JP2012192802A - Vehicle seat vertical position adjustment apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a vehicle seat vertical position adjustment apparatus effectively using a space around a lower bracket of a seat, preventing interference with other members (other mechanisms), and providing a moving mechanism with a sufficient space.SOLUTION: The vehicle seat vertical position adjustment apparatus includes: a moving link having one end pivoted to a lower bracket side of a vehicle seat and the other end pivoted to a vehicle floor side; an input member supported by the vehicle seat so as to be moved between a neutral position and a lifting position, and the neutral position and a lowering position; and the moving mechanism driven in association with a moving operation of the input member to move the lower bracket while turning the moving link. The moving link, the input member and the moving mechanism are supported by an inner surface of the lower bracket. A through-hole is formed in the lower bracket. An operation part of the input member is guided on an outer surface of the lower bracket through the through-hole.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle seat vertical position adjusting device that raises and lowers a vehicle seat by a reciprocating operation of an input member (operation member).

  Devices for raising and lowering a vehicle seat (seat surface) are roughly classified into an electric type and a manual type. Of these, the manual type has conventionally attached all of the lifting mechanism main body and the input member to the outer surface of the lower bracket of the seat.

JP 7-195969 A JP 2000-190762 A US Pat. No. 5,466,047

  However, since other members (other mechanisms) such as a seat belt mounting portion and a recliner operating mechanism are arranged on the outer surface of the lower bracket of the seat, there is a limit to a space for installing the seat lifting mechanism. For this reason, as a result of requiring a reduction in the size of the seat lifting mechanism itself, the degree of freedom in design is reduced.

  Based on the above problem awareness, the present invention effectively utilizes the space around the lower bracket of the seat, has a low possibility of interfering with other members (other mechanisms), and can provide sufficient space for the lifting mechanism itself. An object of the present invention is to obtain a vertical position adjustment device.

  The present invention reviews the technical common sense that the seat elevating mechanism and the input member are all arranged on the outer surface of the lower bracket, and the elevating mechanism body is arranged inside the lower bracket while the input member is located outside the lower bracket. The dead space in the lower part of the seat cushion can be used effectively, and the degree of freedom in designing the lifting mechanism itself can be increased without causing interference with other members (other mechanisms) located on the outer surface of the lower bracket. It was made based on attention.

The vertical position adjusting device for a manual type vehicle seat has, as a basic configuration, a lifting link having one end pivotally attached to the lower bracket side of the vehicle seat and the other end pivotally attached to the vehicle floor surface; An input member that is supported so as to be able to move up and down; and an elevating mechanism that is driven in conjunction with the lifting operation of the input member and moves up and down the lower bracket while rotating the lifting link.
According to the present invention, in such a vehicle seat vertical position adjusting device, the lifting link, the input member, and the lifting mechanism are supported on the inner surface of the lower bracket, and a through hole is formed in the lower bracket. Is characterized in that it is guided from the inner surface of the lower bracket through the through hole to the outer surface, and its operating portion is positioned on the outer surface of the lower bracket.

  The input member preferably includes an inner input member, an outer input member, and a coupling member. The inner input member is provided with an inner arm that is rotatable around the operation axis and extends along the inner side of the lower bracket, and an outer connection arm that is bent with respect to the inner arm. The outer input member is provided with a lower bracket. An operation portion along the outer surface and an inner connection arm bent with respect to the operation portion are provided, and the outer connection arm of the inner input member and the inner connection arm of the outer input member are coupled by a coupling member. With this configuration, the strength of the input member (the coupling portion between the outer connecting arm and the inner connecting arm) is increased.

  The coupling member is composed of, for example, a semi-cylindrical member whose radial cut surface is coupled to the inner connection arm of the outer input member, and the outer connection arm of the inner input member is inserted into the semi-cylindrical member. And combine. With this configuration, the joint portion between the inner connection arm and the outer connection arm has a box cross section, and therefore, further improvement in strength can be achieved.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, a torsion spring is provided that acts on at least one of the outer connecting arm of the inner input member and the inner connecting arm of the outer input member to hold the input member in a neutral position. Since the urging force of the torsion spring acts at a position away from the operating shaft (position where the arm length is secured), only a small urging force is required. As a result, the torsion spring can be reduced in size and the thickness of the vertical adjustment device can be reduced. Can be reduced.

  The torsion spring is supported by a spring shaft provided separately from the operation shaft, and the distance between the outer connection arm and the spring shaft is set shorter than the distance between the outer connection arm and the operation shaft. Good. Thus, if the torsion spring is supported on a spring shaft different from the operation shaft, the spring can be reduced in size, the thickness of the lifting mechanism can be reduced, and the operation resistance (operation force) applied to the input member Can be set freely. By setting the distance between the outer connecting arm of the inner input member and the spring shaft to be shorter than the distance between the outer connecting arm and the operating shaft, the torsion spring is attached more than when the torsion spring is supported on the operating shaft. The power can be reduced. Since the shaft supporting the torsion spring is close to the position where the urging force of the torsion spring acts (the outer connection arm), both legs of the torsion spring can be shortened, and the spring can be downsized and the urging force can be applied. Become effective.

  In order to prevent the deformation of the input member, it is preferable to further provide a support plate having one end supported by the operation shaft and the other end coupled to the outer connection arm of the inner input member on the outer surface side of the base plate.

  In a preferred aspect of the vehicle seat vertical position adjusting device according to the present invention, the elevating link, the input member, and the elevating mechanism are supported on a base plate made of a member different from the lower bracket, and the base plate is the lower bracket. It is fixed to the inner surface.

  In the vehicle seat vertical position adjusting device according to the present invention, the lifting mechanism is positioned on the inner surface of the lower bracket of the vehicle seat, and the input member is positioned on the outer surface of the lower bracket, and the lifting mechanism and the input member are formed on the lower bracket. Since it is linked via the through-hole, the space around the lower bracket of the vehicle seat can be effectively used, and the degree of freedom in designing the lifting mechanism itself can be increased.

