MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

A height-adjustable seat includes a seat part having a frame and a back part. At pivot lever is pivotally mounted about a pivot axis for height adjustment of the seat by a pivoting movement of the pivot lever. A movable connecting member is connected to the pivot lever by a first pivot lever joint so that a movement of the connecting member causes a pivoting movement of the pivot lever about the pivot axis. An actuating member moves the connecting member with a gear wheel. A movable transmission member having teeth transmits a force from the gear wheel to the connecting member. The gear wheel meshes with the teeth of the transmission members, which is in mechanical operative connection to the connecting member so that a movement of the transmission member causes movement of the connecting member. The connecting member is mounted to a base part and subjected to a compression load.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A height-adjustable seat for a motor vehicle having a seat part and a back part, the seat part comprising: a seat frame; at least one pivot lever pivotally mounted about a pivot axis for height adjustment of the seat frame by a pivoting movement of the at least one pivot lever; a movable connecting member mounted on a base plate and coupled to the pivot lever at a first pivot lever joint so that a movement of the connecting member causes a pivoting movement of the pivot lever about the pivot axis; an actuating member having a gear wheel configured to move the connecting member; a transmission member having teeth meshing with the gear wheel for transmitting a force from the gear wheel of the actuating member to the connecting member, wherein the transmission member is operably coupled with the connecting member so that a movement of the transmission member causes a movement of the connecting member; wherein the first pivot lever joint is arranged below the pivot lever pivot axis such that the connecting member is subjected to a compression load.

17. A seat according to claim 16, wherein the base part comprises a first plate and a second plate.

18. The seat according to claim 17, wherein the first and second plates are aligned substantially parallel to each other.

19. The seat according to claim 18, wherein the transmission member and the gear wheel are arranged between the first and second base plates.

20. The seat according to claim 16, wherein the pivot lever, the connecting member and the transmission member together with joints form a mechanism for pivoting the pivot lever about the pivot axis on the third pivot lever joint by pivoting movement of the transmission member.

21. The seat according to claim 16, wherein the actuating member is partially fixed in the region of an outer side of the frame and the gear wheel of the actuating member and the base part together with the transmission member and the connecting member are fixed in the region of an inner side of the frame.

22. The seat according to claim 16, wherein the frame has an opening having a diameter which is greater than a diameter of the gear wheel such that the gear wheel passes therethrough.

23. The seat according to claim 16, wherein the transmission member is pivotally mounted on the base part about a transmission member pivot axis with a transmission member joint.

24. The seat according to claim 16, wherein the connecting member is pivotally mounted on the transmission member about a first connecting member pivot axis at a connecting member joint.

25. The seat according to claim 16, wherein the connecting member is subjected to a compression load in all positions of the connecting member.

26. The seat according to claim 16, further comprising a sliding carriage pivotally mounted to the pivot lever at a third pivot lever joint, wherein the first pivot lever joint between the pivot lever and the connecting member is arranged below the third pivot lever joint between the pivot lever and the sliding carriage in all positions of the first pivot lever joint.

27. The seat according to claim 16, wherein the teeth of the transmission member comprise a constant radial distance to the transmission member pivot axis.

28. A seat for a motor vehicle having a seat part and a back part pivotally attached to the seat part, the seat part comprising: a sliding carriage; a seat frame operably coupled to the sliding carriage by a plurality of pivot levers for relative movement to provide a height adjustment of the seat, wherein one of the plurality of pivot levers operates as a drive link for pivoting movement about a first pivot axis in a height adjustment device, the height adjustment device comprising: a first assembly unit disposed on a first side of the seat frame and including a base part having first and second plates, a transmission member operably coupled to the base part for pivoting movement about a second pivot axis and a connecting member having a first end operably coupled to the transmission member for pivoting movement about a third pivot axis, wherein the transmission member has a plurality of teeth formed at a substantially constant radial distance to the second pivot axis; and a second assembly unit disposed on a second side of the seat frame opposite the first side and including an actuating member having a gear wheel, wherein the second assembly unit is detachably fastened to the first assembly unit such that the gear wheel extends through a hole formed in the seat frame and meshes with the teeth on the transmission member for transmitting a force from the gear wheel to through the actuating member to the connecting member; wherein a second end of the connecting member is operably coupled to the drive link for pivoting movement about a fourth pivot axis arranged below the first pivot axis such that the connecting member is subjected to a compression load in all positions of the connecting member.

