RU2782041C2 - Folding device of intermittent action for vehicle seat - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: car industry.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to a folding device of an intermittent action for a vehicle seat. The folding device of an intermittent action for a vehicle seat contains the first and the second disc-shaped plates, an activation element for activation of the specified locking pawls, return springs for displacement of the specified activation element to a configuration, in which the specified locking pawls are in their locking position, and a return spring having a spiral shape. Plates have the same diameter with the possibility of connection to each other. Moreover, the first plate contains a peripheral edge oriented in a direction of the second plate and equipped with gears on its inner surface. The second plate is equipped with locking pawls, which have an outer surface and in a radial direction are equipped with gears, and which are made with the possibility of movement in a radial direction from a locking position. At the same time, the first outer end is inserted into a hole made in the second plate, and the second inner end is bent to form a square and is imposed on a square support made on the activation element.

EFFECT: durability during operation is increased.

13 cl, 15 dwg

Description

Field of invention

The present invention relates to an intermittent reclining device for a vehicle seat.

More specifically, the present invention relates to an intermittent reclining device for a vehicle seat having a simple structure and a limited number of components.

State of the art

In general, vehicle seats have a sliding function for pushing or retracting the seat cushion forward or backward, a height adjustment function for adjusting the height of the seat cushion, and a reclining function for adjusting the inclination of the seatback relative to the seat cushion.

In general, this reclining function is realized by a reclining device located at the junction between the seat cushion and the seat back. Intermittent folding devices are known from the prior art, which comprise a first disc-shaped plate, configured to connect with a first bracket attached to the seat cushion, and a second disc-shaped plate, configured to connect to a second bracket attached to the seat back.

At rest, rotation of the first and second plates relative to each other is locked, and the inclination of the seatback relative to the seat cushion is fixed. However, by applying a twisting motion, the first and second plates can be rotated relative to each other, thereby allowing the seatback to change its inclination relative to the seat cushion. For this purpose, on the peripheral edge of the first of these plates, teeth are made on its inner surface, and the second plate is equipped with one or more blocking dogs, which are movable in the radial direction and which are provided with teeth on their outer surface. The first cam (or locking cam), biased by one or more springs, pushes the locking pawls outward towards the peripheral edge of the first plate so that the teeth of the locking pawls engage with the teeth on the peripheral edge of the first plate, thereby preventing the plates from rotating relative to each other.

By applying a torque movement sufficient to overcome the resistance of the spring(s), the second cam (or unlocking cam) is rotated and, as a result of the rotation, it pulls the locking pawls inward, thereby disengaging the teeth of said locking pawls from the teeth at the peripheral edge of the first. plates and allowing the plates to rotate relative to each other, as well as the resulting adjustment of the inclination of the seatback relative to the seat cushion.

When the torsional motion stops, the action of the first cam spring(s) again pushes the blocking pawls outward against the peripheral edge of the first plate.

Such intermittent folding devices are disclosed, for example, in EP 1 724 149, CN 103507668, CN 202480915 and US 2003/155800.

In general, such known intermittent swing devices contain a large number of individual components, which entails several disadvantages.

First of all, the presence of manufacturing tolerances of such components and / or gaps between them can cause a malfunction of the folding device. Secondly, the assembly of the intermittent swing device is expensive and time consuming.

Thirdly, the large number of components leads to a significant mass of the intermittent folding device, which is a serious drawback, as vehicle manufacturers are constantly striving to reduce the overall weight of the vehicle.

Thus, the main object of the present invention is to overcome such shortcomings by providing an intermittent folding device that contains a reduced number of components. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an intermittent swing device that is simpler, lighter and more reliable than the intermittent swing devices of the prior art.

These and other objects are achieved thanks to the intermittent folding device claimed in the attached claims.

Disclosure of the essence of the invention

The intermittent flapping device according to the invention comprises one actuation element which is capable of moving the locking pawl(s) both from the locked position to the released position and from the released position to the locked position. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the intermittent flipping device comprises one or more locking pawls provided with teeth on their outer surface, each of the pawls provided with a shaped profile on its inner surface and a rod oriented in the direction of the activation element.

