Fitting arrangement having sealed bearing bush

A fitting arrangement for a vehicle seat including two fitting parts adjustable relative to each other about an adjustment axis and forming a bearing space, a locking element disposed in the bearing space on one of the two fitting parts and radially adjustable with respect to the adjustment axis between an unlocking position, in which the two fitting parts are pivotable relative to each other and a locking position, in which the two fittings parts are non-rotatably locked to each other, and at least one adjuster part pivotally mounted within the bearing space for adjusting the locking element between the unlocking position and the locking position. The at least one adjuster part mounted on a bush element on which a cover element is provided for sealing the bearing space and attached axially with.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is the U.S. National Phase of PCT Application No. PCT/EP2020/057048 filed on Mar. 16, 2020, which claims priority to German Patent Application No. DE 10 2019 204 339.9, filed on Mar. 28, 2019, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a fitting arrangement for a vehicle seat and to an assembly method for a fitting arrangement.

BACKGROUND

Fitting arrangements for vehicle seats are widely known in practice in different design variants, for example as rotary fittings or detent fittings. Fitting arrangements may be actuated between locked position, in which the backrest is not moveable, and an unlocked position, in which the backrest is movable.

In fitting arrangements previously used in practice the difficulty frequently arises that the same cannot be painted easily. For example, dip painting is regularly made more difficult because any paint that penetrates into the bearing space of the fitting arrangement, in which the adjustable components are mounted, can lead to sticking and impair the functionality of the fitting arrangement. The ingress of paint also is particularly problematic when a relative movement between adjuster parts, such as a cam disk and a link disk, is required in order to ensure the function of the fitting arrangement. It is known to provide axially acting seals at corresponding points. However, assembly regularly is made more difficult thereby and dip painting yet is not easily possibly.

SUMMARY

Against this background one or more objects of the present disclosure may be to provide a fitting arrangement which is improved in this respect.

According to one or more embodiments, a fitting arrangement is provided. The fitting arrangement may include at least one adjuster part arranged within the bearing space of the fitting arrangement is mounted on a bush element of the fitting arrangement for actuating the at least one locking element, and on this bush element a cover element provided for sealing the bearing space is attached axially with respect to an adjustment axis about which the adjuster part is adjustable.

Via a corresponding bush assembly that may include a bush element and a cover element sealingly attached thereto, the assembly of the fitting arrangement can be made comparatively easy and may be configured to prevent disturbing liquid, such as liquid paint, enters in the region of the adjuster part to be adjustably mounted. Thus, one adjuster part or several (at least two) adjuster parts can be arranged on the bush element, and by means of the attached cover element sealing of the bearing space and of the at least one adjuster part can be achieved in order to protect the bearing space within the fitting arrangement and the at least one adjuster part against penetrating liquid.

Correspondingly, one design variant for example provides that via an outer contour of a portion of the bush element, to which the cover element is attached, and an inner contour of a portion of the cover element, with which the cover element is attached to the bush element, a sealing surface is formed, via which an ingress of liquid, such as liquid paint, along the bush element towards the adjuster part is prevented. On a contact surface between the attached cover element and the bush element bearing the adjuster part or the adjuster parts, there is thus formed a sealing surface beyond which no liquid can get. This may include the fact that in dip painting the fitting arrangement designed in this way is protected against an ingress of paint into the interior of the fitting arrangement and, for example, up to the at least one adjuster part. Thus, sticking of an adjuster part to other components within the bearing space due to penetrated paint may be reliably prevented.

For example, the inner contour of a through opening of the portion of the cover element attached to the bush element may taper radially, such as taper conically, relative to the adjustment axis on at least one area. In this way, a sealing press fit between the bush element and the cover element is supported. Due to the corresponding geometry of the bush element and the cover element, a comparatively small and possibly also manually applied mounting force for example may already be sufficient in order to ensure a sealing connection between the bush element and the cover element. A radial taper in particular includes the fact that a portion of the cover element provided with a through opening, via which the cover element is attached to the bush element, has an inner wall with an inner contour which on at least one point forms a smaller cross-section than an outer contour of a portion of the bush element to which the cover element is attached.

