Vehicle seat and seat angle adjuster

Abstract

The utility model relates to a vehicle seat and a seat angle adjuster. The seat angle adjuster comprises a base plate, a lock catch part and a locking bolt, the base plate and the lock catch part are locked together through the locking bolt, so that the lock catch part can move relative to the base plate, the base plate is provided with a through hole for the locking bolt to penetrate through, and the base plate is provided with a guide part at the through hole and used for guiding the lock catch part to move relative to the base plate along the through hole. The vehicle seat comprises the seat angle adjuster, the seat angle adjuster is fixed to a vehicle body, a matched locking mechanism is arranged at the corresponding position of a seat backrest, and the matched locking mechanism and the lock catch ring of the seat angle adjuster are locked together. According to the angle regulator, fewer parts are needed to guide the lock catch part to move relative to the base plate, and the structure for avoiding shaking is simple, so that the manufacturing cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of vehicles, in particular to a seat recliner. The utility model also relates to a vehicle seat including a seat recliner, especially a rear seat. Background Art

[0002] It is known to adjust the backrest of a vehicle seat through a recliner, but it was previously only used on the front seats of vehicles. The backrests of rear seats in vehicles generally cannot be adjusted and are only fixed to the vehicle body (such as the C-pillar) through a locking mechanism. Such a locking mechanism usually includes a buckle ring and a buckle seat. The buckle seat is fixed to the vehicle body (such as the C-pillar), the buckle ring is installed on the buckle seat, and a mating locking mechanism is provided at the corresponding position of the backrest, which locks together with the buckle ring.

[0003] With the increasing requirements of passengers for comfort, rear seat recliners have been provided. For example, CN110065420A and CN209833427U disclose rear seat recliners, including a buckle ring and a buckle mounting seat, and also including a motor, a lead screw, and a slider. The slider is sleeved on the lead screw to form a lead screw-nut mechanism. The buckle ring is fixedly installed on the slider, the lead screw is installed on the buckle mounting seat, and the motor drives the slider to slide through the lead screw, thereby driving the buckle ring to move left and right, thus realizing the inclination adjustment of the rear seat backrest. In addition, in order to guide the movement of the slider along the lead screw and avoid jitter between the two during vehicle driving due to the slider being suspended, a guide rod is also passed through the slider, and a T-shaped rubber pad is provided between the slider and the bottom plate of the buckle mounting seat. The end of the rubber pad abuts against the bottom plate, and the rod part of the rubber pad extends into a blind hole formed on the side close to the bottom plate of the slider. A helical spring is sleeved on the rod part of the rubber pad, and one end of the spring abuts against the bottom of the blind hole, and the other end abuts against the step surface between the rod part and the end of the rubber pad. Similar rear seat recliners are disclosed in CN204184217U, CN211765085U, and CN218021287U.

[0004] Adjusters with a similar structure can also be used as adjustment mechanisms for other vehicle components, as known from, for example: DE 10036766, DE 10046722, DE 102007028967, DE 102011085549, DE102012206092, DE 102016206145, DE 102016212344, DE 102017102809, DE102017111742, DE 102017115574, DE 102018110672, DE 102018110674, DE 102018110675, DE 102018110708, DE 102018126350, DE 102019104146, DE 19921213, DE 19921214, DE4207650 and US 2002069481.

[0005] The seat adjusters described in CN110065420A and CN209833427U have the following disadvantages: multiple components need to be provided to guide the movement of the slider relative to the lead screw and to prevent the two from jittering during vehicle travel, the assembly process is complex, and the manufacturing cost is high. Moreover, the bottom plate is a sheet metal part, and the friction coefficient between it and the rubber pad is relatively large, resulting in a high resistance when the rubber pad moves with the slider. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The object of the present utility model is to eliminate or at least mitigate at least some of the above disadvantages.

[0007] To this end, the present utility model provides a seat adjuster, including a base plate, a locking portion and a locking bolt. The base plate and the locking portion are locked together by the locking bolt, such that the locking portion can move relative to the base plate, wherein the base plate is provided with a through hole for the locking bolt to pass through. According to the present utility model, the base plate is provided with a guiding portion at the through hole for guiding the movement of the locking portion relative to the base plate along the through hole.

