Abstract:
An automotive power seat arrangement includes an automobile passenger seat connected to an automobile body. A plurality of mechanisms engage the seat. Each of the mechanisms moves the seat relative to the body in a respective manner. Each of a plurality of motors drives a respective one of the mechanisms. A frame retains each of the motors in parallel, releasable, snap-lock engagement.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention.  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to automotive power seat systems and, more particularly, to motor assemblies for automotive power seat systems.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art.  
         [0004]     Motor systems including multiple motors are used in a variety of applications, including automotive systems, for adjustably moving an object in different directions. For example, multiple motors may be used in automotive power seat applications in order to move the entire seat in forward and rearward directions, and to move the front and rear of the seat independently in upward and downward directions. The power seat motors are typically placed together in a “multi-pack” type configuration just below the seat that they actuate.  
         [0005]     In known versions of “multi-packs”, i.e., multiple motor packages, the motors are sandwiched between two plastic end frames. The two end frames may hold together all of the components needed to enable the multi-pack to meet requirements for electro-magnetic compatibility/radio frequency interference, performance, sound, and motor spacing. If a new application of the multi-pack has a different set of requirements, then a different set of end frames is typically required. It has also been observed that creating a packaging design can be very difficult due to requirements that the multi-pack occupy a limited amount of space.  
         [0006]     Another problem is that if some portion of the multi-pack fails and troubleshooting is required, then the entire multi-pack must be disassembled. More particularly, an entire end frame must be removed, thereby exposing and releasing each of the motors in the multi-pack. It is possible that all motors of the multi-pack must be removed in order to replace one failed motor. These actions leave open the possibility of damaging motors that were in good working order before disassembly, or even damaging or destroying the entire multi-pack.  
         [0007]     What is needed in the art is a multi-motor packaging system that can be serviced without disassembling, and possibly damaging, the entire packaging system.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0008]     The present invention provides an automotive power seat arrangement including a multi-motor packaging assembly in which individual motors may be independently removed and inserted. A monolithic frame includes snap-locking features that cooperate with snap-locking features on the motors such that each individual motor may be quickly and easily secured to and released from the frame. The frame may retain the motors in parallel relationship to each other. The frame may also include channels that retain wires that carry power and communication signals to and from the motors and their associated electronics.  
         [0009]     The monolithic frame of the present invention offers flexibility by allowing the use of individual, current production motor segments that meet or are close to meeting current and new sets of application requirements without having to redesign the component connections. The overall assembly of the “multi-pack” is also less labor intensive due to the fact that new shell-to-end frame crimp tooling is not required. The frame allows the individual motor segments to slide and “snap” into place. Having individual motor segments enables removal of only the “problem” segment while leaving the other segments in place, thereby avoiding possible damage to non-problematic segments in the event that troubleshooting is required. Monolithic frame multi-packs can also be built modularly. All the components can be built into sub-assemblies. Current designs of multi-packs do not offer this feature, thereby adding to the labor intensiveness of manufacturing.  
         [0010]     The invention comprises, in one form thereof, an automotive power seat arrangement including an automobile passenger seat connected to an automobile body. A plurality of mechanisms engage the seat. Each of the mechanisms moves the seat relative to the body in a respective manner. Each of a plurality of motors drives a respective one of the mechanisms. A frame retains each of the motors in parallel, releasable, snap-lock engagement.  
         [0011]     The present invention comprises, in another form thereof, an automotive power seat motor assembly including a plurality of motors. Each of the motors includes a first snap-locking feature and actuates a passenger seat of an automobile in a different respective manner. A monolithic frame includes a plurality of second snap-locking features each cooperating with a respective one of the first snap-locking features such that the frame retains each of the motors, and each of the motors is independently releasable from the frame.  
         [0012]     The present invention comprises, in yet another form thereof, an automotive power seat motor assembly including a plurality of motors. Each of the motors includes a first snap-locking feature and a ferrule defining a longitudinal axis. Each motor actuates a function of a passenger seat of an automobile. A frame includes a plurality of sockets. Each of the sockets retains a respective one of the motors. Each socket has a respective opening facing along the longitudinal axis and through which the respective motor may be inserted. Each socket has a respective second snap-locking feature cooperating with the first snap locking feature of the respective motor such that each of the motors may be independently locked into and independently released from the respective socket. At least one channel extends across the sockets in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axes. A wire harness assembly includes a plurality of motor connectors each in electrical communication with a respective one of the motors via wires extending through the at least one channel of the frame.  
