Ball bearing application for seat recliner disk mechanisms

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9981570-B2
Application number	US-201715696682-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2017
Priority date	Sep 22, 2015
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle seat includes a seat base and a seat back rotationally connected at a pivot. The seat base is rotatable about the pivot between a plurality of rotational positions relative to the seat base. A recliner disk is positioned at the pivot. The recliner disk includes a guide plate coupled to the seat base and a tooth plate coupled to the seat back. A plurality of bearings is positioned between the guide and tooth plates. The plurality of bearings and the guide and tooth plates are free of an internal braking mechanism. The engagement of the guide and tooth plates with the bearings provide for substantially free rotational movement between the plurality of rotational positions. The bearings also fix the relative axial position of the guide plate relative to the tooth plate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle seat comprising:
a seat base and a seat back rotationally connected at a pivot, the seat back rotatable about the pivot between a plurality of rotational positions relative to the seat base;
a recliner disk positioned at the pivot, wherein the recliner disk includes a first plate coupled to the seat base and a second plate coupled to the seat back; and
a bearing positioned between the first and second plates, the bearing and the first and second plates being free of an internal braking mechanism, wherein engagement of the first and second plates with the bearing provides for substantially free rotational movement between the plurality of rotational positions, the bearing fixing a relative axial position of the first plate relative to the second plate; wherein
the first plate includes a first groove within which the bearing is disposed, wherein the first groove defines a track within which the bearing travels as the seat back is rotated between the plurality of rotational positions; and
the second plate includes a second groove that opposes the first groove, wherein the first and second grooves define a bearing channel within which the bearing is disposed to secure the first and second plates in a fixed axial position relative to one another, wherein the second plate is a tooth plate that is coupled to the seat back.

2. The vehicle seat of claim 1 , wherein the first plate is a guide plate that is coupled to the seat base.

3. The vehicle seat of claim 1 , further comprising:
a guide ring disposed proximate the bearing channel, wherein the guide ring positions the bearing within the bearing channel.

4. The vehicle seat of claim 3 , wherein the guide ring includes a bearing receptacle, wherein the bearing receptacle receives the bearing, wherein the bearing is configured to slidably engage the bearing receptacle to allow the bearing to rotate within the bearing receptacle.

5. The vehicle seat of claim 3 , wherein rotation of the second plate at a first rotational speed causes the bearing and the guide ring to rotate relative to the bearing channel at a second rotational speed that is less than the first rotational speed.

6. The vehicle seat of claim 1 , wherein the first plate extends over at least a portion of the second plate, wherein the first groove is defined within an inward-facing surface of the first plate and wherein the second groove is defined within an outward-facing surface of the second plate.

7. The vehicle seat of claim 3 , wherein the bearing is one of a plurality of bearings that are equally spaced within the bearing channel.

8. A vehicle seat comprising:
a seat back rotationally operable about a rotational axis relative to a seat base;
a first plate of the seat base that rotates about the rotational axis relative to a second plate of the seat back;
internal bearings positioned within a bearing channel defined between first and second grooves of the first and second plates, respectively, to secure an axial position of the first plate relative to the second plate, and
a guide ring disposed between the first and second plates, wherein the guide ring positions each of the internal bearings within the bearing channel.

9. The vehicle seat of claim 8 , wherein the second groove opposes the first groove to define the bearing channel within which the internal bearings are disposed to secure the first and second plates in a fixed axial position relative to one another.

10. The vehicle seat of claim 8 , wherein the guide ring includes a plurality of bearing receptacles, wherein each bearing receptacle of the plurality of bearing receptacles receives a corresponding bearing of the internal bearings, wherein the corresponding bearing is configured to slidably engage the bearing receptacle to allow the corresponding bearing to rotate within the bearing receptacle.

11. The vehicle seat of claim 8 , wherein rotation of the second plate at a first rotational speed defines rotation of the internal bearings and the guide ring relative to the bearing channel at a second rotational speed that is less than the first rotational speed.

12. The vehicle seat of claim 9 , wherein the first plate extends over at least a portion of the second plate, wherein the first groove is defined within an inward-facing surface of the first plate and wherein the second groove is defined within an outward-facing surface of the second plate.

13. The vehicle seat of claim 8 , wherein the first plate is a guide plate and the second plate is a tooth plate.

14. A vehicle seat comprising:
first and second plates coupled to a seat base and a seat back, respectively, wherein the second plate and the seat back rotate about an axis; and
bearings disposed in a bearing channel defined between the first and second plates, wherein the bearings provide for substantially unimpeded rotation of the second plate relative to the first plate that is free of lateral deviation relative to the axis, and
a guide ring disposed between the first and second plates, wherein the guide ring positions each of the bearings within the bearing channel.

15. The vehicle seat of claim 14 , wherein the first plate, seat back and bearings rotationally operate about a rotational axis of the second plate.

16. The vehicle seat of claim 14 , wherein the bearing channel is defined by first and second grooves of the first and second plates, respectively, and wherein the bearings are disposed within the first and second grooves to secure the first and second plates in a fixed axial position relative to one another and relative to the axis.

17. The vehicle seat of claim 14 , wherein the guide ring includes a plurality of bearing receptacles, wherein each bearing receptacle of the plurality of bearing receptacles receives a corresponding bearing, wherein the corresponding bearing is configured to slidably engage the bearing receptacle to allow the corresponding bearing to rotate within the bearing receptacle.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Aktas Macit

Classifications

• B60N2/225

  by cycloidal or planetary mechanisms · CPC title

• F16C33/46

  Cages for rollers or needles · CPC title

• F16C19/163

  with angular contact · CPC title

• F16C33/581

  integral with other parts, e.g. with housings or machine elements such as shafts or gear wheels · CPC title

• B60N2/2213 Primary

  Gear wheel driven mechanism (B60N2/2231, B60N2/225 take precedence) · CPC title