Seat folding device

Abstract

This invention relates to a seat folding device, comprising a comfort plate, an unlocking pin, a pawl, a base plate, and a locking pawl. The locking pawl passes through the base plate, is fixed to an adjuster, and is rotatable relative to the base plate. The comfort plate for eliminating gaps and the pawl for locking are concentrically rotatably mounted on the base plate and act on the locking pawl. The unlocking pin is rotatably inserted into the pawl and serves as a power source to unlock the comfort plate and the pawl respectively. The seat folding device according to this invention uses the pawl and comfort plate to independently achieve the functions of locking and eliminating gaps, ensuring that the unlocking force is sufficiently small under load. Furthermore, by separating the gap-eliminating function from the locking function, gaps can be effectively eliminated even under load. Simultaneously, the pawl structure significantly increases the load-bearing capacity, capable of handling forces of approximately 7000 Nm.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to automobile seats, and more specifically to a seat folding device. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing strength of seat adjusters, current car seat folding mechanisms generally suffer from low strength, poor gap control, and high unlocking force under load, failing to balance strength and gap control. Meanwhile, customers have increasingly higher requirements for quality, strength, and stability. Existing seat back folding mechanisms rely on the engagement point between the safety plate and the locking tongue for X-axis strength, with a basic strength of around 3000 Nm, insufficient to withstand greater loads. Using only a relatively thin safety plate for strength support makes it difficult to balance gap elimination and unlocking force, often resulting in high unlocking force under load and poor gap elimination ability, leading to excessive backrest gaps. Increasing the thickness and length of the safety plate can cause incomplete locking, leading to forward unlocking under high loads. Y-axis strength relies on the strength of the locking tongue and cover plate, requiring thicker materials for the cover and base plate, increasing component costs. Some existing products use eccentric pins, resulting in complex assembly processes requiring gap elimination before welding, demanding high welding standards. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the problems in the prior art such as excessive unlocking force when the seat is under load, excessive backrest gap, insufficient strength, and incompatibility between strength and gap, the present invention provides a seat folding device.

[0004] According to the present invention, the seat folding device includes a comfort plate, an unlocking pin, a pawl, a base plate, and a locking pawl. The locking pawl passes through the base plate, is fixed to the adjuster, and is rotatable relative to the base plate. The comfort plate for eliminating gaps and the pawl for locking are concentrically rotatably mounted on the base plate and act on the locking pawl. The unlocking pin is rotatably inserted into the pawl and installed as a power source to drive the unlocking of the comfort plate and the pawl respectively.

[0005] Preferably, the contact surface between the comfort plate and the locking claw has an eccentric structure to eliminate gaps through the working contour of the comfort plate.

[0006] Preferably, the working profile of the pawl is concentric with the center of rotation.

[0007] Preferably, the seat folding device further includes a cover plate fixed to the base plate, the cover plate defining the range of rotation of the unlocking pin.

[0008] Preferably, the seat folding device further includes a compression spring, the two ends of which are connected to the comfort plate and the base plate, respectively.

[0009] Preferably, the compression spring, comfort plate, unlocking pin, and locking claw work together to achieve a wedging function to eliminate gaps.

[0010] Preferably, the seat folding device further includes a torsion spring, with its two ends connected to a pawl and a base plate, respectively.

[0011] Preferably, the unlocking pin, pawl, torsion spring, and locking pawl cooperate to achieve the unlocked and locked states.

[0012] Preferably, the seat folding device further includes a pin fixed to the base plate, and a torsion spring is rotatably mounted on the pin.

[0013] Preferably, the seat folding device further includes a pawl rivet fixed to the base plate, and the comfort plate and the pawl are rotatably stacked on the pawl rivet.

[0014] The seat folding device according to the present invention uses a pawl and a comfort plate to separately realize the functions of locking and eliminating gaps, ensuring that the unlocking force is small enough under load. Moreover, after the function of eliminating gaps is separated from the locking function, gaps can be effectively eliminated even under load. At the same time, the pawl structure greatly increases the load-bearing capacity and can meet the force of about 7000 Nm.

