JP3343414B2 - Front and rear seat tilting device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention mainly relates to the adjustment of the height of a seat of a vehicle such as an automobile and the forward and backward inclination (degrees of forward and backward inclination).
The present invention relates to a front / rear tilt device for a seat, which is assembled below the seat to perform adjustment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As this type of front / rear tilting device for a sheet, there is already a device as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 4-38833. This is a pair of left and right long first link arms integrally connected to each other, and a pair of left and right left and right joints integrally connected to each other and each lower end pivotally connected in the middle of the left and right first link arms. A substantially Y-shaped link mechanism including a short second link arm is symmetrically disposed in front and rear portions between the upper frame and the lower frame, each of which has a quadrangular frame shape.

In these front and rear Y-shaped link mechanisms, the lower ends of the left and right first link arms are pivotally connected to the lower frame, respectively, and the upper ends thereof are slidably fitted to the upper frame via rollers to be able to move back and forth. On the other hand, the upper ends of the left and right second link arms are pivotally connected to the upper frame via brackets.

Further, as a locking mechanism of a front and rear Y-shaped link mechanism, a base end of a lock arm is pivotally mounted in the middle of the first link arm, and an outer end of the lock arm is inserted through a long hole of an upper frame from the front end of the lock arm. An extension pin is provided on the upper frame, and a lock plate having a large number of teeth that can be engaged with the extension pin is arranged in the front-rear direction. The lock plate is attached to a lock shaft rotatable in a detaching direction from the pin, and further includes a lock spring for constantly rotating the lock plate in a direction in which the lock plate meshes with the extension pin.

When the occupant selectively operates the unlocking operation levers of the front and rear locking mechanisms to unlock the front and rear Y-shaped link mechanisms, the upper frame is moved up and down as a whole, By independently raising and lowering the front and rear and tilting the seat back and forth, it is possible to adjust the height of the seat and to adjust the seat back and forth (degrees of forward tilt and rear tilt).

[0006]

In the above-mentioned conventional seat front / rear tilt apparatus, the lock mechanism pivotally attaches to the first link arm of the Y-shaped link mechanism and projects from the lock arm. Since the configuration is such that one extension pin is received and locked in a state in which it meshes with the teeth of the lock plate, considering the strength, the extension pin needs a certain thickness. At the same time, the teeth of the lock plate that engage with the pins must be increased in consideration of the strength of the teeth themselves. For this reason, since the positioning lock of the extension pin cannot be performed in multiple steps at a small pitch, it is not possible to finely adjust the height of the seat or to adjust the inclination in the front-rear direction according to the occupant's preference.

Also, the first and second Y-shaped link mechanisms are provided.
Since the lock arm having the extension pin is provided in addition to the link arm, the number of parts is large, the configuration is complicated, the assembly is troublesome, and the cost is high.

Further, since the lock plate having the tooth portion which is rotated to the outside of the upper frame and engages with and disengages from the extension pin is exposed, the appearance is poor and the occupant is pinched by a finger or the like. There was a problem that there was a risk of injury.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a multi-stage positioning lock of a front and rear Y-shaped link mechanism at a small pitch, thereby providing a fine-grained configuration according to a seated person's preference. It is an object of the present invention to provide a seat front-back tilt device capable of adjusting a seat height and a front-back tilt.

Further, the number of parts is small, the structure can be simplified, the assembling is easy, and the cost can be reduced.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a front / rear tilting device for a sheet in which backlash is less generated.

In addition, a lock plate having teeth is covered and covered by a cover so that the appearance is good and a safe seat front / rear tilting device which is free from a possibility that a occupant is injured by a finger or the like being pinched. To provide.

[0012]

In order to achieve the above object, a seat front / rear tilting device according to the present invention includes a pair of left and right long first link arms integrally connected to each other, and an integrated first and second link arm. And the lower ends of the left and right first
A pair of left and right short second members pivotally mounted in the middle of the link arm
A substantially Y-shaped link mechanism including a link arm and
The front and rear portions between the upper frame and the lower lower receiving member are symmetrically arranged with respect to each other, and the lower ends of the left and right first link arms of the front and rear Y-shaped link mechanisms are pivotally connected to the lower receiving member. The front and rear sliders, each of which has one of the left and right first link arms and the second link arm pivotally attached to the upper frame, and the other upper end thereof is slidably movable back and forth with respect to the upper frame. The upper frame can be moved up and down and tilted forward and backward by the forward and backward movement of the slider accompanying the unlocking operation of these front and rear lock mechanisms. A locking member having a plurality of teeth that move back and forth integrally with the slider; A plurality of teeth that can be engaged with the teeth of the locking member are arranged in the front-rear direction, and the lock is attached to the upper frame so as to be rotatable in a direction in which the teeth of the locking member are disengaged by an unlocking operation lever A plate and a lock spring that constantly rotates the lock plate in a direction in which the lock member meshes with the lock member.

