe 7, and a slide rail 6 which straddles said adjusting spindle 8 and two sliding jaws 11, 12 provided on the sides of said slide shoe 7 and which presents an approximately trapezoidal crosssection.

The frame 5 of the vehicle seat 3 is provided, in the region of its front portion 35 (as seen in driving direction), with two juxtaposed slide rails 6 which take support on respective slide shoes 7 retained by supporting brackets 9 secured to the floor 4. The rear portion 36 of the vehicle seat 3 is furnished, in addition, with supporting stays 37 whose lower ends are slidable, by means of slide shoes 38, within guide rails 39. As is revealed by the drawing (Figure 1) the vehicle floor has a slanted position in the range of the rear portion 36 of the vehicle seat 3, as a result whereof the vehicle seat changes its inclination or performs a tipping motion as it moves in longitudinal direction.In order to render the slide shoes 38 capable of performing said tipping motion, said slide shoes 38 are coupled to the supporting stays 37 through joints 40, whereas the supporting stays 37 are, on their part, rigidly positioned at the seat frame 5.

The slide shoes 7 of the apparatus are manufactured from a soiid plastics element having a substantially parallelopiped-shaped configuration, the opposed lateral surfaces of said slide shoe 7 being furnished with cylindrical sliding jaws 11, 12 presenting plane guide surfaces 17, 18 formed at them which extend in a plane running parallel to the upper lateral surface 15. The lateral surface 15 of the slide shoe 7 is in abutment against the upper sliding surface 16 of the slide rail 6 and renders it possible that the plane guide surfaces 17, 18 of the sliding jaws 11, 12 being positioned parallel to it are always abutted without play against the sliding surfaces 19, 20 of the two lower stems or limbs 21, 22 of the slide rail 6.The slide shoe 7 is provided with a threaded bore 10 into which the adjusting spindle 8 is screwed which extends parallel to the slide rail 6 and whose one end is coupled with a driving motor (not shown in the drawing). When said driving motor makes the adjusting spindle 8 rotate, each slide rail 6 jointly with the adjusting spindle 8 and the vehicle seat 3 will move in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. During its longitudinal movement, the vehicle seat 3 will change its inclination relative to the floor 4 of the vehicle, so that the slide shoe 7, too, will perform a rotary motion with respect to the supporting bracket 9. For said rotary motion, the sliding jaws 11, 12 are supported, through their cylindrical sections 41, 42, free of play in the openings or bores 13, 14 of the lateral elements 23, 24 of the supporting bracket 9.

Said lateral elements 23, 24 are formed with laterally projecting ears, tongues or lugs 30, 30', 31, 31' whose peripheral edges or contours are adapted to the trapezoidal inside shape of the slide rail 6. Said tongues or lugs 30, 31 will be hooked in the shaped section of the slide rail 6 if and when extremely strong forces act on the vehicle seat 3 in the event of an accident of the vehicle, tending to tear the vehicle seat 3 with its slide rails 6 out of its anchorage at the supporting brackets 9.

The two lateral elements 23, 24 are interconnected by a pin 27 in order to give the supporting bracket 9 maximum stiffness. In addition to that, the two supporting brackets 9 being juxtaposed in the range of the front portion 35 of the vehicle seat 3 are coupled to each other by means of a spacing element 32, and this feature facilitates, in particular, mounting of the supporting bracket 9 at the vehicle floor 4 insofar as it will be safeguarded by said spacing element 32 that when the screws 33, 34 are being screwed into the vehicle floor 4, the supporting brackets 9 are positioned at a distance from each other equal to that between the slide rails 6 which are fastened to the seat frame 5.

Claims

1. An apparatus for the adjustment of a vehicle seat (3), with slide rails (6) arranged at the floor (4) of the vehicle, or at the seat frame (5) of said vehicle seat (3), respectively, and disposed parallel to each other, with slide shoes (7) being retained at said seat frame (5), or at said vehicle floor (4), respectively, and with adjusting spindles (8) positioned longitudinally of said slide rails (6), characterised in that at least one said slide shoe (7) is provided with a threaded bore (10) interacting with a said adjusting spindle (8) which is supported rotatably, but unslidably with respect to the said slide rail (6), the said slide shoe (7) being furnished with a pair of projections, pivots or sliding jaws (11, 12) which extend horizontally with respect to the said threaded bore (10) and diametrically opposed to each other and are each supported in recesses or openings (13, 14) which are provided at a supporting bracket (9).

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the said slide shoe (7) is configured as a substantially parallelopipedshaped body, the said sliding jaws (11, 12) being disposed at two diametrically opposite lateral surfaces and designed as pivots with circular disc-shaped cross-sectional surfaces.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that at least one section of each said pivot-shaped sliding jaw (11, 12) presents a cross-section corresponding to a circular segment.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the said two sliding jaws (11, 12) of each said slide shoe (7) extend at right angles to the said threaded bore (10).

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the upper lateral surface (15) of the said slide shoe (7) extending parallel to the said threaded bore (10) is guided at one of the sliding surfaces (16) of the inside wall of the said slide rail (6), each one of the said two pivot-shaped sliding jaws (11, 12) of the said slide shoe (7) which extend diametrically opposite each other being furnished with a plane guide surface (17, 18) which is disposed parallel to the said upper lateral surface (15) and is also guided at a sliding surface of the said slide rail (6).

6. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the said slide rail (6) presents a multilimb, preferably a five-limb cross-section, at least two said limbs (21, 22) arranged opposite and parallel to each other having sliding surfaces (19, 20) which extend in one plane.

7. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the supporting bracket (9) is comprised of two lateral elements (23, 24) with two abutment faces (25, 26) facing each other and parallel to each other, each said lateral element (23, 24) of said supporting bracket (9) being furnished with an opening (13 and 14, respectively) or a bore, and both said openings or bores being arranged opposite each other and aligned with each other.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that the said supporting bracket (9) is constituted by two plate metal blanks bent to an L-shape and forming the said two lateral elements (23, 24), said lateral elements being kept at a distance from each other by one or several pins (27) and those limbs (28, 29) of the said lateral elements (23, 24) which are bent off at right angles being rigidly coupled, for example screwed, to the said floor (4) of the vehicle or to the said seat frame (5).

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, characterised in that the said lateral elements (23, 24) of the said supporting bracket (9) are formed with arms, tongues or lugs (30, 31) which extend outwardly at right angles and whose outer contours are roughly adapted to the inside shape of the said slide rail (6).

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, claim 8 or claim 9, characterised in that those said lateral elements (23) facing each other and belonging to two juxtaposed said supporting brackets (9) are interconnected by means of a strut or a spacing element (32).

11. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the said adjusting spindle (8) is arranged parallel to the said slide rail (6) which has an approximately trapezoidal cross-section, the spindle being partly enclosed by the said slide rail (6), sliding surfaces (19, 20) of the slide rail which are parallel to each other extending roughly in the plane of the said adjusting spindle (8) in order to take support at the said sliding jaws (11, 12).

12. An apparatus for the adjustment of a vehicle seat substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.