Locking device for a vehicle seat

Abstract

The present invention discloses a locking device for a vehicle seat. The locking device includes at least one tolerance compensation element and a second damping element, and the second damping element is arranged to suppress the movement of a latch element received in the locking device. These elements are spaced apart from each other in the direction of action of the force acting on the latch element, such that under normal circumstances, the tolerance compensation element acts in a damping manner, and the second damping element additionally provides a damping action under the action of a high dynamic force.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to vehicle seats, and more particularly to a locking device for a vehicle seat having at least two damping elements. Background Art

[0002] In a vehicle, locking devices are commonly used to lock devices, such as to lock a vehicle seat in place. For example, the locking device may lock a seat back relative to a seat base or may lock the base relative to the vehicle floor. Typical locking devices generally have a pivotable rotary latch for reliably receiving a bolt element, a locking element, and a drive element, as disclosed in, for example, DE 102013216721 A1 and GB 2305209 B, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. In the locking device, a specific level of clearance is typically provided for the bolt element received in the rotary latch or engaged with any other type of latch. The clearance enables the locking of the bolt element to function correctly by taking into account all tolerance ranges of the components of the locking device. To hold the bolt element in a specific position after engaging the locking device, many locking devices have, for example, an elastic rubber damper or a leaf spring. If the bolt element engages or snaps into the device, the bolt element strikes the damper or spring. In this example, the mobility of the bolt element is typically specifically defined in the direction of the force action.

[0003] When unlocking the device, the force exerted by the damper or spring on the bolt element must typically be counteracted. For the benefit of individual users, this should not require too much force consumption. On the other hand, in the case of a sharp movement of the vehicle - such as when driving on a rough road surface - dynamic forces act on the locking device, where if the action of the damper or spring is insufficient to limit the movement of the bolt element, the bolt element may move and simultaneously damage the device or at least rattle in a destructive manner. Therefore, it is necessary to design the action of the elastic damper acting on the bolt element such that accidental movement can be avoided and the device can be unlocked without consuming too much force. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a locking device for a vehicle seat. The locking device for a vehicle seat includes at least one housing, and at least one lock and at least one bolt element operably connected to the lock. The bolt element can be received in the lock by the action of a force, and the movement of the bolt element can be restricted to a specific position by the action of a first damping element including a tolerance compensation element, and wherein the lock includes at least one second damping element spaced apart from the tolerance compensation element and arranged downstream of the tolerance compensation element in the direction of the force action of the bolt element.

[0005] According to another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle seat locking device is provided. The vehicle seat locking device includes a housing, a lock, a latch element operatively connected to the lock and receiving force in the lock, a first damping element that limits the movement of the latch to a specific position, and a second damping element spaced apart from the first damping element and disposed downstream of the first damping element in the direction of the force.

[0006] According to another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle seat having a locking device is provided. The vehicle seat having a locking device includes a housing, a lock, a latch element operatively connected to the lock and receiving force in the lock, a first damping element that limits the movement of the latch to a specific position, and a second damping element spaced apart from the first damping element and disposed downstream of the first damping element in the direction of the force.

[0007] Those skilled in the art will understand and appreciate these and other aspects, objects, and features of the present invention by studying the following specification, claims, and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] In the drawings:

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic view of a conventional locking device according to an example;

[0010] Figure 2 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a locking device according to an embodiment; and

[0011] Figure 3 is a vehicle seat employing Figure 2 the locking device shown in the schematic view. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] Figure 1 An example of a conventional locking device 1 is shown. The locking device 1 has a rotary latch 2 pivotally mounted about a first bearing axis L1 and a locking element 3 that holds the rotary latch 2 in a locked position and is pivotally mounted about a second bearing axis L2. The locking element is connected to a drive member (not shown) that is also pivotally connected to the bearing axis L2. The bearing axes L1 and L2 are spaced apart from each other and arranged parallel to each other. The elements of the locking device 1 are arranged in a housing 4.

[0013] To return the rotary latch 2 to the unlocked position, the rotary latch is pre-tensioned in the direction of the unlocked position by a spring 5 assigned to the rotary latch 2. Another spring 6 assigned to the locking element 3 pre-tensions the locking element 3 in the locked position, in which the locking element 3 prevents the rotary latch 2 from springing back rapidly to the unlocked position. To release the bolt element, the locking element 3 is forced against the force of the second spring 6 into the release position, such that the rotary latch 2 springs back rapidly to the unlocked position and releases the previously locked bolt element.