In one or more embodiments, the cover element rests against the at least one adjuster part in order to remove an axial clearance. Here, the cover element consequently is urged against an adjoining adjuster part in order to exclude an axial clearance of the adjuster part. Thus, during assembly, the cover element then, for example, is axially urged against the adjuster part arranged already on the bush element so that between the adjuster part and the cover element no clearance is present in an axial direction (with respect to the adjustment axis).

In or more embodiments, the cover element is arranged at a (defined) distance to the adjuster part, which adjoins the cover element in an axial direction. In this variant, a defined distance thus is left between the cover element and an adjoining adjuster part in order to ensure and specifically set a certain axial clearance. Thus, for example a defined axial clearance may be present between the cover element and an adjoining adjuster part. For example, in the properly mounted state a gap is present between the cover element and an adjoining adjuster part in order to specifically set a bearing clearance between the cover element and an adjuster part and/or between two adjuster parts within the bearing space. While in the variant explained above the cover element hence is used to remove an axial clearance, in order to especially exclude a bearing clearance, a corresponding bearing clearance is specifically set and permitted in the variant in which the cover element is arranged at a distance to an adjoining adjuster part in an axial direction.

In one or more embodiments, at least one sealing element is arranged on the bush element and/or the cover element. Such an additional sealing element for example serves to provide a seal with respect to an associated fitting part of the fitting arrangement. Then, for example at least one sealing element rests against a bearing portion of the bush element or the cover element on the one hand and against a bearing surface of an associated fitting part on the other hand. A bearing portion of the bush element or of the cover element here for example may be collar-shaped, web-shaped or ring-shaped and, for example, may be configured in the form of a shoulder extending around the adjustment axis. On such a bearing portion a corresponding, e.g. elastic, sealing element then is supported in a first axial direction along the adjustment axis, whereas in an opposite axial direction it is supported on the bearing surface of the associated fitting part and hence prevents the ingress of moisture, in particular paint, via a possibly existing gap between a fitting part and the bush assembly which is formed with the bush element and the cover element into the bearing space.

In another embodiment, there may be provided at least one first sealing element which rests against a bearing portion of the bush element and against the (e.g. opposite) bearing surface of a first fitting part of the two fitting parts, whereas at least one second sealing element rests against the bearing portion of the cover element and against the bearing surface of the second fitting part. Via the first sealing element, a seal thus is provided at the bush element relative to the first fitting part. Via the second sealing element, on the other hand, a seal of the cover element is provided relative to the second fitting part.

As an example, the bearing surface of the first or second fitting part, on which a sealing element is supported, (each) faces the bearing space. The bearing surface then is formed on an inside of the respective fitting part facing the bearing space. Via the sealing connection between the bush element and the cover element on the one hand and via the sealing elements between the bush element and the first fitting part as well as between the cover element and the other, second fitting part on the other hand, the bearing space may be sealed completely towards the outside without an assembly effort for the assembly of the fitting arrangement being significantly increased thereby.

A sealing element in principle may be formed as a separately manufactured component. Alternatively, a sealing element may be formed on or integrally molded to a bush element, cover element or fitting part, for example by designing the respective component as a multi-part component or by manufacturing the same by a multi-component injection molding method or a multi-component3D printing method. A sealing element for example may include a sealing ring. The sealing ring may be configured for example to extend around the adjustment axis and during the assembly correspondingly may be arranged as a separately manufactured component or may be formed on a corresponding component or may be integrally molded to a corresponding component.

In one design variant, the cover element does not protrude from the fitting arrangement in an axial direction. The cover element then for example is received completely within a through opening on an associated fitting part. Alternatively or additionally, the bush element may be received completely within a through opening on an associated (other) fitting part of the fitting arrangement so that the bush element does not protrude from the fitting arrangement in an axial direction. The respective fitting part receiving one of the elements of the bush assembly thus forms the front side of the fitting arrangement in an axial direction and hence defines the maximum axial extension of the fitting arrangement.

