WO2018234461A1

WO2018234461A1 - Seat tilting system

Info

Publication number: WO2018234461A1
Application number: PCT/EP2018/066600
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael J. Kapusky; Eric B. Michalak; Kurt A. Seibold
Original assignee: Adient Engineering and IP GmbH
Priority date: 2017-06-23
Filing date: 2018-06-21
Publication date: 2018-12-27

Abstract

The present invention relates to a seat tilting system for tilting a seat, the seat tilting system comprising: a support frame to support the seat; at least one front track mounted on the support frame and inclined upwards toward a front side of the support frame; at least one rear track mounted on the support frame and inclined upwards toward a rear side of the support frame; a universal joint movable along the front track and coupleable to a front portion of the seat so that the seat is tiltable around a roll axis running between a rear side and a front side of the support frame; a joint slidable along the rear track and coupleable to a rear portion of the seat; and a swivel system onto which the support frame is mounted and which makes the support frame rotatable around a yaw axis. A vehicle seat usually is adjustable to adapt the position and/or ergonomic configuration of the seat to the needs of an occupant of the seat.

Description

Seat Tilting System

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a seat, in particular to a vehicle seat, and, more particularly, to a tilting system for tilting a seat.

A vehicle seat usually is adjustable to adapt the position and/or ergonomic configuration of the seat to the needs of an occupant of the seat.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved system for adapting the position of a seat in order to enhance the comfort of the seat.

According to the invention, the object is solved by a seat tilting system for tilting a seat according to the features of claim 1 .

In an exemplary embodiment, the seat tilting system comprises a support frame to support the seat, at least one or two parallel front tracks mounted on the support frame and inclined upwards toward a front side of the support frame, at least one or two parallel rear tracks mounted on the support frame and inclined upwards toward a rear side of the support frame, a universal joint movable along the front track/s and coupleable to a front portion of the seat so that the seat is tiltable around a roll axis running between a rear side and a front side of the support frame, a joint, e.g. a ball joint or swivel joint, slidable along the rear track/s and coupleable to a rear portion of the seat, and a swivel system onto which the support frame is mounted and which makes the support frame rotatable around a yaw axis. The seat tilting system according to the invention makes the orientation of a seat adjustable in order to make the seat more comfortable for an occupant of the seat. In particular the seat tilting system allows to adapt the orientation of a vehicle seat of a vehicle to driving maneuvers of the vehicle such as quick turns of the vehicle, for instance to center an occupant in the seat. In addition the seat tilting system may be used for easier ingress to or egress from the vehicle, and allows an occupant to get to a comfortable position to relax. To this end the seat tilting system comprises two sets of inclined tracks along which the seat is slidable to realize a pitch motion of the seat, a universal joint and a ball joint to allow a roll motion of the seat, and a swivel system to perform a yaw motion of the seat.

In an exemplary embodiment, the rear track and the front track are angled with respect to each other and with respect to a horizontal plane. In particular, the rear track and the front track are arranged to each other in a V-shape. For instance, seat facing ends of the rear track and the front track are further away from each other than vehicle floor facing ends of the rear track and front track.

In a further embodiment, at least two rear tracks are arranged in parallel to each other. Furthermore, at least two front tracks are arranged in parallel to each other.

In another embodiment, the universal joint is lockable in any state and to any position along the front track.

In an exemplary embodiment, the seat tilting system comprises a release handle to manually unlock the universal joint. Furthermore, the universal joint is adjustable manually or power-driven, e.g. by a synchronous motor. In an exemplary embodiment, the joint is lockable to any position along the rear track. For instance, the universal joint comprises at least one rotary actuator for tilting the seat around the roll axis and around a pitch

axis perpendicular to the roll axis.

In an exemplary embodiment, the swivel system is lockable in any rotational state. Furthermore, the swivel system may be adjustable manually, or power-driven by a rotary actuator or a linear actuator. In an exemplary embodiment, the swivel system is configured as a swivel ring or swivel plate.

According to a further aspect, a vehicle has a vehicle seat and the seat tilting system for tilting the vehicle seat.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitative of the present invention, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a seat and a seat tilting system with the seat in a first position,

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the seat and the seat tilting system with the seat in a second position,

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the seat and the seat tilting system with the seat in a third position,

Figure 4 shows a second perspective view of the seat and the seat tilting system with the seat in the third position, Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the seat and the seat tilting system with the seat in a fourth position, and

Figure 6 a sectional view of a vehicle having a vehicle seat and a seat tilting system.

