MOTOR VEHICLE SEAT AND MOTOR VEHICLE SEAT SYSTEM

Abstract

A motor vehicle seat having a backrest and a seat part and an adjustable sidewall arranged on the backrest and/or the seat part, which sidewall comprises an adjustment mechanism having a stationary portion and a lever portion pivotable about a pivot axis, and having at least one fluid-fillable bladder arranged between the stationary portion and the lever portion for adjusting the relative angular position thereof, wherein the lever portion comprises two wing portions which are arranged on either side of the pivot axis, and the bladder is arranged between a first wing portion and the stationary portion, wherein a preload torsion spring engages by a first spring portion on the stationary portion, and engages by a second spring portion on the second wing portion, of the lever portion, such that it exerts a preload force which pushes the first spring portion in the direction of the stationary portion.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle seat (1) comprising a backrest (2) and a seat part (3), wherein at least one adjustable sidewall (2a; 3a) is arranged on the backrest (2) and/or the seat part (3), which sidewall comprises: an adjustment mechanism (4) having a stationary portion (43) and a lever portion (41, 42) which is connected thereto and is pivotable about a pivot axis (A), and having at least one fluid-fillable bladder (5) which is arranged between the stationary portion (43) and the lever portion (41, 42) for the purpose of adjusting the relative angular position thereof, wherein the lever portion (41, 42) comprises two wing portions (41, 42) which are arranged on either side of the pivot axis (A), and the bladder (5) is arranged between a first wing portion (42) and the stationary portion (43), wherein a preload spring (45), in the form of a torsion spring, engages by a first spring portion (45b) on the stationary portion (43), and engages by a second spring portion (45a) on the second wing portion (41), of the lever portion (41, 42), such that it exerts a preload force which pushes the first spring portion (42) in the direction of the stationary portion (43).

2. The motor vehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the torsion spring (45) is a leg spring, and the first spring portion (45b) is a first spring leg, and the second spring portion (45a) is a second spring leg.

3. The motor vehicle seat (1) according to either claim 1, wherein the second spring portion (45a) is supported on the second wing portion (41) of the lever mechanism (41, 42), on the side facing the stationary portion (43).

4. The motor vehicle seat (1) according to claim 1, wherein the torsion spring (45) comprises a helical central portion between the spring portions (45a, 45b), which central portion is arranged so as to be concentric with respect to the pivot axis.

5. The motor vehicle seat (1) according to claim 1, wherein the preload of the torsion spring (45) pushes the first wing portion (42) in the direction of the stationary portion (43), when the at least one fluid-fillable bladder (5) is completely evacuated.

6. The motor vehicle seat (1) according to claim 1, wherein the evacuation time and/or the filling time until the at least one bladder (5) is completely evacuated or completely filled is less than 5 seconds and more than 0 seconds.

7. A motor vehicle seat system, comprising a motor vehicle seat (1) according to claim 1, at least one valve means designed for filling or emptying the bladder (5), and a controller which generates a control signal in order to bring about the opening or closing of the valve means, wherein the lever portion (41, 42) can be moved along a pivot path, by generating the control signal, and consequently by filling or emptying the bladder (5).

8. The motor vehicle seat system according to claim 7, wherein the reaction time, between the time of generation of the control signal by the controller for opening the valve means, or the time of actual opening of the valve means, and the time at which the lever portion (41, 42) has covered less than 50%, preferably 30%, of the pivot path, is more than 0 seconds and less than 2 seconds, preferably less than 1.6 seconds, preferably less than 1.3 seconds.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The invention will be explained in greater detail in the following, with reference to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a motor vehicle seat according to the invention.

[0016] FIG. 2 shows the interior of a sidewall according to the invention, comprising an adjustment mechanism in a first angular position between the stationary portion and the lever portion.

[0017] FIG. 3 shows the interior of a sidewall according to the invention, comprising an adjustment mechanism in a second angular position between the stationary portion and the lever portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] An example for a motor vehicle seat 1 according to the invention is shown in FIG. 1. Said seat comprises a backrest 2 and a seat part 3. The seat part 3 has two sidewalls 3a, just as the backrest 2 comprises sidewalls 2a. In the example shown, the sidewalls 2a of the backrest 2 have an adjustment mechanism 4, by means of which it they can be actively adjusted. Although such an adjustment possibility for the sidewalls 3a of the seat part 3 is not shown, seats are also conceivable in which both the sidewalls 2a of the backrest 2 and the sidewalls 3a of the seat part 3 can be adjusted by means of an adjustment mechanism 4. In the same way, adjustable sidewalls may be provided merely in the region of the seat part 3. The adjustment mechanism 4 of the sidewalls 2a is indicated by a lever portion 41, 42. Said lever portion 41, 42 is located under the seat cover or also under corresponding upholstery of the sidewall 2a, and is arranged so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis A, relative to the backrest 2, more precisely relative to a stationary portion fastened to the structure of the backrest 2. Pivoting of the lever portion 41, 42, in particular of the front wing portion 41 in the drawing, here, about the pivot axis A, causes the relevant sidewall to pivot in the direction of the center of the backrest 2 or in the opposite direction.

