FITTING ARRANGEMENT HAVING SEALED BEARING BUSH

Abstract

A fitting arrangement for a vehicle seat including two fitting parts adjustable relative to each other about an adjustment axis and forming a bearing space, a locking element disposed in the bearing space on one of the two fitting parts and radially adjustable with respect to the adjustment axis between an unlocking position, in which the two fitting parts are pivotable relative to each other and a locking position, in which the two fittings parts are non-rotatably locked to each other, and at least one adjuster part pivotally mounted within the bearing space for adjusting the locking element between the unlocking position and the locking position. The at least one adjuster part mounted on a bush element on which a cover element is provided for sealing the bearing space and attached axially with.

Claims

1. A fitting arrangement for use in a vehicle seat, the fitting arrangement comprising: two fitting parts defining a bearing space and configured to be adjusted relative to each other about an adjustment axis; at least one locking element disposed within the bearing space and on one of the two fitting parts, wherein the at least one locking element is radially adjustable with respect to the adjustment axis between an unlocking position and a locking position, wherein when the at least one locking element is in the unlocking position, the two fitting parts are pivotable relative to each other, and when the at least one locking element is in the locking position, the two fitting parts are non-rotatably locked to each other; a bush element disposed in the bearing space; at least one adjuster part pivotally mounted to the bush element and configured to adjust the at least one locking element between the unlocking position and the locking position; and a cover element disposed on the bush element and configured to seal the bearing space, wherein the cover element is axially fixed with respect to the adjustment axis and rests against the at least one adjuster part.

2. The fitting arrangement of claim 1, wherein a portion of the bush element includes an outer contour and a portion of the cover element includes an inner contour, wherein the inner contour of the cover element is attached to the outer contour of the bush element to form a sealing surface configured to prevent an ingress of liquid from moving along the bush element towards the at least one adjuster part.

3. The fitting arrangement of claim 2, wherein at least one area of the inner contour of the portion of the cover element is tapered radially with respect to the adjustment axis.

4. The fitting arrangement of claim 1, wherein the cover element is pressed onto a portion of the bush element.

5. (canceled)

6. The fitting arrangement of any of claim 1, wherein a portion of the cover element is spaced apart from the at least one adjuster part in an axial direction.

7. The fitting arrangement of claim 1, further comprising: at least one sealing element disposed on the bush element and/or the cover element.

8. The fitting arrangement of claim 7, wherein the at least one sealing element rests against a bearing portion of the bush element and against a bearing surface of a fitting part of the two fitting parts.

9. The fitting arrangement of claim 7, wherein the at least one sealing element rests against a bearing portion of the cover element and against a bearing surface of a fitting part.

10. The fitting arrangement of claim 9, wherein the at least one sealing element includes, a first sealing element of the at least one sealing element, wherein the first sealing element rests against the bearing portion of the bush element and against the bearing surface of a first fitting part of the two fitting parts; and a second sealing element of the at least one sealing element, wherein the second sealing element rests against the bearing portion of the cover element and against the bearing surface of a second fitting part.

11. The fitting arrangement of claim 8, wherein the bearing surface faces the bearing space.

12. The fitting arrangement of claim 7, wherein the at least one sealing element includes a sealing ring.

13. The fitting arrangement of claim 1, wherein the bush element defines a shaft opening configured to form a positive connection between an actuating element and the fitting arrangement.

14. The fitting arrangement of claim 1, wherein in cross-section the bush element includes an outer contour provided with at least two radially protruding form-fit areas.

15. The fitting arrangement of claim 1, wherein the fitting arrangement includes a bush assembly provided with the bush element and the cover element, and wherein the two fitting parts, the at least one locking element, the at least one adjuster part, forms a premounted construction unit.

16. A method for assembly of a fitting arrangement for use in a vehicle seat, the method comprising: providing a first fitting part, a second fitting part, at least one locking element, at least one adjuster part, and a bush assembly including a bush element and a cover element; arranging the bush element in a through opening of the first fitting part; arranging the at least one locking element on the first fitting part and the at least one adjuster part on the bush element such that via a rotation of the at least one adjuster part about an adjustment axis, defined by the bush element, the at least one locking element is radially adjustable between an unlocking position and a locking position; attaching the cover element to the bush element along the adjustment axis so that the cover element presses against the at least one adjuster part to axially fix the at least one adjuster part; and arranging the second fitting part on the first fitting part to form a bearing space between the first fitting part and the second fitting part, wherein the bearing space receives the at least one locking element and the at least one adjuster part.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the arranging the second fitting part step includes inserting into a through opening of the second fitting part.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the attaching the cover element step includes pressing the cover element onto a portion of the bush element.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the pressing the cover element step includes elastically deforming the cover element and the bush element.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the pressing the cover element step includes plastically deforming at least one squeeze contour or a scraper rib formed on the cover element or the bush element.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the pressing the cover element step includes pressing the cover element until the cover element is pressed against a stop formed by the bush element.

