Vehicle seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10736428-B2
Application number	US-201916419789-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2019
Priority date	May 25, 2018
Publication date	Aug 11, 2020
Grant date	Aug 11, 2020

Abstract

A vehicle seat includes a movable portion, a first spring, a second spring, and a preloading device. The first spring is capable of exerting an elastic force to displace the movable portion, which is displaced in a first direction, toward the neutral position. The second spring is capable of exerting an elastic force to displace the movable portion, which is displaced in a second direction, toward the neutral position. The preloading device is capable varying at least one of an elastic force applied by the first spring to the movable portion placed in the neutral position or an elastic force applied by the second spring to the movable portion placed in the neutral position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle seat mounted onto a vehicle, comprising:
a movable portion included in at least one of a seatback or a seat cushion, the movable portion being displaceable with respect to a seat frame;
a first spring being capable of exerting an elastic force as the movable portion is displaced in a first direction, the elastic force exerted by the first spring being used to displace the displaced movable portion toward a specified neutral position;
a first coupling portion configured to displace a first end of the first spring together with the movable portion as the movable portion is displaced in the first direction;
a second spring being capable of exerting an elastic force as the movable portion is displaced in a second direction that is different from the first direction, the elastic force exerted by the second spring being used to displace the displaced movable portion toward the neutral position;
a second coupling portion configured to displace a first end of the second spring together with the movable portion as the movable portion is displaced in the second direction;
a preloading device being capable of varying at least one of an elastic force applied to the movable portion by the first spring when the movable portion is placed in the neutral position or an elastic force applied to the movable portion by the second spring when the movable portion is placed in the neutral position,
wherein the preloading device is configured to include:
a first adjustment nut with which a second end of the first spring is engaged;
a second adjustment nut with which a second end of the second spring is engaged;
a first screw rod inserted into the first adjustment nut;
a second screw rod inserted into the second adjustment nut; and
an actuator to rotate at least one of the first screw rod or the second screw rod.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a displacement member displaced together with the movable portion;
a first locking pin displaced together with the first adjustment nut; and
a second locking pin displaced together with the second adjustment nut,
wherein the displacement member includes:
a first hole into which the first locking pin is inserted; and
a second hole into which the second locking pin is inserted,

wherein the first hole enables the first locking pin to be displaced in directions that are parallel to axial directions of the first screw rod,
wherein the second hole enables the second locking pin to be displaced in directions that are parallel to axial directions of the second screw rod,
wherein the preloading device is capable of exerting a locking function, and
wherein, during exertion of the locking function, the first locking pin is in contact with an end of the first hole and the second locking pin is in contact with an end of the second hole, the end of the second hole being placed in a symmetric position to the end of the first hole across a virtual vertical plane that crosses the movable portion placed in the neutral position.

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first screw rod and the second screw rod are integral with each other as a single rod member, and
wherein the first screw rod and the second screw rod have respective threads that are directed oppositely to each other and have the same pitch dimensions.

Assignees

• Toyota Boshoku Kk

Inventors

• Okamoto Naoya
• Shimizu Jueru

Classifications

• B63B2029/043

  Seats; Arrangements thereof on vessels · CPC title

• B60N2/062

  transversally slidable · CPC title

• B61D33/0007

  Details; Accessories · CPC title

• B60N2/10

  tiltable (B60N2/12 {, B60N2/2875} take precedence) · CPC title

• B60N2/929

  linear · CPC title