29. The seat according to claim 28 wherein the second assembly unit further comprises a third plate rotatably supporting the actuating member, wherein the base part of the first assembly unit is detachably fastened to the third base plate such that the seat frame is disposed therebetween.

30. A method for manufacturing a seat comprising: providing a base part, a transmission member having teeth, a connecting member; pivotally mounting the transmission member and the connecting member on the base part to form a first assembly unit; providing an actuating member having a gear wheel to form a second assembly unit; providing a frame of a seat part for the seat; pivotally mounting at least one pivot lever about a pivot axis for height adjustment of the seat frame by a pivoting movement of the at least one pivot lever; and coupling the connecting member to the pivot lever at a first pivot lever joint so that a movement of the connecting member causes a pivoting movement of the pivot lever about the pivot axis wherein the base part is provided in two parts as a first base plate and a second base plate.

31. The method according to claim 30, further comprising stamp forming the first and second base plates.

32. The method according to claim 30, further comprising arranging the transmission member and the gear wheel between the first and second base plate to form the first assembly unit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0056] The present disclosure will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements.

[0057] FIG. 1 is a side view of a motor vehicle,

[0058] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section of a front seat of the motor vehicle,

[0059] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a support structure of the front seat,

[0060] FIG. 4 is a partial side view of the support structure with frame and a height adjustment device for the front seat,

[0061] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the height adjustment device of FIG. 4,

[0062] FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a first assembly unit of the height adjustment device of FIG. 4

[0063] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the height adjustment device according to FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0064] The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of the invention. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background of the invention or the following detailed description.

[0065] A motor vehicle shown in FIG. 1 as a hybrid or electric motor vehicle 1 has an auto body 2 made of metal, in particular steel. The motor vehicle 1 is moved by a drive motor 6, for example, an electric motor 7 and/or an internal combustion engine 8. An electric motor vehicle 1 has only the electric motor 7 as the drive motor 6, and a hybrid motor vehicle 1 has both the electric motor 7 and the internal combustion engine 8. The auto body 2 made of steel defines an interior and inside the interior are arranged two front seats 10 as seats 9 and three rear seats 11 as seats 9. The three rear seats 11 are combined to form a seat bench.

[0066] A longitudinal section through the front seat 10 is shown in FIG. 2. The front seat 10 includes a seat part 12 and a back part 13. The seat part 12 and the back part 13 each have a frame 20 as a support structure 17 on which a padding 14 and a seat cover 15 are fastened. On the back part 10, a headrest 21 is further fastened. The back part 13 is pivotable about a pivot axis 16. The seat part 12 is fastened with support feet 19 on two rails 18 as a pivot lever 28. By the support feet 19 and a respective sliding carriage 25 at the lower end of the support feet 19, which are mounted movably on the rails 18, the entire front seat 7 can be moved horizontally in the longitudinal direction or X-direction 22 of the motor vehicle 1. The frame 20 of the back part 13 is connected by connecting parts to the frame 20 of the seat part 12, so that thereby, in the horizontal and/or vertical movement of the front seat 7, both the seat part 12 and the back part 13 execute the horizontal and/or vertical movement together. The support structure 17 includes the frame 20, the support feet 19 and the rails 18. The seat 9 is not movable in a Y-direction 23 as a transverse direction of the motor vehicle 1. The seat 9 is adjustable with a height adjustment device 3 in the Z-direction 24 or vertical direction 24, so that the entire seat 9 may have a different vertical distance to the auto body 2 at the bottom of the motor vehicle 1.

[0067] Four pivot levers 28 are arranged on the inner side in the region of inner sides 71 of the frame 20 in the longitudinal direction 22 of the motor vehicle 1 and in the X-direction 22 of the motor vehicle 1. The pivot levers 28 are each fastened torque-proof to the end regions of a rear crossbar 26 and a front crossbar 27. The two crossbars 26, 27 are kinematically coupled to each other by means of a mechanism 4, namely the frame 20 and the pivot lever 28. A pivoting or rotational movement of the rear crossbar 26 thus requires the same simultaneous pivoting movement of the front crossbar 27 due to this kinematic coupling by the mechanism 4. The two crossbars 26, 27 are mounted at their axial end regions in each case with a second pivot lever joint 33 on the frame 20, so that the seat 1 has a total of four second pivot lever joints 33. A lower end region of the pivot lever 28 is articulated to a respective sliding carriage 25, each with a third pivot lever joint 34. The four pivot levers 28 are thus articulated with four third pivot lever joints 34 on four sliding carriages 25 so that thereby the pivot lever 28 can execute a pivoting movement about a pivot axis 35. Thus, the two front pivot levers 28 execute a pivoting movement about a forward pivot axis 35 and the two rear pivot levers 28 execute a pivoting movement about a rear pivot axis 35 (FIG. 5). A pivoting movement of the pivot lever 28 about the pivot axes 35 thus causes a height adjustment of the seat 9 in the Z-direction 24. Due to the kinematics of the pivot lever 28, the seat 9 additionally executes a movement in a smaller extent in the X-direction 22 of the motor vehicle 1 during movement of the seat 9 in the Z-direction 24. A movement of the seat 9 upwards leads to a slight forward movement of the seat 9 in the X-direction 22 and a movement of the seat 9 downwards leads to a slight movement of the seat 9 in the X-direction 22 to the rear.

