ACTUATOR FOR A MOTOR-VEHICLE ACCESSORY AND ACCESSORY WITH AN ACTUATOR

Abstract

The invention relates inter alia to an actuator (15) for operating an accessory in the vehicle passenger compartment, having an actuating element movable relative to a housing between an unactuated position and an actuated position in opposite adjustment directions (y.sub.1, y.sub.2) and is urged by a resetting device into the unactuated position, wherein it is possible for the actuating element to displace an element of the accessory that cooperates with the actuating element.

The special feature is that the resetting device comprises at least one spring (18) configured as a spiral spring and having an outer end (25) and an inner end (26).

Claims

1. An actuator for operating an accessory in the vehicle passenger compartment and having a movable element, comprising: a housing; an actuating element cooperating with the movable element and movable relative to the housing between an unactuated position and an actuated position in respective opposite adjustment directions; and a resetting device urging the actuating element into the unactuated position, the movable element of the accessory being displaceable by the actuating element, the resetting device having at least one spring configured as a spiral spring having an outer end and an inner end.

2. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the spring is a spiral centered on a central axis and formed parallel to the adjustment directions within a plane extending generally perpendicular to the central axis.

3. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the actuating element is connected to one of the ends and the other end is connected to the accessory.

4. The actuator according to claim 1, further comprising: a frame attachable to the accessory, the actuating element moving relative to the frame during movement between the unactuated position and the actuated position.

5. The actuator according to claim 4, wherein the frame comprises a first guide and the actuating element comprises a second guide that work together during movement between the unactuated position and the actuated position to guide movement of the actuating element.

6. The actuator according to claim 4, wherein the outer end forms a ring that can be attached to the frame.

7. The actuator according to claim 4, wherein the outer end has an attachment formation engageable with a complementary attachment formation of the frame.

8. The actuator according to claim 4, wherein the frame is tubular.

9. The actuator according to claim 8, wherein the frame is a housing essentially closed over the periphery of a wall of the tubular frame.

10. The actuator according to claim 4, wherein the frame forms a stop surface that cooperates with a contact surface of the actuating element to limit movement of the actuating element in one of the adjustment directions.

11. The actuator according to claim 10, wherein the stop surface and the contact surface extend at an acute angled to each other to center the actuating element on the frame.

12. The actuator according to claim 1, further comprising: a coupling connecting the actuating element to one of the ends of the spring.

13. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the spring is prestressed into the unactuated position to bias the actuating element against the actuation direction.

14. A vehicle accessory having an adjusting unit movable by an actuator according to claim 1 between at least a first position and a second position.

15. The vehicle accessory according to claim 14, wherein the vehicle accessory is a headrest or an armrest of a vehicle seat.

Description

[0040] In the drawings:

[0041] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an accessory in the form of a headrest having a latch for locking the adjusted vertical position, wherein in terms of the invention the latch is an adjuster,

[0042] FIG. 2 is a front view of the headrest,

[0043] FIG. 3 is a sectional view in accordance with the section line A-A in FIG. 2,

[0044] FIG. 4 is a view of the headrest in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 2,

[0045] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an actuator of the headrest for operating the latch, wherein the actuator is arranged in the unactuated position,

[0046] FIG. 6 is a lateral view of the actuator in accordance with FIG. 5,

[0047] FIG. 7 is a view in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 6,

[0048] FIG. 8 is a view in the direction of arrow D in FIG. 6,

[0049] FIG. 9a is a sectional view in accordance with the section line F-F in FIG. 7,

[0050] FIG. 9b following on from FIG. 9a illustrates the actuator in the actuated position,

[0051] FIG. 10 a perspective view of a frame of the actuator as an individual part,

[0052] FIG. 11 is a lateral view of the frame in accordance with

[0053] FIG. 10,

[0054] FIG. 12 is a view in the direction of arrow G in FIG. 11,

[0055] FIG. 13 is a view in the direction of arrow H in FIG. 11,

[0056] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an actuating unit comprising an actuating element, a coupling and a spring of the actuator,

[0057] FIG. 15 is a lateral view of the actuating unit in accordance with FIG. 14,

[0058] FIG. 16 is a view in the direction of arrow I in FIG. 15, and

[0059] FIG. 17 is a view in the direction of arrow J in FIG. 15.

[0060] An entire headrest is denoted in the figures by the reference numeral 10. The headrest is an accessory in terms of the invention.

[0061] The headrest 10 comprises in accordance with FIGS. 1 and 2 a head-contact part 11 and a retaining device 12. The head-contact part 11 can be mounted by the retaining device 12 in a known manner on a vehicle seat not illustrated in the figure. Said head-contact part 11 acts as a counter bearing for the head of the vehicle occupant and can transmit to the vehicle seat forces that are acting on a head-contact surface 14. The direction that faces forward with regard to an occupant, whose head is to be supported by the headrest 10, is denoted by x.sub.1 and the opposite direction facing rearward is denoted by x.sub.2.

[0062] The retaining device comprises support bars 13a and 13b that are mounted in receptacles of the vehicle seat. The head-contact part 11 is mounted on the support bars 13a and 13b in such a manner so as to be adjustable relative to the support bars 13a and 13b in the directions z.sub.1 and z.sub.2. To lock the head-contact part 11 in the adjusted height position, the headrest 10 comprises a latch 17 (cf. FIG. 2). The latch 17 is an adjuster in terms of the invention. The latch 17 comprises first locking elements 41a and 41b (cf. FIG. 2) of the head-contact part 11 that work together with second locking elements 42a and 42b of the retaining device 12 to lock the head-contact part 11 in a releasable manner.

[0063] In the present exemplary embodiment, the first locking elements 41a and 41b have the shape of latching edges that are allocated to a slider 40. The latching edges are shaped in the example as one part with the slider 40. The second locking elements 42a and 42b have in the present exemplary embodiment the shape of recesses in each of the support bars 13a and 13b. If the locking element 41a is in engagement with the locking element 42a and the locking element 41b is in engagement with the locking element 42b, a vertical adjustment is locked, in other words not possible. If the locking elements 41a and 42a and also 41b and 42b are moved to disengage, a vertical adjustment is possible.

[0064] The latch 17 is movable between a locking position and a releasing position. In the locking position, the locking means are engaged and the head-contact part 11 is locked in an immovable manner in the directions z.sub.1 and z.sub.2 relative to the support bars 13a and 13b. In accordance with one alternative, in the locking position, despite the engagement of the locking elements the head-contact part 11 could be immovable in the direction z.sub.2 and movable in the direction z.sub.1. In the release position, the head-contact part 11 is movable in directions z.sub.1 and z.sub.2. The latch 17 is urged into the locking position by a resetting device.

[0065] It is possible by an actuator 15 that comprises a central axis m to adjust the latch 17 out of the locking position into the releasing position, in which the locking elements 41a, 41b, 42a and 42b are disengaged. The actuator 15 comprises an actuating element 16. In the unactuated position of the actuator 15, the latch 17 is located in the locking position and in the actuated position of the actuating element 16, the latch 17 is located in the releasing position. The actuator 15 comprises a spring 18 with which the actuating element 16 is urged into the unactuated position. The spring 18 is configured as a spiral spring.

[0066] In the actuated position, the actuating element 16 is displaced in the direction y.sub.1 due to the actuation by a user with respect to the unactuated position and in the unactuated position the actuating element 16 is displaced in the direction y.sub.2 due to the resetting force of the spring 18 with respect to the actuated position.

[0067] In contrast to the illustration in FIG. 3, the slider is connected to the actuator in such a manner that during movement of the actuating element 16 from the unactuated position into the actuated position with respect to a frame 19 of the actuator 15 the head case immovable relative to the support bars 13a and 13b is held fixedly against a head case of the headrest 10, the slider 40 is likewise moved in the direction y.sub.1, wherein the locking elements 41a and 42a and also 41b and 42b become disengaged. If the actuating element 16 becomes unloaded, the slider 40 urged, respectively loaded in the direction y.sub.2 by a spring, not illustrated, is moved back in the direction y.sub.2 into the position in accordance with FIG. 3, wherein the locking elements 41a and 42a and also 41b and 42b move into engagement. The actuating element 16 is moved by the spring 18 into the unactuated position.

[0068] FIG. 4 illustrates a lateral view of the headrest 10, wherein the parts that are concealed in FIG. 3 are illustrated by the broken line. The actuator 15 is illustrated as an assembly in FIGS. 5 to 9.

[0069] In accordance with FIG. 5, the actuator 15 comprises the frame 19 configured in the present exemplary embodiment as a sleeve essentially closed in the peripheral direction and forms a collar at one end 23 and is provided with openings with respect to the central axis m at both ends 23 and 24. The frame 19 could however also have a different shape, for example it could be formed as a framework formed of mere guidance strips. The frame could alternatively also be formed on a fixed structure of the accessory, such as for example on the head case of the headrest 10. In this case, said frame can be provided with the same features as the frame described in this exemplary embodiment.

[0070] The frame 19 is provided with opposite attachment formations 20a and 20bin this case in the form of recessesthat are explained below. The frame 19 forms a shoulder 21 that acts as a stop for the assembly on the head-contact part 13.

[0071] The frame 19 forms an approximately circular cylindrical interior space 22 in the present exemplary embodiment. The actuating element 16 is guided movably between the unactuated position and the actuated position in the interior space 22 of the frame 19, cf. FIGS. 9a and 9b. At the end 23 of the frame 19, the actuating element 16 is arranged in an actuatable manner in the interior space 22. An actuating surface 35 of the actuating element 16 comprises a boundary region 36 radially remote from the central axis m, and a central region 37 arranged close to the central axis. The central region 37 is formed in such a manner to be set back from the boundary region 36 in the direction y.sub.1. The actuating surface 35 transitions smoothly from the boundary region 36 into the central region 37 with the result that a recess is formed advantageous for haptic reasons.

[0072] The spring 18 is arranged at an end 24 of the interior space 22, said end lying opposite the end 23. As is apparent in FIG. 7, the actuating element 16 and the spring 18 are configured in a coaxial manner with respect to the central axis m.

[0073] The spring 18 extends in a spiral manner essentially within one plane E1 that runs approximately at a right angle to the central axis m. In accordance with FIG. 8, the spring comprises an outer end 25 and also an inner end 26. The outer end 25 is attached to the frame 19 with the result that it is neither rotatable about the central axis nor movable in the direction y.sub.1 and y.sub.2.

[0074] In accordance with FIG. 9, the inner end 26 is connected to the actuating element 16 by a coupling 27 in the form of a connecting piece that has a U-shaped cross section with respect to the central axis. As is apparent in FIG. 7, the frame 19 comprises at least one stop surface 28 inclined approximately at 45 with respect to the central axis m and cooperates with the at least one complementarily formed contact surface 29 in such a manner that it forms a stop for the actuating element 16 and centers said actuating element in the unactuated position.

[0075] FIG. 9a illustrates the unactuated position of the actuator 15 and FIG. 9b illustrates the actuated position.

[0076] In accordance with FIGS. 10 to 13, the frame 19 is illustrated as an individual part. It comprises the diametrically opposite-lying attachment formations 20a and 20b and also four first guides 30 that extend parallel to the central axis and are distributed over the inner periphery of an upper surface 39 of the interior space 22, said guidance means being in the form of grooves that lie opposite with respect to the central axis m and of said grooves only one is apparent in FIG. 10.

[0077] FIGS. 14 to 17 illustrate the actuating unit comprising an actuating element 16, a coupling 27 and a spring 18. The annular outer end 25 comprises a radially facing flank area 38, protruding from which are the attachment formations 31a and 31beach in the form of a protrusionthat lie diametrically opposite with respect to the central axis m. Each protrusion comprises an inclined surface 33 configured in an oblique manner with respect to the central axis, and a retaining surface 34 extending generally perpendicular with respect to the central axis m.

[0078] The actuating element 16 extends within a plane E2 and comprises four guidance means 32 protruding outwards in a radial manner with respect to the central axis m are distributed over the periphery and cooperate in a sliding manner with the guidance means 30 during movement between the unactuated position and the actuated position and guide the actuating element 16.

[0079] The coupling 27 extends in the directions y.sub.1 and y.sub.2 between the actuating element 16 and the spring 18. The coupling 27 is configured in U-shape in a cross-section with respect to the central axis m. The spring 18 extends from the coupling approximately at a right angle with respect to the central axis m in a plane E1 and the actuating element 16 extends approximately at a right angle with respect to the central axis m in a plane E2. The plane E2 is parallel to the plane E1.

[0080] The spring 18, the coupling 27 and the actuating element 16 form the actuating element 43 produced in one piece in the synthetic material injection molding method. However, alternatively, the spring 18, the coupling 27 and the actuating element 16 can also be produced as an assembly of individual parts that are connected to one another. The actuating unit 43 is produced for example from a synthetic material, in particular a glass-fiber reinforced synthetic material. The synthetic material is for example polypropylene or polyamide or for example a polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene blend.