Therefore, the activation element is provided with a plurality of protrusions, one for each pawl having a shaped profile, configured to interact with the shaped profile of the inner surface of the locking pawls to push said pawls outward in the radial direction of their locking position; the activation element is also provided with a plurality of oval-curved slots, one for each pawl, so that the rod of each pawl passes into the corresponding slot of the activation element and engages with the edge of said slot, whereby, as a result of the rotation of the activation element, said pawls are drawn inward in the radial direction of their released position.

Typically, the intermittent swing device also includes one or more return springs for biasing the actuation element into a configuration in which the locking pawls are in their locked position. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the intermittent swing device comprises one return spring, and the activation element comprises a seat for said return spring. Therefore, the activation element can also be considered as a spring disk.

Due to the fact that the activation element in the present invention places the locking pawls in both their locked position and their released position, and because it additionally provides a seat for the return spring, the total number of components of the intermittent swing device is significantly reduced compared to the level of technology. This includes several exceptional benefits.

First of all, the risk that manufacturing tolerances and/or gaps between components will lead to a malfunction of the tilt device is significantly reduced. Second, the reduced number of parts results in a reduction in the time required to cycle through the assembly sequence.

Thirdly, the total weight of the intermittent folding device can be reduced compared to prior art folding devices, which is an exceptional advantage for vehicle manufacturers. Brief description of the drawings

Additional features and advantages of the invention will become clearer from the detailed description of some preferred embodiments of the invention, presented as a non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded view of an intermittent swing device according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a front view of the intermittent flap shown in Figure 1 with the first plate removed for ease of understanding; Figure 3 is a front view of the intermittent flap shown in Figure 1 with the first plate and activation element removed;

figure 4 shows a transparent perspective view of the flip-up device of intermittent action shown in figure 1;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the activation element of the intermittent flip device shown in Figures 1-4; Figure 6 is an exploded view of an intermittent swing device according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 7 is a perspective view of the activation element of the intermittent flip device shown in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the second disc-shaped plate element of the intermittent flapper shown in Figure 6; figure 9a shows the intermittent swing device shown in figure 6 in the locked position;

Figure 9b shows the intermittent flap shown in Figure 6 in the released position;

figure 10a shows the intermittent swing device shown in figure 6 in the locked position;

Figure 10b shows the intermittent flap shown in Figure 6 in the released position;

figure 11a shows an enlarged view of the central part shown in figure 10a;

figure 11b shows an enlarged view of the central part shown in figure 10b;

Figure 12 is a perspective view of the activation element of the intermittent flip device shown in Figure 6 from a different viewpoint.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention

Referring to Figures 1-4, an intermittent folding device 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention is shown.

As is known per se, said intermittent reclining device 1 comprises a first disc-shaped plate 2 which is provided with first engaging means for connection with a first bracket which can be attached to the seat cushion (or to the back of the seat) and a second disc-shaped plate 3 which provided with second engagement means for connection to a second bracket which may be attached to the seat back (or to the seat cushion).

The first and second plates 2, 3 have substantially the same diameter, so that they can be connected to each other. For this purpose, the intermittent folding device 1 may additionally comprise a guard 4, namely an annular guard, for connecting the first and second plates 2, 3 to each other. The first plate 2 has a peripheral edge 2a oriented in the direction of the second plate 3 and provided with teeth on its inner surface or at least sections of its inner surface. The second plate 3 comprises, on its surface oriented in the direction of the first plate, a plurality of radial guide grooves 5 receiving corresponding locking pawls 7 (three in the embodiment shown) which are movable in the radial direction along said guide grooves. Preferably, the guide grooves 5 and the locking pawls 7 are equally spaced along the periphery of the second plate 3 (ie, they are located at 120° relative to each other in the embodiment shown).

The locking pawls 7 have a curved outer surface 7a which has substantially the same radius of curvature as the first and second plates and is also provided with teeth. Therefore, the teeth of the locking pawls can engage with the teeth of the inner surface of the peripheral edge 2a of the first plate 2 when said locking pawls are moved radially to their outermost position (the lock position), thereby preventing any relative rotation between the first and second plates. On the other hand, when the locking pawls 7 move inward in the radial direction from the peripheral edge 2a of the first plate 2 (released position), relative rotation between the first and second plates is allowed.

According to the invention, the intermittent folding device 1 is provided with a single activation element 9 (shown in more detail in figure 5) for activating the locking pawls 7 both from their released position to their lock position and from their lock position to their released position.