For coupling the fitting arrangement with an actuating element, e.g. in the form of an actuating shaft, the fitting arrangement in one design variant includes a bush element which defines a shaft opening for the positive connection with the actuating element. In a state properly mounted on a vehicle seat, an actuating element then for example positively engages into the shaft opening of the fitting arrangement defined by the bush element in order to unlock the fitting arrangement by rotation when necessary. By rotation of the actuating element, the at least one adjuster part is pivotable in the bearing space of the fitting arrangement, wherein the corresponding pivoting movement leads to an action on the at least one locking element of the fitting arrangement in order to permit a displacement of the two fitting parts relative to each other. As in the state properly mounted on a vehicle seat the fitting parts are associated with different assemblies of the vehicle seat, which are adjustable relative to each other, and are fixed thereto, for example to a backrest on the one hand and to a seat substructure on the other hand, a displacement of these assembly relative to each other than is thereby permitted.

For the positive connection with an actuating element, the bush element may have an outer contour with at least two radially protruding form-fit areas in its cross-section. The provision of such radially protruding form-fit areas for example supports a process-safe connection of the actuating element to the fitting arrangement so that the actuating element may be introduced into the shaft opening only in a particular orientation with respect to the corresponding shaft opening.

In principle, the fitting arrangement may form a premounted construction unit with the two fitting parts, the at least one locking element, the at least one adjuster part, and a bush assembly that may include the bush element and the cover element. Such a premounted construction unit then is provided for assembly to a vehicle seat or to two seat components or assemblies of the vehicle seat to be interlocked with each other and to be adjustable relative to each other when necessary. The fitting arrangement thus may form a premounted construction unit pretestable for its proper function, which is to be mounted to a backrest and a seat substructure of the vehicle seat in order to interlock the backrest with the seat substructure when the at least one locking element is in its locking position, and to permit an adjustment of the inclination of the backrest relative to the seat substructure when the at least one locking element is in its unlocking position.

Another aspect of the proposed solution relates to a method for the assembly of a fitting arrangement for of vehicle seat.

The proposed method here provides at least the following steps:providing a first fitting part, a second fitting part, at least one locking element, at least one adjuster part and a bush assembly that may include a bush element and a cover element,arranging the bush element in a through opening of the first fitting part,arranging the at least one locking element on the first fitting part and the at least one adjuster part on the bush element in such a way that by means of a rotation of the at least one adjuster part about an adjustment axis defined by the bush element the at least one locking element is radially adjustable between an unlocking position and a locking position,attaching the cover element to the bush element along the adjustment axis, andarranging the second fitting part on the first fitting part by forming a bearing space between the first fitting part and the second fitting part, in which the at least one locking element and the at least one adjuster part are received.

The at least two-part bush assembly for mounting the at least one adjuster part provides for a comparatively simple assembly process and, for example, with a cover element pressed onto the bush element, ensures a seal so that a corresponding fitting arrangement subsequently may also be painted by dip painting, without having to fear that components of the fitting arrangement adjustably mounted within the bearing space will stick together due to paint penetrating into the bearing space.

As an example, for pressing the cover element onto the bush element it may be provided that the cover element is made of a material which is less stiff than the material of which the bush element is made. Correspondingly, the cover element may be deformed specifically when pressed on and may be flattened, for example, in the area of a contact point between the cover element and the bush element, in order to form a sealing surface. The formation of the sealing surface and hence of a full-surface contact between cover element and bush element, however, does not depend on a deformability of the cover element.

A portion of the cover element, via which the cover element is attached to the bush element, may be received in a through opening of the second fitting part when the second fitting part is arranged on the first fitting part.

