Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This is a continuation of PCT/EP02/02938, which was filed Mar. 16, 2002, published in German, and is entirely incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a vehicle seat, in particular a motor vehicle seat, having a bearing device between two components which are at least slightly moveable relative to each other, with the bearing device having at least one fastening element for connecting the two components transversely to the direction of movement.  
           [0003]    In the case of a vehicle seat of this type, a seat shell is mounted pivotably at the front on a transverse tube of a seat frame and resiliently at the rear on the seat frame. When loaded by an occupant, the seat shell pivots slightly about the transverse tube. A rigid fastening clamp is provided as the bearing device, with the clamp surrounding the transverse tube from below and being fastened to the seat shell by means of clips. From above, the seat shell rests on the transverse tube via a counterbearing. This design leaves something to be desired.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    One aspect of the present invention is the provision of an improved vehicle seat, in particular a motor vehicle seat, having a bearing device between two components which are at least slightly moveable relative to each other, with the bearing device having at least one fastening element for connecting the two components transversely to the direction of movement, and the fastening element being of elastic design.  
           [0005]    The elastic design of the fastening element allows it to bear in a play-free manner against at least one of the parts to be supported. The fastening element is preferably also fitted under prestress in the bearing device in order to simultaneously compensate for tolerances and be rattle-free in the driving mode, i.e. to prevent annoying noises in the bearing device. The fastening element is preferably designed as a spring clamp, another spring element or as another elastic element.  
           [0006]    The design according to the invention is particularly advantageous if the fastening element at least partially surrounds the first component of the bearing device in the circumferential direction, with the first component forming the axis for a pivoting movement, and the fastening element being fastened to the pivotable, second component. In order to simplify the installation, the fastening element is attached directly, i.e. without screwing or clips or other additional fastening elements, to the pivotable, second component.  
           [0007]    A bearing shell provided for reducing the friction is preferably made of a different material than the components which can be pivoted relative to each other. The bearing shell can be arranged between the fastening element and/or the pivotable, second component, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, the first component, in the radial direction thereof, the component forming the axis for the pivoting movement, and can virtually completely surround the first component. The bearing shell may be of multi-part or single-part design. A bearing shell of this type can be attached to the fastening element.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to three exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, in which:  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 shows a perspective, sectioned partial view of the first exemplary embodiment,  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of the vehicle seat,  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 shows a vertical section through the bearing device according to the invention along the line III-III, in FIG. 1,  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 shows an illustration of the spring clamp according to the invention and of the bearing shell corresponding to FIG. 3, but in the unstressed state before installation,  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 shows an illustration corresponding to FIG. 3 for the second exemplary embodiment, and  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 6 shows an illustration corresponding to FIG. 3 for the third exemplary embodiment. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]    A vehicle seat  1  for a motor vehicle has in its seat part a seat frame  3  which supports a seat cushion  5  in the manner described below. The directional details used refer to the customary arrangement of the vehicle seat  1  in the motor vehicle and its customary direction of travel (x-direction). In its front region, the seat frame  3  has, as a first component, a hollow cylindrical transverse tube  7  which runs horizontally and transversely to the direction of travel (i.e. in the y-direction) and to which the front region of the seat shell  9  is fastened, as a second component. The seat shell  9  in turn supports the seat cushion  5 . In order to connect the seat shell  9  to the transverse tube  7 , a bearing device  11  is provided on both end sections of the transverse tube  7 . The bearing device  11  can be used to pivot the seat shell  9  at least over a certain angular region relative to the transverse tube  7  if, for example, the rear region of the seat shell  9  is mounted resiliently and is pivoted by an occupant.  
         [0016]    In the first exemplary embodiment, each bearing device  11  comprises an approximately semicylindrical, short plastic bearing shell  13  which extends virtually half way around the transverse tube  7  in the circumferential direction thereof, runs in the axial direction of the transverse tube  7  and bears against the transverse tube  7  on the lower side thereof. The radius of curvature of the inner side of the bearing shell  13  approximately corresponds to that of the outer side of the transverse tube  7 . Lying opposite the bearing shell  13  on the upper side of the transverse tube  7  is an approximately likewise semicylindrical counterbearing  15  which has the same radius of curvature of the inner side, but a somewhat longer length in the y-direction. The counterbearing  15  lies in a semicylindrically curved socket on the lower side of the seat shell  9  and is fastened to the latter by means of a clip connection. The counterbearing  15  is thus arranged between the seat shell  9  and the transverse tube  7 , in the radial direction of the transverse tube.  
         [0017]    As a fastening element extending transversely to the direction of movement, the bearing device  11  has a spring clamp  21  between the seat shell  9  and transverse tube  7 . The spring clamp keeps the bearing shell  13  in contact with the transverse tube  7 , i.e. with respect to the transverse tube  7  in the radial direction thereof. The integral, mirror-symmetrical spring clamp  21 , which is formed from spring steel in the manner of a leaf spring, has a central section  23  and a respective side section  25  laterally adjoining the central section (in front of it and behind it in the x-direction). In the fitted, stressed state of the spring clamp  21 , the central section  23  rests on the downwardly pointing (i.e. counter to the z-direction) outer side of the bearing shell  13  and in an unstressed state before installation has a slightly larger radius of curvature than this outer side of the bearing shell  13 .  
         [0018]    Each side section  25  is curved upward from the central section  23  and merges into an inwardly curved hook  27 . During installation, the side section  25  is pushed from below with its hook  27  through an opening  29  in the seat shell  9 , which opening is situated in front of or behind the transverse tube  7  in the x-direction, the spring clamp  21  first of all being bent upward somewhat, i.e. being stressed, until the hook  27  is pushed through completely and engages behind the seat shell  9  in the edge region of the opening  29 . The spring clamp  217  is relaxed slightly as a result, but remains prestressed. The seat shell  9  can now rotate relative to the transverse tube  7 , for example in the case of the above-mentioned loading by means of an occupant. The bearing shell  13  and the counterbearing  15  are kept in contact with the transverse tube  7  by the spring clamp  21 , with tolerances being compensated for in such a manner that the seat shell  9  is not mounted too stiffly, but also with no annoying rattling noises arising.  
         [0019]    A second exemplary embodiment largely coincides with the first exemplary embodiment, so that parts which are identical and act in an identical manner bear reference numbers which are incremented by 100. In the second exemplary embodiment, the bearing device  111  has the same spring clamp  121  between the transverse tube  107  and seat shell  109 , but the bearing shell  113  and the counterbearing  115  are designed as a common injection molded plastic part and are connected to each other by a thin film hinge  117 . As a result, the bearing shell  113  is pre-positioned in the radial direction before the spring clamp  121  is attached.  
         [0020]    A third exemplary embodiment likewise largely coincides with the first exemplary embodiment, so that parts which are identical and act in an identical manner bear reference numbers incremented by  200 . In the third exemplary embodiment, the bearing device  211  has the same counterbearing  215  between the transverse tube  207  and seat shell  209 , but the bearing shell  213  is fastened to the otherwise unchanged spring clamp  221  by means of a clip connection  219 . The bearing shell is also already brought into a predefined position before installation.  
         [0021]    Modifications are also conceivable, in which a suitable coating of the transverse tube and spring clamp renders the bearing shells and counterbearings unnecessary.

Technology Category: 7