Adjustment device for the longitudinal adjustment of a vehicle seat

Abstract

Adjusting device (1A, 1B) for the longitudinal adjustment of a vehicle seat (F), with - at least one rail (3) for specifying a longitudinal seat axis (L) along which a seat base (G) of the vehicle seat (F) is adjustable, and for supporting at least one adjusting unit (2.1, 2.2) of the adjusting device (1A, 1B) and - at least two slidably guided adjustment units (2.1, 2.2) arranged one behind the other along the longitudinal seat axis (L), to which the seat base (G) is to be fixed in order to be adjustable along the longitudinal seat axis (L), wherein the at least two adjustment units (2.1, 2.2) are adjustable relative to one another along the seat longitudinal axis (L) and each adjustment unit (2.1, 2.2) is assigned its own drive (4.1, 4.2) for externally powered adjustment along the seat longitudinal axis (L), characterized in that for the externally powered adjustment of the at least two adjustment units (2.1, 2.2), a common, fixed spindle (7) and two spindle nuts (801), each assigned to an adjustment unit (2.1, 2.2) and each meshing with the spindle (7), are provided.

Description

The invention relates to an adjusting device for the longitudinal adjustment of a vehicle seat.An adjusting device which is customary in practice has, inter alia, a first rail provided for fastening to a vehicle floor and a second rail provided for connection to a seat base of the vehicle seat. The second rail is mounted adjustably relative to the first rail in order to enable a longitudinal adjustment of the vehicle seat along a seat longitudinal direction. A vehicle seat usually has two pairs of first and second rails, by means of which the vehicle seat is arranged on the vehicle floor in a longitudinally displaceable manner. For adjusting the second rail relative to the first rail, the adjusting device regularly has an (adjusting) spindle and a spindle nut meshing with the spindle.When using a rigid second rail, on which the seat base is fixed, only a longitudinal adjustment of the vehicle seat is possible via the adjustment device. Additional adjustment possibilities can then only be depicted here via components adjustably mounted on the seat base. Adjusting devices known in this respect are disclosed, for example, in DE 198 15 283 A1 and WO 2005 / 015054 A1. The spindle drives provided here in each case with spindle and spindle nut intermeshing therewith usually have a common drive, for example an electric motor drive, in order to adjust frame-fixed (second) rails assigned to a respective seat longitudinal side synchronously with respect to a pair of ground-fixed (first) rails in a power-actuated manner.In the adjusting devices with a spindle drive known from the prior art, moreover, the assembly is sometimes extremely complex and maintenance or repair is therefore hardly possible. Also, some adjusting devices with a spindle drive are comparatively susceptible to contamination and damage in the region of the ends of the rail(s) used.Further adjusting devices for vehicle seats are described in documents DE 10 2004 056 643 A1, DE 10 2006 000 193 A1, DE 11 207 003 011 T5, DE 10 2009 038 126 A1, EP 2 730 456 A1 and WO 00 / 41911 A1.Proceeding from the aforementioned prior art, the object of the present solution is to provide an improved adjusting device for the longitudinal adjustment, which offers, for example, additional adjustment possibilities for the vehicle seat and / or which represents an improvement with regard to durability and assemblyability.This object is achieved with an adjusting device of claim 1.According to a first aspect, an adjustment device for the longitudinal adjustment of a vehicle seat is proposed, which device has, inter alia, at least one rail which is provided for presetting a seat longitudinal axis along which a seat base of the vehicle seat can be adjusted, and for mounting at least one adjustment unit of the adjustment device. In addition, the adjusting device comprises at least two displaceably guided adjusting units arranged one behind the other along the seat longitudinal axis, to which the seat base frame is to be fixed-for example via a respective rocker-in order to be adjustable along the seat longitudinal axis. According to the invention, the at least two adjustment units are adjustable relative to one another along the seat longitudinal axis and each adjustment unit is assigned its own drive for power-actuated adjustment along the seat longitudinal axis.In the solution according to the invention, at least two adjustment units are thus assigned to one of the two seat longitudinal sides, but are not rigidly coupled to one another here, but are adjustable relative to one another along the seat longitudinal axis in a power-actuated manner. For this purpose, each adjusting unit is assigned its own drive, so that by controlling the different drives-and thus not by mechanically decoupling the two adjusting units-a distance of the two adjusting units along the seat longitudinal axis can be varied. In this way, at least one additional adjustment possibility for the vehicle seat and in particular its seat base can be provided via the adjustment