Seat drive device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9604550-B2
Application number	US-201214342184-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2012
Priority date	Oct 24, 2011
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

A seat drive device is provided with: a single rotary motor; a plurality of operating members, which are arranged to correspond to a plurality of positioning mechanisms; a plurality of tubular members, which are arranged to correspond to the positioning mechanisms and selectively connect an output shaft to the positioning mechanism corresponding to the operating member operated with the operation of any one of the operating members and input shafts rotated by the rotary motor; and a single switch, which passes an electric current through the rotary motor with a polarity corresponding to the direction of the operation with the operation of any one of the operating members.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A seat drive device comprising:
a single rotary motor;
a plurality of operating members provided in correspondence with a plurality of positioning mechanisms;
a plurality of clutch mechanisms provided in correspondence with the positioning mechanisms, wherein
each of the clutch mechanisms includes:
an output shaft connected to a corresponding positioning mechanism, and
an input shaft rotated by the rotary motor,

wherein, in response to operation on any one of the operating members, the clutch mechanism selectively connects the output shaft to the positioning mechanism corresponding to the operated operating member to the input shaft rotated by the rotary motor; and

a single switch, wherein, in response to operation on any one of the operating members, the switch energizes the rotary motor with a polarity corresponding to a direction of the operation,
wherein
each of the clutch mechanisms includes a tubular member, wherein a corresponding output shaft is inserted and fitted in the tubular member to rotate integrally with the tubular member and to be movable in a direction of an axis, and wherein the input shaft is inserted and fitted in the tubular member such that the input shaft rotates integrally with the tubular member in response to movement of the tubular member in the direction of the axis toward the input shaft, and
each of the clutch mechanisms of the seat drive device includes:
a first urging member that urges each of the tubular members in the direction of the axis toward a direction in which the input shaft is inserted and fitted in the tubular member;
a cam member drivably coupled to each of the operating members, wherein the cam member releases the input shaft from a fitted state with the corresponding one of the tubular members when the operating member is at a predetermined initial position, and, in response to operation on the operating member at the initial position, the cam member permits the input shaft to be fitted in the corresponding one of the tubular members urged by the first urging member; and
a second urging member that urges the corresponding one of the operating members against an urging force of the first urging member such that each of the operating members is held at the initial position.

2. The seat drive device according to claim 1 , wherein the operating members are supported to rotate about the same rotation axis.

3. The seat drive device according to claim 2 , further comprising a single switch lever that actuates the switch such that the switch energizes the rotary motor,
wherein each of the operating members includes a switch cam section, wherein in response to rotation of the operating member about the rotation axis, the switch cam section presses the switch lever such that the switch is actuated with a polarity corresponding to a direction of the rotation.

4. The seat drive device according to claim 3 , wherein
the rotation axis of the operating members is a first rotation axis,
the switch lever is supported to rotate about a second rotation axis different from that of the operating members,
the switch lever has a tip portion,
the operating members are configured such that, in response to rotation of the operating members about the first rotation axis, the switch cam section presses the tip portion of the switch lever in accordance with the direction of the rotation, thereby rotating the switch lever about the second rotation axis to actuate the switch,
the switch cam section has two pressing sections that can press the tip portion of the switch lever, and
when all the operating members are in a non-operated state, a gap is formed between each of the pressing sections of the switch cam section of each of the operating members and the tip portion of the switch lever, the gap being defined in a circumferential direction with respect to the second rotation axis as a center.

5. The seat drive device according to claim 1 , wherein the operating members include operating members divided into a plurality of groups, and the operating members in each group are supported to rotate about the same rotation axis.

6. The seat drive device according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a single switch lever that actuates the switch such that the switch energizes the rotary motor; and
a plurality of switch cam members supported about the same rotation axis different from the rotation axis of the operating members in each group, wherein the switch cam members are drivably coupled to the corresponding ones of the operating members,
wherein each of the switch cam members includes a switch cam section, wherein in response to rotation of the corresponding one of the operating members about the rotation axis, the switch cam section presses the switch lever such that the switch is actuated with a polarity corresponding to a direction of the rotation.

7. The seat drive device according to claim 6 , wherein
the rotation axis of the operating members is a first rotation axis,
the switch lever is supported to rotate about a second rotation axis different from that of the operating members and that of the switch cam members,
the switch lever has a tip portion,
the operating members are configured such that, in response to rotation of the operating members about the rotation axis, the switch cam section presses the tip portion of the switch lever in accordance with the direction of the rotation, thereby rotating the switch lever about the second rotation axis to actuate the switch,
the switch cam section has two pressing sections that can press the tip portion of the switch lever, and
when all the operating members are in a non-operated state, a gap is formed between each of the pressing sections of the switch cam section of each of the operating members and the tip portion of the switch lever, the gap being defined in a circumferential direction with respect to the second rotation axis as a center.

8. The seat drive device according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a stop cam that is supported to rotate about a third rotation axis different from that of the operating members and that of the switch cam members, wherein the stop cam has a pressed section projecting radially with respect to the third rotation axis and two restricting sections with the pressed section therebetween, the restricting sections radially projecting from opposite sides of a circumferential direction with respect to the third rotation axis as a center; and
two engagement sections each provided to one of the switch cam members, the engagement sections selectively pressing the pressed section in accordance with the direction of the rotation, wherein
when all the operating members are in a non-operated state, a gap is formed between each of the engagement sections of each of the switch cam members and the pressed section, the gap being defined in the circumferential direction with respect to the third rotation axis as a center, and
when any one of the operating members is operated and the pressed section is pressed with the engagement section of the corresponding switch cam member to rotate the stop cam, the restricting section intercepts a path of rotation of the engagement section of different one of the switch cam members.

9. The seat drive device according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the cam members is supported to be rotational about a rotation axis non-parallel to an axis of the corresponding one of the tubular members, and
the seat drive device includes:
an outward flange provided to each of the tubular members;
a cam section provided to each of the cam members, wherein the cam section approaches the outward flange of the corresponding one of the tubular members when the cor

Assignees

• Aisin Seiki

Inventors

• Ito Sadao

Classifications

• B60N2/165

  Gear wheel driven mechanism · CPC title

• B60N2/1615

  Parallelogram-like structure · CPC title

• B60N2/067

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

• B60N2/225

  by cycloidal or planetary mechanisms · CPC title

• B60N2/1839

  pivoting about an axis located in an intermediate position · CPC title