[0015] The seat folding device of the present invention achieves the two functions of wedging and unlocking through two sets of structures, with corresponding longitudinal support added to improve longitudinal strength, meeting the design requirements of current mainstream unlocking mechanisms: lightweight, high strength, and low cost. Preferably, the present invention uses torsion springs and compression springs for driving force, reducing the complexity of assembly between parts, achieving relatively complex functions with a simple structure, and also meeting the high strength requirements, capable of withstanding a force of approximately 7,000 Nm. This not only achieves the goal of performance improvement but also conforms to current mainstream research and development requirements. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a front view of a seat folding device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the critical position of the unlocking pin.

[0017] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the seat folding mechanism.

[0018] Figure 3 The installation environment of the seat folding device is shown without the cover plate.

[0019] Figure 4 An axial view of the seat folding mechanism is shown with the cover plate omitted.

[0020] Figure 5 This shows the locked state of the locking mechanism of the seat folding device.

[0021] Figure 6 The unlocked state of the locking mechanism of the seat folding device is shown.

[0022] Figure 7 This shows the locked state of the gap-eliminating mechanism of the seat folding device.

[0023] Figure 8 This shows the unlocked state of the gap-eliminating mechanism of the seat folding device.

[0024] Figure 9 This shows the locked state of the locking claws of the seat folding mechanism.

[0025] Figure 10 The unlocked state of the locking claw of the seat folding device is shown.

[0026] Figure 11 This shows the critical position where the unlocking pin of the seat folding device contacts the comfort pad.

[0027] Figure 12 This shows the critical position where the seat folding mechanism is fully unlocked. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are given below with reference to the accompanying drawings and described in detail.

[0029] A known car seat has a seat, a backrest, an adjuster 10, and a seat folding device according to the present invention, wherein the seat is fixed to a lower connecting plate by bolts, the adjuster 10 is welded to the lower connecting plate, the backrest has a backrest frame, and the seat folding device is mounted on the backrest frame and connected to the adjuster 10 to realize the pivot adjustment of the backrest relative to the seat.

[0030] like Figures 1-2 As shown, a preferred embodiment of the seat folding device according to the present invention includes a cover plate 1 and a base plate 9 that are welded and fixed, and other components are disposed between the cover plate 1 and the base plate 9 to form a built-in structure, embedded inside the backrest frame. Figure 3 As shown, the base plate 9 of the seat folding device is welded and fixed to the backrest frame along six welding positions ABCDEF.

[0031] like Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the seat folding device according to this embodiment also includes a locking claw 14, which passes through the base plate 9 and is fixed to the adjuster 10 by laser welding. Thus, the base plate 9 can rotate relative to the entire assembly of the adjuster 10 and the locking claw 14.

[0032] The seat folding device according to this embodiment also includes a cover rivet 12, the two ends of which are welded and fixed to the cover plate 1 and the base plate 9. In the unlocked state, the locking claw 14 can move within its travel range. The effective travel of the locking claw 14 is determined by the base plate 9 (see...). Figure 10 ) and cover rivet 12 (see Figure 12 (Limitation). In this embodiment, the cover rivet 12 is a concentric rivet.

[0033] The seat folding device according to this embodiment also includes a bushing 13, which is disposed between the base plate 9 and the locking claw 14 to eliminate the Y-direction gap between them and reduce Y-direction wobbling. In the specific assembly process, the bushing 13 is inserted into the corresponding size hole of the locking claw 14, and then inserted into the hole of the base plate 9, and the aligned angle adjuster 10 is also inserted into the corresponding position.

[0034] The seat folding device according to this embodiment also includes pins 5 and pawl rivets 7 that are fixed to the base plate 9 at intervals. In the specific assembly process, the pins 5 and pawl rivets 7 are installed on the base plate 9, and then the pins 5 and pawl rivets 7 are fixed to the base plate 9 by welding. In this embodiment, the pawl rivets 7 are concentric rivets.