device without additional components having to be provided for this purpose. Rather, the vehicle seat is already adjustable not only longitudinally via the adjustment units provided relative to one another and on the right or left longitudinal side of the seat, but also additionally adjustable in its orientation with respect to the vehicle floor.The adjustment unit can have a bearing part for the connection to a rocker of the seat base. Such a rocker is then, for example, articulated on the bearing part of the adjustment unit and also on a component of the seat subframe in order to enable inclination adjustment of the seat subframe via the adjustment units adjustable relative to one another along the seat longitudinal axis.For the power-operated adjustment of at least one adjustment unit, a spindle and a spindle nut meshing therewith are provided. For the adjustment of at least one adjustment unit, a spindle drive is thus provided, in which the (adjustment) spindle usually extends along the seat longitudinal axis.In order to use as few different components as possible and in order to simplify the assembly of the adjustment device, according to the invention, a common, fixed spindle is provided for the power-operated adjustment of the at least two adjustment units, with which spindle nuts each assigned to an adjustment unit mesh. By using a single (rail-fixed) spindle, along which the at least two adjustment units can be adjusted by means of their respectively assigned rotatable spindle nut, it is also possible to easily produce the largest possible adjustment travel along the seat longitudinal axis, in that both adjustment units can be adjusted jointly or relative to one another over almost the entire length of the single spindle.In one embodiment variant, a longitudinal axis of the spindle runs substantially perpendicular to a drive axis of the drive of an adjusting unit. This includes, in particular, that a drive shaft of an electromotive drive runs substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the spindle, with which a spindle nut driven by the drive for rotation meshes. The transmission of a drive torque provided by the drive for the adjustment of the respective adjustment unit is consequently effected here via an appropriately configured adjustment gear having the spindle nut.For controlling the adjusting movements of the at least two adjusting units relative to one another, a (single) electronic control unit, for example in the form of a control unit to be arranged on the seat base, can be provided. Such an electronic control unit is then configured, for example, to vary a distance of the at least two adjusting units arranged one behind the other relative to each other along the seat longitudinal axis for a change of an inclination and / or a height of the seat base and / or of a cushion carrier arranged thereon. Thus, for example, each drive of the adjustment units can be independently controlled via the electronic control unit in order to adjust the adjustment units towards one another or away from one another along the seat longitudinal axis. This includes, in particular, the electronic control unit being configured to actuate only one of the drives of the different adjustment units arranged one behind the other along the seat longitudinal axis, so that the associated adjustment unit is adjusted along the seat longitudinal axis relative to at least one fixed adjustment unit of the adjustment device. Such an adjustment can be provided, for example, for adjusting an inclination of the seat surface of the vehicle seat while maintaining the adjusted longitudinal seat position.In one embodiment variant, the at least two adjustment units are mounted displaceably on one and the same rail. In particular in this variant, the use of a single continuous spindle fixed to this rail for the at least two adjustment units is also then appropriate. In principle, however, in an alternative embodiment variant, the at least two adjustment units can also be mounted displaceably on different rails.In one exemplary embodiment, at least one adjustment unit of the adjustment device is mounted displaceably on the at least one rail via at least one support element. The adjustment unit thus has an additional component with the support element, which ensures the displaceable mounting on the at least one rail. The support element can, for example, slidingly abut the rail and thus be designed in the manner of a slider and be displaceable along the rail. Alternatively or additionally, the at least one support element can be rotatably mounted and a displacement of the adjustment unit along the seat longitudinal axis can execute a rotational movement. Such a support element thus has, for example, a roller or roller which, by rolling on the rail or a component connected thereto, allows the adjustment unit to be displaced along the seat longitudinal axis when the adjustment unit is driven by the drive for this purpose.The at least one support element can in principle be supported on the rail or a component connected thereto in order to specify a defined position on the rail to the adjustment unit and to support a rattle-free adjustment of the adjustment