WO2008073036A1

WO2008073036A1 - Vehicle seat with articulated members joined by rubber bushings

Info

Publication number: WO2008073036A1
Application number: PCT/SE2007/050919
Authority: WO
Inventors: Krister Lindquist; Rickard Magnusson; Anna Kjernsvik; Olov Karlsson; Kenneth Söder; Johan KNÄLMANN
Original assignee: Scania Cv Ab (Publ)
Priority date: 2006-12-15
Filing date: 2007-11-29
Publication date: 2008-06-19
Also published as: SE0602728L; SE530343C2

Abstract

A vehicle seat comprising a seat frame (20) articulatedly connected by a first articulation (70) to a longitudinal forward sliderail (36) and articulatedly connected by a second articulation (72) to a backrest frame (40). The backrest frame (40) is articulatedly connected at its lower end by a third articulation (74) to at least one longitudinal rear sliderail (52). At least one of the articulations (70, 72, 74) has a circular cylindrical sleeve element (80) supported about a circular stemlike element (84), which elements (80, 84) have a rubber bushing (82) arranged permanently between them. The invention reduces the risk of play at the articulations of the frame structure.

Description

Vehicle seat with articulated members joined by rubber bushings

Technical field

The present invention relates to a vehicle seat comprising a seat frame articulatedly connected by a first articulation to a longitudinal forward sliderail and articulatedly connected by a second articulation to a backrest frame, which backrest frame is articulatedly connected at its lower end by a third articulation to at least one longitudinal rear sliderail.

Background

When a vehicle seat made up of articulatedly connected frame elements has been used for at least some time, play occurs at the articulations and often causes undesirable creaking and vibration noise. The play also gives the user a feeling of poor precision and quality in the manufacture of the structure.

Summary of the invention

An object of the present invention is therefore to minimise the risks of the occurrence of undesirable intrusive sounds from vehicle seats.

The object of the present invention is achieved by at least one of the articulations being provided with a circular cylindrical sleeve element supported about a circular stemlike element, with a rubber bushing arranged permanently between these two elements. In an advantageous embodiment, each of the articulations is provided with a rubber bushing arranged permanently between its circular cylindrical sleeve element and its circular stemlike element.

This makes it possible for the seat to have a desired basic position due to the articulations having a basic position in which the rubber bushings are least stressed. Using rubber bushings in the articulations also reduces the need for precision manufacture, owing to the flexibility of the rubber, making it possible to give vehicle seats a feeling of higher quality at very low cost.

In a further advantageous embodiment, an actuator is articulatedly connected at its one end by a fourth articulation to the middle of the seat frame and at its other end by a fifth articulation to the forward sliderail where the articulations each have a circular cylindrical sleeve element supported about a circular stemlike element, which elements have a rubber bushing arranged permanently between them. Further advantages and characteristics of the present invention are indicated by the description set out below of an advantageous method of implementing the invention. The description refers to the accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the drawings Fig. 1 depicts a side view of a vehicle seat equipped with articulations according to the invention.

Fig. 2 depicts an articulation forming part of a vehicle seat according to the invention.

Method of implementing the invention Fig. 1 depicts a seat frame structure of a vehicle seat 10 which comprises a sitting or seat frame 20, a lower seat support 30 and a backrest frame 40.

The backrest frame 40 comprises two elongate parallel substantially vertically sloping backrest members or pillars 42 arranged at a distance from one another and adapted to supporting an undepicted backrest. At the lower ends of the backrest pillars 42, the backrest frame 40 is articulatedly supported (C) at each of its articulations 74 in rear sliderails 52 which slide in undepicted guiderails fastened in the vehicle's floor structure 100.

The seat frame 20 is further articulated about a first horizontal transverse spindle fastened (B) at two articulations 72 to the backrest frame 40 by respective fastening elements 50 which are each slidable upwards and downwards on their respective backrest member 42.

In the middle of the seat frame 20, an undepicted transverse bar supports an articulation 76 for an articulated bracket (D) arranged for a pneumatic actuator 60 of the piston- and-cylinder type or bellows type, the lower end of which is articulated about a second horizontal transverse spindle fastened (E) in an articulation 78 on a forward sliderail 36, which actuator 60 otherwise functions like a gas spring about which the slope of the seat frame 20 is settable. The forward sliderail 36 is adapted to being accommodated slidingly in an undepicted forward guiderail arranged in the vehicle's floor structure 100. A bipartite vertical telescopic stem 30 has its upper tubular section 34 fastened

(A) in the seat frame 20 articulatedly about a third horizontal transverse spindle. The lower section 32, which is arranged coaxially inside the upper tubular section 34, is fastened in the forward sliderail 36.

Fig. 2 depicts an embodiment of the aforesaid articulations 70-78, using reference notations relating to the articulation 70 although the other articulations 72-78 may be of similar configuration.

Fig. 2 thus depicts a region (A) of the articulation 70 where the upper tubular stem section 34 is articulatedly connected to the seat frame 20. The articulation 70 comprises a circular cylindrical articulation sleeve 80 arranged transversely and horizontally on the end of the stem section 34. A circular cylindrical bushing 82 made of a rubber material or a material with similar elastic properties is fastened to the inside wall of this articulation sleeve 80. The shell surface of the bushing 82 may be permanently vulcanised to the inside wall of the articulation sleeve 80 or be fastened mechanically, e.g. by protrusions on the bushing surface and depressions in the inside surface of the articulation sleeve, or vice versa. The inside surface of the bushing 82 is fastened to the shell surface of an inner articulation element 84 in a manner similar to that described above, by permanent vulcanising or mechanical locking as above. The inner articulation element 84 may be part of, or a separate element fastened to, the seat frame 20. The bushing 82 is fitted stress-free so that the elements articulated in the articulation 70, i.e. the upper tubular stem section 34 and the seat frame 20, are then in a desired initial position.

As previously mentioned, the other articulations 72, 74, 76 and 78 are of similar configuration. Equivalents of the circular cylindrical articulation sleeve 80 are situated at the articulation 72, preferably on the backrest members 42, and at the articulation 76 at the upper end of the actuator 60. The torsion spring properties of the bushings 70, 72, 74, 76, 78 make it possible for the normal position of the vehicle seat to be adopted by the articulation being assembled with suitable angular relationships between the constituent parts of the articulation. Since the bushing is then stress-free, it will endeavour to resume that position. In other words, the vehicle seat may be given an initial position, e.g. bolt upright or in an extreme position. The description set out above is primarily intended to facilitate understanding of the invention and no limitations of the latter are to be inferred therefrom. Modifications will be obvious to a specialist in the field from perusing the description and can be implemented without departing from the concept of the invention or the scope of the claims set out below.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat comprising a seat frame (20) articulatedly connected by a first articulation (70) to a longitudinal forward sliderail (36) and articulatedly connected by a second articulation (72) to a backrest frame (40), which backrest frame (40) has its lower end articulatedly connected by a third articulation (74) to at least one longitudinal rear sliderail (52), characterised in that at least one of the articulations (70, 72, 74) comprises a circular cylindrical sleeve element (80) supported about a circular stemlike element (84), which elements (80, 84) have a rubber bushing (82) arranged permanently between them.

2. A vehicle seat according to claim 1, in which each articulation (70, 72, 74) is provided with a rubber bushing (82) arranged permanently between its circular cylindrical sleeve element (80) and its circular stemlike element (84).

3. A vehicle seat according to claim 1 or 2, in which an actuator (60) is articulatedly connected at its one end by a fourth articulation (76) to the middle of the seat frame (20) and at its other articulation (78) to the forward sliderail (36) where the articulations (76, 78) each comprise a circular cylindrical sleeve element (80) supported about a circular stemlike element (84), which elements (80, 84) have a rubber bushing (82) arranged permanently between them.

4. A vehicle seat according to any one of claims 1-3, in which the normal position of the vehicle seat is adopted by the articulations being assembled with stress- free bushings with suitable angular relationships between the constituent parts of the articulations.