Vehicle seat brackets and vehicle seats

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle seat bracket having at least one lower rail (21, 21') fixed to a vehicle and at least one upper rail assembly (3, 3') coupled to a vehicle seat (2) and cooperating with the at least one lower rail (21, 21') for relative longitudinal mobility in the longitudinal direction (X) of the lower rail (21, 21'), characterized in that the at least one upper rail assembly (3, 3') has a first upper rail module (30, 30') coupled to the vehicle seat (2) and a second upper rail module (32, 32'), the second upper rail module being connected by means of a connecting Connecting elements (34, 34') are connected to the first upper track module (30, 30'), and the two upper track modules (30, 32; 30', 32') are movable along the lower track (21, 21'). The first upper track module (30, 30') is provided with an electromechanical drive assembly (4) for longitudinal mobility relative to the lower track (21, 21'), and the second upper track module (32, 32') has a detachable mechanical locking device (5) configured to couple the upper track assembly (3, 3') and the lower track (21, 21') to each other in a locked state and to decouple them from each other in a decoupled state.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle seat support. The invention also relates to a vehicle seat having such a vehicle seat support and to a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, having at least one such vehicle seat. BACKGROUND

[0002] The electrically adjustable vehicle seats that are common today can only be adjusted with a relatively low movement speed of the vehicle seat relative to the vehicle structure. This slow adjustment speed is too low for highly autonomous vehicles, which will have an extended adjustment travel of the vehicle seat relative to the vehicle structure. In these vehicles, therefore, it can be expected that the vehicle user also wants to make rapid adjustments. To this end, a long track for manual adjustability and a short track for electric adjustability can be combined with one another, but this will result in a complex structure by virtue of the concatenation of the two adjustment tracks.

[0003] This concatenation of the two adjustment tracks results in a non- one-to-one seat longitudinal arrangement of the vehicle seat, which not only can confuse the user, but in combination with a seat position memory (seat memory) leads to an unreliable automatic setting of a defined initial position for electric seat adjustment. The seat memory sensor does not know in which longitudinal position the vehicle seat is currently located. SUMMARY

[0004] It is the task of the invention to give an improved vehicle seat support which has a large adjustment range in the longitudinal direction and has an electric longitudinal adjustment drive, in which rapid adjustment is also possible in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, a vehicle seat having such a vehicle seat support is given.

[0005] The vehicle seat support is provided with at least one lower track which is fixed to the vehicle and at least one upper track assembly which is coupled with the vehicle seat and which coacts with the at least one lower track for relative longitudinal movability along the longitudinal direction of the lower track. According to the invention it is provided here that the at least one upper track assembly has a first upper track module which is coupled with the vehicle seat and has a second upper track module which is connected with the first upper track module by means of a connecting element, both upper track modules are movable along the lower track, the first upper track module is provided with an electromechanical drive assembly for the longitudinal movability relative to the lower track, and the second upper track module has a detachable mechanical locking device which is configured for coupling the upper track assembly and the lower track with one another in a locked state and decoupling them from one another in a decoupled state.

[0006] Advantages

[0007] The division of the upper rail assembly into a first upper rail module and a second upper rail module coupled with the first upper rail module and the resulting division of the electrically adjustable nature (in the first upper rail module) and the manually adjustable nature (in the second upper rail module) makes it possible not only to manually coarsely adjust the vehicle seat position in the longitudinal direction but also to electrically finely adjust the vehicle seat position without providing an additional rail assembly. The upper rail assembly has both an electric drive and a mechanical locking structure.

[0008] Preferably, the connecting element has at least one energy-absorbing element which is configured for converting kinetic energy into deformation and / or heat. While the two upper rail modules are rigidly connected to one another in the standard embodiment, they are connected to one another in this preferred expansion of the vehicle seat support according to the application by means of an energy-absorbing element which has or forms a crash absorber. This makes it possible to purposefully dissipate the kinetic energy of the vehicle seat in the event of a crash.

