WO2009057842A1

WO2009057842A1 - Vehicle seatback memory tilting mechanism

Info

Publication number: WO2009057842A1
Application number: PCT/KR2007/005676
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gun Young Park; Jun Kyu Park
Original assignee: Austem Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2007-10-29
Filing date: 2007-11-12
Publication date: 2009-05-07

Abstract

The present invention relates to a memory tilting mechanism adopted in a vehicle seatback. According to the present invention, a rotated amount of a stopper pin 32 formed at a seatback bracket 30 is restricted by a first protruding part 26 and a second protruding part 27 formed at a sector gear plate 25 of a recliner 20, thus enabling the seatback bracket 30 to be tilted and returned. Also, a latch 70 rotatably combined to the seatback bracket 30 is locked or unlocked by a stopping surface 26a provided at the sector gear plate 25, thus controlling a tilting of the seatback bracket 30.

Description

Description VEHICLE SEATBACK MEMORY TILTING MECHANISM

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a memory tilting mechanism applied to a vehicle seatback.

Background Art [2] Generally, a vehicle seat has a reclining function through which a seatback is reclined back and forth to a predetermined angle and locked in a reclined state.

According to circumstances, the vehicle seat may also have a folding function through which the seatback is completely folded foward. [3] For a seat located in a passage to a back seat, a memory tilting function in addition to the reclining function is provided. The memory tiling function means a function that enables the seatback to be folded forward to a predetermined angle in order to provide the passage between a door to the back seat and to return to its original reclined position to which the seatback has been adjusted by a user. [4] According to the seatback provided with such a memory tilting mechanism, the user of the corresponding seat need not fold the seatback to provide the passage and then adjust it to its original reclined position. Therefore, the seat can be conveniently used. [5] As a conventional technology relating to such a memory tiling mechanism of a seatback is introduced a US patent No. 6,739,668 "VEHICLE SEAT HINGE

MECHANISM WITH RECLINING WITH FORWARD DUMPING, MEMORY

RETURN AND FOLD-FLAT FUNCTIONALITY" which is registered on May 25,

2004. [6] The present invention is suggested to provide a seatback memory tilting mechanism a structure of which is simple compared to that of the conventional technology but a function of which is is the same or superior to the function of the conventional technology.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical Problem

[7] It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle seatback memory tilting mechanism whose structure is simple and whose fuction is the same or superior to that of the conventional technology. Technical Solution

[8] In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present inventio n, there is provided a vehicle seatback memory tilting mechanism comprising a seat bracket coupled to a seat; a recliner having a holder plate which is coupled to the seat bracket, a sector gear plate which is rotatably combined to the holder plate and forms an accommodating space together with the holder plate and a locking unlocking means which is accommodated in the accommodating space to lock or unlock a rotation of the sector gear plate with regard to the holder plate; and a seatback bracket coupled to a seatback at an end part and rotatably combined to the sector gear plate of the recliner at another end part,

[9] wherein the sector gear plate has a first protruding part and a second protruding part which are spaced apart to a predetermined distance in a circular direction, the seatback bracket has a stopper pin which moves between the first protruding part and the second protruding part when the seatback bracket is rotated with regard to the sector gear plate, so that the seatback bracket can be rotated between a first position where the stopper pin contacts the second protruding part and a second position where the stopper pin contacts the first protruding part,

[10] the vehicle seatback memory tilting mechanism further comprises a latch which is rotatably combined to the seatback bracket, an elastic pressing means for pressing the latch to be rotated toward the sector gear plate and an adjusting means for adjusting a rotation of the latch,

[11] the sector gear plate has a stopping surface which contacts the rotated latch to prevent a rotation of the seatback bracket toward the second position when the seatback bracket is located at the first position.

[12] According to another aspect of the present invention, the stopping surface of the sector gear plate may form a part of the first protruding part, and the first protruding part contacts the stopper pin through the stopping surface when the seatback bracket is located at the second position.

[13] According to still another aspect of the present invention, the sector gear plate may have a bush which is integrally attached onto a surface where the sector gear plate is combined to the seatback bracket, the seatback bracket is rotatably combined to the bush.

[14] According to still another aspect of the present invention, the vehicle seatback memory tilting mechanism may further comprise a cover bracket which is disposed apart from the seatback bracket to a predetermined distance to accommodate and support the latch, the elastic pressing means and the stopper pin also accommodate a part of the recliner between the the cover bracket and the seatback bracket.