         [0013]     An advantage of the present invention is that individual motors may be inserted into and removed from the frame without disturbing the other motors.  
         [0014]     Another advantage is that the frame can accommodate different motor designs. Thus, a different pair of end frames does not need to be designed for each set of motors that are required for a particular application.  
         [0015]     Yet another advantage is that the initial assembly of the motor assembly is less labor intensive because the motor shells do not need to be crimped to the end frame. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]     The above mentioned and other features and objects of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of one embodiment of an automotive power seat arrangement of the present invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of the motor assembly of the automotive power seat arrangement of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 3  is a top perspective view of the frame and wire harness assembly of the motor assembly of  FIG. 2 , from a different angle than  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0020]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the motor assembly of  FIG. 2  taken along line  4 - 4 ; and  
         [0021]      FIG. 5  is a fragmentary, perspective view of the snap-locking features of the motor and frame of the motor assembly of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0022]     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the invention, the embodiments disclosed below are not intended to be exhaustive or to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention to the precise forms disclosed. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0023]      FIG. 1  illustrates one embodiment of an automotive power seat arrangement  10  of the present invention including an automobile passenger seat  12  connected to an automobile body  14 , a plurality of mechanisms  16   a - c , and a motor assembly  18 . Seat  12  may be pivotable in directions indicated by double arrow  20  about a pivot  22 . Seat  12  may be adjustably connected to body  14  via mechanism  16   a  such that seat  12  may be moved in forward and rearward directions indicated by double arrow  24 . Seat  12  may also be adjustably connected to body  14  via mechanism  16   b  such that a rear portion  26  of seat  12  may be moved in upward and downward directions indicated by double arrow  28 . Seat  12  may further be adjustably connected to body  14  via mechanism  16   c  such that a front portion  30  of seat  12  may be moved in upward and downward directions  28 .  
         [0024]     Mechanism  16   a  includes a gear box  32   a  driving a lead screw  34   a  that is capable of turning a nut  36   a  that is threadedly coupled to an adjustment shaft  38   a . Ferrule  48   a  connects motor  40   a  to gear box  32   a  and houses a flex cable (not shown) which transmits driving force from the armature of motor  40   a  to gear box  32   a  which in turn then drives lead screw  34   a . As lead screw  34   a  rotates, nut  36   a  rotates in one direction or the other about shaft  38   a  to thereby cause shaft  38   a  to move in one of the forward and rearward directions  24 . Nut  36   a  may have a position that is fixed relative to directions  24 . Shaft  38   a  may be rigidly attached to seat  12  such that forward and rearward movement of shaft  38   a  may cause corresponding forward and rearward movement of seat  12 . Similarly, mechanism  16   b  includes a gear box  32   b  driving a lead screw  34   b  that is capable of turning a nut  36   b  that is threadedly coupled to an adjustment shaft  38   b . Ferrule  48   b  connects motor  40   b  to gear box  32   b  and houses a flex cable (not shown) which transmits driving force from the armature of motor  40   b  to gear box  32   b  which in turn then drives lead screw  34   b . As lead screw  34   b  rotates, nut  36   b  rotates in one direction or the other about shaft  38   b  to thereby cause shaft  38   b  to move in one of the upward and downward directions  28 . Nut  36   b  may have a position that is fixed relative to directions  28 . Shaft  38   b  may be rigidly attached to rear portion  26  of seat  12  such that upward and downward movement of shaft  38   b  may cause corresponding upward and downward movement of rear portion  26 . The vertical position of front portion  30  of seat  12  may remain unchanged during the upward/downward movements of rear portion  26 . Lastly, mechanism  16   c  includes a gear box  32   c  driving a lead screw  34   c  that is capable of turning a nut  36   c  that is threadedly coupled to an adjustable shaft  38   c . Ferrule  48   c  connects motor  40   c  to gear box  32   c  and houses a flex cable (not shown) which transmits driving force from the armature of motor  40   c  to gear box  32   c  which in turn then drives lead screw  34   c . As lead screw  34   c  rotates, nut  36   c  rotates in one direction or the other about shaft  38   c  to thereby cause shaft  38   c  to move in one of the upward and downward directions  28 . Nut  36   c  may have a position that is fixed relative to directions  28 . Shaft  38   c  may be rigidly attached to front portion  30  of seat  12  such that upward and downward movement of shaft  38   c  may cause corresponding upward and downward movement of front portion  30 . The vertical position of rear portion  26  of seat  12  may remain unchanged during the upward/downward movements of front portion  30 . Adjustment of mechanisms  16   b  and  16   c  facilitate pivoting of seat  12  about pivot  22  in the directions indicated by double arrow  20 .  