The lock member of the lock mechanism is fastened to a slider slidably fitted inside the upper frame by a plurality of fastening members inserted through long holes of the upper frame, and together with the slider from the inside and outside, It is preferable to provide it outside the upper frame so as to sandwich the frame.

The lock plate of the lock mechanism is provided integrally with a lock shaft with a lock release operation lever, and the lock shaft is rotatable with respect to an upper frame by a bracket and a cover that covers and hides the outside of the lock plate. It is desirable to support it.

[0015]

With the above-described seat tilting device,
If the occupant selects and operates the lock release operation levers of the front and rear lock mechanisms, and turns the lock plate against the lock spring, the teeth of the lock plate disengage from the teeth of the lock member, and the slider Is in an unlocked state where it can be moved back and forth. This allows the upper frame to be raised and lowered as a whole while the front and rear Y-shaped link mechanisms are individually expanded and contracted and rocked, or the front and rear of the upper frame are independently raised and lowered and tilted back and forth, thereby increasing the seat height. Adjustment and front-back tilt (forward tilt and rear tilt degree) can be adjusted.

When the lock operation lever is released after the adjustment, the lock plate is rotated and returned by the urging of the lock spring, and the teeth of the lock plate mesh with the teeth of the lock member to be in a position locked state. . In this locked state,
Since a plurality of teeth of the lock member mesh with a large number of teeth arranged in the front-rear direction of the lock plate, the strength is advantageous, and compared to a conventional structure in which one pin and a tooth are meshed, Can be arranged in a small pitch with a small tooth thickness, and thereby the positioning lock of the front and rear Y-shaped link mechanism can be performed in multiple steps at a small pitch, so that the seated person's preference can be obtained. It is possible to finely adjust the height of the seat and to adjust the front and rear inclination according to the details.

Further, since the lock member of the lock mechanism is mounted so as to move back and forth integrally with the slider of the Y-shaped link mechanism, the conventional lock arm is unnecessary, the number of parts is reduced, and the structure is reduced. Is simplified, the assembly is easy, the cost is reduced, and the occurrence of backlash is reduced.

Further, since the lock plate having the teeth is covered and hidden by the cover, the appearance is good and the occupant does not have to worry about being injured by being pinched by a finger or the like.
Excellent safety. In addition, the cover has a multi-functionality which also serves as a bearing for rotatably supporting the lock shaft with the operation lever to which the lock plate is attached together with the bracket with respect to the upper frame.

[0019]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a seat tilting apparatus according to the present invention. The tilting device is mounted below a seat (not shown) of a vehicle such as an automobile. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the entire tilting device as viewed obliquely from the front, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view of the lock mechanism of the apparatus, FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the lock mechanism, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the lock mechanism and a part thereof is omitted. FIG. 6 is a side view showing a vertical movement of the above device, and FIG. 7 is a side view showing a forward tilting state of the above device.

First, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and FIGS. 6 and 7, an upper frame 1 for supporting a seat cushion from below and a lower receiving member disposed below the upper frame 1 and installed on a floor of a vehicle or the like. A pair of right and left slide adjusting devices (seat adjusters) 11, 11 are provided.

The upper frame 1 has a structure in which a total of four front, rear, left and right channel members 2, 3, 4, 5 are framed in a quadrilateral frame shape. Brackets 6 for fixing and supporting the seat cushion are respectively protruded from front and rear portions outside the left and right channel members 3 and 4.

The right and left slide adjusting device 11 is
A lower rail 12 having a hat-shaped cross section that is fastened and fixed to the floor of the vehicle at parallel intervals at left and right sides, and an upper rail having a lip groove-shaped cross section that is slidably fitted back and forth so as to cover the lower rail 12 from above. 13. The left and right front and rear slide adjusting devices 11 are provided with slide lock mechanisms 14 for positioning the upper rails 13 in multiple stages in the front and rear direction, and these left and right slide lock mechanisms 14 attach a bracket 15 to the front end side of the upper frame 1. By operating a slide lock release operation lever 16 provided through the lock lever, the lock is unlocked at the left and right simultaneously in conjunction with a control cable wire (Bowden wire) 17, so that the upper rail 13 can be slid in the front-rear direction.