[0068] One of the pivots levers 28 operates as an output or drive link for pivoting movement at pivot lever joint 34 about the pivot axis 35 in the height adjustment device 3. The height adjustment device 3 additionally includes an actuating member 36 as a mechanical actuating member 37. The mechanical actuating member 37 may additionally have an actuating lever. The mechanical actuating member 37 is also referred to as a so-called mechanical pump or simply pump. The actuating lever can be actuated by a person on the seat 9, and this causes a rotational movement of a drive shaft 42 of the actuating member 37. A gear wheel 39 is fastened to the drive shaft 42. The actuating member 36 further has a holding plate 40 having three holes 41 with an internal thread or nuts. Notwithstanding this, the actuating member 36 may also be an actuating member 38 with an electric motor. In an actuating member 38 with an electric motor, the gear wheel 39 is not set into rotational motion with muscle power by the actuating lever, but rather by electrical energy driving the electric motor of the actuating member 38, that is, both the gear wheel 39 and the drive shaft 42 together execute a turning or rotational movement. The actuating member 36 additionally forms a second assembly unit 69.

[0069] The height adjustment device 3 additionally includes a first assembly unit 68. The first assembly unit 68 includes a base part 49 as a first base plate 50 and a second base plate 5, a transmission member 46 as a sector 47, and a connecting member 64 as a connecting lever 65. The second base plate 5 has a bearing bore 51 for mounting the drive shaft 42 of the actuating member 36 in which a bearing bush 66 is fastened to an opening of the second base plate 5 and the bearing bush 66 limits the bearing bore 51. The first base plate 50 has an opening 53 for the gear wheel 39 and three holes 52. Three holes 52 are also configured on the second base plate 5. A bearing bore 58 is configured respectively on the first base plate 50 and the second base plate 5, for the articulation of the transmission member 46 on the base part 49, that is, the first base plate 50 and the second base plate 5. For this purpose, the transmission member 46 is pivotally mounted with a transmission member joint 55 on the base part 49 about a transmission member pivot axis 54. The transmission member joint 55 is formed by a bearing pin 56, a bearing bore 57 on the transmission member 46 and the bearing bores 58 on the base part 49. For this purpose, the bearing pin 56 is arranged within the bearing bore 57 and the bearing bores 58 on the first and second base plates 5, 50 (FIG. 6). The bearing pin 56 is preferably configured as a two-sided rivet 56. The transmission member 46 has a plurality of teeth 48 and the teeth 48 have a substantially constant radial distance to the transmission member pivot axis 54.

[0070] The connecting member 64 is pivotally mounted on the transmission member 46 about a first connecting member pivot axis 59 with a connecting member joint 60. The connecting member joint 60 includes a bearing pin 61, a bearing bore 62 on the connecting member 64 and a bearing bore 63 on the transmission member 46. The bearing pin 61 is arranged within the bearing bore 62 and the bearing bore 63 for this purpose.

[0071] The connecting member 64 is articulated with a first pivot lever joint 29 about a second connecting member pivot axis 67 on only one pivot lever 28 on the rear crossbar 26. The first pivot lever joint 29 includes a bearing pin 30, a bearing bore 31 in the connecting member 64 and a bearing bore 32 in the pivot lever 28. The pivot lever 28 is formed as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 of two partial pivot levers 28 which are fixedly configured on the rear crossbar 26. The bearing bore 32 is configured on the lower pivot part lever 28 in FIGS. 4 and 5. The bearing pin 30 is arranged within the bearing bores 31, 32.

[0072] In the manufacture of the seat 9, first, the first assembly unit 68 and the second assembly unit 69 are manufactured or assembled or made available, i.e., assembled together from appropriate individual parts. To fix the second assembly unit 69 as the actuating member 36 and the first assembly unit 68 with the base member 49, three fixing elements 43 are introduced as screws 44 in holes 52 on the base member 49 to the transmission member 46 and the connecting member 64 on the frame 20, that is, depending on the first and second base plate 5, 50, and also passed through three holes 45 on the frame 20 until the external threads of the screws 44 can be screwed into the internal threads on the holes 41 of the holding plate 40 of the actuating member 36. The actuating member 36, that is, the holding plate 40, thus rests directly on an outer side of the frame 20 and the base part 49, that is, the first base plate 50 rests directly on the inner side 71 of the frame 20. The gear wheel 39 is to be passed through fan opening 70 on the frame 20 for the assembly.

[0073] When assembling the first assembly unit 68, the assembly is facilitated by the fact that the first base plate 50 has the opening 53 for the passing through of the gear wheel 39. After assembling the first assembly unit 68, the gear wheel 39 and the transmission member 46 are arranged between the first and second base plates 5, 50. Only after the final fixing of the actuating member 36 or the second assembly unit 69 and the first assembly unit 68 to the frame 20 and the thereby already manufactured meshing of the teeth of the gear wheel 39 in the teeth 48 of the transmission member 46, is the connecting member 64 subsequently articulated with the first pivot lever joint 29 on the only one pivot lever 28 as the connecting lever 65. During this manufacture of the articulated connection by the first pivot lever joint 29 of the connecting member 64 on the pivot lever 28, the gear wheel 39 cannot be set into a rotational movement and thus the transmission member 46 cannot be pivoted about the transmission member pivot axis 54. A certain position of the teeth of the gear wheel 39 in the teeth 48 of the transmission member 46 is associated with a certain height position of the seat 9. To achieve this particular height position of the seat 9, the seat 9 is only to be brought by assemblers manually in a corresponding height position, so that the articulated connection can be manufactured by means of the first pivot lever joint 29 between the connecting member 64 and the pivot lever 28. After the manufacture and assembly of the height adjustment device 3, the connecting member 64 is constantly subjected to a compression load due to the kinematics between the pivot lever 28 and the connecting lever 64, in particular, because the first pivot lever joint 29 or the second connecting member pivot axis 67 is arranged in the Z-direction 24 or the vertical direction under the third pivot lever joint 34 or the pivot axis 35. The first pivot lever joint 29, the third pivot lever joint 34 and the second pivot lever joint 33 form a mechanism, so that due to the kinematics of the first pivot lever joint 29, of the third pivot lever joint 34 and of the second pivot lever joint 33 and of the pivot lever 28 and of the connecting member 64, a movement of the connecting member 64 causes a pivoting movement of the pivot lever 28 and thus a height adjustment of the seat 9; for the pivoting movement of the pivot lever 28 by means of the movement of the connecting member 64, thus not only the distance between the pivot axis 35 or the third pivot lever joint 34 and the second connecting member pivot axis 67 on the first pivot lever joint 29 is relevant.

[0074] On the whole, considerable advantages are associated with the seat 9 according to the present disclosure, the method according to the present disclosure for manufacturing the seat 9 and the motor vehicle 1 according to the present disclosure. The components of the first assembly unit 68 and the components of the second assembly unit 69 can be manufactured and/or assembled in only one manufacturing plant, so that thereby, only slight manufacturing inaccuracies occur within the first and second assembly units 68, 69. A tolerance compensation due to high manufacturing inaccuracy in the assembly of the seat 9 is not necessary. As a result, the costs for the manufacture of the height adjustment device 3 and thus of the seat 9 can be reduced in an advantageous manner. The already assembled first assembly unit 68 and second assembly unit 69 can also be fixed in a manufacturing plant on the frame 20, in which in a just-in-time production, the padding 14 and the seat cover 15 are assembled on the seat 9. For the manufacture of different seats 9, for example, with a seat 9 in which the actuating member 36 is not a mechanical actuating member 37, but rather an actuating member 38 with electric motor, only a second assembly unit 69 needs to be provided and this can be assembled in the manufacturing plant with just-in-time production. Since no complex tolerance compensation for the manufacture and assembly of the height adjustment device 3 is necessary, individual components of the height adjustment device, for example, the actuating member 36, can be replaced in a service workshop without a replacement of the entire seat 9 being necessary. As a result, in addition, the costs for a service case on the height adjustment device 3 in a motor vehicle 1 can be reduced.

[0075] While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment as contemplated herein. It should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.