The activation element 9 lies on the surface of the first plate 2 oriented in the direction of the second plate 3 and has a flat body 9a, preferably generally disc-shaped. Accordingly, the first plate 2 is provided with an annular seat 10 receiving an activation element 9. To move the locking pawls 7 from their released position to their locked position, the activation element 9 comprises a plurality of protrusions 11 (one for each locking pawl 7, i.e. in in the embodiment shown there are three) protruding towards the second plate 3; the outer surface 11a in the radial direction of each protrusion 11 has a shaped profile (for example, a cam profile), and therefore the inner surface 7b in the radial direction of each blocking pawl 7 has a profile of an appropriate shape (for example, a cam profile), while the shaped profiles of the outer surface 11a the protrusions 11 of the activation element 9 and the shaped profiles of the inner surface 7b of the locking pawls 7 cooperate to push said locking pawls 7 to their outermost locking position.

The return spring 19 displaces the activation element 9 in the direction of the position in which the shaped profiles of the outer surface 11a of the protrusions 11 of the activation element 9 push the locking pawls 7 into the said locking position.

In the embodiment shown, the return spring 19 is in the form of a spiral, with the first outer end 19a inserted into the hole made in the second plate 3, and the second inner end 19b bent to form a square and mounted on a square support 13 made on the activation element 9. For transferring the locking pawls 7 from their locking position to their released position, the body 9a of the activation element 9 comprises a plurality of oval-curved slots 15 (one for each locking pawl 7, i.e. three in the embodiment shown); each slot 15 has a first section 15a which is further away from the center of the body 9a of the activation element 9 and a second section 15b which gradually extends closer to the center of said body 9a of said activation element 9. Therefore, each blocking pawl 7 is provided with a rod 17 protruding into direction of the first plate, and is positioned to extend into the corresponding slot 15 and engage with the edge of said slot. More specifically, when the locking pawls are in their locking position, the rods 17 of the locking pawls 7 engage with the edge of the respective slots 15 in the first section 15a of said slots. By applying a twisting movement in the appropriate direction (in the shown embodiment, in the direction of the arrow F), the activation element 9 is rotated against the resistance of the return spring 19 . As the activation element 9 rotates, the rods 17 of the locking pawls 7 slide along the respective slots 15 of said activation element. When the rods 17 enter the second section 15b of said slots, the locking pawls 7 are gradually drawn inward from the peripheral edge of the first plate; respectively, the shaped profiles of the outer surface 11a of the protrusions 11 of the activation element 9 and the shaped profiles of the inner surface 7b of the locking pawls 7 enable such movement of the locking pawls inwards. As a result, the locking pawls 7 move to their released position, in which the teeth on the outer surface 7a of said pawls no longer engage with the teeth on the inner surface of the peripheral edge of the first plate.

When the pawls are in this released position, the first and second plates can rotate relative to each other so that the user can adjust the inclination of the seatback relative to the seat cushion. When the torsional movement stops, the return spring 19 will push the actuating element 9 to rotate in the opposite direction, thereby returning the locking pawls 7 to their locked position. By providing a single actuation element 9 which is capable of activating the locking pawls 7 both from their locked position to their released position and from their released position to their locked position, the total number of components being significantly less than in known intermittent folding devices (namely, two plates, one activation element, one spring, one or more locking pawls).

Therefore, the risk of failure of the intermittent swing device 1 due to manufacturing tolerances and/or clearances between components is greatly reduced.

Moreover, the intermittent swing device 1 can be assembled in an easier and faster manner than known intermittent swing devices.

Last but not least, the total weight of the intermittent swing device 1 can be reduced compared to known swing devices. The activation element may be made from any suitable material such as steel. It can be made by any suitable technique such as casting or sintering.

Referring further to Figures 6-12, an intermittent folding device 1 according to a second embodiment of the invention is shown. The construction and operation of the intermittent flapper 1 shown in Figures 6-12 is very similar to that of the intermittent flapper shown in Figures 1-4.

Therefore, components that are identical or similar to the corresponding components that have already been described with reference to the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and they will not be described in detail hereinafter.

Similarly, in this second embodiment, the intermittent folding device 1 comprises a first disc-shaped plate 2 and a second disc-shaped plate 3 which are connected to each other.

For this purpose, the intermittent folding device 1 may additionally comprise a guard 4, namely an annular guard, for connecting the first and second plates 2, 3 to each other.