A pair of front and rear substantially Y-shaped link mechanisms (hereinafter simply abbreviated as Y-shaped link mechanisms) 21A and 21B are symmetrical with each other at front and rear portions between the pair of right and left slide adjusting devices 11 and the upper frame 1. It is arranged in a way. A substantially Y-shaped link mechanism 21A, 21B before and after this.
Are a pair of left and right long first link arms 23 integrally connected to each other at the upper end by a connector pipe 22.
And a pair of left and right short lengths, which are integrally connected to each other by a connector pipe 24 at a position near the upper end, and each lower end is rotatably pivoted by a pin 25 in the middle of the first left and right link arms 23. It is formed in a substantially Y-shape when viewed from the side with the two-link arm 26.

The front Y-link mechanism 21A
The lower ends of the left and right long first link arms 23 are
The left and right front-rear slide adjusting device 1 serving as a lower receiving member
The upper left and right second link arms 26 are rotatably connected to the inside of the front end of the upper rail 13 via pins 28 via mounting brackets 27, and the upper ends of the left and right second link arms 26 are connected to the left and right channel members 4 of the upper frame 1. , 5 are rotatably mounted on the inner side near the front end by a stepped bolt 31. The upper ends of the left and right first link arms 23 are provided with stepped bolts 33 on sliders 32 slidably movable back and forth inside the left and right channel members 4 and 5 of the upper frame 1.
, So that it is pivotable. The slider 32 may be like a roller as in the prior art, but here, for example, a rectangular block made of synthetic resin and having excellent lubricity is used. This is slidable back and forth between the intermediate stopper member 34 in the left and right channel members 4 and 5 of the upper frame 1 and the stepped bolt 31.

A hook 36 is welded to the connected pipe 22 connecting the upper ends of the left and right first link arms 23, and a tension coil spring 37 is engaged between the hook 36 and the front channel member 2 of the upper frame 1. Thus, the connected pipe 22 is constantly urged forward. That is, the Y-link mechanism 21 is provided by the tension coil spring 37.
A is urged in the direction of rising while narrowing.

A crushed portion 24a is formed in the connector pipe 24 located below the tension spring 37, so that the connector pipe 24 does not interfere with the tension spring 37 at the time of lowering. A crushed portion 22a is also formed at one end of the connected pipe 22 so that the upper end of the first link arm 23 is
There is no hindrance to the fastening work of the stepped bolt 33 and the like that is pivotally connected to 1. These connector pipes 22,
24 may be provided at a low position so as not to interfere with the tension spring 37 and to hinder the fastening operation as described above, but in the case where an air suspension device (not shown) for a seat is provided below the seat. Because there is, as high as possible is good.

On the other hand, the rear Y-link mechanism 21B
Are provided symmetrically in the front-rear direction with the above-described front Y-link mechanism 21A. Therefore, the same reference numerals are given to the common parts and description thereof will be omitted. However, in the case of the rear Y-link mechanism 21B, A stepped bolt 31 pivotally attached to the upper end of the second link arm 26 is slightly movable in a long and short hole 38 formed in a portion near the rear end of the left and right channel members 4 and 5 of the upper frame 1 so as to be able to move back and forth. The Y-link mechanism 21 is fitted to prevent the Y-shaped link mechanism 21 from being twisted at the time of a tilt operation to the forward tilt state described later.

The front and rear Y-link mechanisms 21A, 21A
1B, the upper frame 1 is supported above the upper rail 13 of the left and right slide adjustment device 11, and the front and rear Y-link mechanisms 21A and 21B are independently contracted by the front and rear sliders 32 respectively. The upper frame 1 is moved up and down in a horizontal state as shown in FIG. 6 or tilted forward or backward as shown in FIG. I am getting it.

The front and rear Y-link mechanisms 21A, 21A
A pair of front and rear lock mechanisms 41A and 41B for positioning the slider 32 of 1B in multiple stages at a small pitch in the front and rear direction.
Is provided. These front and rear lock mechanisms 41A, 4
1B is provided on one side of the upper frame 1, for example, on the outer side of the channel material 5 on the right side, and is provided in front and rear.

The front and rear lock mechanisms 41A, 41B
A lock member 42 having a plurality of teeth 42a which move back and forth integrally with the slider 32;
The upper frame 1 has a large number of teeth 43a which can be meshed with the second teeth 42a arranged in the front-rear direction, and is rotatable in a disengaging direction with the teeth 42a of the lock member 42 by a lock release operation lever 44. A lock plate 43 attached to the outside;
And a lock spring 45 which is always rotated in the direction of engagement.

