Patent ID: 6604619
Filing Date: 2003-08-12
Classification: B60N

Abstract:
A two-directional manual drive which produces a rotational movement for manually adjusting a vehicle seat, the manual drive comprising:a drive lever having a neutral position, wherein the drive lever can pivot around a drive axis in a selective manner in one of two rotational directions; a driven element having a cylindrical driving surface arranged concentric with the drive axis, the driven element being rotated only when the drive lever is rotated away from the neutral position and the driven element is not displaced when the drive lever is moved into the neutral position with; coupling elements mounted between the drive element and the driven element to transfer torque on a drive side to the driven element, each of the coupling elements having spaced flanks; the drive element mounted between the spaced flanks of the coupling elements, wherein the spaced flanks are arranged at such a distance from the drive axis that rotation of the drive element interacts with the coupling elements producing a substantially radially aligned force which produces friction engagement between the coupling elements and the driving surface of the driven element so that when the drive lever is rotated out of the neutral position in each of the rotational directions, bearing surfaces of the coupling elements are placed with frictional engagement against the driving surface of the driven element and the driven element is moved in the direction of the periphery; and wherein, when the drive lever is returned to the neutral position from each of the two rotational directions, the bearing surfaces of the coupling elements are released from frictional engagement with respect to the cylindrical driving surface.