[0035] The seat folding device according to this embodiment also includes a compression spring 2 and a comfort plate 3. The comfort plate 3 is rotatably mounted on the pawl rivet 7 and acts on the locking pawl 14. The compression spring 2 is fixed by the structural shape of the comfort plate 3 and the bending of the base plate 9, and is limited by the flange on the base plate 9, thereby providing a gap elimination mechanism. In this embodiment, the compression spring 2 has a circular cross-section. Depending on the required torque and pressure, the compression spring 2 can be a spring of different strengths. The pre-deformation of the compression spring 2 is limited by the force required to bear when the backrest is tested for gap. The limitation of the position of the compression spring 2 can prevent positional changes after multiple unlocking and disengagement. In particular, the actual contact surface between the comfort plate 3 and the locking pawl 14 is an eccentric structure, which allows it to rotate under a certain load. The working contour of the comfort plate 3 can eliminate gaps caused by errors in the manufacturing of parts, and has sufficient margin to ensure gap elimination under low load and release under high load.

[0036] The seat folding device according to this embodiment also includes an unlocking pin 4, a pawl 6, and a torsion spring 8. The unlocking pin 4 is rotatably inserted into the pawl 6, the pawl 6 is rotatably mounted on the pawl rivet 7 and acts on the locking pawl 14, and the torsion spring 8 is rotatably mounted on the pin 5 and acts on the pawl 6. In the specific assembly process, the unlocking pin 4 is first riveted to the pawl 6, then the pawl 6 is rotatably mounted on the pawl rivet 7, and the torsion spring 8 is torsionally mounted on the pin 5, thereby providing a locking structure. The unlocking pin 4 and the pawl 6 are interference-fitted, and the working contour of the pawl 6 is concentric with the rotation center; that is, the shape of the pawl 6 and the pawl rivet 7 adopt a concentric circle structure. The force acting on the pawl 6 will directly act on the pawl rivet 7, resulting in higher load capacity and greater strength. In the part design, a concentric rivet structure is used, eliminating the cumbersome rivet adjustment time and reducing manufacturing costs. The rotation limit of the pawl 6 is reached by a protrusion 91 on the base plate 9 (see...). Figure 2 and Figure 5 The pin 5 is a cylindrical pin, with both ends fixed between the cover plate 1 and the base plate 9 by welding. In this embodiment, the torsion spring 8 has a circular cross-section. The torsion spring 8 is pre-deformed, and its wire diameter and other dimensions are limited according to the force required to bear the high load. Depending on the required torque and pressure, the torsion spring 8 can be a spring of different strengths.

[0037] In practice, the gap-eliminating mechanism and the locking mechanism cannot be installed individually; they must be installed together. Specifically, first, the locking pawl 14 is welded and fixed to the base plate 9 and the angle adjuster 10. Positioning is achieved using the floral pattern on the angle adjuster 10. The base plate 9 is then pushed to its initial position and fixed. Next, the pawl rivet 7 is installed, followed by the unlocking pin 4 and the pawl 6. The pawl 6 engages with the pawl rivet 7. The comfort plate 3 is then installed and engages with the pawl rivet 7. Next, the pin 5 is installed, followed by the torsion spring 8. The torsion spring 8 is pushed into the unlocking pin 4. Then, the cover rivet 12 is installed. Finally, the compression spring 2 is installed into the fixed position of the comfort plate 3 and the flange of the base plate 9. Finally, the cover plate 1 is welded to the base plate 9, allowing the unlocking pin 4 to protrude from the cover plate 1 (see...). Figure 1This is sufficient. Thus, the unlocking pin 4 rotates within the range defined by the cover plate 1, driving the pawl 6 and pushing the comfort plate 3 to rotate, achieving the unlocking function. After the force acting on the unlocking pin 4 is removed, under the action of the compression spring 2 and the torsion spring 8, the comfort plate 3 rotates in the opposite direction, and the pawl 6 rotates in the opposite direction, achieving the locking function. In the locked state, it can provide a large load-bearing capacity while eliminating gaps. During unlocking, it can ensure a small unlocking force. The stroke of the comfort plate 3 and the pawl 6 is jointly controlled by the unlocking pin 4, the cover plate 1, and the locking pawl 14. The unlocking and locking states are achieved through the interaction of the unlocking pin 4, the pawl 6, the torsion spring 8, and the locking pawl 14. The compression spring 2, the comfort plate 3, the unlocking pin 4, and the locking pawl 14 are used to achieve the wedging function, thereby eliminating gaps. The use of a dual structure to achieve locking and gap elimination improves the stability of the structure. The dual mechanism is used for wedging and also for load bearing, enhancing the load-bearing capacity. The cover plate 1 and the bottom plate 9 can enhance the longitudinal load-bearing capacity.