[15] According to still another aspect of the present invention, the vehicle seatback memory tilting mechanism may further comprise a plurality of spacers each of which has both end parts coupled to the seatback bracket and the cover bracket respectively to maintain a space between the seatback bracket and the cover bracket to be constant.

[16] In this case, the stopper pin of the seatback bracket may have its both end parts coupled to the seatback bracket and the cover bracket respectively so that it can also function as a part of the plurality of spacers. [17] According to still another aspect of the present invention, the vehicle seatback memory tilting mechanism may further comprise a tilting shaft which passes through the seatback bracket to be rotated integrally with the latch and is coupled to the adjusting means at one end part.

Advantageous Effects

[18] According to the vehicle seatback memory tilting mechanism of the present invention, a shape of a sector gear plate which performs a reclining function of a seatback as a constitution element of a recliner is improved and the memory tilting mechanism of the seatback is accomplished using the sector gear plate, so that a technical constitution of the vehicle seatback memory tilting mechanism for performing the tilting function can be simplified.

Brief Description of the Drawings [19] FIG. 1 is a perspective partial view showing an installation of a vehicle seatback memory tilting mechanism according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [20] FIGS. 2 and 3 are exploded perspective views of the vehicle seatback memory tilting mechanism according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention when it is seen from the left side and the right side respectively. [21] FIGS. 4 to 6 are front views showing an operation of the vehicle seatback memory tilting mechanism according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention [22] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing vehicle seatback memory tilting mechanisms

1 and I' according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention when it is adopted to a vehicle seat. [23] The vehicle seatback memory tilting mechanisms 1 and 1' are provided at both lateral ends of the seat and are connected therebetween through a main shaft 50 and a tilting shaft 60. [24] The vehicle seatback memory tilting mechanism 1 has a recliner 20 through which a lower seat bracket 10 can be rotated with respect to an upper seatback bracket 30. [25] The seat bracket 10 is coupled to a seat part through coupling holes 12 and 13 and the seatback bracket 30 is coupled to a seatback part through coupling holes 31 and 37.

Therefore, the seatback can be reclined to an angle as a user needs through an operation of the recliner 20. [26] A technical constitution of the recliner 20 required for the reclining operation is the same or similar to that shown in an invention disclosed as Korea Patent Registration Number 10-0472185 "RECLINER FOR VEHICLE" that is registered on February 4, 2005, and a description thereof is omitted in this specification. The description in the Korea Patent Registration Number 10-0472185 shall be included in a scope of the disclosure of the vehicle seatback memory tilting mechanism according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[27] As shown in FIG. 2, the recliner 20 is operated by a rotation of the main shaft 50.

[28] FIGS. 2 and 3 are exploded perspective views of the vehicle seatback memory tilting mechanism according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention when it is seen from the left side and the right side respectively.

[29] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the vehicle seatback memory tilting mechanism 1 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes the seat bracket 10 coupled to the seat part, the recliner 20 which has a holder plate 21 coupled to the seat bracket 10 and a sector gear plate 25 rotatably combined to the holder plate 21, and the seatback bracket 30 which is rotatably combined to the sector gear plate 25 on one side and coupled to the seatback part on the other side.

[30] The seat bracket 10 has a coupling hole 11 and the holder plate 21 of the recliner 20 has a coupling hole 22 to correspond to the coupling hole 11. Therefore, the seat bracket 10 and the holder plate 21 are coupled to each other through the coupling holes 11 and 22 by a coupling element 40.

[31] The sector gear plate 25 of the recliner 20 has a bush 28, which is integrally attached on an outer surface 25a of the sector gear plate 25. In this exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the outer surface 25a is integrally attached to a surface 28a of the bush 28 by welding.

[32] On the other surface of the bush 28 is provided a journal 28b, to which a hole part

33 of the seatback bracket 30 is combined. Accordingly, the seatback bracket 30 can be rotatably combined to the the sector gear plate 25.

[33] The seatback bracket 30 is coupled to a cover bracket 36 located at a front side to have a space therebetween. The space between the seatback bracket 30 and the cover bracket 36 is maintained by a plurality of spacers 90. Specifically, both end parts of each spacer 90 are combined to a hole part 34 of the seatback bracket 30 and a hole part 38 of the cover bracket 36, so that the space can be maintained to be constant.