Corresponding parts are marked with the same reference symbols in all figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Figures 1 to 5 show perspective views of a seat 1 and a seat tilting system 3 with the seat 1 in various positions.

In particular, the seat 1 may be a vehicle seat of a vehicle 25 (see figure 6). The seat tilting system 3 is arranged to rotate the seat 1 around a yaw axis 5 and to tilt the seat 1 around a roll axis 7 and a pitch axis 9. In the figures, the yaw axis 5 is a vertical axis parallel to a Z-axis of a Cartesian coordinate system with coordinates X, Y, Z, the roll axis 7 is parallel to an X-axis running from a rear side to a front side of the seat 1 , and the pitch axis 9 is parallel to the Y-axis.

The seat tilting system 3 comprises in an exemplary embodiment a support frame 1 1 , e.g. plates, tubes or vertical plates, to support the seat 1 , at least one front track FT mounted on the support frame 1 1 and inclined upwards toward a front side of the support frame 1 1 , at least one rear track RT mounted on the support frame 1 1 and inclined upwards toward a rear side of the support frame 1 1 , a universal joint 17 movable along the front track FT and coupleable to a front portion of the seat 1 so that the seat 1 is tiltable around a roll axis 7 running between a rear side and a front side of the support frame 1 1 , a joint 19, e.g. a ball joint or swivel joint, slidable along the rear track RT and coupleable to a rear portion of the seat 1 , and a swivel system 21 onto which the support frame 1 1 is mounted and which makes the support frame 1 1 rotatable around a yaw axis 5.

In another exemplary embodiment, the seat tilting system 3 comprises two front tracks 13, 14 and two rear tracks 15, 16 mounted on the support frame 1 1 , wherein the universal joint 17 is movable along the front tracks 13, 14 and coupled to the front portion of the seat 1 and the ball joint 19 is slidable along the rear tracks 15, 16 and coupled to the rear portion of the seat 1 .

The two rear tracks 15, 16 and the two front tracks 13, 14 are angled with respect to each other and with respect to a horizontal plane, e.g. a vehicle floor 27. The rear tracks 15, 16 and the front tracks 13, 14 are arranged with respect to each other in a V-shaped manner. Furthermore, the at least two rear tracks 15, 16 are arranged in parallel to each other. The at least two front tracks 13, 14 are arranged in parallel to each other, too.

The swivel system 21 is arranged to rotate the support frame 1 1 around the yaw axis 5. The swivel system 21 is lockable in any rotational state and is adjustable manually, or power-driven by a rotary actuator or a linear actuator or a synchronous motor. The swivel system 21 may be configured as a swivel ring 21 .1 driven by a motor. The swivel ring 21 .1 horizontally rotates with respect to a vehicle floor 27 or a respective support structure (shown in figure 21 ).

The universal joint 17 is coupled to a connecting member 22 of the seat 1 which extends downwards from the front portion of the seat 1 . The coupling of the universal joint 17 and the connecting member 22 is rotatable around the roll axis 7 (shown in figure 3). The roll axis 7 runs through the ball joint 19 and the coupling of the universal joint 17 and the connecting member 22 (shown in figures 3 to 5).

The universal joint 17 of the embodiment shown in figures 1 to 5 comprises two rotary actuators A1 , A2. A first rotary actuator 17.1 of the universal joint 17 allows to tilt the seat 1 around the roll axis 7. The tilting of the seat 1 around the roll axis 7 is made possible by the rotatable coupling of the connecting member 22 to the universal joint 17 and by the ball joint 19 coupling the rear portion of the seat 1 to the rear tracks 15, 16.

The front tracks 13, 14 are inclined upwards toward a front side of the support frame 1 1 . The rear tracks 15, 16 are inclined upwards toward a rear side of the support frame 1 1 . For tilting the seat 1 around the pitch axis 9, the universal joint 17 is moved up or down along the front tracks 13, 14 while the ball joint 19 accordingly slides down or up along the rear tracks 15, 16 so that the whole seat 1 slides along the tracks 13 to 16 and thereby is tilted around the pitch axis 9. The tilting of the seat 1 around the pitch axis 9 is made possible by a second rotary actuator 17.2 of the universal joint 17 and by the ball joint 19.

The universal joint 17 is lockable in any state and to any position along the front tracks 13, 14. That makes the seat 1 lockable in any roll-pitch-state that is reachable by tilting it around the roll axis 7 and/or the pitch axis 9. In place of a universal joint 17 comprising two lockable rotary actuators 17.1 , 17.2 any other lockable type of universal joint may be used that allows tilting around the roll axis 7 and the pitch axis 9.

The universal joint 17 may be adjustable manually. The manual controls may comprise a release handle 23 to unlock the universal joint 17. Alternatively the universal joint 17 may be adjustable power-driven via a power controller. In this case the power controls may comprise a switch, such as a joy stick or a space ball or the like, to adjust the seat 1 .

Alternatively, especially when the seat 1 is a vehicle seat, the power controls could be set to an automated function to adjust the seat 1 automatically, for instance in order to keep an occupant of the seat 1 centered in the seat 1 while the vehicle 25 moves.

Figure 1 shows the seat 1 in a first position which is a standard position. In this position the seat 1 is fully upright.

Figure 2 shows the seat 1 in a second position in which the seat 1 has been tilted rearwardly around the pitch axis 9 relative to the first position shown in figure 1 . This might be called a rearward pitch of the seat 1 .

Figures 3 and 4 show the seat 1 in a third position in which the seat 1 has been tilted to the left (in a perspective of an occupant of the seat 1 ) around the roll axis 7 relative to the first position shown in figure 1 . This might be called a left roll of the seat 1 . Figure 3 shows a perspective front view as in figure 1 , figure 4 shows a perspective rear view.

Figure 5 shows the seat 1 in a fourth position in which the seat 1 has been tilted to the right (in a perspective of an occupant of the seat 1 ) around the roll axis 7 relative to the first position shown in figure 1 . This might be called a right roll of the seat 1 .

Figure 6 shows schematically a sectional view of a vehicle 25 having a vehicle seat 1 and a seat tilting system 3 as shown in figures 1 to 5. The swivel system 21 is mounted onto a vehicle floor 27 of the vehicle 25. List of References

1 seat

3 seat tilting system

5 yaw axis

7 roll axis

9 pitch axis

1 1 support frame

13, 14 front track

15, 16 rear track

17 universal joint

17.1 , 71 .2 rotary actuator

19 ball joint

21 swivel system

21 .1 swivel ring

22 connecting member

23 release handle

25 vehicle

27 vehicle floor

FT front track

RT rear track

X, Y, Z Cartesian coordinate

Claims

1 . A seat tilting system (3) for tilting a seat (1 ), the seat tilting system (3) comprising:

a support frame (1 1 ) to support the seat (1 );

at least one front track (FT, 13, 14) mounted on the support frame and inclined upwards toward a front side of the support frame (1 1 );

at least one rear track (RT, 15, 16) mounted on the support frame (1 1 ) and inclined upwards toward a rear side of the support frame (1 1 ); a universal joint (17) movable along the front track (FT,13,14) and coupleable to a front portion of the seat (1 ) so that the seat (1 ) is tiltable around a roll axis (7) running between a rear side and a front side of the support frame (1 1 );

a joint (19) slidable along the rear track (RT,15,16) and coupleable to a rear portion of the seat (1 );

and a swivel system (21 ) onto which the support frame (1 1 ) is mounted and which makes the support frame (1 1 ) rotatable around a yaw axis (5).

2. The seat tilting system (3) according to claim 1 , wherein the rear

track (RT, 15, 16) and the front track (FT, 13, 14) are angled with respect to each other and with respect to a horizontal plane.

3. The seat tilting system (3) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least two rear tracks (RT, 15, 16) are arranged in parallel to each other.

4. The seat tilting system (3) according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein at least two front tracks (FT, 13, 14) are arranged in parallel to each other.

5. The seat tilting system (3) according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the universal joint (17) is lockable in any state and to any position along the front track (FT, 13, 14).

6. The seat tilting system (3) according to anyone of the preceding claims, comprising a release handle (23) to manually unlock the universal joint (17).

7. The seat tilting system (3) according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the joint (19) is lockable to any position along the rear track (RT.15,16).

8. The seat tilting system (3) according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the universal joint (17) comprises at least one rotary

actuator (17.1 , 17.2) for tilting the seat (1 ) around the roll axis (7) and/or around a pitch axis (9) perpendicular to the roll axis (7).

9. The seat tilting system (3) according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the universal joint (17) is adjustable manually or power-driven.

10. The seat tilting system (3) according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the swivel system (21 ) is lockable in any rotational state.

1 1 . The seat tilting system (3) according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the swivel system (21 ) is adjustable manually, or power-driven by a rotary actuator or a linear actuator.

12. The seat tilting system (3) according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the swivel system (21 ) is configured as a swivel ring (21 .1 ).

13. Vehicle (25) having a vehicle seat (1 ) and a seat tilting system (3)

according to anyone of the preceding claims for tilting the vehicle seat (1 ).