unit along the rail.In a possible development, the at least one support element is supported on a convexly curved guide profile which is formed integrally with the rail or which is formed as a separate component and is connected to the rail. A corresponding guide profile can be arranged, for example, running above or below the spindle. In a variant based thereon, for example, two guide profiles of comparable or identical design are provided on the rail in order to enable a support element or a plurality of (at least two) support elements to be supported in different directions. For example, in one embodiment variant, a first guide profile extending below a spindle and a second guide profile extending above the spindle and thus opposite the first guide profile are provided on the rail. Instead of guide profiles offset relative to one another by 180° in this way with respect to a longitudinal axis of the spindle, guide profiles offset relative to one another can also be provided alternatively on the rail, for example guide profiles offset relative to one another by 90°.In particular in the case of a relatively long spindle for the adjustment of one or more of the adjustment units, it may be advantageous if the spindle is supported on the at least one support element of an adjustment unit. If, for example, an adjusting unit is always present between two spindle ends of the spindle, which are fixed to the rail via a spindle holder, an undesired bending of the spindle can be prevented or at least considerably reduced via an adjusting unit with a support element supporting the spindle. For example, in one embodiment variant, it is easily possible in this way to use a spindle that is more than 1 m long and that enables an adjustment of a vehicle seat between the first and second seat rows of the vehicle without additional support points having to be provided along the spindle axis in order to avoid undesired bending of the spindle. Instead, here, sufficient support transversely to the longitudinal axis of the spindle can be achieved via the at least one support element of the adjustment unit adjustable along the spindle. Based on the variant explained above, the support element can in particular be supported here on the rail or a component connected thereto above and / or below the spindle in order to dissipate transverse forces from the seat base into the rail and thus the vehicle floor when the vehicle seat is fixed to the adjustment device as intended.In one exemplary embodiment, two support elements are provided on an adjustment unit, each of which enables the adjustment unit and thus the seat base frame to be connected thereto to be supported on the rail or on a component connected thereto. In a development based thereon, a spindle provided for adjusting an adjustment unit or at least two adjustment units extends through between at least two support elements of an adjustment unit. The at least two support elements thus provide support for the spindle in different directions.For example, at least two pairs of two support elements arranged one behind the other along the seat longitudinal axis are provided on an adjusting unit, so that the spindle extends through between these at least two pairs. The spindle is thus supported on the rail on the adjusting unit at two regions spaced apart from one another along the seat longitudinal axis in different spatial directions-preferably mutually opposite spatial directions-via the support elements. This not only improves the guidance of the respective adjusting unit along the spindle, but also achieves a defined support of the spindle at two mutually spaced regions of the adjusting unit.In one embodiment variant, the spindle nut meshing with the spindle is rotatably mounted between the at least two pairs of support elements of an adjustment unit. In this variant, consequently (with respect to the seat longitudinal axis) two pairs of support elements are provided on both sides of the spindle nut of an adjustment unit. In this case, the adjustment unit is supported on both sides of the spindle nut on the rail or on a component connected thereto via the support elements. Likewise, the spindle can be supported on both sides of the spindle nut via the support elements on the adjustment unit (and thereby on the rail or a component connected thereto).A spindle nut of an adjustment unit can be part of an adjustment gear, for example, which is accommodated at least partially in a gear housing and is coupled to the drive of the respective adjustment unit. The transmission housing can be formed at least partially by two bearing plates which are opposite one another transversely to the seat longitudinal axis and on which at least one rotatable support element is mounted.In an alternative embodiment variant, the transmission housing is fixed to two bearing plates lying opposite one another, for example by means of welding, on which at least one rotatable support element is mounted. The respective transmission housing is thus defined in the case mentioned first above, in particular via the bearing plates lying opposite one another, while in the latter case the transmission housing can be produced separately