[0014] The rotary latch 2 has a bearing claw 7 for receiving a bolt element (not shown), which is inserted into the locking device 1 and locked so as to create a connection in the locking device 1. The force exerted by the bolt element is shown by arrow P. To dampen the movement of the bolt element in the locked position, a damping element in the form of a tolerance compensation element 8 is provided in the locking device 1. Figure 1 The tolerance compensation element 8 shown is a leaf spring, which is in the form of an extended helical spring. The leaf spring is pre-tensioned against the direction of the force exerted by the bolt element. Alternatively, the tolerance compensation element 8 can also be a different spring or a combination of multiple springs.

[0015] In Figure 2 the locking device 1 according to one embodiment shown, in addition to Figure 1 the features cited therein, the locking device 1 comprises a second damping element 9. Thus, the locking device 1 has both a first damping element 8 and a second damping element 9. In the embodiment shown, the second damping element 9 is a damper made of an elastic material - i.e., an elastomer, such as made of rubber or synthetic polymer. Alternatively, the second damping element 9 can also be a leaf spring, which corresponds to the shape of the tolerance compensation element 8 or a different spring or a combination of multiple springs.

[0016] The second damping element 9 is spaced apart from the tolerance compensation element 8, which serves as the first damping element, by a distance A. The dimension of the distance A is such that the second damping element 9 normally does not contact the tolerance compensation element 8, but if a very large force acts on the bolt element - for example when driving on uneven ground such as unpaved roads, damaged roads, cobblestones, off-road terrain, or even when inserting the bolt element into the locking device 1, it dampens and / or absorbs the movement of the bolt element. In these cases, the damping action of the tolerance compensation element 8 may no longer be sufficient. In this embodiment, the second damping element 9 counteracts the adverse interaction between the bolt element and the material of the locking device 1. When the tolerance compensation element 8 crosses the distance A, the second damping element 9 in this embodiment dampens the movement of the bolt element, against which the bolt element is pressed in the direction shown by arrow P.

[0017] Referring to Figure 3 , generally shows the adoption ofFigure 2 A motor vehicle seat 10 of the locking device shown. According to one example, the motor vehicle seat 10 may employ a locking seat device 1, which is typically located between the seat base and the seat back to lock the seat back. According to another example, the locking device 1 may be connected between the vehicle seat and the vehicle floor to lock the vehicle seat to the vehicle floor. It should be understood that according to other embodiments, the locking device 1 may be used at various other positions on the vehicle seat.

[0018] The present invention is not limited to the arrangement of the second damping element. Additionally, additional damping elements may also be arranged to fix the latch element at a position in the locking device 1 or at least to suppress its movement in the case where extremely high dynamic forces act on the latch element.

[0019] A first feature of an embodiment relates to a locking device for a vehicle seat, comprising at least one housing, at least one lock, and at least one latch element operatively connected to the lock, wherein the latch element can be received in the lock by the action of a force, and the movement of the latch element can be restricted to a specific position by the action of a tolerance compensation element, wherein the lock comprises at least one second damping element, which is spaced apart from the tolerance compensation element and is arranged downstream of the tolerance compensation element in the direction of the force acting on the latch element.

[0020] The tolerance compensation element has the function of eliminating clearance and providing damping. Since the tolerance compensation element also has damping characteristics, the damping element arranged downstream of the tolerance compensation element in the direction of the force acting on the latch element is designated as the second damping element.

[0021] The locking device according to an embodiment is advantageous because, in addition to the tolerance compensation element, it also has at least one additional element having spring or damping characteristics, which restricts the latch element and suppresses the movement of the latch element under high dynamic loads. In this case, there is a spacing - i.e., a clearance - between the tolerance compensation element and the second damping element, such that under normal circumstances, the second damping element does not contact the tolerance compensation element, and by its force action, it does not counteract unlocking, but rather suppresses and / or absorbs its movement in the case where the action of the tolerance compensation element is no longer sufficient.

[0022] Advantageously, in this embodiment, the action of the tolerance compensation element does not have to be balanced in a complex manner between being too strong and too weak, but can be selected such that it is sufficient to fix the latch element under normal circumstances.

[0023] The "locking element" should be understood as a component of a locking device that receives a bolt element and moves within the device under the action of the force generated by the bolt element to lock the bolt element. In the opposite direction, the locking element releases the bolt element again at the unlocking position. For example, a rotary latch is referred to as a locking element, and the rotary latch can be held in the locking position by the locking element after receiving the bolt element.

[0024] In this case, the term "damping element" refers to an elastic device that acts in an elastic and / or damping manner. Thus, the damping element can be a spring and / or a damper. It is known to those skilled in the art that a damper can also include a spring. In addition to this, for example, rubber is used as an elastic material.