[0019] According to the invention, the stated pivot movement about the axis A is caused by a fluid-fillable bladder being filled with or evacuated of a fluid, preferably air, by means of a controller and a valve means, in response to a control signal. This is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0020] The adjustment mechanism 4 is shown there. FIG. 2 shows an end position in which the fluid-fillable bladder is completely evacuated. FIG. 3 is a view which shows a partially filled (intermediate position) or completely filled bladder 5 (end position). The part of the motor vehicle seat system which is connected to the fluid-fillable bladder 5 and brings about the filling or evacuation is not shown, for the sake of clarity.

[0021] The adjustment mechanism 4 according to the invention first comprises a stationary portion 43 which is connected to the structure of the motor vehicle seat and is consequently oriented along a fixed line L1. A lever portion 41, 42 is hingedly connected to said stationary portion 43, in particular so as to be pivotable about a rotary joint 44 and the pivot axis A. Said lever portion comprises a first wing portion 42 which is arranged on a side of the pivot axis A. The fluid-fillable bladder 5 is arranged between said first wing portion 42 and the stationary portion 43. The second wing portion 41 of the lever portion 41, 42 is arranged on the corresponding other side of the pivot axis A. The seat cover and a portion of the upholstery of the motor vehicle seat are tensioned thereby, and thus form the profiled sidewall. The adjustment mechanism 4 further comprises a torsion spring 45, preferably designed as a leg spring, which, in the example shown, comprises two spring portions in the form of spring legs 45a and 45b, and a helical portion located between the spring legs 45a and 45b. A first spring leg 45b rests on the stationary portion 43 or is connected thereto. The second spring leg 45a rests on the lever portion 41, 42, preferably on the second wing portion 41, or is connected thereto. In the embodiment shown, the second spring leg 45a rests on the side of the second wing portion 41 facing the stationary portion 43, preferably in a depression, provided therefor, in the wing portion 41, or is connected thereto. Likewise, the first spring leg 45b rests on or is connected to an arm portion of the stationary portion 43, which is preferably perpendicular to the line L1. In the event of filling of the fluid-fillable bladder between the portions 42 and 43, then the wing portion 42 moves in the direction of the arrow P about the axis A. As a result, the second wing portion 41 is pivoted in the same direction of rotation. In this case, the two spring legs 45a and 45b are moved towards one another, such that a stress builds up in the helical portion. According to the invention, the leg spring 45 is coupled to the lever portion 41, 42 or to the stationary portion 45 such that, in the case of the end position shown in FIG. 2, when the bladder is completely empty, the first wing portion 42 is pressed against the stationary portion 43.

[0022] If the bladder 5 is filled, as is shown in FIG. 3, the preload of the leg spring 45 increases, and an angle is established between the stationary portion 43 and the first wing portion 42 of the lever portion 41, 42, as is indicated by the lines L1 and L2. With successive filling of the bladder 5, the preload within the leg spring 45 also increases. This preload of the leg spring 45 means that no play arises between the portions 42 and 43, during filling, such that every volume change of the fluid-fillable bladder directly leads to a change in the angle of the lines L1 and L2. Vice versa, the increasing preload ensures, in the case of larger angles between L1 and L2, that, in the event of an evacuation of the bladder 5, said preload force presses on the bladder and assists, and thus accelerates, the evacuation process.

[0023] This arrangement therefore makes it possible to accelerate the filling process and the evacuation process, and thus achieve a faster response characteristic of the active sidewall adjustment. Furthermore, the shorter response times also make it possible for the reaction time of the motor vehicle seat system to be increased, such that the vehicle occupant senses the active support by the sidewall more quickly than compared with other solutions of the prior art. Thus, overall, the motor vehicle seat system according to the invention, and the motor vehicle seat according to the invention, are capable of increasing the dynamics of the active support of the vehicle occupant by the sidewalls.