The cover element may be pressed on for example by elastic deformation both of the cover element and of the bush element. Alternatively, the cover element may be pressed on by plastic deformation of at least one portion formed on the cover element or on the bush element. For example, the portion to be plastically deformed may be formed as a squeeze contour or scraper rib on the cover element or the bush element, such as a squeeze contour or scraper rib extending circumferentially or circumferentially completely around the adjustment axis.

As regards the above-mentioned possibility of pressing the cover element onto a portion of the bush element it may be provided in one variant that the cover element is pressed on up to a stop defined on the bush element. The bush element thus limits the extent to which the cover element may be displaced on the bush element until it reaches an intended connect position. For example, it may be achieved thereby that between the cover element and an adjuster part mounted on the bush element a defined minimum distance always remains in an axial direction. In this way, a desired bearing clearance may be set.

Alternatively, the cover element on the bush element may be pressed against an adjuster part in order to avoid an axial clearance. In this variant, pressing on of the cover element thus leads to the removal of clearance within the fitting arrangement.

Between the first fitting part and the bush element at least one (first) sealing element may be arranged in order to achieve an (additional) sealing between the fitting part and the bush element. Alternatively or additionally, at least one (second) sealing element may be arranged between the cover element and the second fitting part.

A proposed assembly method here may be provided, for example, for the assembly of a proposed fitting arrangement. Correspondingly, the advantages and features of design variants of a proposed fitting arrangement as explained above and below also apply for design variants of a proposed assembly method, and vice versa.

As an example, a proposed fitting arrangement may be configured as a detent fitting. As an example, against this background, an adjuster part for example may be a cam disk or a link disk. Via a cam disk, the at least one locking element of the fitting arrangement, for example in the form of a locking bolt, may be urged radially outwards with respect to the adjustment axis into the locking position in which the locking element is locked in place with a (second) fitting part by engagement into a counter-toothing formed on the fitting part. Via a link disk (as an additional adjuster part) it may in turn be possible to control an adjusting movement of the at least one locking element with respect to the adjustment axis radially inwards into the unlocking position, in order to release the two fitting parts relative to each other and permit their pivotability relative to each other about the adjustment axis.

The attached Figures by way of example illustrate possible design variants of the proposed solution.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A known fitting arrangement is provided in DE 10 2009 022 777 A1 which discloses a fitting arrangement in the form of a detent fitting, in which a bearing space is defined between two fitting parts, in which in particular a plurality of locking elements in the form of locking bolts are arranged. These locking bolts are radially adjustable with respect to an adjustment axis between an unlocking position and a locking position. In the locking position, the locking bolts radially shiftably guided on the one fitting part engage into a toothing of the other fitting part in order to non-rotatably connect the two fitting parts to each other. In the locking position, a backrest of a vehicle seat, for example, is fixed in its position assumed relative to a seat base via the detent fitting. When the locking bolts are displaced radially inwards into an unlocking position, the two fitting parts are pivotable relative to each other. Then, a backrest is adjustable for example in its inclination relative to the seat base.

To change between the unlocking position and the locking position of the locking elements in the form of the locking bolts, at least one adjuster part is provided. In a detent fitting corresponding to DE 10 2009 022 777 A1, for example, there is provided an adjustment of the locking bolts into a locking position by means of an adjuster part in the form of a cam disk, in order to bring a toothing of the locking bolt into engagement with an internal toothing of a fitting part. Moreover, an additional adjuster part can be provided in order to transfer the locking bolts from a locking position into the unlocking position. Such a second adjuster part is formed for example by a control or link disk. Guide pins or guide webs of the locking bolts engage into slotted guides of such a link disk, so that on rotation of the link disk the locking bolts are displaced radially inwards when such an adjustment no longer is counteracted via the cam disk.

DE 10 2008 024 052 A1 already describes an approach with elastic sealing elements sealing axial gaps on a fitting arrangement. Here, it is at least accepted that in dip painting paint will get to the cam disk and to a through opening of the cam disk, in which an actuating shaft will be received.