[0038] Figure 5 The locked state of the locking mechanism is shown. The torque generated by the pre-strain of the torsion spring 8 drives the pawl 6 to rotate clockwise, causing the pawl 6 to contact the locking pawl 14, providing locking force to the locking mechanism. (See cover plate 1). Figure 1 The force applied to the right by the pawl 6 causes the entire cover plate 1 to tend to move to the right, while the locking pawl 14 remains relatively stationary. The force is provided at the contact point with the locking pawl 14. Since the working contour of the pawl 6 is concentric with the pawl rivet 7, the force generated by the torsion spring 8 only needs to provide resistance during the mechanism's operation, preventing the pawl 6 from rotating counterclockwise while ensuring its tendency to lock. The locking tendency and the magnitude of the unlocking force determine the required material and type of the torsion spring 8.

[0039] Figure 6 This indicates the unlocked state of the locking mechanism. (Relative to...) Figure 5 The locked state shown requires the unlocking pin 4 to push the pawl 6 to rotate a certain angle relative to the pawl rivet 7. Under the action of the unlocking pin 4, the pawl 6 overcomes the torsion spring 8 (see...). Figure 5 When the resistance is applied and the unlocking pin 4 is rotated counterclockwise by 30° in the direction of arrow M, the pin is unlocked.

[0040] Figure 7 The locked state of the gap-eliminating mechanism is shown. The force generated by the pre-deformation of the compression spring 2 ensures that the comfort plate 3 and the locking pawl 14 are in close contact, achieving the locking purpose. The gap-eliminating mechanism is an eccentric cam mechanism, as shown... Figure 7 As shown, clockwise rotation tightens the wedge, and counterclockwise rotation loosens it. The preload of spring 2 depends on the desired force.

[0041] Figure 8The unlocking state of the gap-eliminating mechanism is shown. An unlocking force is applied to the unlocking pin 4, pushing the pawl 6 to rotate counterclockwise. After rotating 11.0°, the unlocking pin 4 comes into contact with the comfort plate 3. The unlocking force is further increased. When the unlocking pin 4 rotates 23.1°, the comfort plate 3 rotates 12.1°, thus unlocking the mechanism.

[0042] Under low loads, the gap-eliminating mechanism provides the load, and the magnitude of the force acting on the backrest determines the preload of the compression spring 2. Under high loads, the gap-eliminating mechanism loses its function, and the load is provided by the locking mechanism; the gap-eliminating structure under high loads is not considered.

[0043] Since both the gap-eliminating mechanism and the locking structure are unlocked by the same power source (i.e., unlocking pin 4), the gap-eliminating mechanism and the locking mechanism will be combined below to describe the entire unlocking and locking process. When the two mechanisms work together, the locking mechanism will not be damaged under a high load of 7000 Nm; and a good gap-eliminating effect will be achieved under low load.

[0044] Figure 9 This shows the locked state when the gap elimination mechanism and the locking mechanism work together. Figure 10 This illustrates the unlocked state when the gap-eliminating mechanism and the locking mechanism work together. The specific unlocking process includes: the unlocking pin 4 drives the pawl 6 to rotate around the pawl rivet 7, compressing the compression spring 2, overcoming the torsion spring 8, and after rotating a certain angle, it contacts the comfort panel 3, continuing to drive the comfort panel 3 to rotate, reaching the unlocked state. At this point, the backrest can be rotated to achieve a flip-up. After the backrest is rotated to the corresponding position and the unlocking pin 4 is released, under the action of the compression spring 2 and the torsion spring 8, the comfort panel 3 and the pawl 6 are pushed to move in opposite directions, achieving the wedge-locking function.

[0045] See below. Figure 1 The critical position is described according to the travel of unlocking pin 4. A gradually increasing counter-clockwise torque is applied to unlocking pin 4. See [link / reference]. Figure 11 Driven by the unlocking pin 4, the torsion spring 8 (see...) Figure 9 The pawl 6 retracts, and rotates counterclockwise around the pawl rivet 7. After rotating 11.0° from the locked position, the unlocking pin 4 contacts the comfort plate 3. Continuing to increase the torque, under the action of the unlocking pin 4, the compression spring 2 (see...) Figure 9 ) contraction, torsion spring 8 (see Figure 9 ) Continue to contract, the pawl 6 and the comfort plate 3 rotate together another 12.1°, as... Figure 12 As shown, the device is now fully unlocked. Unlocking pin 4 continues to move counter-clockwise to its maximum travel position (the limit switch on the cover). This stage is the unlocking idle travel; both fully unlocked and fully unlocked to the maximum travel position are idle travel and unlocking is achieved. Maintaining the unlocked state, locking claw 14 will move out of the locked state and can move within its travel range, as shown... Figure 10As shown. To achieve locking, push the locking claw 14 to the locking position, release the force applied to the unlocking pin 4, and under the action of the torsion spring 8 and the compression spring 2, push the pawl 6 and the comfort plate 3 to move clockwise until they cooperate with the locking claw 14 to achieve the functions of eliminating gaps and locking.

[0046] Thus, according to the seat folding device of the present invention, the functions of controlling seat locking and eliminating gaps are realized by two sets of structures: a locking mechanism and a gap-eliminating mechanism. This effectively eliminates the contradiction of needing to ensure both locking and gap elimination when using a single structure. The locking mechanism and the gap-eliminating mechanism operate under different loads. Under low loads, the gap-eliminating structure performs both locking and gap-eliminating functions. Under high loads, the gap-eliminating function is released, and the load is borne by the locking mechanism. Specifically, under low loads, the comfort plate 3 is subjected to force, and through the action of the compression spring 2, the comfort plate 3 moves towards the wedge-locking pawl 14, thus eliminating the gap. Under high loads, when the force of the compression spring 2 is insufficient to resist the force, the comfort plate 3 moves towards the unlocking direction, at which point the pawl 6 contacts the locking pawl 14.

[0047] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Various variations can be made to the above embodiments of the present invention. That is, all simple and equivalent changes and modifications made based on the claims and description of this invention fall within the protection scope of the claims of this patent. All aspects not described in detail in this invention are conventional technical content.

Claims

1. A seat folding device, characterized by comprising: The seat folding device includes a compression spring (2), a comfort plate (3), an unlocking pin (4), a pawl (6), a base plate (9), and a locking pawl (14). The locking pawl (14) passes through the base plate (9), is fixed to the adjuster (10), and is rotatable relative to the base plate (9). The two ends of the compression spring (2) are connected to the comfort plate (3) and the base plate (9) respectively and provide preload. The comfort plate (3) for eliminating gaps and the pawl (6) for locking are concentrically rotatably mounted on the base plate (9) and act on the locking pawl (14). The working profile of the pawl (6) is... The rotation centers are concentric, and the contact surfaces of the comfort plate (3) and the locking claw (14) are eccentric. Under low load, the gap is eliminated by the working contour of the comfort plate (3) and the locking claw (14) is supported. Under high load, the comfort plate (3) overcomes the preload of the compression spring (2) and rotates in the unlocking direction to release and supports the locking claw (14) through the pawl (6). The unlocking pin (4) is rotatably inserted into the pawl (6) and installed to act as a power source during the unlocking process, first driving the rotation of the pawl (6) and then driving the rotation of the comfort plate (3) to achieve unlocking.

2. The seat folding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The seat folding device also includes a cover plate (1) fixed to the base plate (9), which limits the range of rotation of the unlocking pin (4).

3. The seat folding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The compression spring (2), comfort plate (3), unlocking pin (4) and locking claw (14) work together to achieve a wedging function to eliminate gaps.

4. The seat folding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The seat folding device also includes a torsion spring (8), with its two ends connected to a pawl (6) and a base plate (9), respectively.

5. The seat folding apparatus according to claim 4, wherein The unlocking pin (4), pawl (6), torsion spring (8) and locking pawl (14) work together to achieve the unlocked and locked states.

6. The seat folding device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The seat folding device also includes a pin (5) fixed to the base plate (9), and a torsion spring (8) is rotatably mounted on the pin (5).

7. The seat folding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The seat folding device also includes a pawl rivet (7) fixed to the base plate (9), and the comfort plate (3) and pawl (6) are rotatably stacked on the pawl rivet (7).

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