and is subsequently received between the two bearing plates during the assembly of the adjusting device. The transmission housing can in principle be accommodated with the bearing plates and the one or more support elements (completely) in a protective manner in a cavity defined by the at least one rail.In one embodiment variant, a spindle holding part for a displaceably guided adjusting unit is fixed on the rail. Here, a portion of the spindle is held on the spindle holding part and (a) an end of the rail is closed by the spindle holding part and / or (b) the spindle holding part is releasably fixed in the rail via at least one separate fastening element, such as a screw or a bolt.In this case, it is initially immaterial whether the adjustment unit, which is adjustable by means of the spindle for setting a longitudinal seat position of the vehicle seat, has its own drive and is optionally provided in addition to a further, separate adjustment unit having a separate drive. However, a spindle holding part according to the invention can be easily combined with the aforementioned first aspect, which provides at least two adjustment units, each with its own drive, which are separately and relatively adjustable along the seat longitudinal axis.The provision of a spindle holding part, by means of which one end of the rail is additionally closed, offers the additional advantage of stiffening the preferably ground-resistant rail at its end without having to provide an additional element for this purpose. This function is rather taken over by the spindle holding part, by means of which the preferably fixed spindle is fixed on the rail. By closing the spindle end by means of the spindle holding part, the risk is additionally minimized that contaminants enter a cavity defined by the rail, in which cavity the spindle is arranged, for example.The alternatively or additionally provided releasable fixing of the spindle holding part in the rail via the at least one separate fastening element facilitates maintenance and repair of the adjusting device compared to previously customary welded-on spindle holders. In particular in combination with separately adjustable adjustment units each having its own drive, a releasably fixed spindle holding part also permits simplified mounting and dismantling of an adjustment part. When the spindle holding part is not yet mounted, a single adjusting unit can be easily placed on the rail or removed therefrom. In the assembled state, a spindle holding part then mechanically limits the permissible adjustment travel for an adjustment unit and prevents its removal from the rail.The spindle holding part can be releasably fixed in the rail by at least one screw or bolt connection. In a variant based thereon, screws or bolts introduced laterally and thus transversely to the longitudinal axis of the spindle can be provided for the releasable fixing of the spindle holding part in the rail. As a result, the screws or bolts are more easily accessible.In one embodiment variant, the spindle holding part is received in a form-fitting manner between two-for example plate-shaped or disk-shaped-locking elements which are arranged opposite one another in a cavity of the rail. By means of the locking elements, the spindle holding part, to which a portion of the spindle is fixed, is consequently additionally held in a defined position in the rail. The fixing via the at least one separate fastening element then serves in particular to secure a positive fit between a locking element and the spindle holding part. By means of the positive connection between a locking element and the spindle holding part, in particular the position of the spindle holding part can be predetermined axially and / or transversely to the longitudinal axis of the spindle.A further aspect of the subject solution is a vehicle seat having at least one adjusting device according to the invention.In one exemplary embodiment, the at least one rail and at least one adjusting unit of the adjusting device can be arranged below a floor of the vehicle, so that the adjusting mechanism for the seat base is accommodated in an area below the floor and is not visible from the outside. The base then preferably has an elongated recess, for example in the form of an elongated (base) slot along the seat longitudinal axis. Only a bearing part of the adjustment unit for connecting the seat base frame to the adjustment unit on the floor of the vehicle then protrudes from the recess, for example. This bearing part provides, for example, a screw-on and / or articulation point for a swing arm of the seat subframe. From the bearing part protruding on the floor of the vehicle, the seat base can thus be fixed via a rocker. The rails and the adjusting unit(s) guided displaceably thereon are, however, mounted below the floor (apart from the bearing part).In one embodiment variant, the vehicle seat is adjustable along the seat longitudinal axis between a position in a first seat row and a position in a second seat row of the vehicle by means of the at least one adjusting device. The adjusting device thus provides, for example, a sufficiently long rail and, if appropriate, a sufficiently long