22. (canceled)

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising: arranging a first sealing element between the first fitting part and the bush element and/or arranging a second sealing element between the cover element and the second fitting part.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] In the drawings:

[0038] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a design variant of a proposed fitting arrangement;

[0039] FIG. 1A shows the fitting arrangement of FIG. 1 in a sectional view according to the sectional line A-A of FIG. 1;

[0040] FIG. 2 shows the fitting arrangement in a view corresponding with FIG. 1A;

[0041] FIG. 2B shows the fitting arrangement of FIG. 2 along the sectional line B-B of FIG. 2;

[0042] FIG. 3 shows an enlarged segment of the sectional representation of FIG. 2B with a view to a bush assembly;

[0043] FIG. 4A shows a sectional view of the fitting arrangement that may include a bearing bush and a bush cover pressed onto the same by elastic deformation;

[0044] FIG. 4B shows a sectional view of the fitting arrangement that may include a bearing bush and a bush cover pressed onto the same by elastic deformation;

[0045] FIG. 5A on an enlarged scale and in a sectional view shows segments of a connecting area between the bearing bush and the bush cover of FIG. 4A, which is pressed onto the same by elastic deformation;

[0046] FIG. 5B on an enlarged scale and in a sectional view shows segments of a connecting area between the bearing bush and the bush cover of FIG. 4B, which is pressed onto the same by plastic deformation;

[0047] FIG. 6 shows the bush cover of the fitting arrangement of FIGS. 4A and 5A with a squeeze contour formed thereon and extending around its circumference, during the assembly;

[0048] FIG. 7 shows the bush cover of the fitting arrangement of FIGS. 4A and 5A in the assembled state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein. It is to be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples and other embodiments can take various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features could be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the embodiments. As those of ordinary skill in the art will understand, various features illustrated and described with reference to any one of the figures can be combined with features illustrated in one or more other figures to produce embodiments that are not explicitly illustrated or described. The combinations of features illustrated provide representative embodiments for typical applications. Various combinations and modifications of the features consistent with the teachings of this disclosure, however, could be desired for particular applications or implementations.

[0050] A known fitting arrangement is provided in DE 10 2009 022 777 A1 which discloses a fitting arrangement in the form of a detent fitting, in which a bearing space is defined between two fitting parts, in which in particular a plurality of locking elements in the form of locking bolts are arranged. These locking bolts are radially adjustable with respect to an adjustment axis between an unlocking position and a locking position. In the locking position, the locking bolts radially shiftably guided on the one fitting part engage into a toothing of the other fitting part in order to non-rotatably connect the two fitting parts to each other. In the locking position, a backrest of a vehicle seat, for example, is fixed in its position assumed relative to a seat base via the detent fitting. When the locking bolts are displaced radially inwards into an unlocking position, the two fitting parts are pivotable relative to each other. Then, a backrest is adjustable for example in its inclination relative to the seat base.

[0051] To change between the unlocking position and the locking position of the locking elements in the form of the locking bolts, at least one adjuster part is provided. In a detent fitting corresponding to DE 10 2009 022 777 A1, for example, there is provided an adjustment of the locking bolts into a locking position by means of an adjuster part in the form of a cam disk, in order to bring a toothing of the locking bolt into engagement with an internal toothing of a fitting part. Moreover, an additional adjuster part can be provided in order to transfer the locking bolts from a locking position into the unlocking position. Such a second adjuster part is formed for example by a control or link disk. Guide pins or guide webs of the locking bolts engage into slotted guides of such a link disk, so that on rotation of the link disk the locking bolts are displaced radially inwards when such an adjustment no longer is counteracted via the cam disk.

[0052] DE 10 2008 024 052 A1 already describes an approach with elastic sealing elements sealing axial gaps on a fitting arrangement. Here, it is at least accepted that in dip painting paint will get to the cam disk and to a through opening of the cam disk, in which an actuating shaft will be received.

[0053] FIGS. 1 to 3 show different views of a design variant of a proposed fitting arrangement in the form of a detent fitting 1. This detent fitting 1 is provided for a vehicle seat in order to be able to lock a backrest on the vehicle seat relative to a seat substructure of the vehicle seat and to hold it in a locked or latched state, respectively. On actuation of the detent fitting unlocking is possible in order to permit a tilt adjustment of the backrest with respect to the seat substructure. Typically, two detent fittings are provided on mutually opposite longitudinal sides of the vehicle seat so that with respect to a pivot axis of the backrest the detent fittings are arranged on the vehicle seat in a manner axially offset from each other. To achieve a synchronous actuation of both detent fittings, the same for example are mechanically coupled with each other via an actuating shaft.

