JPH0327869Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] a. Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to an improvement in the vertical locking mechanism of a height-adjustable support base for a vehicle seat.

b. Prior art and its problems A support stand for a vehicle seat with a height adjustment function,
Generally, an X-type link mechanism is widely used as a vertical mechanism when the height at the lowest descending position is desired to be particularly low. A mechanism is employed to lock the movement of the upper frame or to lock the vertical movement of the upper frame.
In the former locking mechanism, when the support base is adjusted to the minimum height, the seating load is multiplied several times and a huge locking load is generated because the tilted position of the link approaches the horizontal position, causing the locking mechanism to fail. There was a drawback that the minimum height of the support base could not be made sufficiently low due to the increased size.

On the other hand, in the latter locking mechanism, since the vertically long connecting member is arranged within the dimension range of the minimum height of the support base, the height adjustment range is narrowed and cannot satisfy practical use. However, if a sufficient adjustment range was secured, the minimum height of the support base could not be made sufficiently low, which was a design contradiction.

A known example of a lock mechanism that solves this contradiction is a movable rack type, which will be described later with reference to FIG. However, in this known example, when the support base is adjusted to the minimum height, it is difficult to avoid that the tip of the movable rack protrudes below the bottom surface of the lower frame, and depending on where the seat is installed, the movable rack may protrude. Since this may become an obstacle in the installation design, its versatility as a support base for vehicle seats has been impaired.

In addition, as another example of the latter locking mechanism, there is a second known example that utilizes the principle mechanism of a screw jack, but in the second known example, when the support base is adjusted to the minimum height, Although it has the advantage that the entire mechanism is focused within the dimension range of the minimum height of the support base, it takes a lot of time to adjust the vertical adjustment,
It had a practical drawback that it was not suitable for vehicle seats.

c. Purpose of the present invention The purpose of the present invention is to provide a height-adjustable support base for a vehicle seat using an X-type link mechanism as a vertical mechanism, in which a fixed connector and a movable connector are respectively attached to the upper frame and the lower frame. However, when the support base is adjusted to the minimum height, the connection mechanism is configured so that the fixed connector and the movable connector are converged in a horizontally overlapping manner within the dimension range of the minimum height of the support base. Particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an ultra-low vertical locking mechanism that eliminates all the various drawbacks of the above-mentioned known examples.

d Structure of the present invention The structure of the present invention is a height-adjustable support base for a vehicle seat in which an X-shaped link mechanism is interposed between an upper frame and a lower frame each having a frame-like basic shape. A fixed connector consisting of a plurality of locking holes or locking grooves arranged vertically, one end equipped with a locking pin or teeth, and the other end fitted with a connecting shaft that is divided into two, allowing for free rotation. The fixed connector and the movable connector are arranged vertically and oppositely, and one of them is attached to the upper frame and the other is attached to the lower frame. The pins or teeth of the movable connector are fitted into the locking holes or grooves of the fixed connector, and when the height is at its minimum, the fixed connector and movable connector overlap horizontally and form a support base. The connecting mechanism is constructed so that the locking mechanism is converged within the minimum height dimension range, and the movable connector is further provided with a handle for unlocking and an auxiliary spring for maintaining the locking function.

e Embodiment Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings. Figures 1 to 3 are a vertical left side view, a top view, and a front view of an embodiment of the present invention when the height is at its minimum. , FIG. 4 is a vertical left side view when the height is at its maximum, and 1a and 1b are a pair of rails each having a U-shaped cross section and arranged oppositely,
Reference numerals 2a and 2b are cross members made with appropriate cross-sectional shapes, and the rails 1a and 1b and the cross members 2a and 2b are integrally connected to form a frame-shaped upper frame. 3a and 3b are a pair of rails each having a U-shaped cross-sectional shape and placed opposite each other; 4a and 4b are cross members each having an appropriate cross-sectional shape; the rails 3a and 3b and the cross member 4a, 4b are integrally connected to form a frame-shaped lower frame.