spindle, along which the seat base can be adjusted from front to rear and from rear to front.In one embodiment variant, the vehicle seat has two adjusting devices each having at least two adjusting units arranged one behind the other along the longitudinal axis of the seat, each of which is assigned its own drive for power-actuated adjustment. By means of the two adjusting devices configured according to the invention in accordance with the first aspect, a total of at least four drives are thus provided. These drives can then be controlled in pairs and / or individually in order to adjust an inclination and / or a height of the seat base frame or of a cushion carrier arranged thereon relative to a floor of a vehicle by means of the two adjustment devices. In such a vehicle seat, consequently, an inclination and / or height adjustment of the seat base frame is achieved without additional components solely by means of the independently actuatable adjustment devices, which are independently adjustable from one another along the seat longitudinal axis.In this case, a getting-out position can be predefined, for example, by means of the different adjusting devices, in which position the seat base is inclined comparatively strongly forwards in order to make it easier for a seat user to get out of the vehicle. Alternatively or additionally, the seat base can be inclined rearward into a comfort or relax position, inter alia by adjusting two (front) adjusting units connected to the seat base rearward relative to fixed (rear) adjusting units. The rear adjustment units are arranged here in each case along the seat longitudinal axis behind the front adjustment units of a seat longitudinal side. If the individual adjustment units of the different seat longitudinal sides are synchronously controlled, the seat base is moved completely along the seat longitudinal axis without any inclination or height change. By means of individual actuation of individual adjustment units, a further variation of the adjustment position of the seat base can furthermore be achieved. In any case, by using adjustment units that can be controlled independently of one another, additional flexibility is achieved during the adjustment of a seat base frame.The appended figures illustrate, by way of example, possible variants of the solution according to the invention.The following are shown here: FIG. 1 shows a detail of an exemplary embodiment of an adjusting device according to the invention, having two adjusting units held adjustably on a common spindle, each having its own electromotive drive, to which a seat subframe can be fixed in each case (without showing a rail of the adjusting device); FIG. 2 shows the adjusting device of FIG. 1 viewed from the opposite side and showing the rail of the adjusting device; FIG. 3A is a front view of the adjusting device of FIGS. 1 and 2 with a view to a screwed spindle holding part in the form of a spindle holding plate; FIG. 3B is a sectional view of the adjusting device of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3A transverse to the longitudinal axis of the spindle; FIG. 4 shows a vehicle seat having two adjusting devices according to FIGS. 1 to 3B, which are each accommodated almost completely under a floor of a vehicle.FIGS. 1, 2, 3A and 3B show an exemplary embodiment of an adjusting device 1A according to the invention by way of example. This is part of a rail arrangement SA of a vehicle seat F of FIG. 4 The adjusting device 1A represents here by way of example an adjusting device 1B of the rail arrangement SA which is embodied in mirror image form and is provided on the other (right) seat longitudinal side of the vehicle seat F in accordance with FIG. 4.The vehicle seat F has a seat base G and a backrest R pivotably mounted thereon. Via the rail arrangement SA, the seat base G and thus the vehicle seat F can be displaced along a seat longitudinal axis L and thus a seat longitudinal position of the vehicle seat F can be adjusted. The attachment of the seat base G to the adjusting devices 1A and 1B of the rail arrangement SA is effected on bearing parts 20 (cf. FIGS. 1, 2, 3A and 3B ). These bearing parts 20 are each part of an adjusting unit, designed as slides 2.1 or 2.2, of the respective (left or right) adjusting device 1A or 1B. The individual slides 2.1, 2.2 of the adjusting devices 1A and 1B project here only with the bearing part 20 from a floor B of a vehicle in which the vehicle seat F is mounted as intended. The remaining components of the adjusting device 1A and 1B are accommodated below the floor B, so that in particular a (single) rail 3 of an adjusting device 1A or 1B, on which the slides 2.1 and 2.2 are displaceably mounted, is fixed below the floor B. The bearing parts 20, on which the seat base G is mounted, for example, via a rocker articulated on the seat base G and the respective bearing part 20, project here from continuous base slots BS 1 and BS 2 running parallel to the seat longitudinal axis L. In this case, the floor slots BS 1 and BS 2 can also extend along the floor B with a length such that the vehicle seat F can be moved between a position in the first row of seats of the vehicle and a position