Eccentricity prevention device for pumping device

The present invention relates to an eccentricity prevention device for a pumping device, which reduces an eccentric movement of an internal component due to an external force while reducing a free movement of a pumping lever, the eccentricity prevention device including a lever bracket coupled to the pumping lever, a housing having a clutch device provided therein and coupled to a position facing the lever bracket by the clutch device, and an elastic member elastically supported on the lever bracket while providing an elastic restoring force in a direction in which an eccentric movement of the clutch device being bent with respect to a rotation axis is canceled.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an eccentricity prevention device for a pumping device, which reduces an eccentric movement of an internal component due to an external force while reducing a free movement of a pumping lever.

BACKGROUND ART

A pumping device refers to a device installed in a seat to allow a person seated in the seat to manually adjust a height of a seat cushion to a height suitable for a body type of the person.

When the person seated in the seat manipulates a pumping lever, which is installed on a lateral surface of the seat cushion, clockwise or counterclockwise, an operating force of the pumping lever is transmitted to a link mechanism through the seat pumping device, and the seat cushion is moved upward or downward depending on a direction in which the pumping lever is manipulated, such that the height of the seat cushion is adjusted.

A configuration of the pumping device will be briefly described. The pumping device includes a lever bracket integrally coupled to the pumping lever and configured to rotate, a housing having a drum shape and installed in the seat cushion, a clutch device accommodated in the housing and configured to rotate by receiving a rotational force, which is provided from the pumping lever, from the lever bracket, a brake device configured to block reversely inputted torque and maintain an adjusted height of the seat cushion; and a housing cover coupled to one side of the housing and configured to cover the housing.

In the case of the pumping device, the pumping lever and the lever bracket are integrally coupled. Therefore, when a force is applied to the pumping lever in a transverse direction, the lever bracket is also rotated, which makes it difficult to maintain a gap formed between the lever bracket and the housing to a predetermined level.

That is, the large gap causes a problem in that the amount of clearance of the pumping lever increases. Further, the small gap causes a problem in that friction occurs between components, an operating force increases or operational noise and abnormal noise occur, which causes a problem with quality.

Moreover, rotation axes of the clutch device and the brake device, which rotate together with the lever bracket, are eccentrically arranged, which causes a problem in that the components provided in the housing are caught by an inner wall surface of the housing, and a clearance occurs between the internal components.

As the related art, there is KR 10-1947534 B.

DISCLOSURE

Technical Problem

The present invention has been made in an effort to solve the above-mentioned problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an eccentricity prevention device for a pumping device, which reduces an eccentric movement of an internal component due to an external force while reducing a free movement of a pumping lever.

Technical Solution

To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides an eccentricity prevention device for a pumping device, the eccentricity prevention device including: a lever bracket coupled to a pumping lever; a housing having a clutch device provided therein and coupled to a position facing the lever bracket by the clutch device; and an elastic member elastically supported on the lever bracket while providing an elastic restoring force in a direction in which an eccentric movement of the clutch device being bent with respect to a rotation axis is canceled.

A through-hole may be formed in one surface of the housing that faces the lever bracket, and the elastic member may be provided between an inner surface of the housing and the clutch device and supported on the lever bracket while penetrating the through-hole.

The elastic member may include: a clutch support portion having a wave shape in a circumferential direction and provided between the inner surface of the housing and the clutch device; and a bracket support portion protruding toward the lever bracket from the clutch support portion and configured to penetrate the through-hole.

One surface of the clutch support portion may be supported on an inner surface of a cylindrical drum part provided at a center of the housing, the other surface of the clutch support portion may be supported on a rim surface of a clutch drum provided to surround the clutch device, the rim surface of the clutch drum may face the inner surface of the drum part, one end of the bracket support portion may be fixed to one surface of the clutch support portion, and the other end of the bracket support portion may be supported on the lever bracket facing the housing.

One surface of the clutch support portion may be in contact with the inner surface of the drum part while being disposed on the same plane as the inner surface of the drum part, and the other surface of the clutch support portion may be in contact with the rim surface of the clutch drum while being disposed on the same plane as the rim surface of the clutch drum.

A convex portion of one surface of the clutch support portion may be in line contact with the inner surface of the drum part, and a convex portion of the other surface of the clutch support portion may be in line contact with the rim surface of the clutch drum.

The bracket support portion may protrude in a ‘U’ shape, and a protruding portion provided at a middle portion of the bracket support portion may be in surface contact with the lever bracket.