         [0025]     Motor assembly  18  includes motors  40   a - c  and optionally electronic rotational measurement devices  42   a - c , all of which may be retained in a monolithic frame  44 . Motor assembly  18  may also include a wire harness assembly  45  having a motor wire harness  46  and a rotational measurement wire harness  47 . Motor wire harness  46  may be electrically connected to motors  40   a - c , and rotational measurement wire harness  47  may be electrically connected to electronic rotational measurement devices  42   a - c . Each of motors  40   a - c  includes a respective ferrule  48   a - c  for housing flex cables used to drive respective gear boxes  32   a - c . Devices  42   a - c  may be in the form of potentiometers for measuring the rotational position and/or number of rotations of the respective motor from an initial reference position that may be established at the factory when motor assembly  18  is first manufactured. Devices  42   a - c  may be externally attached to motors  40   a - c , externally positioned with respect to motors  40   a - c  (i.e., not actually attached to motors  40   a - c ), or internally attached within motors  40   a - c . Devices  42   a - c  may include Hall Effect sensors and/or memory devices associated therewith.  
         [0026]     Automotive power seat motor assembly  18  is illustrated in more detail in  FIG. 2 . Frame  44  may be formed of a single, monolithic, i.e., unitary or integral, piece of semi-rigid or semi-flexible plastic, for example. As best shown in  FIG. 3 , frame  44  includes sockets  50   a - c  for retaining motors  40   a - c , respectively. Sockets  50   a - c  may be oriented parallel to each other such that longitudinal axes  52   a - c  defined by ferrules  48   a - c , respectively, are oriented parallel to each other when motors  40   a - c  are retained by frame  44 . Each of sockets  50   a - c  has a respective one of openings  54   a - c  facing along a respective one of the longitudinal axes  52   a - c . Each of motors  40   a - c  may be inserted into a respective one of sockets  50   a - c  through a respective one of openings  54   a - c . Each socket  50   a - c  of frame  44  may include a respective ferrule passage  56  ( FIG. 3 ) that is disposed opposite of a respective one of openings  50   a - c . Only one ferrule passage  56 , i.e., the ferrule passage  56  associated with socket  50   c , is shown in  FIG. 3  for ease of illustration. However, it is to be understood that sockets  50   a  and  50   b  also have ferrule passages  56  that may be substantially identical to passage  56  of socket  50   c  in terms of size, shape and placement. Each ferrule passage  56  may receive a respective one of ferrules  48   a - c  of motors  40   a - c.    
         [0027]     Each of sockets  50   a - c  may include a pair of opposing snap-locking features. More particularly, socket  50   a  includes cantilevers  58   a ,  60   a , socket  50   b  includes cantilevers  58   b ,  60   b , and socket  50   c  includes cantilevers  58   c ,  60   c . All three pairs of cantilevers  58 ,  60  may be substantially identical, and thus only one pair, cantilevers  58   b ,  60   b , will be described in detail herein. Cantilevers  58   b ,  60   b  have respective, vertically-oriented catches  62   b ,  64   b  that project or extend in radially inward directions, i.e., toward each other, as best shown in  FIG. 4 .  
