ADJUSTING DEVICE FOR ADJUSTING A HEADREST POSITION WITH DIRECT DRIVE

Abstract

In order to improve an adjusting device (100, 100a) for electrically adjusting a headrest position in such a way that the entire adjusting device (100, 100a) can be arranged inside of the headrest, so that the adjusting device (100, 100a) can be made more cost effective and reliable in design, it is proposed that an electric motor be movably arranged relative to a spindle (10, 10a), such that a rotary movement of a rotor of the electric motor induces a translational movement (15) of the electric motor along the spindle (10, 10a), or that a rotary movement of a rotor of the electric motor induces a translational movement (15) of the spindle (10, 10a).

Claims

1. An adjusting device for adjusting a headrest position, wherein the adjusting device comprises at least one spindle designed as a threaded spindle and at least one electric motor, said electric motor being in mechanical operative connection with the spindle, wherein the electric motor is movably arranged relative to the spindle, such that a rotary movement of a rotor of the electric motor induces a translational movement of the electric motor along the spindle, or that the spindle is movably arranged relative to the electric motor, such that a rotary movement of a rotor of the electric motor induces a translational movement of the spindle, wherein the rotor is arranged around the spindle.

2. (canceled)

3. The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein a pitch of a male thread of the spindle is less than 1.0 mm.

4. The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein a housing of the electric motor comprises fastening means for fastening the electric motor with the headrest.

5. The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein a stator of the electric motor is arranged on a circuit board of the electric motor.

6. The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the electric motor comprises at least four poles.

7. The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the spindle has a length of at least 10 cm.

8. The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the spindle comprises plastic, and/or wherein the spindle is designed self-lubricating.

9. The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the electric motor comprises a housing, wherein a dampening means for noise dampening is arranged on the inside of the housing.

10. The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting device comprises a control unit, wherein the control unit and the electric motor are designed in such a way as to achieve a complete rotation of the rotors by a number of between 6 and 18 impulses.

11. The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the electric motor for acquiring the position of the rotor comprises at least one Hall sensor, which is designed to acquire the position of a rotor magnet of the rotor and which is arranged in the electric motor.

12. The adjusting device according to claim 11, wherein a stator of the electric motor and the at least one Hall sensor are arranged on a circuit board of the electric motor.

13. The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting device comprises an additional spindle designed as a threaded spindle and another electric motor, said other electric motor being in mechanical operative connection with the additional spindle.

14. The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the rotor is fixedly connected with a spindle nut, wherein the spindle nut comprises a female thread that engages with the male thread of the spindle.

15. The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the electric motor is designed as a brushless motor and comprises a stator, wherein the electric motor is designed as an internal rotor motor or as an external rotor motor, wherein an air gap is arranged between the rotor and the stator around the entire periphery.

16. The adjusting device according to claim 15, wherein the electric motor comprises a housing, which is fixedly connected with the stator and/or the circuit board.

17. The adjusting device according to claim 14, wherein the spindle nut comprises plastic, and/or wherein the spindle nut is designed self-lubricating.

18. The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the rotor comprises a female thread that engages with the male thread of the spindle.

19. The adjusting device according to claim 14, wherein the rotor completely envelops the spindle nut.

20. The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein a bell is arranged around the rotor, wherein the bell is fixedly connected with the rotor.

21. The adjusting device according to claim 14, wherein the bell is fixedly connected with the spindle nut or integrally designed with the spindle nut.

22. The adjusting device according to claim 21, wherein the bell has a first external diameter, wherein the spindle nut has a second external diameter, wherein the second external diameter is smaller than the first external diameter over an entire length of the spindle nut.

23. The adjusting device according to claim 22, wherein the first external diameter is at most 40 mm.

24. The adjusting device according to claim 20, wherein the bell comprises plastic.

25. The adjusting device according to claim 14, wherein the spindle nut comprises an end section without a female thread.

26. The adjusting device according to claim 25, wherein the end section has a length corresponding to at least 10% of an overall length of the spindle nut.

27. The adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the electric motor is mounted on the spindle by means of at least one bearing.

28. Headrest for a vehicle seat with an adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting device is arranged inside of the headrest.