1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment in which a vehicle seat vertical position adjusting device according to the present invention is applied to a stepped lifter device of a vehicle before being mounted on a lower bracket. It is a side view which shows one Embodiment of the stepped lifter apparatus by this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows one Embodiment around the toothed link of the stepped lifter apparatus by this invention. It is a perspective view of the assembly state of the stepped lifter apparatus by this invention. It is sectional drawing which follows the VV line | wire of FIG. 2 in the same assembly state. It is sectional drawing which follows the VI-VI line of FIG. 2 in the assembly state of the stepped lifter apparatus. It is sectional drawing which follows the VII-VII line of FIG. 2 in the assembly state of the stepped lifter apparatus. It is sectional drawing which follows the VIII-VIII line of FIG. 2 in the same assembly state. It is sectional drawing which follows the IX-IX line of FIG. 2 in the same assembly state. It is sectional drawing which follows the XX line of FIG. 2 in the same assembly state. It is sectional drawing which follows the XI-XI line of FIG. 4 in the assembly state of the stepped lifter apparatus. It is an enlarged side view of the friction gear and the friction latch part which comprise the friction mechanism of the stepped lifter apparatus. It is a side view which shows the locked state (initial position) of the specific height position of the stepped lifter apparatus. It is a side view showing the 1st step of raising operation of the up-and-down position adjustment device of the vehicle seat. It is a side view which shows the 2nd step of the same raising operation. It is a side view which shows the 3rd step of the raising operation. It is a side view which shows the 4th stage (initial position return stage) of the same raising operation. It is a side view which shows the locked state (initial position) of the specific height position of the stepped lifter apparatus. It is a side view which shows the 1st step of the downward operation of the stepped lifter apparatus. It is a side view showing the 2nd step of the descent operation. It is a side view showing the 3rd stage of the descent operation. It is a side view showing the 4th stage (initial position return stage) of the descent operation. It is a side view which shows the locked state (initial position) of the specific height position of the stepped lifter apparatus.

The illustrated embodiment shows an embodiment in which the vehicle seat vertical position adjusting device of the present invention is applied to a stepped lifter device (a lifter device that can be adjusted stepwise) of a vehicle. FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 are perspective views of different states of the stepped lifter device of the embodiment, FIG. 2 is a side view of the stepped lifter device, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the stepped lifter device.
The shaft 11 that is rotatably supported on the base plate (lifting body) 13 fixed to the inner surface 51 of the lower bracket 50 on which the seat (seat surface) is supported is made to have a different axial position. The lifting link 10X and the toothed link 10T are integrally coupled, and the lower end portion of the lifting link 10X is pivotally attached to the floor bracket (base) 14 integral with the floor surface by the shaft 12. Therefore, when the toothed link 10T swings about the shaft 11, the lifting link 10X swings about the shaft 11, and the base plate 13 moves up and down with respect to the base portion 14. In the present embodiment, the base plate 13 is moved up and down by swinging the toothed link 10T forward and backward.

The entire structure around the toothed link 10T will be described with reference to FIGS.
The toothed link 10T pivotally attached to the base plate 13 by the shaft 11 is integrally formed with a link pinion 15 located on an arc centered on the shaft 11 and a link ratchet 16 having a smaller diameter than the link pinion 15. Yes. Further, the toothed link 10T is formed with an arc guide 10P centered on the shaft 11, and the guide pin 10Q having both ends fixed to the base plate 13 and the second auxiliary bracket 18 is relative to the arc guide 10P. It fits freely.

  First and second auxiliary brackets 17 and 18 fixed on the back and front surfaces of the base plate 13 on the base plate 13 (the member having the shaft 11 serving as the center of the arc (base circle) of the link pinion 15 and the link ratchet 16). The shaft 21 is rotatably supported via the.

  On the shaft 21, serration portions 21a and 21b and a square shaft portion 21c are formed between both shaft portions pivotally supported by the first and second auxiliary brackets 17 and 18 (FIG. 6). . An input pinion 22 that meshes with the link pinion 15 of the toothed link 10T is coupled to the serration portion 21a coaxially (in a relatively non-rotatable manner), and the bidirectional motion transmission ratchet 23 is coaxially integrated (relatively rotated) to the serration portion 21b. The friction gear 30 is coupled to the square shaft portion 21c coaxially and integrally (incapable of relative rotation). Further, between the serration portions 21 a and 21 b of the shaft 21, a round shaft portion 21 d that is inserted into the shaft hole of the base plate 13 so as to be relatively rotatable, and a flange portion 21 e that contacts the base plate 13 and is positioned in the axial direction are formed. Round shaft portions 21f and 21g are formed outside the serration portion 21a and between the serration portion 21b and the square shaft portion 21c, respectively. At both ends of the shaft 21, nuts and washers for retaining are attached (FIG. 6).

  A first auxiliary lever (inner input member) 201 is positioned between the base plate 13 and the first auxiliary bracket 17, and a second auxiliary lever (support plate) 204 is positioned outside the second auxiliary bracket 18. The first auxiliary lever 201 and the second auxiliary lever 204 are supported by the round shaft portions 21g and 21f of the shaft 21 so as to be relatively rotatable. The first auxiliary lever 201 includes an inner arm 201a along the inner surface of the base plate 13 and an outer connecting arm 201b in which a free end portion of the inner arm 201a is bent in a direction passing through an arc opening 13a1 formed in the base plate 13. The outer connection arm 201b passes through a through hole 204a formed on the free end side of the second auxiliary lever 204 (FIG. 9). The first auxiliary lever 201 and the second auxiliary lever 204 are also coupled by a connecting link pin 205 passing through an arc opening 13a2 formed in the base plate 13, and always rotate integrally around the shaft 21. The second auxiliary lever 204 constitutes a support plate having one end supported by the shaft (operation shaft) 21 and the other end coupled to the outer connection arm 201b of the first auxiliary lever (inner input member) 201. Yes.