Similarly, in this second embodiment, the first plate 2 comprises a peripheral edge oriented in the direction of the second plate 3 and provided with teeth on its inner surface, or at least sections of its inner surface, and the second plate 3 comprises, on its surface, oriented in the direction of the first plate, a plurality of radially guiding grooves receiving respective locking pawls 7 (of which there are four in this second embodiment, arranged at 90° relative to each other).

Likewise, in this second embodiment, the teeth of the locking pawls 7 may engage with the teeth of the inner surface of the peripheral edge of the first plate 2 when said locking pawls are moved radially to their outermost position (the lock position), and they may disengage from teeth of the inner surface of the peripheral edge of said first plate 2 when said locking pawls are moved inward in the radial direction (released position), thereby enabling relative rotation between the first and second plates.

Likewise, in this second embodiment, the intermittent flapping device 1 is provided with one actuation element 9 for moving the locking pawls 7 both from their released position to their locked position and from their locking position to their released position: to move the locking pawls 7 from their released position to their lock position, the actuation element 9 comprises a plurality of protrusions 11 cooperating with lock pawl profiles to push said lock pawls 7 to their outermost lock position; to transfer the blocking pawls 7 from their blocking position to their released position, the activation element 9 comprises a plurality of oval-curved slots 15 and, therefore, each blocking pawl 7 is provided with a rod 17 extending into the corresponding slot 15 and engaging with the edge of said slot.

Similarly, in this second embodiment, the return spring 19 (preferably in the form of a spiral) biases the activation element 9 towards the lock position.

As best shown in Figures 7 and 8, the intermittent swing device 1 according to this second preferred embodiment differs from the previously described first preferred embodiment in that the activation element 9 is provided, on its surface oriented in the direction of the second plate 3, with one or more bumps 21 which engage with the respective window(s) 23 provided in said second plate 3.

The bumps 21 on the activation element, as well as the windows 23 in the second plate, are preferably at the same distance along the periphery of said activation element and said second plate, respectively. In more detail, in the embodiment shown, the activation element 9 is provided, on its surface oriented in the direction of the second plate 3, with two bumps 21 located at an angle of 180° relative to each other, and the second plate 3, respectively, is provided with two windows 23 located under an angle of 180° relative to each other, and each bump 21 engages with the corresponding window 23.

Preferably, the engagement between the bumps 21 of the activation member 9 and the windows 23 of the second plate 3 allows the intermittent action swing device 1 to be protected from excessive load applied by the user when the swing device 1 is moved from the locked position to the released position.

In this regard, in Figures 9a and 9b, an intermittent flapper 1 according to the invention is shown together with a handle 10 activated by the user when the flapper 1 is moved from the locked position to the released position.

In general, users tend to apply excessive force to the handle 10 when they wish to release the flapper, and such excessive loads can damage the internal components of the flapper itself, since the internal components of said flapper may rotate beyond the allowable operating angle.

In accordance with the present invention, when the user activates the handle 10, the intermittent folding device 1 moves from the locked position (see also figures 10a, 11a) to the released position (see also figures 10b, 11b), and the first plate 2 and the second plate 3 can freely rotate relative to each other. However, excessive load on the internal components of the folding device 1 is prevented, since the path of the activation element 9 is mainly limited due to the engagement of its bumps 21 with the windows 23 of the second plate 3.

Therefore, the relative rotation between the first and second plates 2, 3 in the released position will be limited by the maximum angle that is given by the length of the windows 23, so that rotation beyond the allowable working angle due to excessive load on the handle 10 is effectively prevented by the proper design of such windows 23 In this way, the internal components of the intermittent swing device 1 are effectively protected from excessive loads. Referring to figure 12, the intermittent folding device 1 according to this second preferred embodiment differs from the previously described first preferred embodiment in that the activation element 9 is provided, on its surface oriented in the direction of the first plate 2, with a sleeve 25, protruding from its surface. The provision of such a sleeve 25 improves the stability of the intermittent folding device 1 according to the invention.

Moreover, the provision of such a sleeve 25 improves synchronization between the recliners of the same vehicle seat, thereby preventing potential delay between two recliners of the same vehicle seat.

The present description of the preferred embodiments of the invention has been presented by way of example only, and various variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. As an example, the number of locking pawls may differ from that shown in the present embodiment.

As another example, more than one return spring may be provided (eg, the number of springs equals the number of locking pawls).

