Vehicle seat console

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11214174-B2
Application number	US-202016751372-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2020
Priority date	Jul 26, 2017
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

A vehicle seat console has at least one vehicle-side guide element and at least one seat-side guide element that is arranged parallel to the vehicle-side guide element. At least one longitudinal adjustment device that is acted upon by a drive device is designed to bring about a relative adjustment between the vehicle-side guide element and the seat-side guide element. The longitudinal adjustment device is provided with a toothed rack and a gearwheel that is in meshing engagement with the toothed rack. The teeth of the gearwheel and/or the teeth of at least one section of the toothed rack are made of materials of different shear strength.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle seat console, comprising:
at least one vehicle-mounted guide element and at least one seat-mounted guide element, which is arranged parallel to the vehicle-mounted guide element,
at least one longitudinal-adjustment device, which is activated by a drive device and is configured to effect relative adjustment between the vehicle-mounted guide element and the seat-mounted guide element, wherein
the longitudinal-adjustment device has a rack and a gearwheel, which is in meshing engagement with the rack, and
teeth of the gearwheel or teeth of at least one portion of the rack are made of materials with different levels of shear strength, such that a weak-point region is formed between the gearwheel and the rack, in which a material failure occurs in the event of overloading.

2. The vehicle seat console according to claim 1 , wherein
the rack is vehicle-mounted, and
the gearwheel is mounted in a rotatable manner on the seat-mounted guide element or on the vehicle seat.

3. The vehicle seat console according to claim 1 , wherein
the materials with different levels of shear strength have a metal, and a plastic material or a soft material.

4. The vehicle seat console according to claim 3 , wherein
the soft material is aluminum or copper.

5. The vehicle seat console according to claim 3 , wherein
the gearwheel has metal teeth, and
at least one region of the rack has teeth made of a plastic material or of the soft material, of which the level of shear strength is lower than that of the metal teeth of the gearwheel.

6. The vehicle seat console according to claim 1 , wherein
the toothing formation between the gearwheel and the rack is a double helical toothing formation.

7. The vehicle seat console according to claim 6 , wherein
the double helical toothing formation of the gearwheel is an open double helical toothing formation.

8. The vehicle seat console according to claim 6 , wherein
the double helical toothing formation of the rack is a closed double helical toothing formation.

9. A vehicle seat comprising:
a vehicle seat console having:
at least one vehicle-mounted guide element and at least one seat-mounted guide element, which is arranged parallel to the vehicle-mounted guide element,
at least one longitudinal-adjustment device, which is activated by a drive device and is configured to effect relative adjustment between the vehicle-mounted guide element and the seat-mounted guide element, wherein
the longitudinal-adjustment device has a rack and a gearwheel, which is in meshing engagement with the rack, and
teeth of the gearwheel or teeth of at least one portion od the rack are made of material with different levels of shear strength, such that a weak-point region is formed between the gearwheel and the rack, in which a material failure occurs in the event of overloading.

10. A motor vehicle comprising:
a vehicle seat console having:
at least one vehicle-mounted guide element and at least one seat-mounted guide element, which is arranged parallel to the vehicle-mounted guide element,
at least one longitudinal-adjustment device, which is activated by a drive device and is configured to effect relative adjustment between the vehicle-mounted guide element and the seat-mounted guide element, wherein
the longitudinal-adjustment device has a rack and a gearwheel, which is in meshing engagement with the rack, and
teeth of the gearwheel or teeth of at least one portion of the rack are made of materials with different levels of shear strength, such that a weak-point region is formed between the gearwheel and rack, in which a material failure occurs in the event of overloading.

11. A vehicle seat console, comprising:
at least one vehicle-mounted guide element and at least one seat-mounted guide element, which is arranged parallel to the vehicle-mounted guide element,
at least one longitudinal-adjustment device, which is activated by a drive device and is configured to effect relative adjustment between the vehicle-mounted guide element and the seat-mounted guide element, wherein
the longitudinal-adjustment device has a rack and a gearwheel, which is in meshing engagement with the rack, and
the area of meshing engagement is an interior failure region wherein the region fails due to the gearwheel and rack having different maximum shear strengths.

Assignees

• Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag

Inventors

• Huf Andreas
• Hufnagl Klaus
• Kleindl Sylvia
• Koehler Fabian
• Martin Robert
• Painer Robert

Classifications

• B60N2/42709 Primary

  involving residual deformation or fracture of the structure · CPC title

• B60N2/075

  roller-less · CPC title

• B60N2/0722

  Constructive details · CPC title

• B60N2/067 Primary

  by linear actuators, e.g. linear screw mechanisms · CPC title

• F16H55/06

  Use of materials; Use of treatments of toothed members or worms to affect their intrinsic material properties · CPC title