Locking unit for a vehicle seat, and vehicle seat

US11117494B2 · US · B2

Patent metadata
FieldValue
Publication numberUS-11117494-B2
Application numberUS-201615556827-A
CountryUS
Kind codeB2
Filing dateMar 7, 2016
Priority dateMar 9, 2015
Publication dateSep 14, 2021
Grant dateSep 14, 2021

How to read this patent

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  1. Title

    What the patent document calls the invention.

  2. Abstract

    A short plain-language summary of the technical disclosure.

  3. Assignees and inventors

    Who owns or filed the patent and who is credited as inventor.

  4. Key dates

    Filing, priority, publication, and grant dates set the timeline.

  5. First independent claim

    The legal scope of protection — read this for what is actually claimed.

  6. CPC / IPC classifications

    Technology tags used to group this patent with similar filings.

  7. Citations and related patents

    Prior art links and similar publications in this corpus.

Abstract

Official abstract text for this publication.

A locking unit ( 10 ), for a vehicle seat ( 1 ), includes a locking pawl ( 80 ) which is mounted so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis between an open position and a closed position and which has a retention contour ( 27 ) for securing a locking bolt ( 12 ) in the closed position. At least one claw ( 90, 91, 92 ), offset in the axial direction with respect to the locking pawl ( 80 ), is mounted so as to be pivotable about the same pivot axis. The claw ( 90, 91, 92 ) has a closure contour ( 25 ). The locking pawl ( 80 ) can be pivoted from the open position to the closed position by the closure contour ( 25 ) being acted upon by the locking bolt ( 12 ).

First claim

Opening claim text (preview).

The invention claimed is: 1. A locking unit for a vehicle seat, the locking unit comprising: a locking pawl which is mounted so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis between an open position and a closed position and which has a retention contour for securing a locking bolt in the closed position; and at least one claw which is mounted so as to be pivotable about the same pivot axis, wherein the claw has a closure contour, wherein the locking pawl pivots from the open position to the closed position by the closure contour being acted upon by the locking bolt wherein a surface of a covering of the locking pawl facing the locking bolt has a path which in an axial direction has an apex which is offset relative to a center of a width of the surface in the axial direction. 2. The locking unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the locking pawl and the at least one claw are connected together for rotation. 3. The locking unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the covering covers the locking pawl and the claw. 4. The locking unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one claw which is offset relative to the locking pawl in the axial direction is pivotably mounted about the same pivot axis. 5. The locking unit as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a stop element is arranged such that, when the locking unit is locked, the locking bolt bears in a first point of contact against the stop element and in a second point of contact against the retention contour or the surface of the covering of the locking pawl, wherein the first point of contact and the second point of contact are located at least approximately in one plane which extends perpendicular to the axial direction. 6. The locking unit as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the second point of contact is located in the region of the apex. 7. The locking unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the retention contour or a surface of the covering of the locking pawl has a first portion and a second portion adjacent to one another in the apex, wherein the second portion is larger than the first portion. 8. The locking unit as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the width of the second portion corresponds to a multiple of the width of the first portion. 9. The locking unit as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the width of the second portion corresponds at least to 4 times the width of the first portion. 10. The locking unit as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the first portion has a curvature with a radius ranging from 1 mm to 5 mm. 11. The locking unit as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the first portion has a curvature with a radius ranging from 2.5 mm to 4 mm. 12. The locking unit as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the second portion has a curvature with a radius ranging from 30 mm to 100 mm. 13. The locking unit as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the second portion has a curvature with a radius ranging from 40 mm to 50 mm. 14. The locking unit as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the first or second portion is chamfered with a planar surface. 15. A vehicle seat comprising at least one locking unit, the locking unit comprising: a locking pawl which is mounted so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis between an open position and a closed position and which has a retention contour for securing a locking bolt in the closed position; and at least one claw which is mounted so as to be pivotable about the same pivot axis, wherein the claw has a closure contour, wherein the locking pawl pivots from the open position to the closed position by the closure contour being acted upon by the locking bolt, wherein a surface of a covering of the locking pawl facing the locking bolt has a path which in an axial direction has an apex which is offset relative to a center of a width of the surface in the axial direction. 16. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the locking pawl and the at least one claw are configured in one piece. 17. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the covering covers the locking pawl and the claw. 18. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the at least one claw is offset relative to the locking pawl in the axial direction is pivotably mounted about the same pivot axis. 19. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising a stop element arranged such that, when the locking unit is locked, the locking bolt bears in a first point of contact against the stop element and in a second point of contact against the retention contour or the surface of the covering of the locking pawl, wherein the first point of contact and the second point of contact are located at least approximately in one plane which extends perpendicular to the axial direction. 20. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the retention contour or a surface of the covering of the locking pawl has a first portion and a second portion adjacent to one another at the apex, wherein the second portion is larger than the first portion.

Assignees

Inventors

Classifications

  • Measures for elimination or compensation of play or backlash · CPC title

  • characterised by the locking device · CPC title

  • with a bifurcated bolt · CPC title

  • locking on transversal elements on the vehicle floor or rail, e.g. transversal rods · CPC title

  • with locking mechanisms · CPC title

Patent family

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External sources

Frequently asked questions

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What does patent US11117494B2 cover?
A locking unit ( 10 ), for a vehicle seat ( 1 ), includes a locking pawl ( 80 ) which is mounted so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis between an open position and a closed position and which has a retention contour ( 27 ) for securing a locking bolt ( 12 ) in the closed position. At least one claw ( 90, 91, 92 ), offset in the axial direction with respect to the locking pawl ( 80 ), is moun…
Who is the assignee on this patent?
Adient Luxembourg Holding Sarl
What technology area does this patent fall under?
Primary CPC classification B60N2/01583. Mapped technology areas include Operations & Transport.
When was this patent published?
Publication date Tue Sep 14 2021 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (B2). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
What related patents are in patentsdb?
We list 8 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).