Claims (13)

1. An intermittent folding device (1) for a vehicle seat, comprising a first disc-shaped plate (2) and a second disc-shaped plate (3), said first and second plates having essentially the same diameter, so that they can be connected to each other, wherein said first plate (2) comprises a peripheral edge (2a) oriented in the direction of said second plate (3) and provided with teeth on its inner surface, and wherein said second plate (3) is provided with one or more locking pawls (7), which have an outer surface (7a) provided with teeth in the radial direction and which are movable in the radial direction from a locking position in which the teeth on their outer surface (7a) engage with the teeth on the inner surface of said peripheral edge of said first plate , to the released position, in which the teeth on their outer surface (7a) are at a distance of about m teeth on the inner surface of said peripheral edge of said first plate, and vice versa, said intermittent folding device (1) is provided with an activation element (9) for activating said locking pawls (7) both from said released position to said blocking position, and from said locking position to said released position, characterized in that said intermittent swing device comprises one or more return springs for biasing said activation element (9) into a configuration in which said locking pawls (7) are in their locking position, and said intermittent folding device comprises one return spring (19) having the shape of a spiral, wherein the first outer end (19a) is inserted into the hole made in said second plate (3), and the second inner end (19b) is bent to form a square and mounted on a square support (13), made on the indicated activation element (9). 2. A folding device (1) of intermittent action according to claim 1, characterized in that said activation element (9) has a flat disc-shaped body (9a), which lies on the surface of said first plate (2) oriented in the direction of said second plate ( 3). 3. A folding device (1) of intermittent action according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said activation element (9) contains a plurality of protrusions (11), one for each of said locking pawls (7), while the protrusions protrude into direction of said second plate (3), wherein the outer surface (11a) in the radial direction of each protrusion has a shaped profile, and the inner surface (7b) in the radial direction of each locking pawl (7) has a corresponding shaped profile, while the shaped profiles of said outer surfaces (11a) of said protrusions (11) of said activation element (9) and shaped profiles of said inner surface (7b) of said locking pawls (7) interact to push said locking pawls (7) to said locking position. 4. A folding device (1) of intermittent action according to claim 3, characterized in that said return springs (19) displace said activation element (9) in the direction of the position in which said curly profiles of said external surface of said protrusions of said activation element push said locking pawls to the specified lock position. 5. A folding device (1) of intermittent action according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said activation element (9) comprises a plurality of slots (15), one for each of said locking pawls, the slots having a first section (15a), which is located farther from the center of the activation element, and the second section (15b), which gradually extends closer to the center of the said activation element, and each of the said blocking dogs (7) is provided with a rod (17) protruding in the direction of the said first plate and located so so as to pass into the corresponding slot (15) of said activation element and engage with the edge of said slot. 6. An intermittent folding device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said locking pawls (7) are at the same distance along the periphery of said second plate (3). 7. A hinged device (1) of intermittent action according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said second plate (3) is provided with one or more radial guide grooves (5), each of said radial guide grooves receiving and guiding a respective locking pawl (7). 8. A swinging device (1) of intermittent action according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said swinging device is provided with an annular protection (4) for connecting said first and second plates (2, 3) to each other. 9. A folding device (1) of intermittent action according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said activation element (9) is provided, on its surface oriented in the direction of said second plate (3), with one or more bumps (21), which engage with the corresponding one or more windows (23) made in the specified second plate (3). 10. A folding device (1) of intermittent action according to claim 10, characterized in that said bumps (21) are located at the same distance along the periphery of the said activation element, and said windows (23) are located at the same distance along the periphery of the said second plate. 11. A folding device (1) of intermittent action according to claim 11, characterized in that the activation element (9) is provided, on its surface oriented in the direction of the second plate (3), with two bumps (21) located at an angle of 180° relative to each other, and the second plate (3), respectively, is provided with two windows (23) located at an angle of 180° relative to each other. 12. A folding device (1) of intermittent action according to any of the preceding paragraphs, characterized in that said activation element (9) is provided, on its surface oriented in the direction of said second plate (2), with a sleeve (25) protruding from its said surfaces. 13. A vehicle seat comprising a seat cushion and a seatback pivotally connected to said seat cushion, characterized in that it contains a reclining device (1) of intermittent action according to any one of paragraphs. 1-12, wherein one of said first and second plates is attached to said seat cushion and the other of said first and second plates is attached to said seat back.

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