[0008] According to an embodiment, the guiding portion is configured as an extrusion portion, which protrudes towards the locking portion relative to the base plate body, and the seat adjuster further includes a T-shaped sleeve through which the locking bolt passes, and the sleeve is clamped between the locking bolt and the base plate.

[0009] According to an embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the locking bolt at the contact with the T-shaped sleeve is elliptical or circular. The elliptical cross-section can increase the contact area between the two components, thereby reducing the risk of component deformation.

[0010] According to an embodiment, the seat adjuster further includes a drive mechanism, preferably in the form of a spindle motor.

[0011] According to an embodiment, the buckle portion includes a buckle portion body, a buckle ring, and a lead screw. The lead screw is engaged with a drive mechanism to convert the movement of the drive mechanism into a linear movement of the lead screw.

[0012] According to an embodiment, the seat adjuster further includes a C-shaped gasket disposed between the base plate and the buckle portion. The two end legs of the C-shape are in sliding contact with the base plate. Preferably, the C-shaped gasket is not in contact with the extrusion portion.

[0013] According to an embodiment, the C-shaped gasket is provided with a pin on the side opposite to the leg, which is inserted into a corresponding jack of the buckle portion body, so that the side of the C-shaped gasket opposite to the leg abuts against the buckle portion body.

[0014] According to another embodiment, the C-shaped gasket can be snap-fitted onto a T-shaped sleeve to prevent the base plate from rotating. In this case, the C-shaped gasket is provided with a protrusion between the two legs on the side facing the base plate, and the T-shaped sleeve is correspondingly provided with a protrusion, so that the protrusion of the C-shaped gasket can be snapped into the gap between the protrusions of the T-shaped sleeve. For example, three protrusions are provided on both sides of the C-shaped gasket, and the middle protrusion protrudes more towards the base plate than the two side protrusions. Two protrusions are provided on both sides of the T-shaped sleeve, and the protrusions of the C-shaped gasket and the protrusions of the T-shaped sleeve are snapped into the gap between them.

[0015] According to an embodiment, the seat adjuster further includes a lock nut that engages with a lock bolt to lock the base plate and the buckle portion together. To this end, the buckle portion is also provided with a through hole for the lock bolt to pass through.

[0016] According to another embodiment, the guiding portion is configured as a plastic-coated portion, that is, a plastic material is coated on the through hole of the base plate which is usually made of metal. In this case, the buckle portion is provided with a threaded hole to engage with the lock bolt, and a plastic flat gasket is disposed between the base plate and the buckle portion. The side facing the base plate abuts against the plastic-coated portion, and the side facing the buckle portion is provided with two pins, which are inserted into the corresponding jacks of the buckle portion body, so that this side abuts against the buckle portion body.

[0017] On the other hand, the present invention provides a vehicle seat, particularly a rear vehicle seat, which includes the above-mentioned seat adjuster. The seat adjuster will be fixed to the vehicle body, and a mating locking mechanism is provided at a corresponding position on the seat back, which is locked together with the buckle ring of the seat adjuster.

[0018] According to the present invention, fewer components are required to guide the movement of the buckle portion relative to the base plate, and the structure for avoiding jitter is simple, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost. Moreover, since both the C-shaped gasket and the flat gasket are in sliding contact with the base plate, the resistance when the buckle portion moves relative to the base plate is low.

[0019] In addition, compared with the second embodiment in which a plastic-coated portion is provided at the through-hole, in the first embodiment, since the substrate is provided with an extrusion portion at the through-hole through which the locking bolt passes instead of a plastic-coated portion, the strength of the weakened portion (i.e., the through-hole) of the substrate is increased. Therefore, compared with the substrate provided with a plastic-coated portion, the thickness of the substrate can be made smaller. Moreover, compared with the contact area between the substrate of the seat angle adjuster of the second embodiment and the locking bolt, the setting of the extrusion portion increases the contact surface between the substrate and the bolt support (T-shaped sleeve), which reduces the pressure between the original plastic-coated portion and the locking bolt, thereby avoiding premature wear at the through-hole of the substrate. In addition, the rotation range of the substrate relative to the T-shaped sleeve is smaller, avoiding the problem of large play, making the seat angle adjuster more stable during use. Furthermore, since the plastic-coated portion is removed and replaced with a T-shaped sleeve, the need for additional plastic coating tooling and procedures as well as tooling development costs is eliminated. Also, the setting of the C-shaped gasket avoids direct contact with the extrusion portion (originally, the plastic gasket was in direct contact with the plastic-coated portion), thereby reducing wear. Moreover, the two end legs of the C-shaped gasket can slide along the substrate. Compared with the previous plastic gasket, the C-shaped gasket slides in contact with the substrate over a larger span, making the sliding movement of the locking portion along the substrate more stable. In addition, the setting of the nut allows for a higher load-bearing capacity to ensure sufficient fastening force. At the same time, the body of the locking portion can be made thinner, and the cost of providing a nut is lower compared to machining a threaded hole on the locking portion.

[0020] In summary, compared with the seat angle adjuster of the above-mentioned second embodiment, the angle adjuster of the first embodiment of the present invention is light in weight, low in manufacturing cost, and the problem of play is greatly reduced. Moreover, it allows for modular design to meet various needs of different customers. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The embodiments of the present invention will be explained in more detail in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0022] Figure 1A is a schematic front perspective view of the seat angle adjuster of the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 1B is Figure 1A an exploded perspective view of the seat angle adjuster;

[0024] Figure 1C is Figure 1A a schematic rear perspective view of the seat angle adjuster;

[0025] Figure 2A is Figure 1A a cross-sectional view of the seat angle adjuster;

[0026] Figure 2B is Figure 2A a partially enlarged view;

[0027] Figure 2C is Figure 2B Another illustration of Figure 2B , showing the rotation of the substrate relative to the bolt support (T-shaped sleeve);

[0028] Figure 3A is a schematic front perspective view of another embodiment of the seat recliner;

[0029] Figure 3B is Figure 3A An exploded perspective view of the seat recliner of Figure 3A ;

[0030] Figure 4A is Figure 3A A cross-sectional view of the seat recliner of Figure 3A ;

[0031] Figure 4B is Figure 3A An enlarged partial view of Figure 3A ;

[0032] Figure 4C is Figure 3B Another illustration of Figure 3B , showing the rotation of the substrate relative to the bolt support (locking bolt);

[0033] Figure 5A is a schematic perspective view of another alternative form of the C-shaped gasket in the first embodiment of the seat recliner;

[0034] Figure 5B is Figure 5A A schematic side view of the C-shaped gasket of Figure 5A ;

[0035] Figure 6 is a schematic side view of another alternative form of the T-shaped sleeve;

[0036] Figure 7 is Figure 5A The C-shaped gasket of Figure 5A assembled to Figure 6 A schematic side view of the T-shaped sleeve of Figure 6 .

[0037] In the drawings, for clarity, the embodiments of the present invention are shown in a simplified manner. The drawings are not necessarily to scale. Like reference numerals in the drawings denote like parts. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0038] The following refers to Figure 1A - Figure 7 to describe the embodiments of the present invention. In the following description, reference is made to the rear seat recliner of a vehicle.

[0039] As Figure 1A , Figure 1B and Figure 1CAs shown, the seat adjuster 10 includes a base plate 100, a latch portion 200, a drive mechanism 300 (in the form of a spindle motor), a locking bolt 400, a C-shaped gasket 500, a T-shaped sleeve 600, and a locking nut 700. The base plate 100 and the latch portion 200 are locked together by engaging the locking bolt 400 with the locking nut 700, and the latch portion 200 is movable relative to the base plate 100. For this purpose, both the base plate 100 and the latch portion 200 are provided with through holes for the locking bolt 500 to pass through.

[0040] The base plate 100 is provided with an extrusion portion 110 at the through hole, which protrudes towards the latch portion 200 relative to the base plate body. The locking bolt 400 passes through the sleeve 600, and the sleeve 600 is clamped between the locking bolt 400 and the base plate 100. The latch portion 200 includes a latch portion body 210, a latch ring 220, and a lead screw 230. The lead screw 230 cooperates with the drive mechanism 300 to convert the rotational motion of the motor 300 into the linear motion of the lead screw 230, thereby driving the latch portion 200 to move relative to the base plate 100 along the through hole.

[0041] As Figure 1C shown, the cross-sectional shape of the locking bolt 400 at the contact with the T-shaped sleeve 600 is elliptical.

[0042] As Figure 2A 、 2B and Figure 2C shown, the C-shaped gasket 500 is arranged between the base plate 100 and the latch portion 200. The two end legs of the C-shaped gasket 500 are in sliding contact with the base plate 100 and are not in contact with the extrusion portion 110. Moreover, the C-shaped gasket 500 is provided with a pin 510 on the side opposite to the legs (see Figure 1C ), which is inserted into the corresponding socket 240 of the latch portion body 210 (see Figure 1C ), so that the side of the C-shaped gasket 500 opposite to the legs abuts against the latch portion body 210.

[0043] From Figure 2C it is possible to see some advantages of the seat adjuster according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, due to the provision of the extrusion portion 110 and the T-shaped sleeve 600, the contact area between the two is relatively large, so the rotational range of the base plate 100 relative to the locking bolt 400 during use is relatively small (see the dashed box in Figure 2C ), which reduces the play and makes the seat adjuster 10 more stable. Moreover, the C-shaped gasket 500 is not in direct contact with the extrusion portion 110, thereby reducing wear, and the C-shaped gasket 500 slides along the base plate 100 through the C-shaped end legs and is in sliding contact with the base plate over a larger span, making the sliding motion of the latch portion 200 along the base plate 100 more stable.

[0044] Figure 3A - Figure 4CAnother example of the seat recliner 10' is shown, including a base plate 100', a latch portion 200', a drive mechanism 300' in the form of a spindle motor, a locking bolt 400', and a flat plastic spacer 500'. The base plate 100' and the latch portion 200' are locked together by the locking bolt 400' such that the latch portion can move relative to the base plate. For this purpose, the latch portion 200' is provided with a threaded hole to engage with the locking bolt 400', and the base plate 100' is provided with a through hole for the locking bolt to pass through. The latch portion 200' includes a latch portion body 210', a latch ring 220', and a lead screw 230'. The lead screw 230' cooperates with the drive mechanism 300' to convert the rotational motion of the motor into the linear motion of the lead screw. The plastic spacer 500' is arranged between the base plate 100' and the latch portion 200' (see Figure 4A and Figure 4B ), to compensate for the gap therebetween, and is provided with two pins (see Figure 3B ), so as to be inserted into the corresponding jacks of the latch portion body 210'.

[0045] This kind of seat recliner 10' is fixed to the vehicle body, and a mating locking mechanism is provided at the corresponding position of the rear seat backrest, which is locked together with the latch ring 220'. During use, the rotation of the motor causes the lead screw to move linearly, and then drives the latch ring to move back and forth, thereby realizing the inclination adjustment of the seat backrest. To reduce wear, the base plate 100' is provided with a plastic-coated portion 110' at the through hole for the flat spacer to slide and contact, so as to guide the latch portion 200' to move back and forth relative to the base plate 100' along the through hole.

[0046] However, compared with the seat recliner 10 of the first embodiment, this kind of seat recliner 10' has the following disadvantages: The setting of the plastic-coated portion 110' requires a separate plastic coating step and plastic coating tooling, which requires additional tooling research and development costs, resulting in higher manufacturing costs and an increase in the production cycle. Moreover, the setting of the plastic-coated portion 110' hinders the modular design, because the stroke adjustment range requirements of each customer are different, so a separate plastic-coated portion is required to meet the different customer requirements. Also, the contact area between the plastic-coated portion 110' and the locking bolt 400' is small (see Figure 4B ), resulting in a large pressure between the two during use, and the plastic-coated portion 110' is prone to premature wear. Moreover, to ensure strength, the thickness of the base plate 100' needs to be large, resulting in a large weight of the recliner. Additionally, due to the small contact area, the rotation range of the base plate 100' relative to the locking bolt 400' during use is large (see the dashed box in Figure 4C ), which will generate a large play, making the recliner unstable. In addition, due to the limited thickness of the latch portion body 210', the load-bearing capacity of the threaded hole above is small, resulting in insufficient fastening force. To ensure the fastening force, the thickness of the latch portion body 210' needs to be large, which also results in a large weight of the recliner.

[0047] Figure 5A - 5B Shows an alternative form of the C-shaped gasket. As shown, the C-shaped gasket 500'' is provided with three protrusions on both sides between the two legs, and the middle protrusion 510'' protrudes more than the two side protrusions 520''. From Figure 5B a view, due to the presence of the middle protrusion, the C-shaped gasket 500'' becomes an E-shaped gasket.

[0048] Correspondingly, the T-shaped sleeve 600'' is provided with two protrusions 610'' on both sides, as Figure 6 shown.

[0049] Figure 7 It shows that the protrusions 510'' and 520'' of the C-shaped gasket 500'' and the protrusions 610'' of the T-shaped sleeve 600'' are snapped into the gap between each other, so that the C-shaped gasket is snap-fitted onto the T-shaped sleeve, thereby preventing the substrate from rotating.

[0050] In some cases, the features disclosed in the present utility model can be used independently of other features. On the other hand, when necessary, the features disclosed in the present utility model can be combined to provide various combinations.

[0051] The terms and expressions used in the present utility model are illustrative rather than restrictive, so using these terms and expressions does not intend to exclude any equivalents of the features shown and described from the scope of the present utility model. There may be various modifications, variations and alternatives within the scope of the claims. For example, the description in the specification is directed to a seat recliner for a vehicle rear seat, but it can be understood that the seat recliner of the present utility model can also be used in a vehicle front seat, or in other vehicle components that require position adjustment. Therefore, the claims are intended to cover all such equivalents.

Claims

1. A seat recliner, comprising a base plate, a locking portion and a locking bolt, wherein the base plate and the locking portion are locked together by the locking bolt so that the locking portion can move relative to the base plate, and the base plate is provided with a through hole for the locking bolt to pass through, characterized in that: The base plate is provided with a guide portion at the through hole, which is used for guiding the locking portion to move along the through hole relative to the base plate.

2. The seat recliner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guide portion is configured as an extruded portion that protrudes relative to the base plate body toward the lock portion, and the seat recliner further includes a T-shaped sleeve through which the locking bolt passes and which is sandwiched between the locking bolt and the base plate.

3. The seat recliner according to claim 2, characterized in that: The cross-sectional shape of the locking bolt at the contact portion with the T-shaped sleeve is oval or circular.

4. The seat recliner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guide part is designed as an overmolded part.

5. The seat recliner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The seat recliner also includes a driving mechanism for driving the locking portion to move relative to the base plate.

6. The seat recliner according to claim 5, characterized in that: The drive mechanism is in the form of a spindle motor.

7. The seat recliner according to claim 6, characterized in that: The locking part comprises a locking part body, a locking ring and a lead screw, and the lead screw cooperates with the spindle motor to convert the rotational motion of the spindle motor into the linear motion of the lead screw.

8. The seat recliner according to claim 7, characterized in that: The seat recliner also includes a C-shaped gasket, which is arranged between the base plate and the locking portion, and the two end legs of the C-shape are in sliding contact with the base plate.

9. The seat recliner according to claim 7, characterized in that: The seat recliner also includes a plastic flat gasket, which is arranged between the base plate and the locking portion, and a side of the plastic flat gasket facing the base plate is in sliding contact with the overmolded portion.

10. The seat recliner according to claim 8, characterized in that: The C-shaped gasket is provided with a latch on the side opposite to the leg, which is inserted into the corresponding insertion hole of the locking part body, so that the side of the C-shaped gasket opposite to the leg abuts against the locking part body.

11. The seat recliner according to claim 9, characterized in that: The flat gasket is provided with a latch on one side facing the locking part, which is inserted into a corresponding insertion hole of the locking part body, so that the side facing the locking part abuts against the locking part body.

12. The seat recliner according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The seat recliner also includes a locking nut which is engaged with the locking bolt, and the locking portion is also provided with a through hole for the locking bolt to pass through.

13. The seat recliner according to claim 4, characterized in that: The locking portion is provided with a threaded hole to engage with the locking bolt.

14. The seat recliner according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The seat recliner also includes a C-shaped gasket, which is arranged between the base plate and the locking portion, the two end legs of the C-shape are in sliding contact with the base plate, and the C-shaped gasket is snap-fitted onto the T-shaped sleeve.

15. The seat recliner according to claim 14, characterized in that: The C-shaped gasket is provided with a protrusion between two legs on the side facing the base plate, and the T-shaped sleeve is provided with a protrusion correspondingly, so that the protrusion of the C-shaped gasket can be snapped into the gap between the protrusions of the T-shaped sleeve.

16. A vehicle seat, in particular a rear seat of a vehicle, characterized in that It comprises a seat recliner according to any one of claims 1-15, wherein the seat recliner is fixed to a vehicle body, and a matching locking mechanism is provided at a corresponding position of a seat back, which is locked together with a locking ring of the seat recliner.

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