[0025] Preferably, in a locking device according to an embodiment, the spacing between the tolerance compensation element and the second damping element is configured such that when the force acting on the bolt element reaches a threshold value, the movement of the bolt element is additionally restricted by the second damping element. Thus, advantageously, the movement of the bolt element in the locking device is restricted under high dynamic loads. Accordingly, the threshold value is fixed for the expected dynamic load. Thus, it corresponds to the action of a specific force. The actual size of the spacing also depends on the size of the locking device.

[0026] The tolerance compensation element can be an elastic device that buffers or impedes the movement of the bolt element and at the same time fixes the bolt element in a specific position. In this embodiment, the tolerance compensation element is pre-tensioned in the direction of the unlocking position of the lock. Preferably, in one embodiment, the tolerance compensation element is a leaf spring.

[0027] The second damping element of the locking device according to an embodiment is preferably an elastic damper. In an advantageous embodiment, the elastic damper can include an elastic material - such as rubber. Once the force is no longer applied, the elastic material absorbs the action of the force and resumes its previous shape.

[0028] In another embodiment, the second elastic element is preferably a spring. Preferably, in this embodiment, the second elastic element is a leaf spring. In yet another embodiment, the tolerance compensation element and the second damping element are of the same type. Using the same type is advantageous because the production and the adjustment of the action and strength of the spring or the material resistance can be standardized.

[0029] The second feature relates to the use of a locking device for locking a vehicle seat according to the present invention. The third feature relates to a motor vehicle having a locking device according to the present invention.

[0030] The advantages achieved in the vehicle seat and the vehicle correspond to the advantages of the locking device.

[0031] It should be understood that changes and modifications can be made to the above structure without departing from the concept of the present invention, and further it should be understood that these concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims, unless the claims state otherwise expressly in their terms.

Claims

1. A locking device for a vehicle seat, comprising: at least one housing; and at least one lock and at least one latch element operatively connected to the lock, wherein the latch element can be received in the lock by the action of a force, and the movement of the latch element can be restricted to a specific position by the action of a first damping element including a tolerance compensation element, and wherein the lock includes at least one second damping element, the second damping element being spaced apart from the tolerance compensation element and arranged downstream of the tolerance compensation element in the direction of the force of the latch element, Among them, the spacing between the tolerance compensation element and the second damping element is configured such that when the force acting on the latch element reaches a threshold value, the movement of the latch element is additionally restricted by the second damping element, and the latch element is configured to remain spaced apart from the second damping element when the force acting on the latch element does not reach the threshold value.

2. The locking device according to claim 1, wherein, The tolerance compensation element includes a leaf spring.

3. The locking device according to claim 1, wherein, The second damping element includes an elastic damper.

4. The locking device according to claim 1, wherein, The second damping element includes a spring.

5. The locking device according to claim 4, wherein, The second damping element includes a leaf spring.

6. The locking device according to claim 1, wherein The tolerance compensation element and the second damping element are of the same type.

7. A vehicle seat locking device, comprising: a housing; a lock; a latch element, the latch element being operatively connected to the lock and received in the lock by a force; a first damping element including a tolerance compensation element, the first damping element limiting the movement of the latch to a specific position; and a second damping element, the second damping element being spaced apart from the first damping element and arranged downstream of the first damping element in the direction of the force, wherein the spacing between the tolerance compensation element and the second damping element is configured such that when the force acting on the latch element reaches a threshold value, the movement of the latch element is additionally restricted by the second damping element, and the latch element is configured to remain spaced apart from the second damping element when the force acting on the latch element does not reach the threshold value.

8. The locking device according to claim 7, wherein, The tolerance compensation element includes a leaf spring.

9. The locking device according to claim 7, wherein, The second damping element includes an elastic damper.

10. The locking device according to claim 7, wherein, The second damping element includes a spring.

11. The locking device according to claim 9, wherein, The second damping element includes a leaf spring.

12. The locking device according to claim 7, wherein, The first damping element and the second damping element are of the same type.

13. A vehicle seat having a locking device, comprising: a housing; a lock; a latch element, the latch element being operatively connected to the lock and received in the lock by a force; a first damping element including a tolerance compensation element, the first damping element limiting the movement of the latch to a specific position; and a second damping element, the second damping element being spaced apart from the first damping element and arranged downstream of the first damping element in the direction of the force, The spacing between the tolerance compensation element and the second damping element is configured such that when the force acting on the plug element reaches a threshold value, the movement of the plug element is additionally restricted by the second damping element, and the plug element is configured to remain spaced apart from the second damping element when the force acting on the plug element does not reach the threshold value.

14. The vehicle seat with a locking device according to claim 13, wherein, The second damping element includes an elastic damper.

15. The vehicle seat with a locking device according to claim 13, wherein, The second damping element includes a spring.

16. The vehicle seat with a locking device according to claim 15, wherein, Each of the first damping element and the second damping element includes a leaf spring.

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