Eccentricity prevention apparatus for pumping device

Abstract

An eccentricity prevention apparatus for a pumping device is configured to prevent the eccentric movement of rotating parts operating for moving a seat up and down. The eccentricity prevention apparatus includes: a clutch device provided inside a housing; and an elastic member providing an elastic restoring force to the clutch device in a direction compensating for eccentric movement of the clutch device tilted relative to a rotating axis thereof.

Claims

1. An eccentricity prevention apparatus for a pumping device, the pumping device allowing a rotational force input to a clutch device to be output through a pinion, the eccentricity prevention apparatus comprising: a housing; the clutch device disposed inside the housing; an elastic member disposed inside the housing, and providing an elastic restoring force to the clutch device in a direction compensating for eccentric movement of the clutch device tilted relative to a rotating axis thereof, wherein a first surface of the elastic member is supported by an inner surface of a drum part having a cylindrical shape provided at a center of the housing, and a second surface of the elastic member is supported by an edge surface of a clutch drum to surround the clutch device, the edge surface facing the inner surface of the drum part, wherein the elastic member includes a wave washer having a wave shape, and wherein a convex portion of a first surface of the wave washer is in contact with the inner surface of the drum part, and a convex portion of a second surface of the wave washer is in contact with the edge surface of the clutch drum.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elastic member is disposed between an inner surface of the housing and the clutch device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first surface of the elastic member is coplanar with the inner surface of the drum part to be in contact therewith, and a second surface of the elastic member is coplanar with the edge surface of the clutch drum to be in contact therewith.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The above and other objects, features, and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional seat pumping device;

(3) FIG. 2 is a view illustrating the action of a torsion spring applying force to raise a seat cushion upward while the conventional seat pumping device is mounted to a seat;

(4) FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a state in which a pinion is pushed toward a rack gear by the action of the torsion spring of FIG. 2;

(5) FIG. 4 is a view illustrating the engaged relationship of the pinion and the rack gear of FIG. 3;

(6) FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a situation in which parts inside a housing coupled to the pinion are eccentric by operation of the torsion spring of FIG. 2;

(7) FIG. 6 is the state of an elastic member provided inside the housing of a pumping device of the present invention;

(8) FIG. 7 is a sectional view of an inner part of the housing provided with a wave washer of the present invention; and

(9) FIG. 8 is a view illustrating the wave washer applied as the elastic member of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(10) Hereinbelow, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(11) In the pumping device of the present invention, a lever (not shown) is coupled to a clutch cam 21 of a clutch device 20; a rotational force of the lever is input to the clutch device 20 to rotate the clutch device; and the rotational force input to the clutch device 20 is output through a pinion 31.

(12) Here, the clutch device 20 and a brake device 30 are provided inside the housing 10; a first end of the pinion 31 is coupled to the brake device 30; and a second end of the pinion 31 is exposed to the outside of the housing 10. Since the configuration of the clutch device 20 and the brake device 30 and the pumping operation of the pumping device using these devices are known arts, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

(13) Meanwhile, referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the characteristic configuration of the present invention will be described in detail. An eccentricity prevention apparatus for a pumping device of the present invention includes an elastic member 40 providing an elastic restoring force to the clutch device provided inside the housing 10 in a direction compensating for the eccentric movement of the clutch device 20 tilted relative to the rotating axis thereof.

(14) That is, when the rotating axis of the brake device 30 being coaxial to the pinion 31 is tilted and eccentric due to the movements of parts caused by the spring force of a torsion spring moving the pinion 31 upward or by the operation of the pumping device, the rotating axis of the clutch device 20 being coaxial to the rotating axis of the brake device 30 is also tilted and eccentric as illustrated in FIG. 5.

(15) Accordingly, in the present invention, the elastic member 40 is used to provide the elastic restoring force to the clutch device 20 in a direction opposite to a direction in which the clutch device 20 is eccentrically tilted, so the rotating axis of the clutch device 20 is prevented from being eccentric. Accordingly, the rotating axes of the clutch device 20, the brake device 30, and the pinion 31 are maintained coaxially, thereby preventing the clutch device 20, the brake device 30, and the pinion 31 from being eccentric.

(16) Accordingly, during the operation of the pumping device, the rotating axes of the clutch device 20 and the brake device 30 provided inside the housing 10 are coaxial, and the pinion 31 is also coaxial to the brake device 30, so operation noise occurring during friction of the rotating parts against fixed parts is prevented, and a gap between the clutch device 20 and the brake device 30 is removed such that the pumping operation of the pumping device can be more stably performed.

(17) In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the elastic member 40 may be provided between the inner surface of the housing 10 and the clutch device 20.

(18) Preferably, the first surface of the elastic member 40 is supported by the inner surface of a drum part 11 having a cylindrical shape provided at the center of the housing 10.

(19) Furthermore, the second surface of the elastic member 40 can be supported by the edge surface of a clutch drum 22 provided to surround the clutch device 20, the edge surface facing the inner surface of the drum part 11.

(20) In this case, the first surface of the elastic member 40 may be coplanar with the inner surface of the drum part 11 to be in contact therewith, and the second surface of the elastic member 40 may be coplanar with the edge surface of the clutch drum 22 to be in contact therewith.

(21) Accordingly, opposite surfaces of the elastic member 40 are in uniform contact with the drum part 11 and the clutch drum 22 to increase the support area thereof, thereby supporting the parts inside the housing 10 more stably.

(22) In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 8, a wave washer formed in the wave shape of a ring structure may be applied as the elastic member 40.

(23) Accordingly, a convex portion of a first surface of the wave washer may be in linear contact with the inner surface of the drum part 11, and a convex portion of a second surface of the wave washer may be in linear contact with the edge surface of the clutch drum 22.

(24) That is, a convex portion of a surface of the wave washer is supported to be in linear contact with the drum part 11 along the inner surface thereof, and a convex portion of the other surface of the wave washer is supported to be in linear contact with the clutch drum 22 along the edge thereof.

(25) Accordingly, stress is prevented from being concentrated on specific portions of the drum part 11 and the clutch drum 22, so the durability of the parts is improved.

(26) According to such a structure, when the clutch drum 22 is tilted to any one side relative to the rotating axis thereof, the clutch drum 22 is tilted toward the drum part 11 and presses a portion of the wave washer located at the tilted portion. However, while the pressed portion is elastically restored by the elastic restoring force of the wave washer, the clutch drum 22 is restored to the position thereof located before the rotating axis of the clutch drum is tilted, so the rotating axes of the clutch device 20, the brake device 30, and the pinion 31 are coaxial.

(27) Accordingly, in the present invention, the rotating axes of the clutch device 20 and the brake device 30 provided inside the housing 10 are coaxial due to the elastic restoring force of the wave washer, and the pinion 31 is also coaxial to the brake device 30. Accordingly, operation noise occurring during the friction of the rotating parts against fixed parts is prevented, and the gap between the clutch device 20 and the brake device 30 is removed, so the pumping device can be more stably moved up and down.

(28) Meanwhile, although the exemplary embodiment of the present invention has been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.