[0054] The detent fitting 1 of FIGS. 1 to 3 includes two interconnected fitting parts in the form of a guide plate 2 and a tooth plate 3. One of the fitting parts 2, 3 is fixed to the backrest or the seat substructure, and the other fitting part 3, 2 is fixed to the other component or assembly of the vehicle seat, so that via a relative displacement of the two fitting parts 2, 3 an adjustment of the respective components of the vehicle seat relative to each other is permitted.

[0055] On the guide plate 2, locking elements 8 for example in the form of locking bolts are adjustably guided radially with respect to an adjustment axis M about which the two fitting parts 2, 3 are pivotable relative to each other. Via a first adjuster part in the form of a cam disk 4, these locking elements 8, which are provided on the guide plate 2 in a manner distributed around the adjustment axis M, are urged into engagement with an internal toothing 30 of the tooth plate 3. Locking teeth formed on a locking element 8 then are in engagement with the internal toothing 30 of the tooth plate 3 and hence non-rotatably lock the guide plate 3 and the tooth plate 3 to each other.

[0056] Via a further, second adjuster part in the form of a control disk configured as a link disk 5, the locking elements 8 may be displaced radially inwards in order to bring the locking elements 8 out of engagement with the internal toothing 30 of the tooth plate 3. In an unlocking position of the locking elements 8, which is assumed in this way, the two fitting parts 2 and 3 may be pivoted relative to each other about the adjustment axis M.

[0057] In the illustrated design variant, both the cam disk 4 and the link disk 5 are mounted on a two-part bush assembly 6. This bush assembly 6 includes a bush element in the form of a bearing bush 60 on which the cam disk 4 and the link disk 5 are provided. Via a cover element in the form of a bush cover 61 of the bush assembly 6 a seal is produced in order to prevent that liquid and in particular paint originating from dip painting may flow along the bearing bush 60 to the cam disk 4 and the link disk 5. The cam disk 4 and the link disk 5 here are provided together with the locking elements 8 within a bearing space L that is formed between the two fitting parts 2 and 3. If paint would get into this bearing space L during dip painting, after the detent fitting 1 has been premounted, this might lead to undesired sticking of the cam disk 4 to the link disk 5. This is excluded by means of the two-part bush assembly 6, without having to dispense with a particularly easy mountability of the detent fitting 1.

[0058] The bearing bush 60, which for example is manufactured from plastic, initially is inserted into a central through opening 21 of the guide plate 2. Between a shoulder of the bearing bush 60 radially protruding like a collar, which serves as a bush-side bearing portion 602, and a bearing surface 26 of the guide plate 2, which faces the bearing space L and extends around the through opening 21, a first sealing element in the form of a sealing ring 7.1 is received. When the cam disk 4 and the link disk 5 have been provided on the bearing bush 60 and the locking elements 8 have been properly mounted on the guide plate 2, the bush cover 61 is pressed onto a longitudinally extended sleeve portion 601 of the bearing bush 60. The bush cover 61 therefor includes a fixing portion 611 with a through opening whose inside diameter and inner contour are adjusted to the outside diameter and the outer contour of the sleeve portion 601 of the bearing bush 60. The bush cover 61 is pushed towards the link disk 5 in an axial direction, until the desired compression between bearing bush 60 and bush cover 61 is achieved via a locally reduced inside diameter of the fixing portion 611 of the bush cover 61. It may be provided, for example, that pressing on is effected up to a defined stop at the bearing bush 60, so that a specific axial clearance is obtained for the cam disk 4 and the link disk 5. Alternatively, pressing on is effected completely up to the link disk 5 so that no axial clearance is present between link disk 5 and cam disk 4.

[0059] Possibly, the material of the bearing bush 60 is stiffer than the material of the bush cover 61 so that when pressed on, the bush cover 61 initially is connected to the sleeve portion 601 of the bearing bush 60 only at certain points and then is specifically flattened when pressed on. In any case, a sealing surface 6A is produced between the bearing bush 60 and the bush cover 61 via the attached bush cover 61, beyond which sealing surface no liquid may flow along the bearing bush 60 into the bearing space L and to the adjuster parts 4, 5.

[0060] For additionally sealing the bush cover 61 against the tooth plate 3, there is provided another sealing element in the form of a sealing ring 7.2. This sealing ring 7.2 is arranged on a bearing portion 612 of the bush cover 61 radially protruding like a collar and, with attached tooth plate 3, is supported on the cover-side bearing portion 612 and opposite the bearing portion 612 on a bearing surface 36 of the tooth plate 3 extending around the adjustment axis M. The bearing surface 36 likewise faces the bearing space L of the detent fitting 1 and extends around a through opening 31 of the tooth plate 3, in which the fixing portion 611 of the bush cover 61 is received completely. In this way, the bush cover 61 does not axially protrude from the detent fitting 1. The same applies for the bearing bush 60 on the guide blade 2.

