Backrest adjuster for a vehicle seat, and vehicle seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10023076-B2
Application number	US-201415035847-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2014
Priority date	Nov 12, 2013
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle seat and a backrest adjuster (1) for a vehicle seat are provided in order to adjust the inclination of a backrest (2.1) of a vehicle seat (2). The backrest adjuster includes a transmission element (5) that is coupled to a fitting (4) and to a pivot bearing (3). A clamping element (11) is mounted in the region of the pivot bearing (3) and in the region of the fitting (4) lying opposite the pivot bearing. In the region between the pivot bearing (3) and the fitting (4), the clamping element (11) is arranged at least in part in the transmission element (5).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A backrest adjuster for a vehicle seat for adjusting the inclination of a backrest of a vehicle seat, the backrest adjuster comprising:
a fitting on one side of the vehicle seat;
a rotary bearing on another side of the vehicle seat, that is opposite to the fitting;
a transmission element coupled on the one side to the fitting and on the other side to the rotary bearing; and
a clamping element fixed in an area of the rotary bearing and fixed in a region of the fitting, wherein the clamping element is formed in a L-shaped manner, the clamping element comprising a first limb and a second limb and at least a portion of the clamping element being arranged in the transmission element in a region between the rotary bearing and the fitting.

2. The backrest adjuster as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transmission element is configured as a tube.

3. The backrest adjuster as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising another fitting, wherein each fitting has a fitting upper part and a fitting lower part is arranged in each case on the outer sides of the vehicle seat, wherein the fitting upper part is fixedly connected to the backrest and the fitting lower part is fastened to the vehicle floor by means of a floor-side seat part structure.

4. The backrest adjuster as claimed in claim 3 , wherein, on a side of the vehicle seat opposite the one fitting, the rotary bearing has, in an associated fitting lower part, a receptacle for fastening the transmission element.

5. The backrest adjuster as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the transmission element is mounted in the floor-side fitting lower part and projects on an end side on the outside of the fitting lower part.

6. The backrest adjuster as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising another clamping element arranged for fixing the transmission element on the fitting lower part.

7. The backrest adjuster as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising a bracing element for a pretensioned adjustment of the inclination of the backrest in relation to a seat part, the clamping element being supported at one end, on the rotary-bearing side, on the outer side of the associated fitting lower part, wherein the other end of the clamping element is held in the transmission element, in the region of the fitting-side end thereof, with a force-fit or form-fit or both a force-fit and form-fit.

8. The backrest adjuster as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the clamping element is formed integrally, wherein the first limb projects from outside into the transmission element as far as an inner fixing, and the second limb is supported on the rotary bearing.

9. The backrest adjuster as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the first limb of the clamping element is bent in a U-shaped manner on an end side and has a rounded portion.

10. The backrest adjuster as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transmission element has, at a fitting-side end, a receptacle for form-fitting fixing of the bent-over end of the first limb of the clamping element.

11. A vehicle seat comprising:
a backrest which is adjustable in inclination about a pivot axis;
a backrest adjuster comprising:
a fitting on one side of the backrest adjuster;
a rotary bearing on another side of the backrest adjuster, that is opposite to the fitting;
a transmission element coupled on the one side to the fitting and on the other side to the rotary bearing, the transmission element comprising a transmission element inner surface, the transmission element inner surface defining a transmission element inner space; and
a clamping element fixed in an area of the rotary bearing and fixed in a region of the fitting and at least a portion of the clamping element is arranged in the transmission element inner space in a region between the rotary bearing and the fitting.

12. A vehicle seat as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the transmission element is configured as a tube, wherein the clamping element comprises a first limb and a second limb, said first limb being bent relative to the second limb to define a L-shape contour of the clamping element.

13. A vehicle seat as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising another fitting wherein each fitting has a fitting upper part and a fitting lower part is arranged in each case on the outer sides of the vehicle seat, wherein the fitting upper part is fixedly connected to the backrest and the fitting lower part is fastened to the vehicle floor by means of a floor-side seat part structure.

14. A vehicle seat as claimed in claim 13 , wherein, on a side of the vehicle seat opposite the one fitting, the rotary bearing has, in the associated fitting lower part, a receptacle for fastening the transmission element.

15. A vehicle seat as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the transmission element is mounted in the floor-side fitting lower part and projects on the end side on the outside of the fitting lower part.

16. A vehicle seat as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising a clamping element arranged for the fixing of the transmission element on the fitting lower part.

17. A vehicle seat as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising a bracing element for a pretensioned adjustment of the inclination of the backrest in relation to a seat part, the clamping element being supported at one end, on the rotary-bearing side, on the outer side of the associated fitting lower part, wherein the other end of the clamping element is held in the transmission element, in the region of the fitting-side end thereof, with a force-fit or form-fit or both a force-fit or form-fit.

18. A vehicle seat as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the clamping element is formed integrally and in a substantially L-shaped manner, wherein a first limb projects from outside into the transmission element as far as an inner fixing, and a second limb is supported on the rotary bearing.

19. A vehicle seat as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the first limb of the clamping element is bent in a U-shaped manner on the end side and has a rounded portion.

20. A vehicle seat as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the transmission element has, at a fitting-side end, a receptacle for form-fitting fixing of the bent-over end of the first limb of the clamping element.

Assignees

• Johnson Controls Tech Co

Inventors

• Wahlen Hilmar
• Klein-Hitpass Thorsten
• Genutt Ulli
• Mühlenbrock Ludger

Classifications

• B60N2/22 Primary

  the back-rest being adjustable {(B60N2/2878 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60N2/682

  Joining means · CPC title

• B60N2/68 Primary

  Seat frames · CPC title

• B60N2/20

  the back-rest being tiltable, e.g. to permit easy access (B60N2/04, B60N2/22 {, B60N2/3002} take precedence) · CPC title