[0009] It is furthermore advantageous for the locking device to have a brake device which is configured for allowing a braked relative movement between the lower rail and the upper rail assembly in a braking intervention in the decoupled state and for enabling a free, unbraked relative movement between the lower rail and the upper rail assembly when the brake device is not in a braking intervention.

[0010] According to an advantageous embodiment which can be combined with other embodiments of the application, the locking device has a plurality of locking pins which each have a free engagement end, the locking pins being movable transversely or orthogonally to the longitudinal direction, the locking device having a lower rail-side pin engagement structure which has a plurality of lower pin receptacles for receiving the lower portions of the locking pins, and the locking device having an upper rail-side pin engagement structure which has a plurality of upper pin receptacles for receiving the upper portions of the locking pins. With this mechanical locking device, the movable upper rail assembly can be decoupled from the lower rail with the aid of an electric actuator servo-assisted or by means of a manual operation by means of a lever when an adjustment is to be made. The mechanical locking device can either occupy a locked position or an unlocked position, i.e. (i) a first, locked position in which the locking pins engage into the upper pin receptacles and into the lower pin receptacles and thus fix the upper rail assembly relative to the lower rail in the longitudinal direction of the left and right rails which extend parallel to one another, or (ii) a second, unlocked position in which the locking pins engage into the upper pin receptacles but not into the lower pin receptacles.

[0011] If a brake device is also provided, this is either in a brake intervention with the lower rail or with another friction surface fixed to the vehicle in the unlocked second position, which is preferred, for example, for electric longitudinal adjustment, or the brake device can be opened, whereby the upper rail assembly can move without brake intervention relative to the lower rail, which is preferred, for example, for manual longitudinal adjustment.

[0012] It is also particularly advantageous if the electromechanical drive assembly has at least one freewheeling device. The electric drive device is only engaged in the force flow in the electric adjustment mode via the freewheeling device on both sides (left and right). The freewheeling device thus enables a manual adjustment mode without force by the physical strength of the operator.

[0013] Preferably, the locking device has an operating device for synchronous operation of the locking pins.

[0014] It is also advantageous if the respective free engagement end of the locking pin is configured as pointed, preferably conical, and tapers towards the respective free end. This enables the locking pin to be reliably engaged in the assigned lower pin receptacle.

[0015] It is also particularly preferred if, in an embodiment in which the respective distance between two adjacent upper pin receptacles corresponds to the distance between two adjacent locking pins, the upper pin receptacles are configured to guide the assigned locking pins through, respectively, and in an embodiment in which the respective distance between two adjacent lower pin receptacles is less than the distance between two adjacent locking pins.

[0016] In the positively locking first stage of the locking stage, the upper rail assembly is positively locked with the lower rail by means of the second upper rail module. If an energy-absorbing element is provided between the first and the second upper rail module, the second upper rail module, which is positively coupled with the lower rail, serves as an anchoring point fixed to the vehicle in the event of a collision. The first upper rail module can then move freely in the longitudinal direction decoupled from the electromechanical drive assembly and is braked by the energy-absorbing element.

[0017] The invention also comprises a vehicle seat having a vehicle seat support according to the invention and a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, having at least one such vehicle seat.

[0018] The preferred embodiments of the invention are described and explained in detail below with reference to the attached drawings, together with additional design details and further advantages. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] In the drawings:

[0020] In the drawings:Figure 1 schematic side view of a vehicle seat with a vehicle seat support according to the application;

[0021] Figure 2 schematic horizontal sectional view of the vehicle seat support along Figure 1 line II-II in

[0022] Figure 3 enlarged partial sectional view of the locking device of the vehicle seat support according to the application in the locked position, cut along Figure 2 line III-III in

[0023] Figure 4 the locking device in the braked, unlocked position in Figure 3 ; and