FIGS.1to3show different views of a design variant of a proposed fitting arrangement in the form of a detent fitting1. This detent fitting1is provided for a vehicle seat in order to be able to lock a backrest on the vehicle seat relative to a seat substructure of the vehicle seat and to hold it in a locked or latched state, respectively. On actuation of the detent fitting unlocking is possible in order to permit a tilt adjustment of the backrest with respect to the seat substructure. Typically, two detent fittings are provided on mutually opposite longitudinal sides of the vehicle seat so that with respect to a pivot axis of the backrest the detent fittings are arranged on the vehicle seat in a manner axially offset from each other. To achieve a synchronous actuation of both detent fittings, the same for example are mechanically coupled with each other via an actuating shaft.

The detent fitting1ofFIGS.1to3includes two interconnected fitting parts in the form of a guide plate2and a tooth plate3. One of the fitting parts2,3is fixed to the backrest or the seat substructure, and the other fitting part3,2is fixed to the other component or assembly of the vehicle seat, so that via a relative displacement of the two fitting parts2,3an adjustment of the respective components of the vehicle seat relative to each other is permitted.

On the guide plate2, locking elements8for example in the form of locking bolts are adjustably guided radially with respect to an adjustment axis M about which the two fitting parts2,3are pivotable relative to each other. Via a first adjuster part in the form of a cam disk4, these locking elements8, which are provided on the guide plate2in a manner distributed around the adjustment axis M, are urged into engagement with an internal toothing30of the tooth plate3. Locking teeth formed on a locking element8then are in engagement with the internal toothing30of the tooth plate3and hence non-rotatably lock the guide plate3and the tooth plate3to each other.

Via a further, second adjuster part in the form of a control disk configured as a link disk5, the locking elements8may be displaced radially inwards in order to bring the locking elements8out of engagement with the internal toothing30of the tooth plate3. In an unlocking position of the locking elements8, which is assumed in this way, the two fitting parts2and3may be pivoted relative to each other about the adjustment axis M.

In the illustrated design variant, both the cam disk4and the link disk5are mounted on a two-part bush assembly6. This bush assembly6includes a bush element in the form of a bearing bush60on which the cam disk4and the link disk5are provided. Via a cover element in the form of a bush cover61of the bush assembly6a seal is produced in order to prevent that liquid and in particular paint originating from dip painting may flow along the bearing bush60to the cam disk4and the link disk5. The cam disk4and the link disk5here are provided together with the locking elements8within a bearing space L that is formed between the two fitting parts2and3. If paint would get into this bearing space L during dip painting, after the detent fitting1has been premounted, this might lead to undesired sticking of the cam disk4to the link disk5. This is excluded by means of the two-part bush assembly6, without having to dispense with a particularly easy mountability of the detent fitting1.

The bearing bush60, which for example is manufactured from plastic, initially is inserted into a central through opening21of the guide plate2. Between a shoulder of the bearing bush60radially protruding like a collar, which serves as a bush-side bearing portion602, and a bearing surface26of the guide plate2, which faces the bearing space L and extends around the through opening21, a first sealing element in the form of a sealing ring7.1is received. When the cam disk4and the link disk5have been provided on the bearing bush60and the locking elements8have been properly mounted on the guide plate2, the bush cover61is pressed onto a longitudinally extended sleeve portion601of the bearing bush60. The bush cover61therefor includes a fixing portion611with a through opening whose inside diameter and inner contour are adjusted to the outside diameter and the outer contour of the sleeve portion601of the bearing bush60. The bush cover61is pushed towards the link disk5in an axial direction, until the desired compression between bearing bush60and bush cover61is achieved via a locally reduced inside diameter of the fixing portion611of the bush cover61. It may be provided, for example, that pressing on is effected up to a defined stop at the bearing bush60, so that a specific axial clearance is obtained for the cam disk4and the link disk5. Alternatively, pressing on is effected completely up to the link disk5so that no axial clearance is present between link disk5and cam disk4.