5a and 5b are a pair of mutually parallel inner links; 6
a and 6b are parallel to each other and the effective length is the inner link 5
A pair of outer links equal to those of a and 5b, 7 is a center pipe integrally connected to the center of inner links 5a and 5b, 8a, 8b, 9a and 9b are leg pipes, and a leg pipe is provided at each end of inner links 5a and 5b. 8a, 9b, and leg pipes 9a, 8 at each end of the outer links 6a, 6b.
b are integrally connected to each other, and further outer links 6
A center shaft 10 serving as a central fulcrum is passed through the central portions of each of a and 6b and the center pipe 7,
The main part of the X-type link mechanism is configured.

The leg pipe 8a is rotatably connected to the rails 1a, 1b via a connecting shaft 11a, and the leg pipe 8b is rotatably connected to the rails 3a, 3b via a connecting shaft 11b. Rollers 1 are placed at each of the four ends of the leg pipes 9a and 9b.
2, 12... are installed, and the rollers are connected to the rail 1.
Fitted into each groove of a, 1b, 3a and 3b,
Inner links 5a, 5b and outer links 6a, 6
By changing the inclination angle of b, the roller is given a degree of freedom to move horizontally within the grooves of each rail, and as described above, an X-shaped link mechanism is interposed between the upper frame and the lower frame. As a result, the upper frame is supported in a vertically movable manner.

Reference numerals 13 and 13 denote stoppers fixed to the rails 1a and 1b, respectively, which regulate the range of horizontal movement of the rollers 12 and 12, and when the rollers 12 and 12 come into contact with the stoppers, the upper frame The maximum height of is suppressed to a constant value.
14 is a tension type spring, leg pipe 8
It is stretched between a and 9a, and the contracting force of the spring constantly exerts a force that pushes the upper frame upward, and the support base constantly exerts a force that pushes it up by itself, causing the support base to push up by itself. The entire vertical mechanism of the type is configured.

In this example, the central fulcrum of the X-shaped link is 1
Although it is configured with a regular center shaft 10, the center pipe 7 may be abolished and the center shaft 10 may be changed to a two-part structure depending on the design convenience. Furthermore, since the rollers 12, 12 do not particularly require a rotation function, they may be replaced with sliding pieces made of nylon, for example, depending on design considerations.

Reference numeral 15 denotes a vertically elongated fixed connector in which a plurality of locking holes are formed in an upper and lower arrangement. The length is set to be approximately the same as the minimum height of the support base, and the vertical position is set so that the lower end is approximately at the same height as the bottom surface of the support base, that is, the mounting surface. The shape of the locking hole is a through hole in this embodiment, but depending on design considerations, it may be changed to a blind hole, or the vertical section may be U-shaped and a horizontally long groove may be formed vertically. It is also possible to change to locking grooves arranged in parallel to each other.

Reference numeral 16 denotes a vertically elongated movable connector with flanges on both left and right edges, and is disposed above the fixed connector 15 and facing the fixed connector 15 . The movable connector 16 has a locking pin 17 planted at its lower end, and the upper end of the flange is connected to the cross member 2 of the upper frame.
It is fitted with two connecting shafts 18, 18 attached to the upper frame, and is rotatably supported by the upper frame. Reference numerals 19 and 19 denote two bearings for supporting the connecting shafts 18 and 18, which are arranged concentrically in series and are integrally connected to the front surface of the cross member 2a by a direct or indirect connection method. There is.
The above-mentioned pin 17 only needs to perform a locking function as a protrusion, and depending on design considerations, it can be changed to teeth with a suitable cross-sectional shape.

The movable connector 16 is set so that the vertical length is approximately the same as the minimum height of the support base, and the upper end is set at approximately the same height as the top surface of the support base, that is, the top surface of the upper frame. The vertical position is set so that
Furthermore, since the connecting shafts 18 and 18 are separated by an appropriate interval, the fixed connector 15 is connected to the movable connector 1.
A space that can be entered into the inner pocket of the locking mechanism 6 is formed, and a connecting mechanism in the vertical locking mechanism is configured mainly by the fixed connector 15 and the movable connector 16 as described above.