29. The headrest according to claim 28, wherein the adjusting device is designed to vertically adjust the headrest and/or to adjust an inclination of the headrest and/or to adjust a depth of the headrest and/or to move an element arranged in the headrest.

30. The headrest according to claim 28, wherein the headrest comprises two adjusting devices according to claim 1, wherein the first adjusting device for vertically adjusting the headrest is arranged inside of the headrest, wherein the second adjusting device for adjusting an inclination of the headrest and/or for adjusting a depth of the headrest and/or for moving an element arranged inside of the headrest is arranged inside of the headrest.

31. The headrest according to claim 28, wherein a heating module for forming a neck-level heating system is arranged inside of the headrest.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] The invention will now be exemplarily explained in reference to the accompanying drawings based upon particularly preferred embodiments.

[0050] Schematically depicted are:

[0051] FIG. 1: a perspective view of an adjusting device for adjusting a headrest position;

[0052] FIG. 2: a perspective view of an adjusting device without a housing;

[0053] FIG. 3: a sectional view through a section of an adjusting device for adjusting a headrest position;

[0054] FIG. 4: a perspective view of an adjusting device without a housing;

[0055] FIG. 5: a perspective view of an adjusting device without a housing;

[0056] FIG. 6: a sectional view through a section of an adjusting device for adjusting a headrest position;

[0057] FIG. 7: a headrest of a vehicle seat with an adjusting device for vertically adjusting the headrest, and

[0058] FIG. 8: a headrest with adjusting device for actuating an element arranged in the headrest.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0059] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an adjusting device 100, 110a for adjusting a headrest position. The adjusting device 100, 100a has a spindle 10, 10a designed as a threaded spindle, and an electric motor 11, 11a wherein the electric motor 11, 11a comprises a mechanical operative connection with the spindle 10, 10a. The electric motor 11, 11a is arranged in a housing 20. The electric motor 11, 11a is movably arranged relative to the spindle 10, 10a, so that a rotary movement 14 of the rotor 12 (not shown on FIG. 1) of the electric motor 11, 11a induces a translational movement 15 of the electric motor 11, 11a along the spindle 10, 10a.

[0060] The fastening means 21 arranged completely around the housing 20 of the electric motor 11, 11a can be used fixedly connect the electric motor 11, 11a via its housing 20 to the headrest 200 inside of the latter (not shown on FIG. 1). The headrest 200 thus follows the movement of the electric motor 11, 11a, or is moved together with the electric motor 11, 11a in a linear or translational direction along the spindle 10, 10a.

[0061] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the adjusting device 100, 100a, wherein the housing 20 of the electric motor 11, 11a was removed to provide a better overview. The electric motor 11, 11a has a stator 13 with a plurality of poles. The stator 13 completely envelops a rotor 12, which is designed as a permanent magnet or at least has a permanent magnet. The electric motor 11, 11a is designed as a brushless electric motor 11, 11a. This means that no mechanical contacts, for example sliding contacts, are provided between the stator 13 and rotor 12 of the electric motor 11, 11a. As a consequence, an air gap 24 is provided between the stator 13 and rotor 12 around the entire periphery.

[0062] Both the rotor 12 and stator 13 are arranged around the spindle 10, 10a. The rotor 12 completely envelops a spindle nut 18. The spindle nut 18 at least zonally has a female thread 16 (not shown on FIG. 2), which engages with the male thread 17 of the spindle 10, 10a. The spindle nut 18 is fixedly connected with the rotor 12, so that the rotary movement 14 or rotational movement of the rotor 12 is imparted to the spindle nut 18. As a consequence, this rotary movement 14 of the rotor is imparted to the spindle 10, 10a via the spindle nut 18, and converted into a translational movement 15 of the entire electric motor 11, 11a along the spindle 10, 10a.

[0063] FIG. 3 shows a section of the adjusting device 100, 100a in a sectional view. As clearly shown, the spindle nut 18 zonally has a female thread 16, which engages with the male thread 17 of the spindle 10, 10a.

[0064] The pitch 19 selected for the male thread 17 is especially small, so that the transmission ratio is small, and the electric motor 11, 11a, and hence also the entire headrest 200 (not shown on FIG. 3), can be adjusted in small steps. For example, the pitch 19 of the male thread 17 measures 0.5 mm.