in the second row of seats of the vehicle. For this purpose, each rail 3 of the two adjustment devices 1A and 1B would then optionally also have to be designed to be correspondingly longer in order to enable an adjustment of the slides 2.1 and 2.2 between the different positions in the first and second seat rows.As is shown with reference to the adjusting device 1A of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3A to 3B, each adjusting device 1A, 1B has a single rail 3, on which two slides 2.1 and 2.2 are held displaceably, each with its own electromotive drive 4.1 or 4.2. The slides 2.1 and 2.2 arranged one behind the other on the rail 3 along the longitudinal axis L of the seat are adjustable relative to one another here via the drives 4.1 and 4.2, so that a distance between the two slides 2.1 and 2.2 along the longitudinal axis L of the seat is variable, in order to set an inclination and / or height of the seat base G, for example, in this way. The drives 4.1 and 4.2 can be controlled here via an electronic control unit SE for a corresponding adjustment movement relative to one another. Moreover, synchronous adjustment of both slides 2.1 and 2.2 is also possible in order to shift the seat base G completely along the rail 3.Both slides 2.1 and 2.2 each have a hinge point / screw-on point 200 for the connection of the seat subframe G to the bearing parts 20 which project out of the floor slot BS1 in the state of the adjusting device 1A which is mounted as intended according to FIG. 4. This articulation point / screw-on point 200 is provided for the connection and articulated mounting of a rocker.The drive 4.1 or 4.2 is furthermore flange-mounted on a flange section 21 of the bearing part 20, such that the respective drive 4.1 or 4.2 protrudes laterally on the rail 3 and its drive axis runs perpendicular to the seat longitudinal axis L and thus the direction of longitudinal extent of the rail 3. On an outer housing of the respective drive 4.1 or 4.2, a connection socket 40 is accessible for the connection of the electronic control unit SE. Each drive 4.1 or 4.2 further comprises a drive shaft for rotating a spindle nut 801. This spindle nut 801 meshes with a spindle 7 which runs parallel to the seat longitudinal axis L within the rail 3. The spindle nut 801 is in each case part of an adjusting gear 8 interacting with the associated drive 4.1 or 4.2.This adjusting gear 8 comprises a gear housing 80 in which a drive worm 800 is rotatably mounted. This drive worm 800 is driven via the respective drive 4.1 or 4.2 and meshes with an external toothing of the spindle nut 801. At the same time, the spindle nut 801 meshes with the spindle 7 via an internal toothing, so that a torque applied by the respective drive 4.1 or 4.2 is converted via the drive worm 800 into a rotational movement of the spindle nut 801 about a longitudinal axis of the spindle 7. The rotation of the spindle nut 801 in turn leads to an adjusting movement of the associated slide 2.1 or 2.2 along the seat longitudinal axis L.The gear housing 80 is in the present case held on the one hand between two retaining plates 81.1 and 81.2 and fixed, for example, to these, optionally by welding. The holding plates 81.1 and 81.2 are situated opposite one another along the seat longitudinal axis L and have a through opening for the spindle 7 extending through the holding plates 81.1 and 81.2. Both slides 2.1 and 2.2 are consequently adjustable along a common spindle 7, namely via their drives 4.1 and 4.2 independent of one another synchronously in one and the same adjustment device as well as relative to one another, in particular in different adjustment directions.For the displaceable mounting on the rail 3, each carriage 2.1 or 2.2 has a plurality of support elements in the form of rotatably mounted rollers 22, 23, 24 and 25. These rollers 22 to 25 are arranged in pairs on both sides of the respective adjusting gear 8. The adjusting gear 8 with the spindle nut 801 is consequently located between two pairs of two rotatable rollers 22 / 25 and 23 / 24, respectively. The spindle 7 extends through between the two rollers 22 / 25 or 23 / 24 of a pair and is supported by these rollers 22 / 25 and 23 / 24 arranged above and below the spindle 7. The rollers 22 to 25 of each slide 2.1 or 2.2 thus counteract a bending of the spindle 7, in particular in the case of a particularly long spindle 7.At the same time, the rollers 22 to 25 are supported above (in the case of the rollers 22 and 23) or below (in the case of the rollers 24 and 25) the spindle 7 on a guide profile in the form of a semicircular profile 5.1 or 5.2 which is firmly connected to the rail 3 or is formed integrally with the rail 3. The rollers 22 to 25 thereby support transverse forces from the seat base G and convey them into the rail 3. The individual rollers 22 to 25 have a convexly curved running surface LF (compare in particular FIG. 3B ), via which each roller 22 to 25 can roll on the one hand on the respective semicircular profile 5.1 or 5.2 and on the other hand on the spindle 7 when the carriage 2.1 or 2.2 is adjusted along the spindle 7 and thus along the rail 3.The total of four rollers 22 to 25 of a carriage 