20 is a handle for unlocking that is directly connected to the movable connector 16, 21 is a grip fixed to the tip of the handle, 22 is an auxiliary spring for maintaining the lock function, and one end of the auxiliary spring 22 is connected to the terminal of the handle 20. part, and the other end is the center pipe 7
The lower end of the movable connector 16 is fixed to the fixed connector 1 by the contraction force of the auxiliary spring 22.
The entire vertical locking mechanism in this embodiment is constructed in such a way that a pressing force is applied to the pin 17 so that the engagement between the locking hole of the fixed connector 15 and the pin 17 is always stable.

Note that the auxiliary spring 22 applies a pressing force to press the lower end, that is, the rotating end of the movable connector 16 to the fixed connector 15, and there is no need to limit the spring type to a tension type. For the above reasons, for example, the end of the handle 20 and the right end of the connecting shaft 18 above the handle 20 are extended to the right, a helical spring is fitted to the extended portion of the connecting shaft 18, and one end of the helical spring is The pressing force may be generated by locking the other end of the handle 20 to the cross member 2a.

Next, a conventionally known movable rack type vertical locking mechanism will be explained. FIG. 7 is a partially longitudinal left side view of a height-adjustable support base employing the locking mechanism.To focus on the differences from the previous embodiment, 30 has a U-shaped cross-section. A pair of auxiliary rails are connected to the lower surface of the upper frame in a symmetrical arrangement. A pair of brackets 31 are connected to the lower surface of the upper frame in a symmetrical arrangement, and the leg pipe 8a is rotatably connected to the brackets 31, 31.
The rollers 12, 12 attached to both terminals of a are
The upper frame is slidably fitted into each of the grooves of the auxiliary rails 30, 30, so that the upper frame is supported in a vertically movable manner.

Reference numeral 32 denotes a connecting shaft rotatably mounted inside the upper frame. A lever 33 whose longitudinal direction is horizontal or slightly inclined upward is integrally connected to the center of the connecting shaft, and the tip of the lever and the leg pipe 9a
A tension-type spring 34 is engaged with the upper frame, and the contraction force of the spring constantly acts to push the upper frame upward, thereby constructing the entire mechanism for raising and lowering the support base.

Reference numeral 35 designates a pair of movable racks having a vertically elongated basic shape and having a plurality of wave-shaped teeth formed on one vertical side. It is integrally connected to the shaft 32, and during normal operation, the height of the upper frame is maintained at the selected height by the wave-shaped teeth meshing with locking pins 36, 36 fixed to the upper surface of the lower frame. be done. In addition, since the longitudinal direction of the lever 33 has a slight inclination angle with respect to the direction of action of the contractile force of the spring 34, the component of the contractile force of the spring 34 causes the connecting shaft 32 to move clockwise. A rotational force is generated, and the rotational force presses the movable rack 35 onto the pin 36 and maintains stable engagement with the pin 36.

Note that 37 is a handle for unlocking that is directly connected to the movable rack 35, 38 is a grip fixed to the tip of the handle, and 39 is a lower frame for the purpose of restricting the movement of the movable rack 35 during the unlocking operation. This is a stopper fixed on the top surface of the

Next, to explain the operation of the embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 5 and 6 are diagrams showing the operating state of the upper and lower locking mechanisms. In the normal state, the pin 17 is fixedly connected as shown in FIG. The posture of the movable connector 16 is stabilized by the contraction force of the auxiliary spring 22 when it is fitted into one of the locking holes of the child 15, and the height of the upper frame is maintained at the selected height. When adjusting the height, when the grip 21 is manually pulled up in the direction of arrow P, the movable connector 16 rotates in the direction of arrow Q and the pin 17 is released from the fixed connector 15, and the locking mechanism is activated as shown in FIG. After changing the height of the support base by adjusting the seating load applied from above, the locking mechanism returns to the locked state once the grip 21 is released.

Generally, in a stepped lock mechanism in which a pin or the like is fitted into a hole or groove, the movable part side is rotatably supported by a connecting shaft. To prevent accidental detachment of the pin due to vertical vibration during vehicle operation,
It is necessary to align the fitting point of the pin and the center of the connecting shaft vertically as much as possible. The movable rack type support of FIG. 7 is limited by the above-mentioned requirements, and the corrugated teeth of the movable rack 35 cannot be arranged up to the height of the upper surface of the upper frame, and the lower end of the movable rack 35 cannot be extended. The required number of teeth is secured, and therefore, when the support base is adjusted to the minimum height, the lower end of the movable rack 35 inevitably protrudes below the bottom surface of the lower frame.