Advantageous Effects

According to the technical solution of the present invention, the elastic member reduces operational noise and abnormal noise caused by friction between the rotary component and the stationary component when the pumping device operates, which makes it possible to improve quality and operating performance of the product and more stably perform the pumping operation.

MODE FOR INVENTION

A pumping device of the present invention includes a housing30fixed to a seat cushion (not illustrated), and a clutch device40provided in the housing30.

Further, a lever bracket20is fixed to a clutch cam41that constitutes the clutch device40, and a pumping lever10is coupled to the lever bracket20, such that the clutch device40is rotated by a rotation of the pumping lever10.

Further, a brake device50is provided in the housing30, and a pinion51is coupled to the brake device50, such that a rotational force transmitted to the clutch device40is outputted through the pinion51and moves a seat upward or downward.

However, because the description of specific configurations of the clutch device40and the brake device50and the description of a pumping operation using these components are publicly-known technologies, the specific descriptions thereof will be omitted.

Meanwhile,FIG.1is a view illustrating a configuration in which an elastic member60is provided in the pumping device according to the present invention, andFIG.2is a view for explaining a coupling relationship of the elastic member60according to the present invention.

The distinctive technical configuration of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. The pumping device includes: the lever bracket20coupled to the lever; the housing30having the clutch device40provided therein and coupled to a position facing the lever bracket20by the clutch device40; and the elastic member60elastically supported on the lever bracket20while providing an elastic restoring force in a direction in which an eccentric movement of the clutch device40being bent with respect to a rotation axis is canceled.

That is, because the pumping lever10and the lever bracket20are fastened to each other by bolting or the like, the lever bracket20rotates when the pumping lever10performs a pumping operation. Therefore, even in case that a force is applied to the pumping lever10in a transverse direction, the lever bracket20freely moves leftward and rightward, such that rotation axes of the lever bracket20, the clutch device40, and the brake device50are bent and eccentrically arranged.

Therefore, in the present invention, the elastic member60is used to provide the elastic restoring force to the clutch device40in a direction opposite to the direction in which the clutch device40is bent and eccentrically arranged, which prevents the rotation axis of the clutch device40from being eccentrically arranged. Therefore, the rotation axes of the clutch device40, the brake device50, and the pinion51are coaxially disposed, which prevents the clutch device40, the brake device50, and the pinion51from being eccentrically arranged.

In particular, the elastic member60supports the lever bracket20that freely moves leftward and rightward, such that the lever bracket20performs the pumping operation while directly generating friction with the elastic member60.

Therefore, it is possible to reduce operational noise and abnormal noise caused by friction between the rotary component and the stationary component when the pumping device operates, which makes it possible to improve quality and operating performance of the product and more stably perform the pumping operation.

Further, as illustrated inFIGS.1and2, a through-hole31may be formed in one surface of the housing30that faces the lever bracket20. The elastic member60may be provided between an inner surface of the housing30and the clutch device40and supported on the lever bracket20while penetrating the through-hole31.

For example, a cylindrical drum part32may be provided at a center of the housing30, and three through-holes31may be formed along a periphery of the drum part32and disposed at equal angles.

Further, the elastic member60may be provided in the drum part32, and the elastic member60is partially directed toward the lever bracket20through the through-holes31. Therefore, the elastic member60is supported on the lever bracket20as the elastic member60partially passes through the through-holes31.

For reference, the through-hole31is provided in the form of a quadrangular hole. A length of the through-hole31in a horizontal width direction of the through-hole31may correspond to or be longer than a length of the elastic member60in a width direction of the elastic member60that penetrates the through-hole31.

FIG.3is a view illustrating the lever bracket20and the elastic member60according to the present invention, andFIG.4is a perspective view illustrating the elastic member60according to the present invention.

The elastic member60will be more specifically described with reference to the drawings. The elastic member60includes: a clutch support portion60ahaving a wave shape in a circumferential direction thereof and provided between the inner surface of the housing30and the clutch device40; and bracket support portions60bprotruding from the clutch support portion60atoward the lever bracket20and configured to penetrate the through-holes31.

For example, the clutch support portion60ais provided in the form of a wavy washer having a ring structure having a wave shape. The clutch support portion60ais provided between the inner surface of the drum part32and the clutch device40.

Further, the bracket support portions60bare disposed along the clutch support portion60aand formed at positions corresponding to the through-holes31. The bracket support portion60bpenetrates the through-hole31to the outside.