  The control lever 20 is coupled to the first auxiliary lever 201. The control lever 20 is bent in an approximately perpendicular direction inwardly from an operation portion (outer arm) 20a along the outer surface 52 of the lower bracket 50 and a rear end portion thereof, and passes through a through hole (arc hole) 50a of the lower bracket 50. A connecting arm 20b is provided, and the inner connecting arm 20b is overlapped with the outer connecting arm 201b of the first auxiliary lever 201, and further joined together through a semi-cylindrical member (joining member) 203 (see FIG. 9). That is, the semi-cylindrical member 203 is joined by joining both ends of the radial cut surface to the flat inner connection arm 20b and positioning the outer connection arm 201b inside the semi-cylindrical member 203. Since the inner connecting arm 20b and the outer connecting arm 201b are coupled by the semi-cylindrical member 203, the coupling portion has a box cross section, and further improvement in strength is achieved. The inner connection arm 20b further includes an angle portion 20c bent substantially at a right angle with respect to the inner connection arm 20b. The angle portion 20c is fixed to the outer surface of the semi-cylindrical member 203 (see FIG. 1 and 11). With this configuration, the strength of the coupling portion is further improved.

  The control lever 20, the first auxiliary lever 201, and the second auxiliary lever 204 as a whole constitute an input member that swings around the shaft 21, of which the inner arm 201a and the outer connection arm 201b are connected to each other. The first auxiliary lever 201 having the inner input member constitutes the inner input member, and the control lever 20 having the operation portion 20a and the inner connection arm 20b constitutes the outer input member.

  The control lever 20 is always held at a neutral position by a neutral position return spring (torsion spring) 19. That is, the neutral position return spring 19 has a central coil portion fitted into a spring shaft 192 fixed to the base plate 13, and the leg portions 19 a and 19 b are connected to the outer connection arm 201 b and the base plate 13 of the first auxiliary lever 201. The control lever 20 is held in the neutral position when it is engaged so as to sandwich the protruding spring hooking projection 13c and no operating force is applied. And the neutral position return spring 19 will return the control lever 20 to a neutral position, if the operating force which raised / lowered the control lever 20 up / down was released. The distance between the spring shaft 192 and the outer connection arm 201b is shorter than the distance between the outer connection arm 201b and the shaft 21 (see FIG. 9). The spring shaft 192 is a cylindrical member, and a fixing bolt 191 for fixing the base plate 13 to the lower bracket 50 is attached through the hollow portion of the spring shaft 192.

  On the first auxiliary lever 201, a pair of upward motion transmission latches (hereinafter referred to as “upward latches”) 27 and a downward motion transmission latch (hereinafter referred to as “lowering latches”) 28 that selectively engage with the bidirectional motion transmission ratchet 23 are shafts. 27a and shaft 28a are pivotally connected.

  The ascending latch 27 and the descending latch 28 are symmetrically positioned on the upper and lower tooth surfaces of the bi-directional motion transmission ratchet 23, and are provided with engaging claw portions 27b and 28b at the front end portions thereof and forced release pins 27c and 28c at the intermediate portion. It has. Between the pair of forced release pins 27c and 28c, a torsion spring 278 for rotating and energizing the latches 27 and 28 in the direction in which the meshing claws 27b and 28b mesh with the teeth 23a of the bidirectional motion transmitting ratchet 23 is inserted. Yes. The central coil portion of the torsion spring 278 is fitted to the connecting link pin 205.

  The forcible release pin (control pin) 27c of the ascending latch 27 and the forcible release pin (control pin) 28c of the descending latch 28 are fitted into position restricting cam holes (control cam grooves) 270 and 280 formed in the base plate 13. Yes. The position restricting cam holes 270 and 280 are in contact with the forcible release pin 27c and the forcible release pin 28c at the neutral position of the control lever 20 and in the vicinity thereof, and the upward latch 27 and the downward latch 28 are respectively connected to the bidirectional motion transmission ratchet 23. (See FIGS. 13, 18, and 23), and when the control lever 20 is moved up and down in the upward direction from the neutral position, it is lifted without restricting the rotation of the lift latch 27 by the torsion spring 278. The engagement claw portion 27b of the latch 27 and the teeth 23a of the bidirectional motion transmission ratchet 23 can be engaged, the lowering latch 28 is moved to the non-engagement position with the bidirectional motion transmission ratchet 23 (see FIG. 14), and the control lever 20 is neutral. When the elevating operation is performed in the downward direction from the position, the lowering lever by the torsion spring 278 is operated. The engagement claw 28b of the lowering latch 28 and the teeth 23a of the bidirectional motion transmission ratchet 23 can be engaged without restricting the rotation of the hook 28, and the upward latch 27 is moved to the non-engagement position with the bidirectional motion transmission ratchet 23 ( (See FIG. 19). When the control lever 20 is moved up and down from the neutral position, the lifting latch 27 first meshes the meshing claw 27b with the teeth 23a, and then the lifting latch 27 pushes the teeth 23a of the bidirectional motion transmitting ratchet 23. When the input pinion 22 is rotated in the upward direction and moved up and down in the downward direction from the neutral position, the downward latch 28 first engages the engaging claw portion 28b with the tooth 23a, and then the downward latch 28 is in the bi-directional motion transmission ratchet 23. As a result of pushing the teeth 23a to rotate the input pinion 22 in the downward direction, the toothed link 10T having the link pinion 15 meshing with the input pinion 22 is rotated in the forward and reverse directions, and the base plate 13 is moved up and down.

  The control lever 20, the raising latch 27, and the bi-directional motion transmission ratchet 23 swing the toothed link 10T in the upward direction via the link pinion 15 every time the control lever 20 is moved up and down from the neutral position to the upward position. The control lever 20, the lowering latch 28, and the bi-directional motion transmission ratchet 23 are moved each time the control lever 20 is moved up and down from the neutral position to the lowering position. A lowering mechanism is configured that swings the toothed link 10T in the downward direction via the link pinion 15 and lowers the base plate 13 in a stepped manner. These raising mechanism and lowering mechanism constitute an elevating mechanism that elevates and lowers the lower bracket 50.