[0024] Figure 5 the locking device in the unbraked, unlocked position in Figure 3 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Figure 1 A vehicle seat 2 of a motor vehicle 1 is shown in a schematic side view, which has a vehicle seat support 20 with a left and right vehicle-fixed lower rail 21, 21' which is connected to an interior floor 10 of a passenger compartment 12 of the motor vehicle 1 and thus to a vehicle structure 14 of the motor vehicle, respectively, and a left and right upper rail assembly 3, 3' which is coupled to the vehicle seat and which interacts with the left and right lower rail 21, 21', respectively, for a relative longitudinal movability in both directions along a longitudinal direction X of the lower rails 21, 21' and the upper rail assemblies 3, 3' which are arranged parallel to one another. Figure 2

[0026] The vehicle seat support 20 has identical configurations of pairings (Paarungen) consisting of a lower rail and a provided upper rail assembly, so that in the following only the left pairing consisting of the left lower rail 21 and the left upper rail assembly 3 is described. The following explanations apply analogously to the right pairing consisting of the right lower rail 21' and the provided right upper rail assembly 3'.

[0027] The upper rail assembly 3 has a first upper rail module 30 in front and a second upper rail module 32 in rear along a driving direction F. The first upper rail module 30 in front is coupled to the vehicle seat 2, as in Figure 1 ​The height adjustment of the seat is symbolically shown by means of two pivotable support levers 22, 23. A first upper rail module 30 and a second upper rail module 32 are guided longitudinally movably in the lower rail 21, the two upper rail modules 30, 32 being movable jointly along the lower rail 21. The first upper rail module 30 and the second upper rail module 32 are connected to one another by means of a connecting element 34. The connecting element 34 has at least one energy-absorbing element 33 which is configured for converting kinetic energy into deformation and / or heat.

[0028] The first upper rail module 30 is provided with an electromechanical drive assembly 4 which is assigned to the vehicle seat 2, as is schematically shown in Figure 2 The drive assembly 4 comprises an electric drive motor 40 and a transmission mechanism 42 which is functionally connected to the electric drive motor and which drives left and right inner drive shafts 44, 44' which extend transversely to the longitudinal direction X in a rotatable manner. On the respective lateral end of the respective inner drive shaft 44, 44' there is provided a one-way clutch 45, 45', the input of which is coupled to the assigned inner drive shaft 44, 44' and the respective output of which is coupled to the assigned outer drive shaft 46, 46'. The free lateral end of the left outer drive shaft 46 and the free lateral end of the right outer drive shaft 46' are provided with a left gearwheel 48 and a right gearwheel 48' in the region of the respective left first upper rail module 30 and right first upper rail module 30', the left and right gearwheels being rotatably connected to the respective outer drive shaft 46, 46'.

[0029] The left gearwheel 48 is in meshing engagement with a rack 49 which is fixed to the vehicle and which extends in the lower rail 21 on the left in the longitudinal direction X, and the right gearwheel 48' is in meshing engagement with a rack 49' which is fixed to the vehicle and which extends in the lower rail 21' on the right in the longitudinal direction X.

[0030] The electric drive motor 40 is thus able to move the two upper rail assemblies 3, 3' jointly in the longitudinal direction X forwards and backwards and to move the vehicle seat 2 forwards and backwards in the longitudinal direction by them.

[0031] Figure 3 An enlarged partial sectional view of the rear second upper rail module 32 is shown in a cut along the line III-III in Figure 2 in the locking state, i.e. in the locked position. The locking device 5 is configured for mechanically form-fittingly coupling the upper rail assembly 3 and the lower rail 21 to one another in the locking state, i.e. in the locked position, and for decoupling from one another in the decoupling state.

[0032] The locking device 5 has multiple locking pins (three locking pins 51, 52, and 53 in the illustrated example) that are collectively and vertically movable and received in the through openings 50', 50'', and 50''' of a horizontally arranged operating comb 50. Each locking pin 51, 52, and 53 has a head section 51', 52', and 53' at its upper end, the horizontal extension dimension of which, for example, its diameter, is larger than the through openings 50', 50'', and 50''' provided in the operating comb 50. The locking pins 51, 52, and 53 can move laterally or orthogonally to the longitudinal direction X, and in the illustrated example, can move vertically. The vertically movable operating comb 50 can thus drive the locking pins 51, 52, and 53 in its upward extending movement, wherein the locking pins 51, 52, and 53 also move upward.

[0033] exist Figure 3 In the example, the locking pins 51, 52, 53, which are constructed as circular, are pointed at their free engaging ends 51'', 52'', 53'' at the lower part of their respective head sections 51', 52', 53', respectively, and are constructed as conical in the example shown, gradually tapering towards their respective free ends.

[0034] The locking device 5 has a pin engagement structure 54 on the upper track side below the operating comb 50. This upper track-side pin engagement structure has multiple upper pin receiving portions 54', 54'', 54''', wherein locking pins 51, 52, and 53 vertically pass through the corresponding upper pin receiving portions 54', 54'', 54'''. The corresponding distance in the longitudinal direction X between two adjacent upper pin receiving portions 54', 54'', 54''' corresponds to the distance between two adjacent locking pins 51, 52, and 53.

[0035] Furthermore, the locking device 5 has a lower track-side pin engagement structure 55 below the upper track-side pin engagement structure 54. The lower track-side pin engagement structure has multiple lower pin receiving portions 55', 55'', and 55''', wherein locking pins 51, 52, and 53 can respectively engage their lower free engaging ends 51'', 52'', and 53'' into the corresponding lower pin receiving portions 55', 55'', and 55''', and also... Figure 3 The locking state shown is engaged, and a longitudinal X-shaped locking connection is established between the upper rail assembly 3 and the lower rail 21.

[0036] The respective distance between two adjacent lower pin receptacles 55', 55", 55"' is smaller than the distance between two adjacent locking pins 51, 52, 53, so that the locking pins 51, 52, 53 cannot fully enter into the lower pin receptacles 55', 55", 55"', but only with their respective engagement end portions 51", 52", 53", i.e. with the conical tip, into the assigned lower pin receptacles 55', 55", 55"'.

[0037] Finally, the locking device 5 has a brake device 6 which is configured for allowing a braked relative movement between the lower track 21 and the upper track assembly 3 in a braking intervention in the decoupled state and for enabling a free, unbraked relative movement between the lower track 21 and the upper track assembly 3 when the brake device 6 is not in a braking intervention. To this end, the brake device 6 is provided with a pressure plate 60. This pressure plate is provided on its underside with a friction face 61 which, in a braking position, comes into contact with a counter friction face 24 which is fixed on the vehicle or connected with the lower track 21, as this is shown in Figure 3 To this end, two pressure springs 62, 63 are provided which load the pressure plate 60 with a pressure force downwards (towards the lower track 21) and press the friction face 61 onto the counter friction face 24.

[0038] The pressure plate 60 is provided on its back side, which faces away from the friction face 61, with vertical anchor rods 64, 65 which respectively pass through an assigned through opening 56, 57 in the operating comb 50. The respective vertical anchor rod 64, 65 is provided in the region of its upper free end portion, which lies above the operating comb 50, with a head section 64', 65' whose extension in the horizontal direction, for example its diameter, is greater than the assigned through opening 56, 57 in the operating comb 50. Thereby, the operating comb 50 can, in an upwardly extending movement, entrain the vertical anchor rods 64, 65 against the spring force of the pressure springs 62, 63, wherein the pressure plate 60 also moves upwards and the friction face 61 disengages from the counter friction face 24.

[0039] The rear second upper track module 32 has a lifting drive 66, 67 for the operating comb 50, which is only shown schematically in Figure 3 The lifting drive 66, 67 can move the operating comb 50 in a plurality of stages vertically (Z direction), as is symbolically shown by the bidirectional arrows 68, 69.

[0040] In Figure 3In the locking stage shown, by passing locking pins 51, 52, 53 through the upper pin receiving portions 54', 54'', 54''' and engaging the lower pin receiving portions 55', 55'', 55''' as described above, the second upper rail module 32 at the rear of the upper rail assembly 3 is form-locked with the lower rail 21. The locking pins 51, 52, 53 thus hold the upper rail assembly 3 and the lower rail 21 in the form-locked engagement. The vehicle seat 1 is therefore fixedly connected to the vehicle structure 14 in the longitudinal direction X.

[0041] If the lifting drive devices 66 and 67 are used to lift the operating comb 50 upwards to the position... Figure 4 In the next stage shown, the locking pins 51, 52, and 53 are thus lifted and disengaged from the pin receiving portions 55', 55'', and 55''' at the lower part of the lower rail 21. However, the clamping plate 60 remains in its current position, in which the friction surface 61 presses against the mating friction surface 24. Therefore, the vehicle seat bracket 20 is in a braked unlocked position, in which the vehicle seat 2 can be longitudinally adjusted by means of the electromechanical drive assembly 4.

[0042] If the lifting drive devices 66 and 67 are used to further lift the operating comb 50 upwards to... Figure 5 In the next uppermost stage shown, not only are the locking pins 51, 52, and 53 further raised, but the vertical anchor rods 64 and 65 are also raised against the spring force of the pressure springs 62 and 63. Meanwhile, the pressure plate 60 also moves upward, and the friction surface 61 disengages from the mating friction surface 24. The vehicle seat bracket 20 is thus in an unlocked position without braking, in which the vehicle seat 2 can be manually adjusted longitudinally without braking by the operator's physical strength.

[0043] This invention is not limited to the above embodiments, which are only used to generally explain the core concept of the invention. Within the scope of protection, the device according to the invention may also take other embodiments different from those described above. In particular, the device described herein may have features that constitute a combination of corresponding individual features of the invention.

[0044] The reference numerals in the specification and drawings are for better understanding of the invention only and should not limit the scope of protection.

[0045] List of reference numerals

[0046] 1 motor vehicle

[0047] 2 vehicle seats

[0048] 3 upper track components

[0049] 3' Upper Track Assembly

[0050] 4 electromechanical drive assembly

[0051] 5 locking device

[0052] 6 braking device

[0053] 10 inner space floor

[0054] 12 passenger compartment

[0055] 14 vehicle structure

[0056] 20 vehicle seat support

[0057] 21 lower rail

[0058] 21'lower rail

[0059] 22 support lever

[0060] 23 support lever

[0061] 24 counter friction surface

[0062] 30 left front first upper rail module

[0063] 30' right front first upper rail module

[0064] 32 left rear second upper rail module

[0065] 32' right rear second upper rail module

[0066] 33 left energy absorption element

[0067] 33' right energy absorption element

[0068] 34 left connecting element

[0069] 34' right connecting element

[0070] 40 drive motor

[0071] 42 transmission

[0072] 44 drive shaft

[0073] 44' drive shaft

[0074] 45 one-way clutch device

[0075] 45' one-way clutch device

[0076] 46 drive shaft

[0077] 46' drive shaft

[0078] 48 drive shaft

[0079] 48' drive shaft

[0080] 49 rack

[0081] 49' rack

[0082] 50 operating comb

[0083] 50' through opening

[0084] 50'' through opening

[0085] 50''' through opening

[0086] 51 locking pin

[0087] 51'head section

[0088] 51 '' head section

[0089] 52 locking pin

[0090] 52' head section

[0091] 52'' head section

[0092] 53 locking pin

[0093] 53' head section

[0094] 53'' head section

[0095] 54 pin engagement on the upper rail side

[0096] 54' pin receptacle

[0097] 54'' pin receptacle

[0098] 54''' pin receptacle

[0099] 55 pin engagement on the lower rail side

[0100] 55' pin receptacle

[0101] 55'' pin receptacle

[0102] 55''' pin receptacle

[0103] 56 through opening

[0104] 57 through opening

[0105] 60 pressure plate

[0106] 61 friction surface

[0107] 62 pressure spring

[0108] 63 pressure spring

[0109] 64 vertical anchor rod

[0110] 64' head section

[0111] 65 vertical anchor

[0112] 65' head section

[0113] 66 lifting drive

[0114] 67 lifting drive

[0115] 68 bidirectional arrow

[0116] 69 bidirectional arrow

[0117] F driving direction

[0118] X longitudinal direction

Claims

1. Vehicle seat rail, having at least one lower rail (21, 21') fixed to a vehicle and at least one upper rail assembly (3, 3') coupled to a vehicle seat (2) and jointly acting with the at least one lower rail (21, 21') for a relative longitudinal movability along a longitudinal direction (X) of the lower rail (21, 21'), characterized in that the at least one upper rail assembly (3, 3') has a first upper rail module (30, 30') coupled to the vehicle seat (2) and has a second upper rail module (32, 32') connected with the first upper rail module (30, 30') by means of a connecting element (34, 34'), the first upper rail module (30, 30') and the second upper rail module (32, 32') being movable along the lower rail (21, 21'), the first upper rail module (30, 30') is provided with an electromechanical drive assembly (4) arranged in the first upper rail module for the relative longitudinal movability with respect to the lower rail (21, 21'), and the second upper rail module (32, 32') has a detachable mechanical locking device (5) configured for coupling the upper rail assembly (3, 3') and the lower rail (21, 21') to each other in a locked state and for decoupling the upper rail assembly (3, 3') and the lower rail (21, 21') from each other in a decoupled state.

2. The vehicle seat bracket of claim 1, wherein the connecting element (34, 34') has at least one energy-absorbing element (33, 33') configured for converting kinetic energy into deformation and / or heat.

3. The vehicle seat bracket according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the locking device (5) has a brake device (6) configured for allowing a braked relative movement between the lower rail (21, 21') and the upper rail assembly (3, 3') in a brake intervention in the decoupled state and for enabling a free, unbraked relative movement between the lower rail (21, 21') and the upper rail assembly (3, 3') when the brake device (6) is not in the brake intervention.

4. The vehicle seat bracket according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the locking device (5) has a plurality of locking pins (51, 52, 53) each having a free engagement end (51'', 52'', 53''), the locking pins being movable transversely or orthogonally to the longitudinal direction (X), the locking device (5) has a lower rail-side pin engagement structure (55) having a plurality of lower pin receptacles (55', 55'', 55''') for receiving the lower portions of the locking pins (51, 52, 53), and the locking device (5) has an upper rail-side pin engagement structure (54) having a plurality of upper pin receptacles (54', 54'', 54''') for receiving the upper portions of the locking pins (51, 52, 53).

5. The vehicle seat bracket according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the electromechanical drive assembly (4) comprises at least one one-way clutch device (45, 45').

6. The vehicle seat bracket of claim 4, wherein the locking device (5) has an operating device (50, 66, 67) for synchronizing the operation of the locking pins (51, 52, 53). the locking device (5) has an operating device (50, 66, 67) for synchronizing the operation of the locking pins (51, 52, 53).

7. The vehicle seat bracket of claim 4, wherein The respective free engagement end (51'', 52'', 53'') of the locking pin (51, 52, 53) is configured to be pointed and tapering towards the respective free end.

8. The vehicle seat bracket of claim 7, wherein The respective free engagement end (51'', 52'', 53'') of the locking pin (51, 52, 53) is configured to be conical.

9. The vehicle seat bracket of claim 4, wherein The respective distance between two adjacent upper pin receptacles (50', 50'', 50''') corresponds to the distance between two adjacent locking pins (51, 52, 53), The upper pin receptacles (50', 50'', 50''') are configured to guide the respectively assigned locking pin (51, 52, 53) therethrough, respectively, and The respective distance between two adjacent lower pin receptacles (55', 55'', 55''') is smaller than the distance between two adjacent locking pins (51, 52, 53).

10. Vehicle seat with a vehicle seat holder (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. Vehicle with at least one vehicle seat (2) according to claim 10.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein, The vehicle is a motor vehicle.

Images