Therefore, the clutch support portion60aprovides an elastic restoring force in a direction opposite to the direction in which the components, such as the clutch device40and the brake device50in the housing30, are bent and eccentrically arranged. Further, the bracket support portions60bsupport the lever bracket20, such that the lever bracket20performs the pumping operation while directly generating friction with the elastic member60.

Further, referring toFIG.2, the clutch support portion60ahas a structure in which one surface thereof is supported on an inner surface of the cylindrical drum part32provided at the center of the housing30, and the other surface thereof is supported on a rim surface of a clutch drum42provided to surround the clutch device40. The rim surface faces the inner surface of the drum part32.

Further, the bracket support portion60bhas a structure in which one end thereof is fixed to one surface of the clutch support portion60a, and the other end thereof is supported on the lever bracket20facing the housing30.

The bracket support portion60bprotrudes in a ‘U’ shape, and a protruding portion provided at a middle portion of the bracket support portion60bis in surface contact with the lever bracket20.

That is, the clutch support portion60ais supported between the drum part32and the clutch drum42and inhibits an eccentric movement of the clutch drum42, thereby preventing the internal components from being eccentrically arranged with respect to the rotation axis of the clutch device40.

In addition, the bracket support portion60bhas leg portions61formed at two opposite ends thereof, and the leg portions61are integrated with the clutch support portion60a. A connection portion62is formed between the leg portions61, such that the connection portion62is in surface contact with a surface of the lever bracket20that faces the housing30.

Further, as illustrated inFIG.3, one surface of the clutch support portion60amay be in contact with the inner surface of the drum part32while being disposed on the same plane as the inner surface of the drum part32. The other surface of the clutch support portion60amay be in contact with the rim surface of the clutch drum42while being disposed on the same plane as the rim surface of the clutch drum42.

Therefore, the two opposite surfaces of the clutch support portion60aare in uniform contact with the drum part32and the clutch drum42, which increases a support area. Therefore, the components in the housing30are more stably supported.

Therefore, a convex portion of one surface of the clutch support portion60amay be in line contact with the inner surface of the drum part32, and a convex portion of the other surface of the clutch support portion60amay be in line contact with the rim surface of the clutch drum42.

That is, because the clutch support portion60ais formed in a wave shape, the convex portion of one surface of the clutch support portion60ais supported while being in line contact with the inner surface of the drum part32, and the convex portion of the other surface of the clutch support portion60ais supported while being in line contact with the rim of the clutch drum42.

Therefore, it is possible to prevent stress from being concentrated on particular portions of the drum part32and the clutch drum42, thereby improving component durability.

With this configuration, in case that the lever bracket20is bent toward one side because of free leftward and rightward movements of the pumping lever10, one side of the lever bracket20is eccentrically rotated toward the housing30.

Then, the eccentric portion of the lever bracket20is supported by the bracket support portion60bexisting at the corresponding eccentric position, such that the lever bracket20is supported by the bracket support portion60b, thereby inhibiting an excessive eccentric rotation of the lever bracket20.

Further, the clutch drum42is also bent toward one side with respect to the rotation axis because of the free leftward and rightward movements of the pumping lever10. In this case, the clutch drum42is bent toward the drum part32and pushes a part of the clutch support portion60apositioned at the corresponding portion.

Then, the pushed portion is elastically restored by the elastic restoring force of the clutch support portion60a, and the rotation axis of the clutch drum42is also restored to a state in which the rotation axis of the clutch drum42is not bent. Therefore, the rotation axes of the clutch device40, the brake device50, and the pinion51are coaxially disposed.

As described above, in the present invention, the elastic member60is used to provide the elastic restoring force to the clutch device40in a direction opposite to the direction in which the clutch device40is bent and eccentrically arranged, which prevents the rotation axis of the clutch device40from being eccentrically arranged. Therefore, the rotation axes of the clutch device40, the brake device50, and the pinion51are coaxially disposed, which prevents the clutch device40, the brake device50, and the pinion51from being eccentrically arranged.

In particular, the elastic member60supports the lever bracket20that freely moves leftward and rightward, such that the lever bracket20performs the pumping operation while directly generating friction with the elastic member60.

Therefore, the elastic member60reduces operational noise and abnormal noise caused by friction between the rotary component and the stationary component when the pumping device operates, which makes it possible to improve quality and operating performance of the product and more stably perform the pumping operation.

While the present invention has been described with reference to the specific examples, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and alterations may be made within the technical spirit of the present invention, and these modifications and alterations belong to the appended claims.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS