Abstract:
A bearing arrangement ( 5 ) between two components ( 9, 12 ) that can be pivoted relative to each other about an axis (A), particularly of a vehicle seat ( 1 ), has two bearing elements ( 7, 10 ) that can be pivoted relative to each other about the axis (A), and a bushing ( 20 ) that is disposed axially and/or radially between the bearing elements ( 7, 10 ). The bushing has resilient sections ( 20   a   , 20   b ) for the axial and/or radial compensation for play. The bushing ( 20 ) has a disk section ( 20   a ) acting as a disk spring for the axial compensation of play, and a barrel section ( 20   b ) acting as a barrel spring for the radial compensation of play.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a United States National Phase application of International Application PCT/EP2007/010495 and claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 of German Patent Application DE 10 2006 060 829.1 filed Dec. 22, 2006, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates to a bearing arrangement between two components, in particular of a vehicle seat, which can pivot relative to one another about an axis, having two bearing elements which can pivot relative to one another about the axis and a bearing bushing which is arranged axially and/or radially between the bearing elements. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    DE 299 24 397 U1 discloses a bearing arrangement of this type having a bearing position and a pipe as bearing elements, in which bearing arrangement the bearing position holds in a rotationally fixed fashion a bearing bushing which is made of plastic and into which the pipe is inserted. Projecting elastic elements are integrally formed on the bearing bushing and they bear against the pipe in order to prestress it in the axial and radial directions and/or to center it. This compensates play which is present. In DE 103 29 237 A1, a bearing arrangement having a bearing position and a bolt as bearing elements is proposed, in which bearing arrangement initially undeformed deformation areas are provided at the bearing position and said deformation areas are deformed plastically before or after mounting in order to bear against the bolt and support it free of play. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The invention is based on the object of improving a bearing arrangement of the type mentioned at the beginning. This object is achieved according to the invention by means of a bearing arrangement having two bearing elements which can pivot relative to one another about an axis and a bearing bushing which is arranged axially and/or radially between the bearing elements and which has resilient sections for axial and/or radial compensation of play. The bearing bushing has a disk section providing an axial compensation of play and a barrel section providing a radial compensation of play. 
         [0005]    As a result of the fact that the bearing bushing has a disk section which acts as a disk spring for axial compensation of play and a barrel section which acts as a barrel spring for radial compensation of play, a compact and robust component is made available which is easy to manufacture and to mount and can also combine a plurality of functions in itself. 
         [0006]    The compensation of play is effected by building up prestress when the bearing arrangement is assembled, on the basis of elastic deformation of the sections of the bearing bushing, with each section being preferably assigned to precisely one direction for the compensation of play. The deformation is preferably brought about by virtue of the fact that the dimensions of the bearing bushing are larger in the direction of the assembling process, generally the axial direction, than the corresponding dimensions of the bearing elements, their sections and/or the components. As a result, compression occurs in the axial direction and widening occurs in the radial direction. 
         [0007]    For an easily joined press fit which is difficult to release again, the bearing bushing preferably has at least one projection toward a bearing element, which projection initially deforms owing to the movement when assembly occurs but digs into the rough surface of the bearing element and therefore prevents disassembly. 
         [0008]    The invention will be explained in more detail below on the basis of an exemplary embodiment which is illustrated in the drawing. The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    In the drawings: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a sectional view through the exemplary embodiment according to the invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a schematic side view of a vehicle seat with a bearing arrangement according to the invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the exemplary embodiment; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is an exploded illustration of the bearing arrangement shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the bearing bushing according to the invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a side view of the bearing bushing according to the invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a sectional view along the line VII-VII in  FIG. 6 ; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is an enlarged view of the region VIII in  FIG. 7 . 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0018]    Referring to the drawings in particular, a vehicle seat  1  of a motor vehicle has a bearing arrangement  5  at least between two components which can pivot relative to one another. Such components can be, for example, the rockers, bearing blocks and seat frame side components of a vertical adjuster. The vehicle seat  1  preferably has a plurality of the bearing arrangements  5  which are embodied according to the invention. 
         [0019]    The bearing arrangement  5  comprises a first bearing element  7  in the form of a receptacle, hollow bushing or the like, which is formed in a first component  9  of the two components or assigned to it, and a second bearing element  10  in the form of a bolt, pipe, cylindrical section or the like, which forms the second component  12 , is formed thereon or is assigned to it in some other way. In the mounted state, the first bearing element  7  which is arranged on the outside encloses the second bearing element  10  which is arranged on the inside. The two bearing elements  7  and  10  have a cross section about the pivot axis A which is circular with respect to the relative pivot axis A of the two bearing elements  7  and  10 . The pivot axis A defines the directional information (radial and axial directions) used herein. 
         [0020]    The first bearing element  7  is embodied as a, preferably metallic, bushing and has a first flange  7   a  on one end side and a first bearing face  7   b  on the opposite end side. The axial length of the first bearing element  7 , i.e. the distance between the end side with the first flange  7   a  and the first bearing face  7   b , is denoted by y 7 . The first component  9  is a component of the structure of the seat part of the vehicle seat  1  which is flat in the region of the bearing arrangement  5  and has an opening into which the first bearing element  7  is pressed to such an extent that the first flange  7   a  bears against the first component  9 . On the other side of the first component  9 , the first bearing element  7  can be welded to the first component  9 . 