         [0028]     Motor  40   b  is shown in  FIG. 4  as including its own pair of opposing snap-locking features in the form of vertically oriented slots  66 ,  68  that are cut into a steel housing  70  of motor  40   b . Slots  66 ,  68  may cooperate with catches  62   b ,  64   b  to releasably lock motor  40   b  in socket  50   b .  FIG. 5  shows motor  40   b  just before being completely inserted into socket  50   b , and hence just before catch  62   b  latches into slot  66 . When motor  40   b  is fully inserted into socket  50   b , catch  62   b  latches in vertical slot  66  of motor  40   b  to thereby lock motor  40   b  in socket  50   b . Before motor  40   b  is fully inserted, however, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the side of motor housing  70  pushes cantilever  58   b  radially outward. Because frame  44  may be formed of a material that is at least semi-flexible, cantilever  58   b  may arch or bend radially outwardly while motor  40   b  is in the process of being inserted into socket  50   b . In the flexed state, a proximal end  72  of cantilever  58   b  may be relatively unmoved because of its attachment to the body  74  of socket  50   b . However, a distal end  76  of cantilever  58   b  may be flexed to the greatest extent in the radially outward direction. Upon motor  40   b  being fully inserted in socket  50   b , cantilever  58   b , no longer being outwardly biased by housing  70 , springs back in a radially inward direction, thereby allowing catch  62   b  to fall into and latch into slot  66 .  
         [0029]     In order to remove a motor from an associated socket, cantilevers  58   b ,  60   b  may be simultaneously flexed in opposite radially outward directions, such as by a user&#39;s fingers or with the aid of tools such as screwdrivers, to thereby release catches  62   b ,  64   b  from slots  66 ,  68 . After this disengagement of catches  62   b ,  64   b  from slots  66 ,  68 , motor  40   b  is unlocked and may be pulled out of socket  50   b.    
         [0030]     Although the operation of one pair of cooperating snap-locking features is described above, it is to be understood that the description also applies to catch  64   b  and slot  68 . Further, motors  40   a ,  40   c  include slots (not shown) that are substantially identical to slots  66 ,  68 ; and cantilevers  58   a ,  58   c ,  60   a ,  60   c  are substantially identical to cantilevers  58   b ,  60   b . Thus, the structure and operation of the slots of motors  40   a ,  40   c  and of cantilevers  58   a ,  58   c ,  60   a ,  60   c  are not described in detail herein. Thus, the cooperating snap-locking features of motors  40   a ,  40   b ,  40   c  and of sockets  50   a ,  50   b ,  50   c  enable each of motors  40   a ,  40   b ,  40   c  to be independently locked into and independently released from respective sockets  50   a ,  50   b ,  50   c.    
         [0031]     Motor wire harness  46  includes a bundle of motor wires  78  attached to a main motor connector  80  and individual motor connectors  82   a - c . Main motor connector  80  and individual motor connectors  82   a - c  may be electrically connected to brushes (not shown) of motors  40   a - c  via motor wires  78 . Rotational measurement wire harness  47  includes a bundle of measurement wires  84  attached to a main measurement connector  86  and individual measurement connectors  88   a - c . Main measurement connector  86  and individual measurement connectors  88   a - c  may be electrically connected to measurement devices  42   a - c  via measurement wires  84 . As shown in  FIGS. 2-3 , frame  44  includes cantilevered walls  90   a - b ,  92 ,  94   a - b  which, along with cantilever  60   b , define a channel  96 . Channel  96  may be oriented, and may extend across sockets  50   a - c , in directions  98  substantially perpendicular to longitudinal axes  52 . Measurement wires  84  may be retained within channel  96 .  
         [0032]     Frame  44  includes cantilevered walls  100 ,  102   a - b ,  104 ,  106   a - b  which, along with socket bodies  74   a - b , define a channel  108 . Channel  108  may be oriented, and may extend across sockets  50   a - c , in directions  98  substantially perpendicular to longitudinal axes  52 . Channel  108  may be substantially parallel to channel  96 . Motor wires  78  may be retained within channel  108 .  
         [0033]     As described above, channels  96 ,  108  may hold wires  84 ,  78 , respectively, within frame  44  such that wires  78 ,  84  do not extend away from frame  44 . If wires  78 ,  84  were otherwise free to hang loose away from frame  44 , wires  78 ,  84  may be susceptible to getting snagged on surrounding objects, which could make installation of arrangement  10  difficult and possibly result in damage to wires  78 ,  84 .  
         [0034]     While this invention has been described as having an exemplary design, the present invention may be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles.