Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US6666508?dq=7222078
Timestamp: 2017-12-15 16:11:10
Document Index: 60519153

Matched Legal Cases: ['art.\n17', 'arts 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3']

Patent US6666508 - Crash locking mechanism for an adjustment device of an automobile seat - Google Patents
The invention relates to a crash locking mechanism for an adjustment device of an automobile seat, with a triggering body having a triggering mechanism mounted for swivel movement on a part of the seat frame and which when a predetermined crash load is exceeded leaves the rest position as a result of...http://www.google.com/patents/US6666508?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US6666508 - Crash locking mechanism for an adjustment device of an automobile seat
Publication number US6666508 B1
Application number US 09/913,178
PCT number PCT/DE2000/000851
Also published as DE19911786A1, DE19911786C2, DE50011169D1, EP1165343A1, EP1165343B1, WO2000055004A1
Publication number 09913178, 913178, PCT/2000/851, PCT/DE/0/000851, PCT/DE/0/00851, PCT/DE/2000/000851, PCT/DE/2000/00851, PCT/DE0/000851, PCT/DE0/00851, PCT/DE0000851, PCT/DE000851, PCT/DE2000/000851, PCT/DE2000/00851, PCT/DE2000000851, PCT/DE200000851, US 6666508 B1, US 6666508B1, US-B1-6666508, US6666508 B1, US6666508B1
Inventors Jochen Hofmann, Gregor Kroener
Patent Citations (23), Non-Patent Citations (1), Referenced by (15), Classifications (13), Legal Events (6)
US 6666508 B1
1. A crash locking mechanism for an adjustment device of an automobile seat comprising:
a seat having a frame and an adjustment device;
at least one locking element for locking of the adjustment device, the at least one locking element elastically pretensioned in the locking direction;
a triggering mechanism having a triggering body mounted for swivel movement on the seat frame; and
a retaining element controlled by the triggering body and to which spring force of the pretensioned locking element is applied,
wherein when a predetermined crash load is exceeded the triggering body is movable, as a result of inertial energy of the triggering body, from a coupled to an uncoupled position with the at least one locking element and the at least one locking element engages in positive fit locking with the adjustment device.
2. A crash locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the retaining element is connected in positive locking engagement to the locking element and wherein the positive locking connection can be released by the triggering body.
wherein when the triggering body is in a rest position, the holding element engages in the rest area of the connecting link, and
wherein in the event of a swivel movement of the triggering body, the holding element can be moved over the adjoining area of the connecting link through an increase in spring force acting on the triggering body.
6. A crash locking mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising a connecting link associated with the triggering body, the connecting link having a rest area; and
a resilient holding element associated with the connecting link,
wherein the triggering body is mounted for swivel movement in two directions, and
wherein the connecting link has adjoining areas on either side of the rest area over which the resilient holding element can be guided in dependence on the direction of the crash load.
7. A crash locking mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising a connecting link associated with the triggering body, the connecting link having a rest area that is adjoined by an area of one of a lesser and greater distance from an axis of rotation of the triggering body, wherein the connecting link is formed symmetrical relative to the rest area.
a connecting link formed as a constituent part of the triggering body; and
a resilient holding element mounted on the seat frame.
14. A crash locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the seat frame further includes a side part, the crash locking mechanism further comprising:
a connecting link associated with the triggering body and mounted on the side part; and
a resilient holding element mounted on or in the triggering body.
15. A crash locking mechanism according to claim 1 further comprising:
a connecting link associated with the triggering body;
a resilient holding element; and
a spring element to produce spring tension between the resilient holding element and the connecting link.
16. A crash locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the seat frame includes a side part, the crash locking mechanism further comprising:
a spring clip to produce spring tension between the resilient holding element and the connecting link, the spring clip forming the connecting link and connected to at least one of the triggering body and the side part.
17. A crash locking mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the at least one locking element is formed as an axially displaceable bolt with a collar, and wherein the collar in the coupled position of the triggering body engages with a spring on one side and with the retaining element on the other.
at least one locking element for locking of the adjustment device, the at least one locking element elastically pretensioned in the locking direction; and
a triggering mechanism having a triggering body mounted for swivel movement on the seat frame,
wherein when a predetermined crash load is exceeded the triggering body is movable, as a result of inertial energy of the triggering body, from a coupled to an uncoupled position with the at least one locking element and the at least one socking element engages in positive fit locking with the adjustment device;
wherein the at least one locking element is formed as a swivel lever arm with detent fingers.
32. A crash locking mechanism according to claim 31, the lever arm is mounted to swivel about a rotary axis and is connected to one of a separate spring element and an integrated spring to produce an elastic pretensioning in a locking direction.
wherein when a predetermined crash load is exceeded the triggering body is movable, as a result of inertial energy of the triggering body, from a coupled to an uncoupled position with the at least one locking element and the at least one locking element engages in positive fit locking with the adjustment device,
wherein the seat frame includes a detent opening and a top rail, the crash locking mechanism further comprising:
a support plate connected to the seat frame, the support plate having a detent opening; and
a detent lever coupled to the top rail and having a detent opening,
wherein the at least one locking element in a crash-locked state passes through the detent opening in the seat frame, the detent opening in a support plate, and the detent opening in the detent lever, so that the at least one locking element in the event of a crash is shear-stressed.
35. A crash locking mechanism according to claim 34, wherein the detent lever has several detent openings which are arranged along a path over which the at least one locking element travels in the displacement path of the seat adjustment device.
The embodiments selected to explain the crash locking mechanism 4 and illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 relate to a seat lower frame having an adjustment device 30 for adjusting the seat height. The seat frame is basically comprised of parallel guide rails 1, 2 whose bottom rails 1 are connected to the vehicle floor by floor fasteners 10, 11. The top rails 2 guided thereon are lockable together through manually operable locking devices 20. The drive levers 34 a, 34 b which in turn are coupled by a cross tube 32, and the compensating levers 33 a, 33 b connect the top rails 1, 2 for articulated movement to the side parts 3 a, 3 b.
Through the adjustment device 30 mounted on the side part 3 b the drive force is transferred through a pinion 300 to a toothed segment 340 of the drive lever 34 b and then directed through the cross tube 32 to the drive lever 34 a of the opposite side. In the rear area of the side part 3 a the belt lock 5 is fixed by means of a belt lock holding angle 50. In order that the high crash forces which are to be expected in this area can be safely transferred a holding angle 22 is provided there to increase the stress handling capacity.
In the rest position of the triggering body 41 the retaining noses 412 a, 412 b engage underneath the collar 440 of the locking bolts 44 a, 44 b whilst the springs 45 a, 45 b are supported on the other side. The springs 44 a, 44 b are supported on a housing (not shown) which encloses all the parts mounted on the outside of the side part 3 a.
A detent lever 40 is guided between the side part 3 a and a support plate 46 fixed thereon so that in the event of a crash shear stress is produced. The detent lever 40 is fixed by one end on the holding angle 22 whilst at its free end it supports an end stop 401 which defines the maximum possible vertical displacement of the seat.
FIGS. 6, 7 and 10 show alternatives to the bolt-like locking elements 44 a, 44 b. Their detent fingers 44′, 44″, 44′″ form a constituent part of a swivel mounted lever 444′, 444″, which is pre-stressed in the detent direction by a separate or integral compression spring 45′, 45″, or a constituent part of a fixedly “tensioned” and spring-elastically curved lever 444′″. The detent fingers 44′, 44″, 44′″ are associated with detent openings (not shown) in the side part 3 a analogous with the embodiment previously described
The triggering body 41′ which is illustrated in FIG. 9 and is able to swivel about a rotary axis 411 holds in its axial area a spring 43′ as well as a spherical holding element 42′. The associated connecting link 410′ is mounted or formed on the side part 3 a.
A further embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 11 to 18 in various perspective views, plan views and in a side view in which the positive locking connection between a retaining element 6 and a triggering body formed as an inertia element 41′ is formed as a mutual locking mechanism with the interposition of a detent element 7. The inertia element 41′ is mounted through a rotary axis 411′ which is similar to the rotary axis 411 of the first embodiment of the invention described above with reference to the FIGS. 1 to 5, and has a mass element 413 which is removed from the rotary axis 411′ and a bearing area 414 which is arranged about the rotary axis 411′.
The angular shaped retaining element 6 has two shoulders 62, 63 which are arranged on either side of recesses 65, 66 and hold the locking elements 44 a, 44 b so that the shoulders 62, 63 adjoin the collar 440 of the locking elements 44 a, 44 b.
On the side opposite the retaining element axis 60 there is a tension lever 64 with which the locking elements 44 a, 44 b can be lifted against the spring force of the compression springs 45 a, 45 b for tensioning the locking elements 44 a, 44 b.
A compression spring 8 adjoining the nose 72 of the detent element 7 causes the nose 72 of the detent element 7 and the web 61 of the retaining element 6 to be mutually locked at a certain position in the raised state of the locking elements 44 a, 44 b, i.e. to engage with each other with positive locking and/or force locking connection. This state of the crash locking mechanism which can be seen from the side view according to FIG. 18 corresponds to a tensioned mouse trap where the spring-loaded locking elements 44 a, 44 b correspond to the mouse trap yoke, the springs tensioning the yoke correspond to the compression springs 45 a, 45 b, and the detent element 7 with the inertia element 41′ correspond to the trigger plate of the mouse trap.
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U.S. Classification 297/216.1, 297/344.15
International Classification B60N2/42, B60N2/433, B60N2/427
Cooperative Classification B60N2/4221, B60N2/42781, B60N2/43, B60N2/4214
European Classification B60N2/430, B60N2/42D2, B60N2/427T2, B60N2/42D2F
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:HOFMANN, JOCHEN;KROENER, GREGOR;REEL/FRAME:012236/0491;SIGNING DATES FROM 20010306 TO 20010307