         [0021]    The second bearing element  10  is embodied as a, preferably metallic, bolt. The second bearing element  10  has a second flange  10   a  on an end side, axially adjoining a collar  10   b  and a threaded section  10   c  which axially adjoins the latter and has an external thread. The diameter of the collar  10   b  is larger than the diameter of the threaded section  10   c . The shoulder owing to this difference in diameter defines a second bearing face  10   d . The axial length of the collar  10   b , i.e. the distance between the side of the second flange  10   a , located toward the collar  10   b , and the second bearing face  10   d  is denoted by y 10 . The second component according to this embodiment is an element of the structure of the backrest of the vehicle seat  1  which is flat in the region of the bearing arrangement  5  and has a weld nut or some other internally threaded carrier. The second bearing element  10  has to be screwed with its threaded section  10   c  into the second component  12  until the collar  10   b  comes to bear, with the shoulder adjoining the threaded section  10   c , against the second component  12 . The bearing arrangement  5  therefore forms a rotary bearing for the backrest. 
         [0022]    A bearing bushing  20  is provided for radial, and in certain areas axial, arrangement between the two bearing elements  7  and  10 . The bearing bushing  20  is preferably composed of plastic. The bearing bushing  20  which is manufactured in one piece has a mushroom-like shape with a disk-shaped head, referred to below for short as disk section  20   a , and an axially adjoining hollow section, referred to below for short as barrel section  20   b . The end side of the barrel section  20   b  which faces away from the disk section  20   a  defines a third bearing face  20   c . The axial length of the bearing bushing  20 , i.e. the distance between the end side, facing away from the barrel section  20   b , of the disk section  20   a  and the third bearing face  20   c  is denoted by y 20 . The axial material thickness of the disk section  20   a  is denoted by y 21 . The axial length of the disk section  20   a , that is to say the axial distance between the end side of the bearing bushing  20  and the edge of the disk section  20   a  which is located on the outside is denoted by y 22 . Near to the disk section  20   a , the hollow barrel section  20   b  has, on its inner side, at least one projection  20   d  which projects into the interior of the barrel section  20   b  and has a very small dimension in the radial direction compared to the internal diameter of the barrel section  20   b . The integrally formed projection  20   d  preferably runs around once in the circumferential direction as an annular bead, but it can also be embodied in the form of knobs, claws or other island-like portions of material. 
         [0023]    The bearing bushing  20  is conceived in such a way that it simultaneously performs three functions, which are described below. In order to assemble the bearing position  5 , the bearing bushing  20  is pushed onto the second bearing element  10 , i.e. with the disk section  20   a  in front the barrel section  20   b  is pushed onto the collar  10   b  from the threaded section  10   c  until the disk section  20   a  comes to bear, with the end side of the bearing bushing  20 , against the second flange  10   a , as a result of which a bearing bolt assembly is produced. The projection  22  deforms—elastically and/or plastically—during this movement in such a way that although the bearing bushing  20  can initially easily be pushed onto the collar  10   b , after this the projection  20   d  and the rough surface of the collar  10   b  dig into one another so that the bearing bushing  20  can no longer come away. The first function of the bearing bushing  20  is therefore an easily joined press fit. 
         [0024]    The bearing bolt assembly is then introduced into the first bearing element  7  which is arranged permanently in the first component  9 , in which case radial play is generally present owing to tolerances. The threaded section  10   c  is then screwed into the second component  12 . The axial length y 20  of the bearing bushing  20  is selected to be somewhat larger than the axial length y 10  of the collar  10   b . The bearing bushing  20  therefore comes to bear, with its third bearing face  20   c , against the second component  12  before the second bearing element  10  comes to bear, with the second bearing face  10   d  on the collar  10   b , against the second component  12 . Under the pressure which builds up, the barrel section  20   b  begins to deform elastically to form a barrel until the second bearing face  10   d  comes to bear against the second component  12 . This barrel spring which is formed in this way and is prestressed by compression eliminates the radial play between the bearing bushing  20  and the first bearing element  7 . This is the second function of the bearing bushing  20 . 
         [0025]    The axial length y 7  of the first bearing element  7  is selected to be somewhat smaller than the axial length y 10  of the collar  10   b  minus the axial material thickness y 21  of the disk section  20   a  of the bearing bushing  20 , so that the first bearing element  7  is not screwed in a nonmovable fashion to the second component  12  but rather axial play is available for the relative movement. On the other hand, the axial length y 22  of the disk section  20   a  is selected to be somewhat larger than the sum of the axial material thickness y 8  of the first flange  7   a  and the axial material thickness y 21  of the disk section  20   a , and the disk section  20   a  is configured to engage over the first flange  7   a . The disk section  20   a  therefore comes to bear with its edge against the first component  9  before the disk section  20   a  comes to bear against the first flange  7   a , i.e. the end side of the first bearing element, or the first bearing face  7   b  comes to bear against the second component  12 . Under the pressure which builds up, the disk section  20   a  begins to deform elastically until the first bearing face  7   b  comes to bear against the second component  12 . This prestressed disk spring which is formed in this way eliminates the axial play between the two bearing elements  7  and  10  and components  9  and  12 . This is the third function of the bearing bushing  20 . 
         [0026]    While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.