[0065] In the adjusting device 100, 100a depicted on FIGS. 1-3, the electric motor 11, 11a is designed as an internal rotor motor. The stator 13 is thus arranged around the rotor 12. The rotor 12 either rests with its female thread 16 on the spindle 10, 10a, or is arranged on the spindle 10, 10a via a spindle nut 18 with a female thread 16.

[0066] FIGS. 4 and 5 show additional perspective views of an adjusting device 100, 100a for vertically adjusting a headrest 200 (not depicted on the figures). FIG. 6 shows a sectional view through an adjusting device 100, 100a. FIGS. 4-6 show an adjusting device 100, 100a, wherein the electric motor 11, 11a is designed as an external rotor motor. The rotor 12 is here arranged around the stator 13.

[0067] The stator 13 or entire electric motor 11, 11a is mounted on the spindle 10, 10a via two bearings 27, 28 spaced apart from each other. The two bearings 27, 28 are here designed as slide bearings.

[0068] The rotor 12 is pressed or adhesively bonded into a bell 25, and thus rigidly connected with the latter. The bell 25 is integrally designed with the spindle nut 18. As a consequence, the rotational movement of the rotor 12 is transmitted to the spindle nut 18 by way of the bell 25. The bell 25 together with the spindle nut 18 is turned along with the rotor 12.

[0069] The spindle nut 18 has a female thread 16, which engages with the male thread 17 of the spindle 10, 10a. An end section 26 of the spindle nut 18 is here designed without a female thread.

[0070] FIG. 7 shows a headrest 200 with an adjusting device 100, 100a arranged therein for vertically adjusting the headrest 200. The headrest 200 is connected with the backrest 52 of the vehicle seat via two connecting means 51.

[0071] The linear or translational movement 15 along the spindle 10, 10a of the electric motor 11, 11a or the entire headrest 200 changes the vertical position of the headrest 200. To this end, the electric motor 11, 11a is fixedly connected via its housing inside of the headrest 200 with the latter. The headrest 200 thus follows the translational direction of movement 15 of the entire electric motor 11, 11a. The spindle 10, 10a is connected with a connecting means 51 between the headrest 200 and the backrest 52 of the vehicle seat, so that the spindle 10, 10a follows no movement when adjusting the headrest 200.

[0072] The headrest 200 can have two adjusting devices 100, 100a of the kind depicted on FIG. 4. For example, an adjusting device 100, 100a could be arranged in the area of each of the two connecting means 51 between the headrest 200 and the backrest 52 of the vehicle seat.

[0073] FIG. 6 shows a headrest 200 with the adjusting device 100, 100a arranged therein. As opposed to the embodiment depicted on FIG. 4, the embodiment shown on FIG. 5 serves to activate or move an element 50 inside of the headrest 200. As a result, the position of the headrest 200 is altered in a vertical direction by outwardly pressing the essentially flatly designed element 50 arranged inside of the headrest 200, thereby expanding the headrest 200 or retracting the element 50. As a consequence, the user at least intuitively feels as though the inclination of the headrest 200 changes.

[0074] Several adjusting devices 100, 100a can also be provided in a headrest 200. For example, an adjusting device 100 for vertical adjustment can be provided in a headrest 200, as can an additional adjusting device 100a for actuating the element 50 arranged inside of the headrest 200.

REFERENCE LIST

[0075] 100, 100a Adjusting device [0076] 200 Headrest [0077] 10, 10a Spindle [0078] 11, 11a Electric motor [0079] 12 Rotor [0080] 13 Stator [0081] 14 Rotary movement [0082] 15 Translational movement [0083] 16 Female thread [0084] 17 Male thread [0085] 18 Spindle nut [0086] 19 Pitch of male thread [0087] 20 Housing [0088] 21 Fastening means [0089] 22 Circuit board [0090] 23 Length of spindle [0091] 24 Air gap [0092] 25 Bell [0093] 26 End section [0094] 27, 28 Bearing [0095] 50 Element [0096] 51 Connecting means between headrest and a backrest of vehicle seat [0097] 52 Backrest of vehicle seat