[34] The tilting shaft 60 is rotatably inserted into the seatback bracket 30 and a latch 70 is coupled to the tilting shaft 60. Therefore, the latch 70 is integrally rotated with the tilting shaft 60. The tilting shaft 60 may be coupled to an adjusting means such as a lever at one end part to regulate the rotation of the latch 70.

[35] As shown in FIG. 3, a spring 80 is supported on an inner surface of the cover bracket 36 and an elongated one end of the spring 80 presses the latch 70 toward the recliner 20. [36] The seatback bracket 30 and the cover bracket 36 are coupled to each other by a plurality of the spacers 90. An inner space is formed between the seatback bracket 30 and the cover bracket 36 by the plurality of the spacers 90. The latch 70, the spring 80 and a stopper pin 32 which will be described later are accommodated and supported within the inner space. Also, the recliner 20 is partly accommodated in the inner space. Specifically, the seatback bracket 30 and the cover bracket 36 provide a space for a first protruding part 26 of the recliner 20 to be rotatable through the inner space when they are rotated with respect to the recliner 20.

[37] In addition to the technical constitution hereinbefore, the vehicle seatback memory tilting mechanism 1 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention further includes the following features.

[38] That is, the sector plate 25 of the recliner 20 has at its circumference a first protruding part 26 and a second protruding part 27 which are spaced apart in a circular direction. Suppose the seat is tilted foward, the first protruding part 26 is located at the front and the second protruding part 27 is located at the rear.

[39] The seatback bracket 30 has a stopper pin 32 to correspond to the first and the second protruding parts 26 and 27. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the stopper pin 32 is located so that it can be rotated between the first protruding part 26 and the second protruding part 27 when the seatback bracket 30 is rotated with respect to the sector gear plate 25.

[40] Accordingly, the seatback bracket 30 can be rotated with respect to the sector gear plate 25 with a limited rotation angle due to the stopper pin 32.

[41] Both end parts of the stopper pin 32 as well as those of the spacers 90 are coupled to the seatback bracket 30 and the cover bracket 36 thus performing a function to maintain the constant distance therebetween. In this respect, the stopper pin 32 also functions as a part of the plurality of the spacers 90 in addition to its original function to be described hereinafter.

[42] According to the rotaiton of the stopper pin 32, as shown in FIG. 4, the seatback bracket 30 is located at a first position I when the stopper pin 32 contacts the second protruding part 27 of the sector gear plate 25.

[43] Also, as shown in FIG. 6, the seatback bracket 30 is located at a second position π when the stopper pin 32 contacts the first protruding part 26 of the sector gear plate 25.

[44] Referring to FIG. 4, when the seatback bracket 30 is located at the first position I, the seatback that is coupled to the seatback bracket 30 is located at a normal position, which is opposite to a tilting position that is described later and meaning of which is a position where the user can be seated.

[45] Also, referring to FIG. 6, when the seatback bracket 30 is located at the second position π, the seatback is located at the tilting position, which means a position where the seatback is rotated foward to a predetermined angle S so that a passenger can easily pass through it.

[46] In FIG. 4, the latch 70 which is rotatably combined to the seatback bracket 30 through the tilting shaft 60 is enabled to press the recliner 20 counterclockwise by the spring 80.

[47] Therefore, when the seatback bracket 30 is located at the first position I, a latching surface 70a of the latch 70 is contacted and supported by a stopping surface 26a of the first protruding part 26 thus preventing the seatback bracket 30 from being rotating toward the second position H

[48] In this exemplary embodiment, the stopping surface 26a is described to form a part of the first protruding part 26. However, the position of the stopping surface 26a as an embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the stopping surface 26a may be located at another part of the sector gear plate 25 as long as it contacts the latch and performs the function of preventing the seatback bracket 30 from being rotated to the second position II when the seatback bracket 30 is located at the first position I. Of course, in such a case, a shape of the latching surface 70a of the latch 70 should be properly modified to correspond to the stopping surface 26a at the another position.

[49] When the latch 70 is rotated clockwise to over a predetermined amount

(specifically, the latch 70 is rotated at least to an amount as much as a height of the first protruding part 26) due to a rotation adjustment of the tilting shaft 60 as shown in FIG. 5, the prevention of the the seatback bracket 30 from being rotated is removed.