[0061] Corresponding to the representations of FIGS. 2B and 3, the bearing bush 60 defines an inner contour for a shaft opening O of the detent fitting 1 with a plurality of form-fit areas 60.1, 60.2 and 60.3. An actuating shaft may positively engage into this shaft opening O in order to rotate the bush assembly 6 about the adjustment axis M and thereby act on the link disk 5 and the cam disk 4 and adjust the locking elements 8 between their unlocking position and their locking position. The bush assembly 6 that may include the bearing bush 60 and the bush cover 61 thus provides the interface for an actuating element for actuating the detent fitting 1.

[0062] Although this is not shown in the Figures, the detent fitting 1 may include at least one spring element or several spring elements within the bearing space L, via which the locking elements 8 are pretensioned into their respective locking position and/or via which the cam disk 4 or the link disk 5 is pretensioned about the adjustment axis M.

[0063] To facilitate pressing on of the bush cover 61, the bearing bush 60 may have a chamfer of possibly only few degrees at its axial end located in the direction of the tooth plate 3. Alternatively or additionally, the inner contour of the bush cover 61 may correspond with the outer contour of the sleeve portion 601 of the bearing bush 60, but can have a smaller cross-section at least one point in order to provide for a press fit and to prevent that during dip painting of the detent fitting 1 paint may flow via the bush assembly 6 into the bearing space L and in particular to the link disk 5 and the cam disk 4.

[0064] FIGS. 4A and 5A show a design variant in which the bush cover 61 is pressed on via an interference fit and by elastic deformation of the fixing portion 611 of the bush cover 61 and of the sleeve portion 601 of the bearing bush 60. The press fit here is provided circumferentially around the adjustment axis M so that the bush cover 61 circumferentially along the sealing surface 6A flatly rests against the outer shell surface of the sleeve portion 601.

[0065] FIGS. 4B, 5B, 6 and 7 furthermore show a design variant in which the bush cover 61 may be pressed onto the sleeve portion 601 of the bearing bush 60 by plastic deformation. On its fixing portion 611, the bush cover 61 internally and circumferentially along the circumference forms a squeeze contour 611A. This annular circumferential squeeze contour 611A or an annular circumferential scraper rib is plastically deformed when the bush cover 61 is pressed onto the sleeve portion 601 of the bearing bush 60 so that the press fit between bearing bush 60 and bush cover 61 is ensured and the sealing surface 6A is formed.

[0066] The sectional representations of FIGS. 6 and 7 shown on an enlarged scale illustrate the pressing of the bush cover 61 onto the bearing bush 60 along the adjustment axis M. Due to a longitudinally applied mounting force F, the radially inwardly protruding squeeze contour 611A of the bush cover 61 is plastically deformed in contact with the sleeve portion 601 of the bearing bush 60 so that in the vicinity of the squeeze contour 611A the bush cover 61 flatly (by forming the sealing surface 6A) rests against the outer shell surface of the sleeve portion 601 with a force fit.

[0067] The following is a list of reference numbers shown in the Figures. However, it should be understood that the use of these terms is for illustrative purposes only with respect to one embodiment. And, use of reference numbers correlating a certain term that is both illustrated in the Figures and present in the claims is not intended to limit the claims to only cover the illustrated embodiment.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0068] 1 detent fitting (fitting arrangement) [0069] 2 guide plate (fitting part) [0070] 21 through opening [0071] 26 bearing surface [0072] 3 tooth plate (fitting part) [0073] 30 internal toothing [0074] 31 through opening [0075] 36 bearing surface [0076] 4 cam disk (adjuster part) [0077] 5 link disk (adjuster part) [0078] 6 bush assembly [0079] 60 bearing bush (bush element) [0080] 60.1, 60.2, 60.3 form-fit area [0081] 601 sleeve portion [0082] 602 bearing portion [0083] 61 bush cover (cover element) [0084] 611 fixing portion [0085] 611A squeeze contour [0086] 612 bearing portion [0087] 6A sealing surface [0088] 7.1, 7.2 sealing ring [0089] 8 locking element [0090] L bearing space [0091] M adjustment axis [0092] O shaft opening

[0093] While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms encompassed by the claims. The words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. As previously described, the features of various embodiments can be combined to form further embodiments of the invention that may not be explicitly described or illustrated. While various embodiments could have been described as providing advantages or being preferred over other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more desired characteristics, those of ordinary skill in the art recognize that one or more features or characteristics can be compromised to achieve desired overall system attributes, which depend on the specific application and implementation. These attributes can include, but are not limited to cost, strength, durability, life cycle cost, marketability, appearance, packaging, size, serviceability, weight, manufacturability, ease of assembly, etc. As such, to the extent any embodiments are described as less desirable than other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more characteristics, these embodiments are not outside the scope of the disclosure and can be desirable for particular applications.