That is, the lock member 42 of the front lock mechanism 41A has a substantially rectangular plate shape, and has two front and rear teeth 42a projecting from the lower end thereof. The lock member 42 is provided with two stepped bolts 33, 47 inserted into the front slider 32 slidably fitted inside the channel member 5 of the upper frame 1 through an elongated hole 46 formed in the channel member 5. , And is provided so as to be able to move back and forth while sandwiching the channel material 5 from inside and outside together with the slider 32.

The lock plate 43 has a horizontally long plate shape, and has a large number (ten in the embodiment) of teeth 43a which can be meshed with the teeth 42a of the lock member 42 at its upper end at a small pitch in the front-rear direction. They are arranged in P to protrude. The lock plate 43 is integrally fixed on the lock shaft 49 by welding or the like, and is supported by the lock shaft 49 sandwiched between the brackets 51, 52 and the cover 53, so that the channel member 5 of the upper frame 1 is supported. Is attached to the lower part of the outside over substantially the front half.

The brackets 51 and 52 and the cover 53 are formed by press-molding stainless steel or the like. The lower ends of the brackets 51 and 52 and the cover 53 are laterally semicircular half bearings 51a and 52a, respectively.
53a. And the brackets 51, 5
2 is fixed to the front end and the middle of the outer surface of the channel member 5 in a hanging state, the front and rear ends of the lock shaft 49 are fitted to the half bearings 51a and 52a at the lower end thereof, and the cover 53 is provided outside the lock shaft 49. The lock shaft 49 is rotatable by fixing the front and rear ends of the cover 53 to the brackets 51 and 52 with screws 54 in this state. To support.

The lock release operation lever 44 projects outward from the middle of the lock shaft 49 and is located slightly behind the slide lock release operation lever 16. When this is lifted by the occupant, the lock shaft 49 can be pivoted inwardly (in the direction of disengaging from the teeth 42a of the lock member 42) integrally with the lock plate 43.

The cover 53 is connected to the lock shaft 4.
9 and a horizontally long plate-like member having a vertical width that covers the entire outside of the lock plate 43. The front and rear ends have a U-shaped section 5
3b is projected. The lock spring 45 is a torsion wire spring, which locks the front bent portion in the groove of the U-shaped portion 53b at the front end of the cover 53, and fits the rear bent portion into the orthogonal hole of the lock shaft 49. Thus, the lock shaft 49 is always urged to rotate in the direction in which the teeth 43a of the lock plate 43 mesh with the teeth 42a of the lock member 42.

On the other hand, the rear locking mechanism 41B has basically the same configuration as the above-described front locking mechanism 41A. The rear lock mechanism 41B is connected to the front lock mechanism 4B.
The lock release operation lever 44 is provided coaxially with 1A at the rear half portion outside the upper frame 1, and this lock release operation lever 44 is bent into an L-shape from the front end of the lock shaft 49, so that the lock release operation lever 44 on the front side is located immediately. It is arranged at a position close to the rear, so that the occupant can easily operate it.

The operation of the seat back-and-forth tilt device having the above-described structure will be described. The seat occupant selects the lock release operation levers 44 of the front and rear lock mechanisms 41A and 41B with one hand to operate the lock shaft 49 and the lock shaft 49. By integrally rotating the lock plate 43 inward against the lock spring 45,
The teeth 43a of the lock plate 43 are
, And the slider 32 is in an unlocked state in which the slider 32 can move back and forth.

The front and rear Y-link mechanisms 21A, 21A
1B while the upper frame 1 is swinging individually.
As shown in FIG. 7, the upper frame 1 is vertically moved up and down independently, and the front and rear of the upper frame 1 are independently moved up and down to be tilted forward or backward as shown in FIG. 7. )I do.

After the occupant adjusts the height of the seat and adjusts the front and rear inclination (the degree of forward inclination and backward inclination) according to his / her preference, the lock operation lever 44 is released. As a result, the lock plate 43 is rotated and returned by the bias of the lock spring 45, and the teeth 43a of the lock plate 43 are provided.
Engages with the tooth portion 42a of the lock member 42 to be in the position locked state, and the adjustment of the height of the seat and the degree of forward and backward inclination is completed.

In the locked state, the plurality of (two) teeth portions 42a of the lock member 42 mesh with the large number of teeth portions 43a arranged in the front-rear direction of the lock plate 43, which is advantageous in terms of strength. Compared to a structure in which one pin and a tooth portion are engaged with each other, it is possible to arrange the individual tooth portions 42a and 43a with a small tooth thickness and a small pitch P, whereby the front and rear Y-shaped link mechanism is provided. The positioning lock of the seats 21A and 21B can be performed in multiple steps at a small pitch, and fine adjustment of the seat height and front-back inclination can be performed according to the occupant's preference.

