GB2231259A

GB2231259A - A shoulder support of a backrest of a seat

Info

Publication number: GB2231259A
Application number: GB9008035A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hans-Joachim Berghof
Original assignee: Keiper Recaro GmbH and Co
Current assignee: Keiper Recaro GmbH and Co
Priority date: 1989-04-11
Filing date: 1990-04-09
Publication date: 1990-11-14
Anticipated expiration: 2010-04-09
Also published as: IT9019789A0; GB9008035D0; DE3911763A1; GB2231259B; IT9019789A1; IT1240285B; JPH02286103A

Description

1 A SHOULDER SUPPORT OF A BACKREST OF A SEAT The invention relates to a

shoulder support of a backrest of a seat and has particular though not exclusive application to a vehicle 5 seat.

A shoulder support has been previously proposed pivotally mounted at the upper part of a backrest frame and adjustable and lockable by a positioning device. The positioning device comprised on each long side of the frame a positioning slide which was displaceable in respect of and in the longitudinal direction of the backrest frame and a positioning rocker which could be pivoted by the positioning slide. A cross-member which carried a padded member of the shoulder support could be pivoted forwards by the positioning rocker, the angle of rake of the shoulder support being restricted by parallel coupling links which connected it to the backrest frame. Pivoting of the positioning rocker was provided by the positioning slide which was d isplaceable in the longitudinal direction of the backrest frame by means of a rack transmission. The top end of the positioning slide engaged a control cam on the positioning rocker which, by pivoting, steplessly displaced the shoulder support transversely to the longitudinal direction of the backrest frame. Although the positioning slide was displaced substantially vertically in the longitudinal direction of the backrest frame, vertical adjustability of the shoulder support was not possible.

According to the invention, there is provided a shoulder support of a backrest of a seat, pivotally mounted on the upper part of a backrest frame and adjustable and lockable by a positioning device, in which the positioning device comprises, on each long side of the backrest frame, a positioning slide which is displaceable in respect of and in the longitudinal direction of the backrest frame, a positioning rocker which can be pivoted by the positioning slide and, interposed between the positioning slide and the backrest frame, a support slide which is supported for longitudinal displacement on the baekrest frame and supports the positioning slide in longitudinally displaceable manner.

By the interposition of the inherently displaceable support slide and the positioning slide which is displaceably supported thereon it is possible not only to perform a substantially horizontal movement of the 2 shoulder support but also to adjust its height. To permit its own longitudinal displacement, the support slide can comprise, disposed in a spaced apart relationship with one another, guide journals which engage guideways in the positioning slide, while to permit longitudinal displacement of the positioning slide which is connected to the support slide, further spaced apart guide journals are provided guided in guideways associated with the backrest frame.

In order to minimise wear and tear between the guide journals and the guideways by reducing the pressure applied to abutting surfaces, while at the same time providing an easily manufactured guide arrangement, the guide journals fixed on the support slide advantageously have flattened portions which engage in locking fashion longitudinal slots which function as the guideways. The longitudinal slots which function as the guideways and which are associated with the backrest frame are advantageously disposed in a supporting plate which is rigidly connected to the backrest frame. For displacement of the support slide and also of the positioning slide, both the support plate and also the positioning slide include rack zones each of which is engaged by a driven pinion mounted on the support slide. The pinions mounted on the support slide may be driven by a drive unit operated manually or by a motor and with for example a self-locking transmission or with a braking means, the drive being conveyed through flexible shafts in order to permit a displacement movement of the support slide.

In order to pivot and thus to generate a horizontal movement component of the shoulder support, the support slide advantageously comprises a bearing mount for the positioning rocker, the positioning rocker being connected at each respective long side of the backrest frame to a member supporting a padded member of the shoulder support. For converting the vertical movement of the positioning slide into a horizontal movement component of the shoulder support, the positioning rocker preferably comprises a control slot engaged by a guide journal of the positioning slide.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view, seen from the inside of a backrest frame, of a shoulder support according to the invention and a positioning device therefor which is mounted on the backrest frame, the 3 shoulder support being positioned thereby in a pulled-in and pivotedback position; Figure 2 is a partial front view of the shoulder support and positioning device therefor shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view, seen from the outside of a seat backrest side member showing the shoulder support and positioning device therefor of Figure 1, the shoulder support being shown in a position in which is has been raised and pivoted forwardly by the positioning device; Figure 4 shows the shoulder support and positioning device therefor of Figure 3, mounted on the backrest side member which is opposite the backrest side member shown in Figure 2; and Figure 5 shows the shoulder support and positioning device therefor in a horizontal section taken on line V - V in Figures 2 and A positioning device for a shoulder support 10 of a vehicle seat is provided between backrest side members 11 and the shoulder support 10. The shoulder support 10 comprises a padded cross member 12 with a respective positioning rocker 13 rigidly connected to each of its two end faces. In the embodiment illustrated, each positioning rocker 13 is generally parallelogram-shaped and has in its bottom portion a bearing ring 14 which is connected for articulating rotation to a journal 15 on a respective one of two support slides 17. Each positioning rocker 13 has in the middle part of its surface area a curved control slot 16 which is inclined to the vertical and the purpose of which will be explained hereinafter.

Two guide journals 18 and two guide journals 19 are rigidly connected to each of the substantially vertically extending support slides 17, the two guide journals 18 being disposed with a relatively large spacing between them in a vertical direction, being laterally offset somewhat in respect of each other and engaging in vertical guideways in the form of longitudinal slots 21 in a respective one of two vertically displaceable positioning slides 20. The guide journals 19 are likewise disposed in the support slide 17 at a distance from each other in a vertical direction while being somewhat offset in respect of each other, engaging in sliding fashion in likewise vertical longitudinal slots 23 which serve as guideways in respective ones of 4 two supporting plates 22 fixed on respective ones of the side members 11 of the backrest. Each supporting plate 22 has at the bottom a vertically extending rack portion 24 engaged by a pinion 25 mounted in the bottom portion of the respective support slide 17 to be rotatable but axially immovable.

Also each of the positioning slides 20 has in its lower portion a vertically extending rack portion 26 likewise engaged by a pinion 27 mounted in the middle part of the length of the respective support slide 17. Since each support slide 17 is disposed between the respective positioning slide 20 and the respective supporting plate 22, each supporting plate 22 is placed more closely to the respective backrest side member 11 than is the support slide 17, the pinions 25 engaging the support plates 22 are, in relation to the support slide 17, directed towards the outside of the seat while the pinions 27 which co-operate with the positioning slides 20 are in relation to the supports slides 17 directed towards the inside of the seat. Mounted at the upper end of each positioning slide 20 is a guide journal 28 which fits in locking fashion in the control slot 16 of the relevant positioning rocker 13.

Each supporting plate 22 can be fixed on the inside face of the respective backrest side member 11 by means of stay bolts 29 which are at one end riveted in bores in the supporting plate 22 and at the other are for instance screwed to the backrest side member 11, possibly through interposed bracing members 30 or brackets 31, as can be seen in Figure 5.

The pinions 25 and 27 which are mounted in a bearing bush 32 fixed in the support slide 17 comprise, facing the inside of the seat, connecting journals 33 which are connected via coupling shafts 34 to for instance flexible shafts for torque transmission and in turn connected to (not shown) manually or motor-operated drive units.

Starting from the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, when the pinions 25 are driven, the support slide 17 moves vertically upwardly on each long side of the seat on the fixed supporting plate 22, along with the positioning rocker 13 mounted thereon and also the positioning slide 20 mounted on the support slide 17 via the pinion 27, which is also displaced in a vertical direction. If, now, also the pinions 27 are driven, then also the positioning slide 20 is displaced in a 1 -1 vertical direction relative to the support slide 17. Upon displacement of the positioning slide 20 in an upwards direction, also its guide journal 28 is guided vertically upwardly in the control slot 16 and by reason of the curvilinear inclined configuration of the control slot 16 the positioning rocker 13 and with it also the shoulder support 10 which is mounted on it are pivoted forwardly about the journal 15 which is mounted in the support slide 17. Figures 3 and 4 show the extreme position of the two aforementioned drive phases.

6

Claims

1. A shoulder support of a backrest of a seat, pivotally mounted on the upper part of a backrest frame and adjustable and lockable by a positioning device, in which the positioning device comprises, on each long side of the backrest frame, a positioning slide which is displaceable in respect of and in the longitudinal direction of the backrest frame, a positioning rocker which can be pivoted by the positioning slide and, interposed between the positioning slide and the backrest frame, a support slide which is supported for longitudinal displacement on the backrest frame and supports the positioning slide in longitudinally displaceable manner.

2. A shoulder support according to Claim 1, in which the support slide has spaced apart guide journals which engage guideways in the positioning slide and also further spaced apart guide journals which are guided in guideways associated with the backrest frame.

3. A shoulder support according to Claim 2, in which the guide journals and further guide journals on the support slide have flattened portions which engage in locking fashion in longitudinal slots which function as the guideways.

4. A shoulder support according to Claim 3, in which the longitudinal slots which are associated with the backrest frame are disposed in a supporting plate which is rigidly connected to the backrest frame.

5. A shoulder support according to Claim 4, in which both the supporting plate and the positioning slide include rack portions each of which is engaged by a respective driven pinion mounted on the support slide.

6. A shoulder support according to any one of the preceding Claims, in which the support slide comprises a bearing mount for the positioning rocker and the positioning rocker is connected, at the respective side of the seat, to a supporting member of a padded member 7 of the shoulder support.

7. A shoulder support according to any one of the preceding Claims, in which the positioning rocker has a control slot engaged by a guide journal of the positioning slide.

8. A shoulder support of a backrest of a seat substantially as hereinbefore described are illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Published 1990 atThe Patent Office, State House, 66.71 High Holborn, London WC1R 4TP. Purther copies maybe obtainedfrom The PatentOtnce. Sales Branch, St Mary Cray, Orpington, Kent BRS 3RD. Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd. St Mary Cray, Kent, Con. 1187