[50] Then, if the seatback is rotated foward (to the left in FIG. 5), the seatback bracket

30 which is integrally coupled to the seatback is also rotated as shown in FIG. 6, thus performing tilting. The tilting of the seatback bracket 30 is ended when the stopper pin 32 is rotated counterclockwise and contact the stopping surface 26a of the first protruding part 26.

[51] Accordingly, the angle S to which amount the seatback or the seatback bracket 30 is tilted means a rotation angle from the first position I to the second position π, which is the same as the rotation angle by which the stopper pin 32 is rotated from where it contacts the second protruding part 27 to where it contacts the first protruding part 26.

[52] To return the seatback bracket 30 from its tilted position as shown in FIG. 6 to its original position as shown in FIG. 4, the user is simply required to rotate the seatback clockwise, which is integrally coupled to the seatback bracket 30, without any rotation adjustment of the latch 70. Then, the seatback bracket 30 is rotated till the stopper pin 32 is rotated to contact the second protruding part 27 as shown in FIG. 4. Therefore, the seatback is returned to the normal position, which includes a position to which the user has ajusted the seatback so that he/she can be properly seated and which is ac- cordingly changeable. That is, the rotated position of the sector gear plate 25 can be changed according to the adjustment of the recliner 20 thus changing the positions of the first and the second protruding parts 26, 27.

[53] As a result, although the seatback bracket 30 stil has the same tilting angle S by the stopper pin 32 that is restricted by the first protruding part 26 and the second protruding part 27, the first and the second posiitons I, π of the seatback bracket 30 can be changed.

[54] In the drawings and specification, typically exemplary embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and are not for the purposes of limitation, the scope of the present invention being as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

[1] A vehicle seatback memory tilting mechanism comprising a seat bracket coupled to a seat; a recliner having a holder plate which is coupled to the seat bracket, a sector gear plate which is rotatably combined to the holder plate and forms an accommodating space together with the holder plate and a locking unlocking means which is accommodated in the accommodating space to lock or unlock a rotation of the sector gear plate with regard to the holder plate; and a seatback bracket coupled to a seatback at an end part and rotatably combined to the sector gear plate of the recliner at another end part, wherein the sector gear plate has a first protruding part and a second protruding part which are spaced apart to a predetermined distance in a circular direction, the seatback bracket has a stopper pin which moves between the first protruding part and the second protruding part when the seatback bracket is rotated with regard to the sector gear plate, so that the seatback bracket can be rotated between a first position where the stopper pin contacts the second protruding part and a second position where the stopper pin contacts the first protruding part, the vehicle seatback memory tilting mechanism further comprises a latch which is rotatably combined to the seatback bracket, an elastic pressing means for pressing the latch to be rotated toward the sector gear plate and an adjusting means for adjusting a rotation of the latch, the sector gear plate has a stopping surface which contacts the rotated latch to prevent a rotation of the seatback bracket toward the second position when the seatback bracket is located at the first position.

[2] The vehicle seatback memory tilting mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the stopping surface of the sector gear plate forms a part of the first protruding part, and the first protruding part contacts the stopper pin through the stopping surface when the seatback bracket is located at the second position.

[3] The vehicle seatback memory tilting mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the sector gear plate has a bush which is integrally attached onto a surface where the sector gear plate is combined to the seatback bracket, the seatback bracket is rotatably combined to the bush.

[4] The vehicle seatback memory tilting mechanism according to claim 1 further comprising a cover bracket which is disposed apart from the seatback bracket to a predetermined distance to accommodate and support the latch, the elastic pressing means and the stopper pin also accommodate a part of the recliner between the the cover bracket and the seatback bracket.

[5] The vehicle seatback memory tilting mechanism according to claim 4 further comprising a plurality of spacers each of which has both end parts coupled to the seatback bracket and the cover bracket respectively to maintain a space between the seatback bracket and the cover bracket to be constant.

[6] The vehicle seatback memory tilting mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the stopper pin of the seatback bracket has its both end parts coupled to the seatback bracket and the cover bracket respectively so that it can also function as a part of the plurality of spacers.

[7] The vehicle seatback memory tilting mechanism according to claim 1 or claim 4 further comprising a tilting shaft which passes through the seatback bracket to be rotated integrally with the latch and is coupled to the adjusting means at one end part.