JP4104058B2 - Reclining device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a reclining device that adjusts an inclination angle of a seat back (backrest) such as an automobile seat.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As this type of reclining device, a known internal-tooth type reclining device is known from Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-87069. FIG. 3 shows an example of such an internal tooth type reclining device, which is a disc-shaped fixing plate 71 fixed to the seat cushion, and fixed to the seat back and arranged opposite to the fixing plate 71. Similarly, a disc-shaped rotating plate 72, a main shaft 73 that is rotatably passed through the centers of the plates 71 and 72, and the plates 71 and 72 are interposed between the plates 71 and 72. A seat spring (not shown) that is always urged to rotate in the direction of rotation and a lock mechanism 74 that locks the rotation plate 72 to the fixed plate 71 are mainly configured.
[0003]
Although not shown, the lock mechanism 74 is a slide gear that maintains a locked state by meshing with the internal teeth formed by moving the internal teeth formed on the rotating plate 72 and the guides provided on the fixed plate 71. And a cam that rotates around the main shaft 73 that moves the slide gear along the guide, and a lock spring that biases the cam in a direction in which the slide gear meshes with the internal teeth. Is rotated in one direction (A direction in FIG. 3) against the urging force of the lock spring, so that the lock is released from the internal teeth. When the lock is released, the rotation plate 72 becomes free so that the inclination angle of the seat back can be adjusted. In this state, if the seat back is not supported, the seat back is moved to the most inclined position by the force of the seat spring. Fall down. When the force that rotates the main shaft 73 is released, the main shaft 73 is rotated in the direction B by the urging force of the lock spring, and the slide gear meshes with the inner teeth to lock the seat back.
[0004]
Such a reclining device is arranged in a pair on the left and right sides of the seat cushion, and the pair of left and right reclining devices operate in synchronization by connecting the main shaft 73 with a connecting pipe. A lever 75 for rotating the main shaft 73 is directly fixed to the main shaft 73 of one reclining device. FIG. 3 shows a state in which the rotation plate 72 is locked to the fixed plate 71 by the lock mechanism without operating the lever 75. As shown in FIG. 4, the lock is released by rotating the lever 75 in the C direction. Is done. When the lever 75 is released, the lever 75 is rotated in the direction D by the urging force of the lock spring and locked.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2001-87069 A (FIGS. 1 to 3)
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in general, in order to prevent the passenger sitting on the seat from feeling the connection pipe as a foreign object, the main shaft to which the connection pipe is connected, that is, the rotation center of the reclining device, needs to be arranged somewhat rearward with respect to the passenger. Occurs. However, when adjusting the inclination angle of the seat back while seated on the seat, it is not desirable that the lever position is rearward so that it is difficult to operate. Furthermore, the anchor point of the seat belt of the safety device is determined by laws and regulations, so it must be avoided that the lever 75 interferes with the seat belt when worn.
[0007]
Thus, the distance from the position of the lever to the center of rotation is naturally limited and limited to a certain range. In addition, although the center of rotation can be arranged rearward by lengthening the lever, the operation stroke until unlocking becomes large in that case, so that the operation feeling is not preferable, for example, interference with the seat belt Invite. On the other hand, if the lever is shortened, the operating force required to rotate the lever increases. Adjustment of the lever operating stroke and operating force is possible only by changing the internal structure and design of the reclining device, and it is difficult to change the lever when it is used in common with other vehicles. In other words, if the internal structure of the reclining device is constant, the operation stroke and operation force of the lever are uniquely determined by the length of the lever, and the length of the lever is restricted as described above. It was difficult to obtain the operating stroke and operating force of the lever.
[0008]
Therefore, the present invention can increase the degree of freedom of the lever operation stroke and operation force, and as a result, the reclining device can obtain an appropriate lever operation stroke and operation force according to the installation position in the front-rear direction of the reclining device. The object is to provide a device.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The reclining device according to the present invention includes a fixed plate, a main shaft provided on the fixed plate so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis, and opposed to the fixed plate so as to be rotatable about the main shaft. A pivot plate that is integrally fixed to a seat back that can be tilted around the center, and is interposed between the pivot plate and the fixed plate, locks the pivot plate to the fixed plate, and has a single spindle. In a reclining device having a lock mechanism that is unlocked by rotating in a direction and a lever for rotating the main shaft, the rotation shaft set at a location eccentric to the main shaft on the fixed plate The link is fixed to the main shaft, the slit is formed on either the lever or the link, and the other Provided by the engagement mechanism constituted by a pin which is slidably inserted into the slit, following the rotation of the lever rotatably engaged to the lever and link, operating tip of the spindle and lever The rotation axis of the lever and the slit of the engagement mechanism are positioned between the main axis and the rotation axis, and the extension line in the extending direction of the slit of the engagement mechanism passes between the main axis and the rotation axis, and the straight line connecting the main axis and the rotation axis On the other hand, the slit of the engagement mechanism is located on the opposite side to the rotation direction to unlock the lever .