  The forcible release pin 27c and the position restricting cam hole (control cam groove) 270 of the ascending latch 27 and the forcible release pin 28c and the position restricting cam hole (control cam groove) 280 of the descending latch 28 are as described above. Every time when the lifting / lowering operation is performed, the meshing claw portion 28b of the lowering latch 28 and the teeth 23a of the bidirectional motion transmitting ratchet 23 are disengaged, and the meshing claw portions 27b of the lifting latch 27 and the teeth of the bidirectional motion transmitting ratchet 23 are released. When the toothed link 10T is rotated in the ascending direction by the engagement of 23a, and the control lever 20 is moved up and down from the neutral position toward the descending position, the engaging claw portion 27b of the ascending latch 27 and the bidirectional motion transmitting ratchet 23 Disengagement between the teeth 23a and the engagement claw 27b of the lowering latch 28 and the engagement of the teeth 23a of the bi-directional motion transmission ratchet 23 Constituting the latch control mechanism to further rotate in the lowering direction of the toothed links 10T.

  On the other hand, in the process of returning to the neutral position after the control lever 20 reaches the ascending end or the descending end, the ascending latch 27 and the descending latch 28 idle with respect to the bidirectional motion transmitting ratchet 23 (FIGS. 17 and 22). That is, the base plate 13 always moves up and down when the raising latch 27 or the lowering latch 28 rotates the input pinion 22 via the bidirectional motion transmitting ratchet 23 regardless of the raising / lowering operation direction from the neutral position of the control lever 20. When the base plate 13 moves up and down, the control lever 20 is always swung.

  Between the base plate 13 and the second auxiliary bracket 18, a first lowering prevention latch 24 that engages with the link ratchet 16 is pivotally attached by a shaft 46. A meshing claw portion (tip claw portion, engagement claw portion) 24 c that engages and disengages with the link ratchet 16 is formed at the distal end portion of the first lowering prevention latch 24.

  A latch biasing spring (torsion spring) 46 a is inserted into the shaft 46 between the first lowering prevention latch 24 and the base plate 13. The latch urging spring 46 a urges the first lowering prevention latch 24 to rotate in a direction in which the meshing claw portion 24 c engages the teeth of the link ratchet 16. In the free state, the first lowering prevention latch 24 engages the link ratchet 16 with the engagement claw portion 24c (FIGS. 2, 13, 18, and 23).

  The first lowering prevention latch 24 and the link ratchet 16 mesh with each other against the force of the latch urging spring 46a when the toothed link 10T swings about the shaft 11 in the upward direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 2). When the claw portion 24c gets over the teeth of the link ratchet 16 and allows its swinging, and conversely swings in the downward direction (clockwise direction), the meshing claw portion 24c engages with the teeth of the link ratchet 16. A one-way rotation allowing stepped stopper mechanism for preventing the swing is configured. That is, the link ratchet 16 tries to rotate in the clockwise direction of FIG. 2 when the base plate 13 is lowered, and at this time, the first lowering prevention latch 24 meshed with the link ratchet 16 is inserted into the shaft 46 from the teeth of the link ratchet 16. Directional force is applied. Therefore, the first lowering prevention latch 24 cannot rotate and acts as a stopper that prevents the link ratchet 16 (toothed link 10T) from rotating. Conversely, when the link ratchet 16 and the first lowering prevention latch 24 are engaged with each other, if the link ratchet 16 rotates counterclockwise, the teeth of the link ratchet 16 are centered on the shaft 46 on the first lowering prevention latch 24. The meshing claw portion 24c gets over the teeth of the link ratchet 16 in order to give a force to rotate in the clockwise direction.

  The first lowering prevention latch 24 is provided with a forced release pin 24d on its side surface (back surface). The first auxiliary lever 201 engages with the forcible release pin 24d of the first lowering prevention latch 24 when the first auxiliary lever 201 is moved up and down from the neutral position, A forced release protrusion 201c that disengages the link ratchet 16 is formed. The link ratchet 16, the first lowering prevention latch 24, the forcible release pin 24d and the forcible release projection 201c of the first auxiliary lever 201 prevent the toothed link 10T from swinging downward in the neutral position of the control lever 20, and the control lever A first lowering prevention latch mechanism that allows the downward swing of the toothed link 10T when the 20 is moved up and down in the downward direction is configured.

  A second lowering prevention latch 25 is pivotally attached to the shaft 21 on the base plate 13 (auxiliary brackets 17, 18) so as to be rotatable relative to the control lever 20. The second lowering prevention latch 25 has an engaging claw portion (tip claw portion, engaging claw portion) 25b that engages with the link ratchet 16 at one end with the shaft 21 in between, and a connecting link pin at the other end. A position restricting surface 25c that abuts on 205 is formed, and a position restricting surface of the second lowering prevention latch 25 is formed by a latch biasing spring (torsion spring) 59 inserted between the connecting link pin 205 (first auxiliary lever 201). 25c is urged in the direction in which it abuts on the connecting link pin 205 and is spring-connected.

  The connection link pin 205 abuts on the position restricting surface 25c of the second lowering prevention latch 25 spring-connected by the latch urging spring 59 so that the second lowering prevention latch 25 follows (interlocks) with the movement of the control lever 20. It is configured. When the control lever 20 is in the neutral position, the second lowering prevention latch 25 is held at the non-engagement position where the meshing claw portion 25b disengages the link ratchet 16. When the control lever 20 is moved up and down from the neutral position, the second lowering prevention latch 25 is rotated in the link ratchet direction via the latch urging spring 59, so that the meshing claw portion 25b and the link ratchet 16 are moved. Abut or mesh. When the second lowering prevention latch 25 is in contact with the link ratchet 16 and its rotation is prevented, when the control lever 20 is further moved up and down in the downward direction, the control lever 20 moves relative to the second lowering prevention latch 25. (The connecting link pin 205 moves away from the position restricting surface 25c), and the latch biasing spring 59 is stored during this relative rotation.

  The friction gear 30 coupled to the shaft 21 so as not to rotate relative to the shaft 21 has friction teeth 30a having a constant pitch on the peripheral surface thereof, and a friction latch (which is pivotally attached to the friction teeth 30a by a shaft 34 on the base plate 13). The frictional claw 31b of the tip of the friction lever 31 is engaged.

  The friction latch 31 has a stopper arm 31c on the opposite side of the tip friction claw 31b across the shaft 34, and the base plate 13 is provided with a semi-cylindrical stopper 13d that can come into contact with the stopper arm 31c. . A torsion spring 32 mounted on a pin 32a fixed to the base plate 13 is stretched between the spring hooking protrusion 31e at the end of the stopper arm 31c and the spring hooking protrusion 13b of the base plate 13. The latch 31 is urged to rotate in a direction in which the tip friction claw 31b engages with the friction teeth 30a.

  The stopper arm 31c is provided with a buffer protrusion 31d, and the cylindrical buffer member 311 is fitted to the semi-cylindrical stopper 13d. The buffer protrusion 31d of the stopper arm 31c is in contact with the buffer member 311. Thus, the rotation end of the friction latch 31 toward the friction gear 30 is restricted. The tip friction claw 31b of the friction latch 31 does not contact the bottom of the friction tooth 30a at the position where the buffer protrusion 31d and the buffer member 311 are in contact. In FIG. 12, there is a gap S between the tip friction claw 31b and the bottom of the friction teeth 30a. The buffer member 311 is made of a material softer than the friction latch 31 (stopper arm 31c, buffer protrusion 31d), for example, a synthetic resin material (low repulsion material). The shock-absorbing member 311 has a semicircular cross section, so that the surface pressure when the shock-absorbing protrusion 31d abuts can be reduced, and the generation of impact sound can be further suppressed.

  Each of the teeth of the friction teeth 30a includes a sliding contact surface 30a1 when the friction gear 30 rotates in the upward direction (when the base plate 13 is lifted) and a sliding contact surface 30a1 at the time of sliding contact with the tip friction claw 31b of the friction latch 31. When rotating in the descending direction, the tip friction claws 31b alternately have descending sliding contact surfaces 30a2 in sliding contact. In this embodiment, the length of the descending sliding contact surface 30a2 is longer than the length of the rising sliding contact surface 30a1.

  The position of the friction latch 31 is controlled via the control lever 20, the first auxiliary lever 201, and the friction latch control link 33 pivotally attached to the connection link pin 205. The connecting link pin 205 protrudes from the first auxiliary lever 201, and the friction latch 31 has a link pin 31a fixed between the shaft 34 and the spring hooking protrusion 31e. The link pin 31 a is engaged with a long hole 33 a formed in the radial direction of the friction latch control link 33, and the swing operation of the first auxiliary lever 201 is transmitted to the friction latch 31.

  When the control lever 20 (first auxiliary lever 201) is in the neutral position, the friction latch 31 has the buffer protrusion 31d abutted against the buffer member 311 by the rotational urging force of the torsion spring 32, and the tip friction claw 31b is a friction tooth. It is held at a position engaged with 30a. When the control lever 20 is moved up and down from the neutral position, the tip end surface of the elongated hole 33a of the friction latch control link 33 contacts the link pin 31a and pulls the link pin 31a. It rotates in a direction away from the friction teeth 30a. When the control lever 20 is moved up and down from the neutral position, the elongated hole 33a moves relative to the link pin 31a while sliding, and the friction latch 31 is in a state where the tip friction claw 31b is engaged with the friction teeth 30a. Retained.

  After the control lever 20 is moved up and down in the upward direction, the control lever 20 is released, and when the control lever 20 returns to the neutral position by the urging force of the neutral position return spring 19, the control lever 20 is moved down in the downward direction. Then, the friction latch 31 is rotated by the urging force of the torsion spring 32 in the direction in which the tip friction claw 31b engages with the friction teeth 30a. At this time, the friction latch 31 is rotated vigorously by the rotation urging force of the torsion spring 32, but before the tip friction claw 31 b comes into contact with the bottom portion (valley bottom) of the friction teeth 30 a, the buffer protrusion 31 d contacts the buffer member 311. The brake comes into contact and the tip friction claw 31b stops with a gap S left against the bottom of the friction tooth 30a. Therefore, since the tip friction claw 31b does not hit the bottom of the friction teeth 30a, there is no impact and there is no impact sound. The above-described buffer protrusion 31d and the buffer member 311 constitute a buffer mechanism that restricts the rotation of the friction latch 31 before the tip friction claw 31b of the friction latch 31 contacts the friction teeth 30a (bottom portion) of the friction gear 30. is doing.

  When the control lever 20 is in the neutral position, the control lever 20, the first auxiliary lever 201, the friction latch 31, and the friction gear 30 hold the mesh between the friction latch 31 and the friction gear 30 and the toothed link 10T. When the upward swinging movement (the upward movement of the base plate 13) is prevented and the control lever 20 is lifted up and down from the neutral position, the frictional latch 31 and the frictional gear 30 are disengaged, and the upward swinging of the toothed link 10T. An ascent prevention latch mechanism that allows (upward movement of the base plate 13) is configured.

  The control lever 20, the first auxiliary lever 201, the friction latch 31, and the friction gear 30 described above constitute a friction mechanism that applies a movement resistance to the base plate 13 when the base plate 13 is moved up and down. Further, the control lever 20, the first auxiliary lever 201, and the friction latch control link 33 constitute a release mechanism that disengages the friction latch 31 and the friction gear 30 when the control lever 20 is moved up and down from the neutral position. .

  Further, the control lever 20, the second lowering prevention latch 25, and the link ratchet 16 until the control lever 20 is moved up and down to the lower end after the first lowering prevention latch mechanism allows the toothed link 10T to swing downward. The toothed link 10T for one tooth of the link ratchet 16 is allowed to swing downward, and then the second lowering prevention latch 25 is engaged with the link ratchet 16 to prevent the toothed link 10T from swinging downward. 2 constitutes a descent prevention latch mechanism. Further, the connecting link pin 205 that connects the first auxiliary lever 201 and the second auxiliary lever 204 that rotate together with the control lever 20 and the position restricting surface 25c of the second lowering prevention latch 25 make the control lever 20 in the neutral position. When the second lowering prevention latch 25 is swung together with the lever 20 when the second lowering prevention latch 25 is swung in the downward direction, the engagement claw portion 25b of the second lowering prevention latch 25 is engaged (contacted) with the link ratchet 16 and further. When the control lever 20 is moved up and down in the downward direction, an interlocking portion is formed that swings only the control lever 20 in the downward direction while accumulating the latch biasing spring 59.

  13 to 22 are diagrams for explaining the operation of the stepped lifter mechanism configured as described above. In FIG. 13 to FIG. 22, the main elements are drawn with a solid line ignoring the vertical (front and back) positional relationship of the members. 13, the control lever 20, which is a movable lever member, the first auxiliary lever 201, the first lowering prevention latch 24, the second lowering prevention latch 25, the raising latch 27, the lowering latch 28, the friction gear 30 and the friction latch 31 are shown. Among them, the lowering latch 28 is marked with dots, and the control lever 20, the first auxiliary lever 201, the raising latch 27, the first friction gear 30 and the friction latch 31 are hatched with different directions and intervals.

  First, the ascending operation will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 13 shows a state in which the control lever 20 is in a neutral position, which is a locked state at a specific height position (intermediate height position) of the stepped lifter device. At this time, the front friction claw 31b of the friction latch 31 is engaged with the friction teeth 30a of the friction gear 30, and the engagement claw portion 24c of the first lowering prevention latch 24 is engaged with the link ratchet 16 to raise and swing the toothed link 10T. Downward swinging is prevented (locked). On the other hand, the meshing claw portion 25 b of the second lowering prevention latch 25 is in a non-engagement position with the link ratchet 16. Further, the ascending latch 27 and the descending latch 28 are respectively in meshing standby positions (meshing) with the bi-directional motion transmission ratchet 23 in which the forcible release pins 27c and 28c are restrained by the meshing waiting portions 271 and 281 of the position restricting cam holes 270 and 280, respectively. In the previous position).

  In this state, when the control lever 20 is moved up and down around the shaft 21, the ascending latch 27 is released by the restriction releasing portion 273 of the position restricting cam hole 270 so that the forcible releasing pin 27c is released. Movement in the direction of the transmission ratchet 23 becomes free, and the meshing claw portion 27b moves to a position where it meshes with the bidirectional movement transmission ratchet 23 by the urging force of the torsion spring 278. On the contrary, the lowering latch 28 is moved to a non-engagement position with the bidirectional motion transmission ratchet 23 with the forced release pin 28c being restrained by the restriction portion 282 of the position restriction cam hole 280, and the meshing claw portion 28b is moved to the bidirectional motion transmission ratchet. It leaves | separates from 23 (FIG. 14).

  In the state shown in FIG. 14, when the control lever 20 is further raised and lowered in the upward direction, the meshing claw portion 27b of the upward latch 27 is engaged with the teeth 23a of the bidirectional motion transmission ratchet 23, and the input pinion 22 is lifted by pushing this. The toothed link 10T having the link pinion 15 meshing with the input pinion 22 is rotated upward, and the base plate 13 is moved upward (the teeth of the link ratchet 16 in the portion X in FIGS. 13 to 15 and the base plate). Note the relative position of 13).

  During this time, the friction latch control link 33 of the first auxiliary lever 201 pulls the link pin 31a of the friction latch 31 to release the engagement between the tip friction claw 31b and the friction teeth 30a. Before the tip friction claw 31b and the friction teeth 30a are disengaged, the tip friction claw 31b comes into sliding contact with the sliding contact surface 30a1 when the friction teeth 30a are raised (FIGS. 13 and 14). A certain frictional resistance is given to the rotation, that is, the up-and-down movement of the base plate 13. The resistance in the upward and downward directions of the base plate 13 is determined by the weight associated with the base plate 13, the weight of the passenger on the base plate 13, and the strength of the helper spring that biases the base plate 13 in the upward direction. In addition, the resistance in the upward direction of the base plate 13 is increased by the sliding contact between the tip frictional pawl 31b and the sliding contact surface 30a1 when rising.

  At this time, the control lever 20 swings the second lowering prevention latch 25 together, but the meshing between the meshing claw portion 25b and the link ratchet 16 is disengaged from the front and does not affect the above ascending operation. That is, the second lowering prevention latch 25 has no function when the control lever 20 is raised. Further, the meshing claw portion 24c of the first lowering prevention latch 24 maintains the meshing with the link ratchet 16, but as described above, the relative swinging of the link ratchet 16 in the upward direction is allowed. Further, since the forcible release protrusion 201 c of the first auxiliary lever 201 moves away from the forcible release pin 24 d of the first lowering prevention latch 24, no force acts on the first lowering prevention latch 24.

  Therefore, each time the control lever 20 is lifted or lowered in the upward direction, the input pinion 22 rotates in the upward direction via the bidirectional motion transmission ratchet 23 and the shaft 21, and the toothed link 10T having the link pinion 15 meshing with the input pinion 22 is obtained. Rotates in the upward direction.

  FIG. 16 shows a state in which the control lever 20 is rotated to the rising end. When attention is paid to the relationship between the link ratchet 16 of the toothed link 10T and the base plate 13 in the portion X in FIG. 16, the base plate 13 is lifted beyond one tooth of the link ratchet 16 of the toothed link 10T from FIG. (The toothed link 10T is over-rotating). In this state, when the control lever 20 is opened, the control lever 20 is returned to the neutral position by the force of the neutral position return spring 19 (FIGS. 17 and 18), and accordingly, the base plate 13 is slightly lifted from the most raised position. It goes down (same figure). That is, the toothed link 10T is slightly over-turned from the stop position (FIG. 16) and then returned by the over-turn (FIGS. 17 and 18). In the state of FIGS. 17 and 18, the meshing claw portion 24c of the first lowering prevention latch 24 and the link ratchet 16 are engaged with each other, and the downward swing of the toothed link 10T is prevented. When the control lever 20 returns to the neutral position, the friction latch 31 has the buffer protrusion 31d on the buffer member 311 before contacting the friction tooth 30a of the friction gear 30 at the position where the tip friction claw 31b is shifted by one tooth. The front friction claw 31b meshes with the friction teeth 30a in a state where the brake is applied and the clearance S is left, and the upward swing of the toothed link 10T is prevented (FIG. 18) (the base plate 13 is temporarily attached in the upward direction). The toothed link 10T does not rotate even if the force of the helper spring is strong).

  Therefore, every time the control lever 20 is moved up and down once from the neutral position in the upward direction, the toothed link 10T performs the upward direction stepped rotation transmission operation in which the bidirectional motion transmission ratchet 23 and the link ratchet 16 are raised by one tooth. Done. The friction latch 31 is reengaged with the friction teeth 30a of the friction gear 30 at a position where the tip friction claw 31b is shifted by one tooth, but before the tip friction claw 31b collides with the friction teeth 30a, the buffer protrusion 31d is brought into contact with the buffer member 311. Since the contact is applied and the brake is applied and meshes with the clearance S remaining, there is no impact or impact sound when the tip friction claw 31b meshes with the friction teeth 30a.

  Next, the lowering operation will be described. In the initial state (neutral position) of FIG. 13, when the control lever 20 is moved up and down around the shaft 21, first, the forcible release pin 28 c of the lowering latch 28 on the control lever 20 is restricted by the position restricting cam hole 280. The release portion 283 can freely move in the direction of the bidirectional motion transmission ratchet 23, and moves to the meshing position with the bidirectional motion transmission ratchet 23 by the force of the torsion spring 278. On the contrary, the forcible release pin 27c of the ascending latch 27 is moved to the non-engagement position with the bidirectional motion transmission ratchet 23 by the restriction portion 272 of the position restriction cam hole 270, and the engagement claw portion 27b is separated from the bidirectional motion transmission ratchet 23 ( FIG. 19).

  During the raising / lowering operation of the control lever 20, the forcible release protrusion 201c of the first auxiliary lever 201 pushes the forcible release pin 24d to swing the first lowering prevention latch 24 about the shaft 46, and the meshing claw portion 24c. Is moved to a non-engagement position with the link ratchet 16, and the toothed link 10T can be rotated (FIG. 19). In this embodiment, the base plate 13 does not naturally descend, but when the control lever 20 is moved up and down in the downward direction, the downward rotation of the toothed link 10T and the downward movement of the base plate 13 are allowed against the frictional resistance. A degree of frictional resistance is given. This frictional resistance is determined by the weight associated with the base plate 13, the weight of the occupant on the lower bracket 50 to which the base plate 13 is fixed, and the strength of the helper spring that biases the base plate 13 in the upward direction. In addition, the resistance against the downward movement of the base plate 13 is increased by the sliding contact between the tip friction claw 31b and the sliding contact surface 30a2 when lowered. Since the link pin 31a is free to move along the elongated hole 33a of the friction latch control link 33, the friction latch 31 can swing while the control lever 20 is moved up and down in the downward direction from the neutral position.

  On the other hand, in the neutral position of the control lever 20, the connecting link pin 205 that connects the first auxiliary lever 201 and the second auxiliary lever 204 is in contact with the position regulating surface 25c of the second lowering prevention latch 25, and the meshing claw portion 25b. Is away from the link ratchet 16. When the control lever 20 is moved up and down in this state, the second lowering prevention latch 25 is rotated in the same direction together with the connecting link pin 205 by the force of the latch urging spring 59 at first (during the previous stroke). Eventually, the engaging claw portion 25b of the second lowering prevention latch 25 comes into contact with and engages with the teeth of the link ratchet 16, and the second lowering prevention latch 25 is prevented from rotating (FIG. 19). The biasing spring 59 is accumulated. In the state of FIG. 19, the first lowering prevention latch 24 and the link ratchet 16 are disengaged, the latch urging spring 59 is accumulated, and the engagement claw portion 25 b of the second lowering prevention latch 25 is brought into contact with the link ratchet 16. It is a state of contact engagement (a state before complete engagement, an incomplete engagement state).

  In the state of FIG. 19, when the control lever 20 is further moved up and down, the meshing claw portion 28b of the lowering latch 28 is engaged with the teeth 23a of the bidirectional motion transmitting ratchet 23, and the input pinion 22 is lowered by pushing it. The toothed link 10T having the link pinion 15 that meshes with the input pinion 22 rotates in the downward direction, and the base plate 13 descends (the teeth of the link ratchet 16 in the portion X in FIGS. 19 to 21 and the base plate). Note the relative position of 13).

  When the toothed link 10T rotates in the downward direction, the shaft 21 and the friction gear 30 integrated with the input pinion 22 also rotate in the downward direction. At this time, the front friction claw 31b of the friction latch 31 is in contact with the sliding contact surface 30a2 when the friction gear 30 is lowered by the force of the torsion spring 32. Resistance will be given. Therefore, when the control lever 20 is moved up and down in the downward direction, the toothed link 10T rotates in the downward direction with the frictional resistance provided by the friction latch 31 and the friction gear 30, and the base plate 13 moves downward. When the control lever 20 reaches the descending end (until the outer connecting arm 201b or the connecting link pin 205 comes into contact with the end of the arc opening 13a1 or the arc opening 13a2 and further downward rotation is restricted). The tip friction claw 31b of the friction latch 31 comes off the sliding contact surface 30a2 when descending and reaches the entrance of the sliding contact surface 30a1 when the next friction tooth 30a rises (FIG. 21). In the state shown in FIG. 21, the engagement claw 25b of the second lowering prevention latch 25 is engaged with the link ratchet 16 by the urging force of the latch urging spring 59 to prevent (lock) the downward rotation of the toothed link 10T. .

  When the operating force on the control lever 20 is released from the state of FIG. 21, the control lever 20 returns to the neutral position by the force of the neutral position return spring 19 (FIGS. 22 and 23). In this returning process, the connecting link pin 205 that connects the first auxiliary lever 201 and the second auxiliary lever 204 abuts on the position restricting surface 25c of the second lowering prevention latch 25, and the meshing claw portion 25b is separated from the link ratchet 16. First (FIG. 22), when the control lever 20 returns to the neutral position, the lock of the toothed link 10T is released (FIG. 23). On the other hand, since the forcible release protrusion 201c of the first auxiliary lever 201 moves away from the forcible release pin 24d, the first lowering prevention latch 24 causes the engagement claw portion 24c to be connected to the link ratchet 16 by the force of the latch urging spring 46a. Return to the meshing state is started (FIG. 22), and when the control lever 20 returns to the neutral position, the meshed state is entered and the toothed link 10T is locked (FIG. 23). Further, the tip friction claw 31b of the friction latch 31 is reengaged with the friction teeth 30a of the friction gear 30 at a position shifted by one tooth, and the toothed links 10T are overlapped to be in a locked state. When the friction latch 31 and the friction gear 30 are reengaged, as described above, the tip friction claw 31b first reaches the inlet portion of the sliding contact surface 30a1 when the friction teeth 30a are raised (FIG. 21), and then the tip friction claw. When the lift 31b is in frictional contact with the sliding contact surface 30a1, the engagement deepens (FIG. 22), and the friction gear 30 moves downward (the base plate 13 moves downward) (FIG. 23). .

  Accordingly, every time the control lever 20 is moved up and down once from the neutral position in the downward direction, the input pinion 22 rotates in the downward direction via the bidirectional motion transmission ratchet 23 and the shaft 21, and the toothed link 10 </ b> T rotates in the bidirectional motion transmission ratchet 23. And the link ratchet 16 descends by one tooth. The raising / lowering operation from the neutral position of the control lever 20 in the downward direction is restricted by the outer connecting arm 201b or the connecting link pin 205 coming into contact with the arc opening 13a1 or 13a2.

  As described above, in this embodiment, since each member of the stepped lift device is mounted on the base plate 13, by fixing the base plate 13 to the lifting body (lower bracket 50), a vehicle seat that can be configured as a retrofit is provided. A vertical position adjusting device can be obtained.

  In the above embodiment, the buffer member 311 is a flexible member, but the buffer protrusion 31d may be formed of a flexible member, or both may be formed of a flexible member.

  In the above embodiment, the elevating link 10X and the toothed link 10T are provided separately, but they may be integrally formed. Alternatively, the elevating link 10X and the toothed link 10T are pivotally supported on the same shaft 21, but the elevating link 10X and the toothed link 10T are pivotally supported on axes separated from each other in the front-rear direction so as to move up and down in conjunction. You may couple | bond with a connection link.

  In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to an apparatus for adjusting the vertical position of a vehicle seat, but the present invention can also be applied to a lifting device for a normal chair or work table (lifting body).

10X lifting link 10T toothed link 11 12 shaft 13 base plate (lifting body)
13a1 13a2 Arc opening 13d Stopper 14 Floor bracket (base)
15 Link pinion 16 Link ratchet 17 First auxiliary bracket 18 Second auxiliary bracket 19 Neutral position return spring (torsion spring)
192 Spring shaft 20 Control lever (input member, outer input member)
20a Operation unit (operation unit)
20b Inner connecting arm (inner extension)
201 1st auxiliary lever (inner input member)
201a Inner arm 201b Outer connection arm 201c Forcible release projection 203 Semi-cylindrical member (coupling member)
204 Second auxiliary lever (support plate)
205 Connecting link pin 21 axis (operation axis)
21a 21b Serration part 21c Angular axis part 22 Input pinion 23 Bidirectional motion transmission ratchet (motion transmission ratchet)
23a tooth 24 first lowering prevention latch 24c meshing claw portion 24d forcible release pin 25 second lowering prevention latch 59 second latch biasing spring 25b meshing claw portion 25c position regulating surface (interlocking portion)
27 Upward motion transmission latch (upward latch)
28 Downward motion transmission latch (downward latch)
27a 28a Shaft 27b 28b Engagement claw portion 27c 28c Forced release pin 270 280 Position regulating cam hole 278 Torsion spring 30 Friction gear 30a Friction tooth 30a1 Ascending sliding contact surface 30a2 When descending sliding contact surface 31 Friction latch 31b Tip friction claw Part)
31c Arm portion 31d Buffer projection 32 Torsion spring 33 Friction latch control link 33a Long hole 46 Shaft 46a Latch biasing spring 50 Lower bracket 50a Through hole 51 Inner surface 52 Outer surface

Claims (7)

A lifting link having one end pivotally attached to the lower bracket side of the vehicle seat and the other end pivotally attached to the vehicle floor surface;
An input member supported by the vehicle seat so as to be able to be lifted and lowered; and a lifting mechanism that is driven in conjunction with the lifting operation of the input member and lifts the lower bracket while rotating the lifting link:
In a vehicle seat vertical position adjusting device comprising:
The lifting link, the input member and the lifting mechanism are supported on the inner surface of the lower bracket,
The lower bracket has a through hole,
The vehicle seat vertical position adjusting device, wherein the input member is guided from the inner surface of the lower bracket to the outer surface through the through hole, and an operation portion thereof is positioned on the outer surface of the lower bracket. 2. The vehicle seat vertical position adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the input member is rotatable about an operation shaft and is an inner arm along the inner side of the lower bracket and an outer connection arm bent with respect to the inner arm. An outer input member having an operation portion along the outer surface of the lower bracket and an inner connection arm bent with respect to the operation portion; and an outer connection arm and an outer input of the inner input member An apparatus for adjusting the vertical position of a vehicle seat, comprising: a coupling member for coupling an inner connection arm of the member. The vertical adjustment apparatus for a vehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein the coupling member comprises a semi-cylindrical member whose radial cut surface is coupled to the inner connection arm of the outer input member. A vehicle seat vertical position adjusting device in which the outer connecting arm of the inner input member is inserted. 4. The vehicle seat vertical position adjusting device according to claim 2 or 3, further acting on at least one of an outer connecting arm of the inner input member and an inner connecting arm of the outer input member to place the input member in a neutral position. A vertical adjustment device for a vehicle seat, which is provided with a torsion spring to be held on the vehicle. 5. The vertical position adjusting device for a vehicle seat according to claim 4, wherein a spring shaft different from the operation shaft is provided, the torsion spring is supported on the spring shaft, and the outer connecting arm and the spring shaft are provided. The vehicle seat vertical position adjusting device is shorter than the distance between the outer connecting arm and the operating shaft. 6. The vehicle seat vertical position adjusting device according to claim 2, wherein a support plate having one end supported by the operation shaft and the other end coupled to the outer connection arm of the inner input member. Furthermore, the vertical position adjustment apparatus of the vehicle seat provided. The vertical adjustment device for a vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the elevating link, the input member, and the elevating mechanism are supported on a base plate made of a member separate from the lower bracket, A vehicle seat vertical position adjusting device in which a base plate is fixed to an inner surface of the lower bracket.