In the present invention, the connecting shafts 18, 18 are divided into left and right halves, with a mutual interval wider than the width of the fixed connector 15, and the movable connector 16 is shaped so that the fixed connector 15 can be accommodated in its inner pocket. , since we have set the dimensions, if we adjust the support base to the minimum height,
The movable connector 16 and the fixed connector 15 do not interfere with each other in the vertical direction at all, so they can be 100% overlapped in the front-rear direction, that is, the lateral direction. The length can be set to approximately the same dimension as the minimum height of the support base, and the locking holes drilled therein can be arranged over the entire vertical direction of the fixed connector 15 as far as strength allows. Therefore, the vertical adjustment dimension can be ensured with maximum efficiency. Geometrically, the connecting shafts 18, 18 have their fulcrums dispersed to the left and right to avoid interference with the fixed connector 15, and mechanically, their center lines are directly above the fitting point of the pin 17, so that they have a locking function. The above requirements for smooth and stable maintenance can be satisfied.

f Another embodiment Although not shown in the drawings, the fixed connector 15 and the movable connector 16 in the previous embodiment are mounted on the upper frame and the lower frame respectively in the vertically opposite manner, and the grip 21 is abolished. The height-adjustable support of the present invention is constructed by fixing a flat pedal to the top of the lock, that is, changing the unlocking operation method from a manual type to a foot type.

Since the operating functions and the like of this embodiment are the same as those of the previous embodiment, the following explanation will be omitted.

g Effects of the present invention According to the present invention, when the support base is adjusted to the minimum height, the fixed connector 15 and the movable connector 16 are horizontally overlapped within the dimensional range of the minimum height of the support base. Since it is focused, it is possible to ensure the most efficient vertical adjustment dimension by making the most of the minimum vertical space provided, and an ultra-low vertical lock mechanism that eliminates all the various drawbacks of the above-mentioned known examples. can be obtained. Also, the fitting point of the pin 17, that is,
Since the engagement point of the lock mechanism is a one-point type, and not a two-point type as in the known example shown in FIG. 7, there is no problem in terms of quality control such as poor engagement of one side due to poor assembly accuracy.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 4 are a vertical left side view, a top view, a front view, and a vertical left side view of an embodiment of the present invention,
5 and 6 are operating state diagrams of the vertical lock mechanism of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a partially longitudinal left side view illustrating a known movable rack type. 1a, 1b, 3a, 3b...Rail, 2a, 2
b, 4a, 4b...cross member, 5a, 5b...
...Inner link, 6a, 6b...Outer link, 7...
...Center pipe, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b...
Leg pipe, 11a, 11b...connection shaft, 14...spring, 15...fixed connector,
16...Movable connector, 17...Pin, 18...Connection shaft, 19...Bearing, 20...Handle, 22...
...Auxiliary spring.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] An X-shaped link mechanism is interposed between the upper frame and the lower frame, each of which has a frame-like basic shape, to support the upper frame in a vertically movable manner, and a tension type spring is attached to the X-shaped link mechanism. A height-adjustable support that pushes up the upper frame includes a fixed connector consisting of a plurality of locking holes or locking grooves arranged vertically, a locking pin or teeth at one end, and a locking pin or tooth at the other end. The main part of the vertical connection mechanism consists of a connecting shaft that is divided into two parts and a movable connector that is fitted and rotatably supported, and the fixed connector and the movable connector are arranged vertically and oppositely. Then, one of them is attached to the upper frame and the other is attached to the lower frame, and the pin or tooth of the movable connector is inserted into the locking hole or groove of the fixed connector, and when the height is the minimum, the fixed connector is connected. The connecting mechanism is constructed so that the child and the movable connector overlap horizontally and are concentrated within the minimum height dimension range of the support base, and the movable connector is further provided with a handle for unlocking the lock and a handle for maintaining the lock function. A height-adjustable support base for a vehicle seat, characterized in that a locking mechanism is configured by attaching an auxiliary spring.