Possibly, the material of the bearing bush60is stiffer than the material of the bush cover61so that when pressed on, the bush cover61initially is connected to the sleeve portion601of the bearing bush60only at certain points and then is specifically flattened when pressed on. In any case, a sealing surface6A is produced between the bearing bush60and the bush cover61via the attached bush cover61, beyond which sealing surface no liquid may flow along the bearing bush60into the bearing space L and to the adjuster parts4,5.

For additionally sealing the bush cover61against the tooth plate3, there is provided another sealing element in the form of a sealing ring7.2. This sealing ring7.2is arranged on a bearing portion612of the bush cover61radially protruding like a collar and, with attached tooth plate3, is supported on the cover-side bearing portion612and opposite the bearing portion612on a bearing surface36of the tooth plate3extending around the adjustment axis M. The bearing surface36likewise faces the bearing space L of the detent fitting1and extends around a through opening31of the tooth plate3, in which the fixing portion611of the bush cover61is received completely. In this way, the bush cover61does not axially protrude from the detent fitting1. The same applies for the bearing bush60on the guide blade2.

Corresponding to the representations ofFIGS.2B and3, the bearing bush60defines an inner contour for a shaft opening O of the detent fitting1with a plurality of form-fit areas60.1,60.2and60.3. An actuating shaft may positively engage into this shaft opening O in order to rotate the bush assembly6about the adjustment axis M and thereby act on the link disk5and the cam disk4and adjust the locking elements8between their unlocking position and their locking position. The bush assembly6that may include the bearing bush60and the bush cover61thus provides the interface for an actuating element for actuating the detent fitting1.

Although this is not shown in the Figures, the detent fitting1may include at least one spring element or several spring elements within the bearing space L, via which the locking elements8are pretensioned into their respective locking position and/or via which the cam disk4or the link disk5is pretensioned about the adjustment axis M.

To facilitate pressing on of the bush cover61, the bearing bush60may have a chamfer of possibly only few degrees at its axial end located in the direction of the tooth plate3. Alternatively or additionally, the inner contour of the bush cover61may correspond with the outer contour of the sleeve portion601of the bearing bush60, but can have a smaller cross-section at least one point in order to provide for a press fit and to prevent that during dip painting of the detent fitting1paint may flow via the bush assembly6into the bearing space L and in particular to the link disk5and the cam disk4.

FIGS.4A and5Ashow a design variant in which the bush cover61is pressed on via an interference fit and by elastic deformation of the fixing portion611of the bush cover61and of the sleeve portion601of the bearing bush60. The press fit here is provided circumferentially around the adjustment axis M so that the bush cover61circumferentially along the sealing surface6A flatly rests against the outer shell surface of the sleeve portion601.

FIGS.4B,5B,6and7furthermore show a design variant in which the bush cover61may be pressed onto the sleeve portion601of the bearing bush60by plastic deformation. On its fixing portion611, the bush cover61internally and circumferentially along the circumference forms a squeeze contour611A. This annular circumferential squeeze contour611A or an annular circumferential scraper rib is plastically deformed when the bush cover61is pressed onto the sleeve portion601of the bearing bush60so that the press fit between bearing bush60and bush cover61is ensured and the sealing surface6A is formed.

The sectional representations ofFIGS.6and7shown on an enlarged scale illustrate the pressing of the bush cover61onto the bearing bush60along the adjustment axis M. Due to a longitudinally applied mounting force F, the radially inwardly protruding squeeze contour611A of the bush cover61is plastically deformed in contact with the sleeve portion601of the bearing bush60so that in the vicinity of the squeeze contour611A the bush cover61flatly (by forming the sealing surface6A) rests against the outer shell surface of the sleeve portion601with a force fit.

The following is a list of reference numbers shown in the Figures. However, it should be understood that the use of these terms is for illustrative purposes only with respect to one embodiment. And, use of reference numbers correlating a certain term that is both illustrated in the Figures and present in the claims is not intended to limit the claims to only cover the illustrated embodiment.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS