JP2010255837A - Clutch device and seat device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a clutch device capable of reducing the deformation of a part to which an engaging element for regulating the rotation of a rotating member which friction-contacts together with the rotating member, and a seat device. <P>SOLUTION: A wedge-shaped space is formed of the inner circumferential surface of a cover drum and a cam surface 16b of a brake cam 16. Eight second rollers 14 are disposed in the wedge-shaped space. Two second rollers 14 located at both sides of a locking spring 15 are paired. Each of the second rollers 14 is pressed toward the side with higher cam height by the locking spring 15 in a free state that the brake cam 16 and the cover drum are in a locked state. At this time, the second roller 14 is located in a reinforcing part of the cover drum. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a clutch device and a seat device that restrict relative rotation between a rotating member and a housing by frictional contact of an engagement element.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a clutch unit disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known as a clutch device that restricts relative rotation between a rotating member and a housing by frictional contact of an engagement element. In this clutch unit, when a reverse input in a predetermined rotation direction is input to the output shaft (rotating member) when the inner ring pillar and the roller (engagement element) are not engaged, the cam surface of the output shaft and the inner ring When the roller in the reverse direction interposed in the wedge gap formed by the circumferential surface of the outer ring engages with the wedge gap in that direction (friction contact), the output shaft moves in the predetermined rotational direction with respect to the outer ring. On the other hand, it is locked (regulated).

  On the other hand, when the inner ring rotates clockwise according to the input torque through the outer ring, each counterclockwise roller engages with each pillar portion of the inner ring and presses clockwise against the elastic force of the leaf spring. Is done. Thereby, each roller in the counterclockwise direction is separated from the wedge gap in that direction, and the output shaft is locked (restricted).

JP 2002-045658 A

  However, in the configuration as described above, in order to restrict the relative rotation between the rotating member and the housing in which the rotating member is accommodated, the respective frictional members that are in frictional contact with the rotating member are pressed against the housing. Need to contact. For this reason, for example, when the clutch unit as described above is employed in a seat device for adjusting the height of a vehicle seat, each engagement element is increased when the reverse input torque input to the rotating member from the seat side increases. Is pressed against the housing with a large force, and the housing may be deformed. If the housing is deformed in this way, the respective engaging elements do not come into frictional contact with the housing evenly, so that there is a problem that the restriction of the relative rotation becomes insufficient.

  In particular, the housing is usually molded by pressing, so increasing the thickness to increase the strength makes it difficult to press, and thus not only reducing costs but also reducing weight. There is also the problem of doing.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to deform a portion where an engaging member for restricting the rotation of the rotating member is brought into frictional contact with the rotating member. It is an object of the present invention to provide a clutch device and a seat device that can suppress the above.

In order to solve the above-described problem, in the clutch device according to claim 1, “the relative rotation between the rotating member and the housing disposed on the outer periphery of the rotating member is formed on the outer periphery of the rotating member. A clutch device that regulates the friction contact surface between the friction contact surface and the inner peripheral surface formed on the inner periphery of the housing by bringing the engaging member into friction contact with each other,
The housing is integrally formed with a reinforcing part with increased thickness and rigidity,
It is a technical feature that it is assembled so that the engaging element is positioned on the reinforcing portion.

  The clutch device according to claim 2 is technically characterized in that “the reinforcing portion is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the housing, and the thickness is gradually changed in the rotation axis direction”.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the seat device according to the third aspect, the seat device includes the seat and the clutch device according to the first or second aspect, and the height of the seat is adjusted according to the rotation transmitted from the rotation member. It is a technical feature.

  According to the clutch device of the first aspect, when the rotation of the rotating member is restricted, the engaging member that is in frictional contact with the rotating member is pressed by the reinforcing portion having increased rigidity of the housing to be in frictional contact. As a result, deformation of the frictional contact portion can be suppressed. In particular, since the reinforcing portion is formed integrally with the housing, not only the coaxiality of the reinforcing portion and the rotating member is increased, but also the displacement in the rotating direction can be reliably prevented.

  Therefore, the deformation | transformation of the site | part which the engaging element for restricting rotation of a rotation member friction-contacts with the said rotation member can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the reinforcing portion is formed integrally with the housing, the strength can be increased without changing the number of parts compared with the conventional case.

  In addition, according to the clutch device of the second aspect, since the thickness of the reinforcing portion is gradually changed in the direction of the rotation axis, the entire reinforcing portion can be subjected to a force without changing the number of parts compared with the conventional one. Strength can be increased.

  Further, according to the seat device of the third aspect, the engaging member for restricting the rotation of the rotating member can suppress deformation of the portion that is in frictional contact with the rotating member. It is possible to realize a seat device that enjoys the functions and effects of the invention.

1 is a side view of a vehicle seat to which a seat height adjusting clutch according to the present invention is applied. It is a perspective view which shows a seat bracket. It is the perspective view which looked at the seat bracket from the reverse direction. It is a front view of a seat height adjustment clutch. It is a rear view of a seat height adjustment clutch. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4, and is a longitudinal sectional view of a seat height adjustment clutch. It is the BB sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is CC sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is the DD sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of a seat height adjustment clutch, and shows the left half. It is a disassembled perspective view of a seat height adjustment clutch, and shows the right half. It is component drawing which shows a control plate, (A) is a front view, (B) is sectional drawing which shows the EE line cross section of a front view. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of a “drive clutch mechanism” whose main elements are a drive cam, a first roller, and a control plate, and corresponds to a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 6. (A) shows a free state, and (B) shows a state in which the drive cam is slightly rotated counterclockwise in the drawing. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of a “brake clutch mechanism” whose main elements are a brake cam, a second roller, and a cover drum, and corresponds to a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 6. (A) shows a free state, and (B) shows a state in which the control plate is slightly rotated counterclockwise in the drawing. It is sectional drawing which shows the operating condition of a retainer neutral spring and an operation-shaft neutral spring, is equivalent to the BB sectional drawing of FIG. 6, and is a figure corresponding to FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows another Example.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view of a vehicle seat 100 to which a seat height adjusting clutch according to the present invention is applied. A seat rail 102 that can slide back and forth is fixed to the vehicle floor 101, a seat bracket having a known height mechanism is fixed on the seat rail 102, and a seat cushion 103 is attached to the seat bracket. A seat height adjusting clutch according to the present invention is disposed at a side portion of the seat cushion 103, and an operation lever 105 fixed to the operation shaft is disposed. When the operation lever 105 is in the horizontal neutral position N, the height of the seat 103 is fixed, and when the swinging operation is performed so as to pull up from the neutral position N in the upward direction U, the height of the seat 103 rises and the neutral position N moves downward D When the swinging operation is performed so as to be pushed down, the height of the sheet 103 is lowered. In the operation of returning the operation lever 105 from the upper (U) or lower (D) position to the neutral position (N), the height of the sheet 103 is maintained. Therefore, the height of the sheet 103 can be adjusted to an arbitrary height by a pumping operation in which the operation lever 105 is reciprocated.

 2 and 3 are perspective views showing the seat bracket. A pair of base brackets 111 are held so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction on the left and right seat rails 102, and a seat bracket 110 capable of height adjustment is assembled on the base brackets 111. As shown in FIG. 2, a seat height adjusting clutch 120 according to the present invention having a substantially cylindrical shape is fixed to a side surface of one seat bracket 110 by a screw or a burring. An operation lever 105 shown in FIG. 1 is attached to the lever 2 that is an input member of the seat height adjustment clutch 120. When the lever 2 is pumped up or down from the neutral position by about 30 degrees, the pinion output shaft 17 shown only in the shaft end in FIG. 3 rotates to the right or left. The pinion output shaft 17 meshes with the sector gear 112 shown in FIG. Then, the illustrated link mechanisms 113, 114, 115, 116, 117 and the like are connected to the sector gear 112, and the seat bracket 110 moves up and down according to the rotational position of the sector gear 112. Since the link mechanisms 113 to 117 for raising and lowering the seat bracket 110 are well-known matters, explanation is unnecessary. Further, the sector gear 112 is attached with a balance spring 119 in which a leaf spring is formed into a spiral spring, and biases the sector gear 112 in one direction. As a result, the load due to the weight of the occupant sitting on the seat is balanced.

  FIG. 4 is a front view of the seat height adjustment clutch 120. A substantially Y-shaped lever 2 is fixed to the operating shaft 3 so as to be pressed by the end washer 1. The operation lever 105 shown in FIG. 1 is attached to the three holes 2 a of the lever 2. A substantially bottomed cylindrical cover drum (housing) 5 which is a stationary member has a bottom wall portion 5a and a flange portion 5c appearing in the drawing. The cover drum 5 is fixed to the seat bracket 110 shown in FIG. 2 by rivets through three holes 5d opened in the flange portion 5c.

  FIG. 5 is a rear view of the seat height adjustment clutch 120. A pinion output shaft 17 that is an output portion of the seat height adjusting clutch 120 is disposed at the center. The pinion output shaft 17 has a pinion gear 17b, and the pinion gear 17b meshes with the sector gear 112 shown in FIG. The flange 5c of the cover drum 5 appears in the drawing. The inner peripheral surface 5b of the cylindrical portion of the cover drum 5 is finished by heat treatment or the like so that the clutch surface is as hard as possible. A braking spring 19 is disposed so as to be in sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface 5b. The braking spring 19 is a spring formed by bending a wire rod into a substantially circular shape, and its locking portion 19 a is locked to a hook portion 18 b of an output shaft washer 18 that rotates integrally with the pinion output shaft 17.

  6 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4, FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 6, FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line DD of FIG. 10 and 11 are exploded perspective views of the seat height adjusting clutch 120. FIG. The exploded perspective view is divided into two drawings because each part is small and difficult to see. The structure of the seat height adjusting clutch 120 will be described with reference to these drawings.

  Referring to FIG. 10, the cover drum 5 is a bottomed cylindrical shape, and is a part provided with a flange portion 5 c having a hole 5 d provided integrally with a reinforcing portion 51 that is thickened to increase the rigidity of the cylindrical portion. . Since the inner peripheral surface 5b of the cylindrical portion of the cover drum 5 forms a clutch surface, it is finished so as to increase the hardness. A center hole 5e is formed at the center of the bottom wall portion 5a of the cover drum 5, and an arcuate through hole 5f having the same center of rotation as the center hole 5e is opened.

  The bush 4 is cylindrical and has a flange 4a on its outer periphery and a center hole 4b in the center. The hook plate 6 is a part for locking the retainer neutral spring 7 and the operation shaft neutral spring 9 and for locking the partition wall washer 8. The hook plate 6 has a hole 6a through which the bush 4 passes in the center, and has three column portions 6c, 6d, and 6e extending in the axial direction. These column portions 6c, 6d, and 6e serve as hooks that lock the retainer neutral spring 7 and the operation shaft neutral spring 9, and the protrusions at the ends of the column portions 6c, 6d, and 6e are portions where the partition washer 8 is locked. Become. The partition washer 8 is a component that divides the cylindrical space in the cover drum 5 into a spring chamber and a clutch chamber. The partition washer 8 has a center hole 8a, a circular arc hole 8b having the same rotation center as the central hole 8a, and locking holes 8c and 8e. A locking groove 8d is formed in the center of the circular arc hole 8b. .

  Referring also to FIG. 6, the bush 4 is inserted into the center hole 5e of the bottom wall portion 5a of the cover drum 5 from the large opening side of the cover drum 5 opposite to the position of FIG. And the left end of the bush 4 is expanded so as to be integrated with the cover drum 5. At this time, the hook plate 6 is sandwiched and integrated between the flange portion 4 a of the bush 4 and the bottom wall portion 5 a of the cover drum 5. The locking holes 8c, the locking grooves 8d, and the locking holes 8e of the partition wall washer 8 are fitted into the protrusions at the tips of the column portions 6c, 6d, and 6e of the hook plate 6, and the partition wall washer 8 is fixed to the hook plate 6. That is, the cover drum 5, the bush 4, the hook plate 6, and the partition washer 8 are stationary members fixed to each other.

  The retainer neutral spring 7 and the operation shaft neutral spring 9 are attached to the hook plate 6 before the partition washer 8 is attached. The retainer neutral spring 7 is a plate spring obtained by bending the plate material slightly by one turn, and is biased in a direction to close the hook portions 7a and 7b, that is, in a direction to close the circular spring portion 7c. The inner diameter of the circular spring portion 7 c is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the bush 4. The operation shaft neutral spring 9 is a leaf spring obtained by bending the plate material one turn. The portions near the hook portions 9a and 9b have a width less than half the width of the circular spring portion 9c to prevent interference. It is out. The outer diameter of the operation shaft neutral spring 9 is substantially equal to the inner diameter of the inner peripheral surface 5 b of the cover drum 5. Moreover, in the state shown in FIG. 10, it is urged | biased in the direction which closes the space | interval of the hook parts 7a and 7b, ie, the direction which opens the circular spring part 9c.

  Referring to FIG. 7 (a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 6), the retainer neutral spring 7 is arranged so that the circular spring portion 7c winds the outer diameter of the bush 4, and the hook portions 7a and 7b are The hook plate 6 is locked to the hook plate 6 so as to sandwich the column portion 6d of the hook plate 6. The operation shaft neutral spring 9 is arranged as if the circular spring portion 9 c is in contact with the inner peripheral surface 5 b of the cover drum 5, and the hook portions 9 a and 9 b sandwich the column portion 6 e of the hook plate 6. Locked to the hook plate 6.

  Referring to FIGS. 6, 10, and 11, the operation shaft 3 is inserted into the center hole 4 b of the bush 4 fixed to the cover drum 5 and is rotatably supported. The operation shaft 3 is a stepped shaft having a small diameter portion 3a, a large diameter portion 3b, and a quadrangular square surface portion 3c from the left in FIG. 11, and is a component having a central shaft hole 3d formed at the center. The central shaft hole 3d is a stepped hole in which a large-diameter portion on the right side of the drawing and a small-diameter portion on the left side of the drawing are continuous. Referring to FIG. 10, the lever 2 is a part for attaching the operation lever 105 with a substantially Y-shaped part. The lever 2 has a center hole 2b in addition to the hole 2a for attaching the operation lever. Serrations are cut in the center hole 2b. Further, the lever 2 is formed with a column portion 2c having an arcuate cross section that is bent and extended in the axial direction. The end washer 1 is a disk-shaped part, and a hole 1a is formed in the center. Referring to FIG. 11, the drive cam 11 is a substantially disc-shaped component. The cam surface 11a is formed on the side peripheral surface, the two protrusions 11c are positioned on the outer periphery on a straight line, and the center is a square. A hole 11b is formed.

  The operating shaft 3 has a large diameter portion 3b inserted into the central hole 4b of the bush 4 and is rotatably supported. The center hole 2b of the lever 2 is fitted into the small diameter portion 3a at the left end of the operation shaft 3 protruding from the bottom wall portion 5a of the cover drum 5, and the end washer 1 is further fitted. The column portion 2c of the lever 2 is inserted into the cover drum 5 from the arc-shaped through hole 5f of the bottom wall portion 5a of the cover drum 5. The left end of the operation shaft 3 small diameter portion 3a is crimped, and the end washer 1, the lever 2, and the operation shaft 3 are integrated. At this time, since the serration is cut in the center hole 2b of the lever 2, the lever 2 and the operation shaft 3 are reliably rotated integrally. A square hole 11 b of the drive cam 11 is fitted into the square surface portion 3 c of the operation shaft 3. That is, the end washer 1, the lever 2, the operation shaft 3, and the drive cam 11 are rotated together.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the lever 2 is formed with a column portion 2 c having an arcuate cross section extending in the axial direction. The column portion 2 c of the lever 2 is inserted into the arc-shaped through hole 5 f of the bottom wall portion 5 a of the cover drum 5 and assembled in a state of being inserted into the cover drum 5. The arcuate through hole 5f of the bottom wall portion 5a of the cover drum 5 constitutes a rotatable range restricting means for restricting the rotatable range of the lever 2, that is, the operation shaft 3, to a predetermined angle range.

  Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, the retainer 10 is rotatably supported on the large diameter portion 3 b of the operation shaft 3. The retainer 10 is a component for holding the eight first rollers 12. The retainer 10 has a hole 10a through which the operation shaft 3 is inserted at the center, and has eight holding portions 10b extending in the axial direction on the periphery. Moreover, it has the pillar part 10c extended in the axial direction of a reverse direction to the holding | maintenance part 10b in the upper part of a periphery. The column portion 10c passes through the circular arc hole 8b of the partition washer 8, and engages with the hook portions 7a and 7b of the retainer neutral spring 7 as shown in FIG. Similarly, the column portion 2c of the lever 2 passes through the arc-shaped through hole 5f of the cover drum 5 and is engaged so as to be sandwiched between the hook portions 9a and 9b of the operation shaft neutral spring 9.

  6 and 11, the pinion output shaft 17 is inserted into the central shaft hole 3d of the operation shaft 3 through the shaft portion 17e and rotatably supported. The pinion output shaft 17 is a relatively long shaft component that continues from the right side of the drawing to the shaft end portion 17a, the pinion gear 17b, the large diameter square surface portion 17c, the medium diameter square surface portion 17d, and the shaft portion 17e. The shaft end portion 17a and the shaft portion 17e are formed so as to be rotatably supported by a bearing. The output shaft washer 18 is a substantially disc-shaped component, has a central square hole 18a at the center, and a part of the periphery is bent to form a hook portion 18b. The braking spring 19 is a spring formed by bending a wire rod into a substantially circular shape, and has a locking portion 19a bent at the head. The brake spring 19 is biased to open its circular shape.

  The brake cam (rotating member) 16 is a substantially disk-shaped component having a large plate thickness. A central square hole 16a is formed at the center, and four cam surfaces 16b and four grooves 16c are formed at the periphery. The cam surface 16b is configured such that its cam height increases as it moves away from the groove 16c. Therefore, the cam height of the cam surface 16b is highest at the center between the groove 16c and the groove 16c. Further, four recesses 16d are formed on the right surface of the brake cam 16, and a columnar engagement protrusion 16e is formed at a location corresponding to the recess 16d on the left surface. In FIG. 11, only one part of the engaging convex portion is drawn. The recess 16d is made in order to form the engaging convex portion 16e by press working, and is not necessary for the structure.

  The central square hole 18a of the output shaft washer 18 is fitted into the large-diameter square surface portion 17c of the pinion output shaft 17, and the central square hole 16a of the brake cam 16 is fitted into the medium-diameter square surface portion 17d. The cam 16 is integrated with the pinion output shaft 17. The output shaft washer 18 is engaged with the hook portion 18b of the engaging portion 19a of the braking spring 19. Accordingly, the pinion output shaft 17, the output shaft washer 18, the braking spring 19, and the brake cam 16 rotate together.

  The four locking springs 15 are components made up of substantially Y-shaped leaf springs. The four locking springs 15 are fitted and assembled in the four grooves 16c of the brake cam 16, respectively. The lock spring 15 is biased so that the open end thereof is opened. The locking spring 15 is a component that presses four pairs of eight second rollers 14 in pairs.

  12A and 12B are component diagrams showing the control plate 13, wherein FIG. 12A is a front view and FIG. 12B is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along the line EE of the front view. Please also refer to the perspective view shown in FIG. The control plate 13 includes a central cylindrical portion 13b that forms a central hole 13a into which the shaft portion 17e of the central pinion output shaft 17 can be inserted, a disc portion 13c that spreads in a disc shape in the radial direction from the central cylindrical portion 13b, An outer peripheral cylindrical portion 13d extending in the same direction as the central cylindrical portion 13b in the axial direction from the outer peripheral edge of the disc portion 13c, and four extending in the opposite direction to the central cylindrical portion 13b in the axial direction from the outer peripheral edge of the circular disc portion 13c. It consists of pillar part 13e. Four engagement holes 13f are opened on the same circumference in the disc portion 13c. An inner peripheral surface 13g of the outer cylindrical portion 13d forms a clutch surface. The diameter of the center hole 13a is made equal to the diameter of the shaft portion 17e of the pinion output shaft 17, and the diameters of the outer peripheral surfaces of the outer cylindrical portion 13d and the column portion 4e are slightly smaller than the diameter of the inner peripheral surface 5b of the cover drum 5. Formed.

  The diameter of the engagement hole 13f of the control plate 13 is made slightly larger than the diameter of the engagement convex portion 16e of the brake cam 16. For this reason, when both the parts 13 and 16 are assembled, the engaging convex part 16e of the brake cam 16 is inserted into the engaging hole 13f of the control plate 13 with play. This engagement hole 13f means a “concave portion” in the claims, and the engagement convex portion 16e means a “convex portion” in the claims. The loose-fitting structure of the engaging hole 13f and the engaging convex portion 16e is a structure for transmitting the rotation of the control plate 13 to the brake cam 16 with play, and a concave portion (13f formed in one member 13). ) And a convex portion (16e) formed on the other member 16 and having a smaller size than the concave portion (13f) has a play, and constitutes a rotation transmission structure from the control plate 13 to the brake cam 16.

  Referring to FIGS. 6 and 11, the control plate 13 is rotatably supported by inserting the shaft portion 17e of the pinion output shaft 17 into the center hole 13a. At this time, the central cylindrical portion 13b of the control plate 13 is inserted into the large diameter portion of the central shaft hole 3d of the operation shaft 3 and is also slidably supported by the large diameter portion. The shaft portion 17 e of the pinion output shaft 17 is pivotally supported by the small diameter portion of the central shaft hole 3 d of the operation shaft 3.

  With reference to FIG. 8 (a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 6) and FIG. 11, a “drive clutch mechanism” including the drive cam 11, the first roller 12, and the control plate 13 as main elements will be described. . The cam surface 11a of the driving cam 11 divided into two parts by the protrusion 11c has four parts having a low cam height and five parts having a high cam height. The drive cam 11 that rotates integrally with the operation shaft 3 is incorporated so as to enter the inside of the outer peripheral cylindrical portion 13 d of the control plate 13. A wedge-shaped space is formed by the inner peripheral surface 13 g of the outer peripheral cylindrical portion 13 d and the cam surface 11 a of the drive cam 11. A total of eight first rollers 12 are provided, one at each of the wedge-shaped spaces where the cam height is low. A holding part 10b of the retainer 10 is interposed between the first rollers 12. Since each first roller 12 is at a low cam height in the free state, the drive cam 11 and the control plate 13 are in an unlocked state, and the control plate 13 is freely rotatable.

  A “brake clutch mechanism” including the brake cam 16, the second roller 14, and the cover drum 5 as main elements will be described with reference to FIG. 9 (a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. 6) and FIG. The outer peripheral surface of the brake cam 16 forms a cam surface (friction contact surface) 16b, and the cam height is the lowest near the groove 16c and the highest at the center between the grooves 16c and 16c. Locking springs 15 each having a substantially Y shape are fitted and incorporated in the four grooves 16c. A brake cam 16 that rotates integrally with the pinion output shaft 17 is incorporated so as to enter the inside of the cover drum 5. A wedge-shaped space is formed by the inner peripheral surface 5 b of the cover drum 5 and the cam surface 16 b of the brake cam 16. Eight second rollers 14 are arranged in the wedge-shaped space. The two second rollers 14 on both sides of the lock spring 15 make a pair. In the free state, each second roller 14 is pressed by the locking spring 15 and pushed toward the higher cam height, and the brake cam 16 and the cover drum 5 are locked. Between the pair of adjacent second rollers 14, the four column portions 13 e of the control plate 13 are interposed.

  In such a locked state, when a reverse input from the seat side is input to the pinion output shaft 17, the second roller 14 frictionally contacting the cam surface 16 b of the brake cam 16 is brought into contact with the inner peripheral surface 5 b of the cover drum 5. Also, the frictional contact is made so as to be pressed more strongly. At this time, since the second roller 14 is disposed so as to be positioned at the reinforcing portion 51 of the cover drum 5, the second roller 14 is a portion having high rigidity even if there is strong frictional contact. The deformation of the part to be performed is suppressed.

  With reference to FIG. 6, the seat height adjusting clutch 120 assembled as one unit in this way is fixed to the seat bracket 110. At this time, a bearing portion 110b is formed in the unit mounting portion 110a of the seat bracket 110. The shaft end portion 17a of the pinion output shaft 17 is inserted into the bearing portion 110b and is rotatably supported. Thus, since one end 17a of the pinion output shaft 17 is supported by the seat bracket 110, the pinion output shaft 17 is supported at both ends of the shaft and in the vicinity of the pinion gear 17b. Even if a strong force is applied, the pinion output shaft 17 does not fall or displace. In addition, each component (11, 12, 13g, 16, 14, 5b) constituting a drive clutch and a brake clutch which are mechanical components of the seat height adjusting clutch 120, various springs and hook portions (7, 9, All the functional parts such as 6) are accommodated in the cylindrical inner space of the cover drum 5. Therefore, only the lever 2 and the like integrated with the operation lever 105 are exposed from the cover drum 5 and the seat bracket 110, and there is no adhesion of grease to the seat cushion 103 or a sense of harm.

  As another example, as shown in FIG. 16, the reinforcing portion 51 may be integrally provided so that the thickness gradually increases from the lever 2 side toward the seat bracket 110 side. In this way, even if there is a strong frictional contact, the entire cylindrical portion of the cover drum 5 can receive a force, so that the cover drum 5 can be prevented from being deformed.

  Based on the above configuration, the operation will be described. In a free state in which the occupant releases his / her finger from the operation lever 105 on the side of the vehicle seat 100, the operation lever 105 maintains a horizontal neutral position N, and the seat cushion 103 maintains its height position. First, this operation will be described with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 7, in the free state, the column portion 2c of the lever 2 is sandwiched between the hook portions 9a and 9b of the operation shaft neutral spring 9, and is stationary while being pressed by the hook portions 9a and 9b from both sides. When the column portion 2c of the lever 2 overlaps with the column portion 6e of the hook plate 6, the operation lever 105 fixed to the lever 2 is in a neutral position N shown in FIG. When the lever 2 is to be rotated in the direction U or D from the neutral position N, the column portion 2c of the lever 2 pushes one of the two hook portions 9a and 9b, and the operation shaft neutral spring 9 It will rotate against the urging force. That is, the operating shaft neutral spring 9 biases the lever 2, that is, the operating shaft 3 to the neutral position N.

Similarly, referring to FIG. 7, in the free state, the column portion 10c extending rearward of the retainer 10 is sandwiched between the hook portions 7a and 7b of the retainer neutral spring 7, and is pressed by the left and right hook portions 7a and 7b from both sides. Still at. When the retainer 10 is rotated in either the left or right direction from the neutral position, the column portion 10c of the retainer 10 pushes one of the two hook portions 7a and 7b, and the urging force of the retainer neutral spring 7 is increased. It will rotate against it. That is, the retainer neutral spring 7 biases the retainer 10 to the neutral position.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of the “drive clutch mechanism” whose main elements are the drive cam 11, the first roller 12, and the control plate 13, and corresponds to a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. . (A) shows a free state, and (B) shows a state in which the drive cam 11 is slightly rotated. In the free state of (A), the first roller 12 is positioned at a place where the cam height of the drive cam 11 is low by the holding portion 10 b of the retainer 10. For this reason, the first roller 12 does not bite into the wedge space formed by the cam surface 11a of the drive cam 11 and the inner peripheral surface 13g of the control plate 13, and the control plate 13 becomes rotatable. When the operation lever 105 is slightly lifted in the upward (U) direction, the lever 2, the operation shaft 3, and the drive cam 11 are slightly rotated in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. As a result, as shown in FIG. 13B, the first roller 12 bites into the wedge space, the drive cam 11 and the control plate 13 are locked, and the control plate 13 tries to rotate integrally with the drive cam 11. To do. The rotation angle of the drive cam 11 until the first roller 12 bites and locks is very small, and the rotation angle is exaggerated in FIG. 13B.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of the “brake clutch mechanism” mainly including the brake cam 16, the second roller 14, and the cover drum 5, and corresponds to a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. . (A) shows a free state, and (B) shows a state where the control plate 13 is slightly rotated counterclockwise in the drawing. In the free state shown in (A), the paired second rollers 14 are biased away from the locking spring 15 by the biasing force of the locking spring 15. For this reason, the pair of left and right second rollers 14 on the left and right sides of the lock spring 15 are pressed against the wedge space formed by the cam surface 16 b of the brake cam 16 and the inner peripheral surface 5 b of the cover drum 5. As a result, when the brake cam 16 integrated with the pinion output shaft 17 tries to rotate in the left rotation direction in the drawing, the second roller 14 on the right side of the locking spring 15 tries to turn in the right rotation direction in the drawing. The left second roller 14 bites into the wedge-shaped space, and the brake cam 16 and the cover drum 5 are locked. That is, in the free state, the brake clutch mechanism is locked, the pinion output shaft 17 is locked, and the seat cushion 103 maintains its height.

Referring to FIGS. 14 and 12, four engagement holes 13 f are opened in the control plate 13 located on the back side of the brake cam 16. The engagement projections 16e of the brake cam 16 are fitted and engaged with play in the engagement holes 13f. As described above, when the operation lever 105 is pulled upward (U), the drive cam 11 and the control plate 13 are locked, and the control plate 13 rotates integrally with the drive cam 11. When the control plate 13 rotates counterclockwise in the drawing, the column portion 13e of the control plate 13 also rotates counterclockwise, and the column portion 13e becomes the second roller 14 on the right side of the lock spring 15 as shown in FIG. Press. As a result, the second roller 14 on the right side moves to the left against the urging force of the locking spring 15, leaves the wedge-shaped space, and the biting of the second roller 14 on the right side is eliminated. That is, the right side lock of the brake clutch mechanism is released. Accordingly, the brake cam 16, that is, the pinion output shaft 17, can be rotated counterclockwise. Almost simultaneously, the counter plate 13 rotates counterclockwise so that the periphery of the engagement hole 13f comes into contact with the engagement convex portion 16e of the brake cam 16, and the engagement hole 13f pushes the engagement convex portion 16e. And it will rotate as one.

Further, when the operation lever 105 is pulled up and the operation lever 3 and the operation shaft 3 are rotated to the left, the drive cam 11 and the control plate 13 of the drive clutch are integrally rotated to the left while being locked. Since the brake cam 16 of the brake lock mechanism and the cover drum 5 are unlocked in the counterclockwise direction, the brake cam 16 rotates counterclockwise together with the control plate 13, and the pinion output shaft 17 rotates counterclockwise. When the pinion output shaft 17 rotates, the sector gear 112 shown in FIG. 3 rotates, and the seat bracket 110 rises and the seat cushion 103 rises by the link mechanisms 113 to 117 connected thereto.

Here, in the state shown in FIG. 14B, the brake cam 16 and the cover drum 5 are unlocked only when the brake cam 16 is about to rotate left, and the brake cam 16 is about to rotate right. Note that the second roller 14 on the left side of the locking spring 15 immediately bites into the wedge-shaped space and locks. In the state shown in FIG. 13B, the drive cam 11 is locked to the control plate 13 only when the drive cam 11 is about to rotate left. Since the drive cam 11 rotates in the direction opposite to the direction of biting into the wedge space, the drive cam 11 and the control plate 13 are unlocked. At this time, the retainer 10 is urged counterclockwise by the urging force of the retainer neutral spring 7 until it returns to the neutral position N (the direction returning to the neutral position N). The cam cam 11 and the control plate 13 are not locked because they are pressed against the high cam height on the right side of the cam surface 11a and do not move to the high cam height on the opposite left side.

Accordingly, when the operation lever 105 is lifted up in the upward (U) direction or in the middle of the stroke and the finger is loosened or released to return the operation lever 105 to the neutral position N, the drive cam 11 of the drive clutch mechanism is immediately The control plate 13 is unlocked, and the drive cam 11 is rotatable in the clockwise direction. Then, the drive cam 11 and the operation shaft 3 rotate to the right, and the operation lever 105 returns to the neutral position N. On the other hand, the torque applied to the control plate 13 via the first roller 12 disappears, and the control plate 13 is left in a rotatable state. Therefore, in the brake clutch mechanism, since the control plate 13 becomes rotatable, the force that the column portion 13e of the control plate 13 presses the second roller 14 disappears. Accordingly, the second roller 14 on the right side is pushed back by the urging force of the locking spring 15 to be in a state as shown in FIG. 14A, and the brake cam 16 is immediately locked to the cover drum 5. That is, the pinion output shaft 17 is locked and the seat cushion 103 maintains its height.

Since the control plate 13 and the brake cam 16 are engaged with each other with play by the engaging hole 13f and the engaging convex portion 16e, the column portion 13e of the control plate 13 is the second roller 14. Rotate to a position where it is no longer pressed and stop at that position. The drive cam 11 and the operating shaft 3 are idled and returned because the drive clutch mechanism is unlocked.

In the example described above, the operation when the operation lever 105 is pulled up from the neutral position N in the upward (U) direction has been described. However, the operation when the operation lever 105 is pushed down from the neutral position in the downward (D) direction is also performed by the drive cam. The second roller 14 pressed by the rotation direction of the control plate 13 and the column portion 13e of the control plate 13 is the left side of the locking spring 15, and the same operation is easily understood by reversing the left and right. I can do it.

15 is a cross-sectional view showing the operating state of the retainer neutral spring 7 and the operation shaft neutral spring 9, and is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 6 and corresponding to FIG. The state shown in FIG. 7 is when the operating lever 105 is in the neutral position N, and the state shown in FIG. 15 is when the operating lever 105 is pushed down in the downward (D) direction. The reason why the left and right sides are opposite to those in FIGS. 14 and 15 is that the direction of the cross section in FIG. 6 is opposite. When the operation lever 105 is pushed down, the column portion 2c of the lever 2 integrated with the operation shaft 3 rotates counterclockwise in the drawing, and moves one hook portion 9b of the operation shaft neutral spring 9 as shown in the figure. The other hook portion 9 a remains locked to the column portion 6 e of the hook plate 6. For this reason, the operation shaft neutral spring 9 is deformed so that the circular spring portion 9 c is narrowed, and the lever 2, that is, the operation shaft 3 is urged to rotate toward the neutral position N.

Further, when the operation lever 105 is pushed down, the drive cam 11 and the control plate 13 are locked and the first roller 12 is rotated together, so that the column portion 10c of the retainer 10 is pushed by the first roller 12 and shown in the drawing. Rotating leftward, one hook portion 7b of the retainer neutral spring 7 is moved as shown. The other hook portion 7 a remains locked to the column portion 6 d of the hook plate 6. For this reason, the retainer neutral spring 7 is deformed so that the circular spring portion 7c is expanded, and the retainer 10, that is, the first roller 12 is rotationally biased in the direction of the neutral position N.

When the operation lever 105 is pulled up, the column portion 2c of the lever 2 and the column portion 10c of the retainer 10 rotate in the opposite direction to the above, and the other hook portion 9a of the operation shaft neutral spring 9 and the other of the retainer neutral spring 7 are rotated. The hook portion 7 a is moved, and the one hook portions 9 b and 7 b remain locked to the column portions 6 e and 6 d of the hook plate 6. Then, the lever 2, that is, the operation shaft 3 and the retainer 10 are urged toward the neutral position N. Thus, even if the operating shaft 3 is rotated in any direction, the springs 7 and 9 urge the retainer 10 and the operating shaft 3 to return to the neutral position N, and hold the neutral shaft N in the free state. To do.

The operation of the braking spring 19 shown in FIG. 5 will be described. The brake spring 19 is urged so that its circular shape spreads, and the brake spring 19 is in sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface 5b of the cover drum 5 with the urging force of the spring. Since the locking portion 19a of the braking spring 19 is locked to the hook portion 18b of the output shaft washer 18, the braking spring 19 rotates integrally with the pinion output shaft 17, and the inner peripheral surface 5b of the cover drum 5 is rotated. And a braking force is applied to the rotation of the pinion output shaft 17. Therefore, even when the weight of the occupant and the balance spring 119 are not balanced, when the brake clutch is unlocked and the pinion output shaft 17 becomes free for a moment, the pinion output shaft 17 rotates with a load or the like. There is no unpleasant problem that the seat cushion 103 moves a little. When the pinion output shaft 17 becomes free for a moment, for example, when the operation lever 105 is to be pulled up, the brake cam 16 of the brake clutch mechanism and the cover drum 5 are unlocked by the second roller 14. This is until the inner periphery of the engagement hole 13 f of the control plate 13 touches the engagement convex portion 16 e of the brake cam 16.

The raising / lowering operation of the seat cushion 103 will be described by integrating the operations described above. When the operation lever 105 shown in FIG. 1 is pulled upward from the neutral position N (U), the drive clutch mechanism is locked with a slight play as shown in FIG. 13, and the control plate 13 is driven to rotate. Then, the brake clutch mechanism shown in FIG. 14 is unlocked only on one side, and the brake cam 16 is rotationally driven by the engagement of the engagement hole 13f of the control plate 13 and the engagement convex portion 16e of the brake cam 16, and the pinion output shaft 17 is rotated. Driven by rotation. At this time, there is slight play until the engagement hole 13f is engaged with the engagement convex portion 16e and the pinion output shaft 17 is driven to rotate after the brake clutch mechanism lock is turned off. The pinion output shaft 17 does not rotate by a slight angle due to the load of the occupant or the biasing force of the balance spring 119 due to the operation. When the pinion output shaft 17 is driven to rotate, the sector gear 112 shown in FIG. 3 rotates, the seat bracket 110 rises, and the seat cushion 103 rises.

The operation lever 105 is pulled up, the lever 2 rotates, and the column portion 2c of the lever 2 comes into contact with the end of the arc-shaped through hole 5f of the cover drum 5 and stops. That is, the seat cushion 103 is raised by one stroke of the operation lever 105. When the operation lever 105 is returned to the neutral position N, the brake cam 16 of the brake clutch mechanism, that is, the pinion output shaft 17 is immediately locked, the drive cam 11 of the drive clutch mechanism is unlocked, and the drive cam 11 is idled to operate the operation shaft. 3. The lever 2 and the operation lever 105 return to the neutral position N direction. If the operation lever 105 is pulled up again on the way back, the drive clutch mechanism is locked again, the brake clutch mechanism is unlocked, the pinion output shaft 17 is rotationally driven, and the seat cushion 103 is raised.

In the middle of returning the operation lever 105, the retainer 10 is urged by the retainer neutral spring 7 in the rotational direction toward the neutral position. For this reason, in the middle of the returning operation, the holding portion 10b of the retainer 10 shown in FIG. 13 is returned in a state in which the first roller 12 is pressed against one cam surface 11a of the drive cam 11. For this reason, when the operation lever 105 is pulled up again in the middle of the return operation, the driving clutch mechanism is locked without play, so that the operation feeling is good. As described above, the seat cushion 103 can be raised to an arbitrary height by the pumping operation in which the operation lever 105 is driven to reciprocate between the neutral position N and the rising end U. Similarly, the seat cushion 103 can be lowered to an arbitrary height by a pumping operation in which the operation lever 105 is driven to reciprocate between the neutral position N and the lower end D.

1 End Washer 2 Lever 2c Column 3 Operation Shaft 4 Bush 5 Cover Drum (Housing)
51 Reinforcing part 5b Inner peripheral surface 5f Arc-shaped through hole 6 Hook plate 7 Retainer neutral spring 8 Bulkhead washer 9 Operation shaft neutral spring 10 Retainer 11 Drive cam 11a Cam surface 12 First roller (first engagement element)
13 Control plate 13f Engagement hole (recessed part of rotation transmission structure)
13g Circumferential surface 14 Second roller (second engaging element)
15 Locking spring 16 Brake cam (rotating member)
16b Cam surface (friction contact surface)
16e Engaging convex part (convex part of rotation transmission structure)
17 Pinion output shaft 17a Shaft end portion 17b Pinion gear 17e Shaft portion 18 Output shaft washer 19 Braking spring 110 Seat bracket 110b Bearing portion

Claims (3)

Relative rotation between the rotating member and the housing disposed on the outer periphery of the rotating member is performed by both a friction contact surface formed on the outer periphery of the rotating member and an inner peripheral surface formed on the inner periphery of the housing. A clutch device that regulates by engaging frictional contact with the engagement element,
The housing is integrally formed with a reinforcing part with increased thickness and rigidity,
The clutch device is assembled so that the engaging element is positioned on the reinforcing portion.   The clutch device according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing portion is provided on an outer peripheral surface of the housing and gradually changes its thickness in the direction of the rotation axis.   A seat device comprising a seat and the clutch device according to claim 1, wherein the height of the seat is adjusted according to the rotation transmitted from the rotating member.

Images