[0010]
In the present invention, the lever is not directly fixed to the main shaft, but the rotation shaft of the lever is eccentrically arranged with respect to the main shaft and provided on the fixing plate, and the rotation operation of the lever is transmitted from the engagement mechanism to the main shaft through the link. . According to this configuration, the lock mechanism is released by appropriately changing the correlation between the position of the rotation shaft of the lever, the position of engagement between the link and the lever by the engagement mechanism, and the distance between the engagement position and the main shaft. The operating stroke and operating force of the lever up to can be set arbitrarily. As a result, an appropriate lever operating stroke and operating force can be obtained in accordance with the installation location of the reclining device in the front-rear direction.
[0011]
The engagement mechanism of the present invention can be constituted by a slit formed in one of the lever and the link and a pin provided in the other and inserted into the slit.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a side view of an internal reclining device provided on a seat for a driver seat and a passenger seat of an automobile, and the left side in FIG. 1 is a traveling direction (front) of the automobile. The reclining device includes a main shaft 10 extending in the horizontal direction, and a fixed plate 20 and a rotating plate 30 that are arranged so as to overlap each other and through which the main shaft 10 passes. The fixed plate 20 is fixed to a frame of a seat cushion (not shown), and the main shaft 10 passes through the fixed plate 20 so as to be rotatable. The rotating plate 30 is rotatably fixed to the main shaft 10. Therefore, the rotating plate 30 rotates relative to the fixed plate 20 around the main shaft 10.
[0013]
The fixing plate 20 is formed with two flange portions 21 and 22 projecting to the outer peripheral side, and the flange portions 21 and 22 are fixed to the seat cushion frame using the bolt through holes 21a and 22a. . The rotating plate 30 has an outer surface (the back side in the drawing) opposite to the surface facing the fixing plate 20 fixed to a seatback frame (not shown) by means such as welding. The rotating plate 30 is formed with a flange 31 that protrudes to the outer peripheral side, and a pin 32 is fixed to a hole 31 a formed in the flange 31. On the other hand, front and rear stoppers 23 and 24 projecting to the outer peripheral side are formed on the fixed plate 20. The rotation range of the rotation plate 30 is limited by the pins 32 coming into contact with the stoppers 23 and 24 as the rotation plate 30 rotates.
[0014]
Between the fixed plate 20 and the rotating plate 30, a seat spring (not shown) that urges the rotating plate 30 to always rotate in the direction in which the seat back tilts forward is disposed. A lock mechanism 40 that locks the plate 30 to the fixed plate 20 is provided. The locking mechanism 40 meshes with the internal teeth by moving along the inner teeth formed on the inner side that is the surface of the rotating plate 30 facing the fixed plate 20 and the guides provided on the fixed plate 20. A slide gear that holds the locked state, a cam that rotates about the main shaft 10 that moves the slide gear along the guide, and a lock spring that urges the cam in a direction in which the slide gear meshes with the internal teeth (none of which are shown) ).
[0015]
The slide gear is configured to be released from the inner teeth and unlocked by rotating the main shaft 10 in one direction (A direction in FIG. 1) against the urging force of the lock spring. When the lock is released, the rotating plate 30 becomes free so that the inclination angle of the seat back can be adjusted. If the seat back is not supported, the seat back is moved forward by the force of the seat spring. Tilt down to the position where the front stopper 23 abuts. Further, when the force that rotates the main shaft 10 is released, the main shaft 10 rotates in the direction B by the urging force of the lock spring, the slide gear meshes with the inner teeth, and the seat back is locked. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the reclining device is locked by the lock mechanism 40.
[0016]
The apparatus main body 1 having the above configuration is arranged in a pair on the left and right sides of the seat cushion, and the pair of left and right apparatus main bodies 1 operate in synchronization by connecting the main shaft 10 with a connection pipe. As shown in FIG. 1, a plate-like link 50 and a lever 60 for rotating the main shaft 10 are provided on one apparatus body 1 on the side that operates the main shaft 10.
[0017]
The link 50 is disposed so as to overlap the outside of the fixed plate 20. One end of the link 50 is fixed to the main shaft 10, and is inclined forward and downward from the base end. The link 50 rotates integrally with the main shaft 10, and has a pin 51 that protrudes outward (in the front direction of the drawing in FIG. 1) at its rotating end.
[0018]
On the other hand, the lever 60 is arranged on the outer side of the link 50, and is fixed via a rotating shaft 61 parallel to the main shaft 10 provided at a predetermined position of the fixing plate 20 (in this case, slightly below the front stopper 23). The plate 20 is rotatably attached. The lever 60 has a shape that extends downward from a base end portion that is an attachment portion to the fixed plate 20, is bent forward in the middle, and a front tip portion is further bent in an L shape. An operation knob (not shown) made of resin or the like is attached to the substantially horizontal tip of the lever 60.
[0019]
A portion overlapping the link 50 is provided at the rear end portion of the lever 60, and a slit 62 extending in the vertical direction is formed in the overlapping portion. The pin 51 of the link 50 is slidably inserted into the slit 62. As shown in FIG. 1, the pin 51 is inserted into the lower end portion of the slit 62 in the locked state. When the lever 60 is operated in the C direction which is the unlocking direction as shown in FIG. The link 50 is rotated in the A direction following this. The pin 51 and the slit 62 constitute the engagement mechanism of the present invention.
[0020]
Next, the operation of the reclining device having the above configuration will be described.
In the locked state shown in FIG. 1, the rotating plate 30 is fixed to the fixed plate 20 by the lock mechanism 40, and the state where the seat back is fixed is maintained. From this state, as shown in FIG. 2, when the lever 60 is operated in the C direction, the pin 51 is pushed upward, and the link 50 rotates in the A direction. Then, the main shaft 10 rotates in the same direction, the lock mechanism 40 is released, and the rotation plate 30 becomes free. In this unlocked state, the inclination angle of the seat back can be adjusted. When the lever 60 is released, the lever 60 is rotated in the D direction by the action of the lock spring of the lock mechanism 40, the link 50 is rotated in the B direction and returned to the lock position shown in FIG. 1, and the seat back is fixed. The
[0021]
According to the reclining device of the present embodiment, the operation stroke of the lever 60 is reduced by the action of the link 50 compared to the conventional structure in which the lever 60 is directly fixed to the main shaft 10. For this reason, even if the lever 60 is made relatively long, the operation stroke does not increase, and the connecting shaft that connects the main shafts 10 of the left and right reclining devices does not give the occupant a foreign object feeling. Can be placed rearward. Moreover, it can avoid that the operated lever 60 interferes with the seat belt at the time of wearing, for example.
[0022]
The position of the rotation shaft 61 of the lever 60 with respect to the fixed plate 20 of the present embodiment, the engagement position between the link 50 and the lever 60 by the slit 62 and the pin 51, the distance between the engagement position and the main shaft 10 are examples. Then, by appropriately changing the correlation between these elements or the shape of the slit 62, the operation stroke and the operation force of the lever 60 until the lock mechanism 40 is released can be arbitrarily set. For this reason, by changing the specifications of the link 50 and the lever 60 while using the apparatus main body 1 in common, the operation stroke and operation force of the lever 60 suitable for the vehicle type can be obtained.
[0023]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the lever for releasing the lock is not directly fixed to the main shaft, but the rotation shaft of the lever is decentered with respect to the main shaft and provided on the fixing plate, and the rotation operation of the lever is performed from the engagement mechanism. Since it is configured to transmit to the main shaft via the link, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom of lever operation stroke and operation force, and as a result, depending on the installation position in the front-rear direction of the reclining device, There is an effect that operational force can be obtained.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view showing a locked state of a reclining device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view showing an unlocked state of the apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a side view showing an example of a conventional reclining device and a locked state of the device.
4 is a side view showing an unlocked state of the apparatus of FIG. 3; FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Main shaft, 20 ... Fixed plate, 30 ... Rotating plate, 40 ... Locking mechanism,
51: Pin (engagement mechanism), 61: Rotating shaft, 62: Slit (engagement mechanism)

Claims (1)

A fixed plate;
A main shaft provided on the fixed plate so as to be rotatable around a horizontal axis;
A rotating plate that is disposed to face the fixed plate so as to be rotatable about the main shaft, and is integrally fixed to a seat back provided to be tiltable about the main shaft with respect to the seat cushion;
A locking mechanism interposed between the rotating plate and the fixed plate, locking the rotating plate to the fixed plate, and releasing the lock by rotating the main shaft in one direction;
In a reclining device comprising a lever for rotating the main shaft,
The lever is attached to the fixed plate rotatably via a rotation shaft set at a location eccentric to the main shaft, while the link is fixed to the main shaft,
Following the rotation of the lever by an engagement mechanism composed of a slit formed in one of the lever and the link and a pin provided in the other and slidably inserted into the slit. Engaging the link rotatably with the lever;
A rotation shaft of the lever and a slit of the engagement mechanism are located between the main shaft and the operating tip of the lever,
An extension line in the extending direction of the slit of the engagement mechanism passes between the main shaft and the rotating shaft,
The reclining device , wherein the slit of the engagement mechanism is located on the opposite side to the rotation direction to unlock the lever with respect to a straight line connecting the main shaft and the rotation shaft .

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