Energy management feature for vehicle seating

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9248763-B2
Application number	US-201214007264-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 28, 2012
Priority date	Mar 28, 2011
Publication date	Feb 2, 2016
Grant date	Feb 2, 2016

Abstract

A vehicle seating system is provided that includes a first link having a first end rotatably coupled to a base, and a second link having a first end rotatably coupled to the base. The vehicle seating system also includes a main tube extending between a second end of the first link and a second end of the second link. The main tube is configured to transfer torque between the first and second links. The vehicle seating system further includes an energy management feature configured to facilitate rotation of the first link relative to the second link if a torque applied to the main tube exceeds a threshold value.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle seating system, comprising:
a first link having a first end rotatably coupled to a base;
a second link having a first end rotatably coupled to the base;
a main tube extending between a second end of the first link and a second end of the second link, wherein the main tube is configured to transfer torque between the first and second links; and
an energy management feature configured to facilitate rotation of the first link relative to the second link if a torque applied to the main tube exceeds a threshold value.

2. The vehicle seating system of claim 1 , wherein the main tube is non-rotatably coupled to the second end of the first link, the energy management feature comprises a secondary tube non-rotatably coupled to the second end of the second link, and non-rotatably coupled to the main tube, and the secondary tube is configured to facilitate rotation of the main tube relative to the second link if the torque exceeds the threshold value.

3. The vehicle seating system of claim 2 , wherein the threshold value is based on a wall thickness of the secondary tube, a material of the secondary tube, a length of the secondary tube, a number of slots within the secondary tube, a configuration of at least one slot within the secondary tube, or a combination thereof.

4. The vehicle seating system of claim 2 , wherein the first link comprises a sector gear configured to interface with a drive gear to facilitate rotation of the first link relative to the base.

5. The vehicle seating system of claim 2 , wherein the second link comprises a sector gear configured to interface with a drive gear to facilitate rotation of the second link relative to the base.

6. The vehicle seating system of claim 1 , wherein the main tube is non-rotatably coupled to the second end of the first link, and non-rotatably coupled to the second end of the second link, and the energy management feature is integrated within the main tube.

7. The vehicle seating system of claim 6 , wherein the energy management feature comprises at least one slot within the main tube.

8. The vehicle seating system of claim 6 , comprising a secondary tube disposed about the main tube, wherein the secondary tube is configured to reduce deformation of the main tube when a bending moment, a compressive load, or a combination thereof, is applied to the main tube.

9. The vehicle seating system of claim 1 , wherein the main tube is an element of a seat bottom chassis, and rotation of the first and second links relative to the base varies a height of the seat bottom chassis relative to the base, an orientation of the seat bottom chassis relative to the base, or a combination thereof.

10. The vehicle seating system of claim 1 , wherein the base comprises a first seat track configured to support the first link, and a second seat track configured to support the second link.

11. A vehicle seating system, comprising:
a first link having a first end rotatably coupled to a base;
a second link having a first end rotatably coupled to the base;
a main tube non-rotatably coupled to a second end of the first link; and
an energy management feature having a secondary tube non-rotatably coupled to a second end of the second link, and non-rotatably coupled to the main tube, wherein the secondary tube is configured to facilitate rotation of the main tube relative to the second link if a torque applied to the secondary tube exceeds a threshold value.

12. The vehicle seating system of claim 11 , wherein the first link comprises a sector gear configured to interface with a drive gear to facilitate rotation of the first link relative to the base.

13. The vehicle seating system of claim 11 , wherein the second link comprises a sector gear configured to interface with a drive gear to facilitate rotation of the second link relative to the base.

14. The vehicle seating system of claim 11 , comprising a sector gear non-rotatably coupled to the main tube, wherein the sector gear is configured to interface with a drive gear to facilitate rotation of the main tube relative to the base.

15. The vehicle seating system of claim 11 , wherein the threshold value is based on a wall thickness of the secondary tube, a material of the secondary tube, a length of the secondary tube, a number of slots within the secondary tube, a configuration of at least one slot within the secondary tube, or a combination thereof.

16. A vehicle seating system, comprising:
a first link having a first end rotatably coupled to a base;
a second link having a first end rotatably coupled to the base;
a main tube non-rotatably coupled to a second end of the first link, and non-rotatably coupled to a second end of the second link, wherein the main tube comprises an energy management feature configured to facilitate rotation of the first link relative to the second link if a torque applied to the main tube exceeds a threshold value.

17. The vehicle seating system of claim 16 , comprising a secondary tube disposed about the main tube, wherein the secondary tube is configured to reduce deformation of the main tube when a bending load is applied to the main tube.

18. The vehicle seating system of claim 16 , wherein the energy management feature comprises at least one slot within the main tube.

19. The vehicle seating system of claim 16 , wherein the first link comprises a sector gear configured to interface with a drive gear to facilitate rotation of the first link relative to the base.

20. The vehicle seating system of claim 16 , wherein the main tube is an element of a seat bottom chassis, and rotation of the first and second links relative to the base varies a height of the seat bottom chassis relative to the base, an orientation of the seat bottom chassis relative to the base, or a combination thereof.

21. A vehicle seating system, comprising:
a first link having a first end rotatably coupled to a base;
a second link having a first end rotatably coupled to the base;
a main tube non-rotatably coupled to a second end of the first link;
a sector gear non-rotatably coupled to the main tube, wherein the sector gear is configured to interface with a drive gear to facilitate rotation of the main tube relative to the base; and
an energy management feature having a secondary tube non-rotatably coupled to a second end of the second link, and non-rotatably coupled to the main tube, wherein the secondary tube is configured to facilitate rotation of the second link relative to the main tube and the sector gear if a torque applied to the secondary tube exceeds a threshold value.

Assignees

• Paluch Zbigniew
• Johnson Controls Tech Co

Inventors

• Paluch Zbigniew

Classifications

• B60N2/1615

  Parallelogram-like structure · CPC title

• B60N2/165

  Gear wheel driven mechanism · CPC title

• B60N2/42709

  involving residual deformation or fracture of the structure · CPC title

• B60N2/4228 Primary

  due to impact coming from the rear · CPC title

• B60N2/16 Primary

  height-adjustable · CPC title