Further, since the lock members 42 of the front and rear lock mechanisms 41A and 41B are attached so as to move back and forth integrally with the slider 32 of the Y-link mechanisms 21A and 21B, a lock arm as in the prior art can be used. It is unnecessary, the number of parts is small, the structure can be simplified, the assembling is easy, the cost can be reduced, and the occurrence of backlash is reduced.

Further, since the lock plate 43 having the teeth 43a is covered and concealed by the cover 53, the appearance is good and the occupant does not have to worry about being injured by being pinched by a finger or the like, thereby improving safety. Are better. In addition, the cover 53 connects the lock shaft 49 with the unlock operation lever 44 to which the lock plate 43 is attached to the upper frame 1.
On the other hand, it has multifunctionality which also serves as a bearing rotatably supported together with the brackets 51 and 52, which is advantageous in terms of an assembly configuration.

[0043]

As described above, the seat back-and-forth tilting device of the present invention can perform multi-stage positioning locking of the front and rear Y-shaped link mechanism at a small pitch according to the preference of the seated person. It is possible to finely adjust the height of the sheet and to adjust the inclination in the front-rear direction, and the number of parts is small, which is effective for simplifying the configuration, facilitating the assembly, reducing the cost, and reducing the occurrence of backlash.

In the seat front / rear tilting apparatus of the present invention, the lock plate having the teeth of the front and rear lock mechanisms is covered and covered by the cover, so that the appearance is good and the appearance is good.
Excellent safety without occupants being injured by fingers being pinched.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an entire front and rear tilt device of a seat according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed obliquely from the front.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state where the height of the tilt device of the embodiment is adjusted to be low.

FIG. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view of a lock mechanism of the tilt device of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the lock mechanism.

5A is a cross-sectional view of the lock mechanism, and FIG. 5B is a side view of the lock mechanism with a part thereof omitted.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing the elevating operation of the tilt device of the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing a tilting operation state of the tilt device of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Upper frame, 11 ... Lower receiving member (front-back slide adjustment device), 21A, 21B ... Link mechanism of substantially Y shape, 23 ... 1st link arm, 26 ... 2nd link arm, 32 ... Slider, 41A, 41B ... Locking mechanism,
Reference numeral 42: lock member, 42a: tooth portion, 43: lock plate, 43a: tooth portion, 44: lock release operation lever, 4
5 lock spring, 46 long hole, 33, 47 fastening member (stepped bolt), 49 lock shaft, 51, 5
2 ... bracket, 53 ... cover.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B60N 2/18 B60N 2/06 B60N 2/16

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A pair of left and right long first link arms integrally connected to each other, and left and right connected integrally with each other and each lower end pivotally connected to the middle of the left and right first link arms. A substantially Y-shaped link mechanism including a pair of short second link arms is disposed symmetrically in the front-rear direction between the upper frame and the lower receiving member below the lower frame, respectively. The lower ends of the left and right first link arms of the Y-shaped link mechanism are pivotally attached to the lower receiving member, respectively, and the upper ends of either the left or right first link arm and the second link arm are respectively pivoted to the upper frame. And the other upper end is pivotally attached to the front and rear sliders which are slidably movable back and forth with respect to the upper frame,
Further, a lock mechanism for positioning the front and rear sliders in multiple stages in the front and rear direction is provided, and the upper frame can be raised and lowered and tilted back and forth by the front and rear movement of the slider accompanying the unlocking operation of the front and rear lock mechanisms, and A locking member having a plurality of teeth that move back and forth integrally with the slider, and a plurality of teeth that can mesh with the teeth of the locking member are arranged in the front and rear direction, and A lock plate attached to the upper frame so as to be rotatable in a direction to be disengaged from the teeth of the lock member by a lock release operation lever, and a lock spring that constantly rotates the lock plate in a direction in which the lock plate meshes with the lock member. A tilt device for front and rear of a seat having a configuration. 2. The lock member of the lock mechanism is fastened to a slider slidably fitted inside the upper frame by a plurality of fastening members inserted through long holes of the upper frame. 2. The front / back tilt device for a seat according to claim 1, wherein the front / rear tilting device is provided outside the upper frame so as to sandwich the seat. 3. The lock plate of the lock mechanism is provided integrally with a lock shaft with a lock release operation lever, and the lock shaft is rotatable with respect to an upper frame by a bracket and a cover that covers and hides the outside of the lock plate. The front / rear tilting device for a seat according to claim 1, wherein the tilting device is supported by a seat.