2.1 or 2.2 are rotatably mounted on two bearing plates 60 and 61 lying opposite one another transversely to the seat longitudinal axis L. These bearing plates 60 and 61 together with the rollers 22 to 25 supported thereon form a roller assembly 6 of the respective carriage 2.1 or 2.2. This roller assembly 6 is completely accommodated in a cavity 30 of the rail 3 and ensures the displaceability of the respective carriage 2.1 or 2.2 on the rail 3.The adjusting gear 8 with the drive worm 800 and the spindle nut 801 is arranged between the bearing plates 60 and 61. The holding plates 81.1 and 81.2 connected to the transmission housing 80 can be welded to the lateral bearing plates 60, 61. In an alternative embodiment variant, no separate gear housing 80 is provided for the rotatable mounting of the drive worm 800 and for accommodating the spindle nut 801. Rather, a housing for the drive worm 800 and the spindle nut 801 is then formed by the bearing plates 60 and 61 and the retaining plates 81.1 and 81.2.In order to ensure a connection of the electromotive drive 4.1 or 4.2 of the respective carriage 2.1 or 2.2 to the roller assembly 6 and the adjusting gear 8 and to be able to adjust the latter along the rail 3, the rail 3 is designed to be open on one longitudinal side. This open longitudinal side is provided on the inside in the correctly mounted state of the adjustment device and thus lies opposite an inner side of the other adjustment device 1B of the rail arrangement SA for the vehicle seat F.For the assembly of an adjusting device 1A, the individual slides 2.1 and 2.2 can be pre-assembled with their bearing part 20, the drive 4.1 or 4.2 flange-mounted thereon, the adjusting gear 8 coupled to the drive 4.1 or 4.2 and the roller assembly 6 and form a pre-assembled assembly. The individual slides 2.1 and 2.2 are then pushed with their roller assembly 6 into the rail 3 from one end of the rail 3 and positioned on the rail 3 as intended via the spindle nut 801 which meshes with the spindle 7. The semicircular profiles 5.1 and 5.2 which are situated opposite one another and are arranged above and below the spindle 7 ensure on the one hand a defined guidance of the slides 2.1 and 2.2 within the rail 3 and also a support of the transverse forces introduced by the seat base G. At the same time, by means of the pairs of rollers 22 / 25 and 23 / 24 spaced apart from one another along the seat longitudinal axis L, between which rollers the adjusting gear 8 of a slide 2.1 or 2.2 is accommodated, a support of the spindle 7 is achieved in a central region between two spindle ends.At each end of the rail 3 a spindle holder 9 is provided. The fixed spindle 7 is held on this spindle holder 9 and fixed within the rail 3. The spindle holder 9 has a spindle holding part in the form of a winch holding plate 90. By means of this spindle holding plate 90, the spindle 7 is held in a fixed position in the rail 3 and is secured against rotation about its longitudinal axis.In the present case, the spindle holding plate 90 is releasably fixed to the rail 3 via a plurality of fastening elements in the form of screws 92 for simpler assembly and disassembly. Two screws 92 are provided laterally on the rail 3 and screwed into a (left) side wall 32 of the rail 3. Two further screws 92 are screwed in on the other (right) side of the rail 3, in this case in each case on an upper and lower edge web 31 oor 31 uwhich borders the open longitudinal side of the rail 3.A locking element in the form of a locking plate 91 aor 91 bis fixed via the individual screws 92, which locking element is connected in a positive-locking manner to the spindle holding plate 90 and holds the latter in position within the rail 3. By means of the two locking plates 91 aand 91 b, which are opposite one another transversely to the seat longitudinal axis L, the spindle holding plate 90 is fixed immovably (when screws 92 are screwed in) at one end of the rail 3 within the rail 3.The spindle holding plate 90 shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3A is cross-shaped and is accommodated with its sections projecting laterally and upward and downward in a form-fitting manner between the opposing locking plates 91 aand 91 b. For the form-fitting reception of the laterally protruding sections of the spindle holding plate 90, each locking plate 91 a, 91 bhas a corresponding recess.Via the spindle holding plate 90, one end of the rail 3 is almost completely closed in the present case. This reduces the risk of dirt entering the cavity 30 of the rail 3. In addition, the end of the rail 3 is reinforced by the spindle holder 9 having the spindle holding plate 90 and the locking plates 91 aand 91 b. In particular for this purpose, both the spindle holding plate 90 and the lateral locking plates 91 a, 91 bare accommodated within the cavity 30 of the rail 3. The spindle holding plate 90 thus forms together with the locking plates 91 aand 91 b a spindle holding block which is screwed to the rail 3 and stiffens the rail profile. This can have a particularly advantageous effect on the load capacity of the (individual) rail 3.The illustrated adjusting device 1A with an individual rail 3 and slides 2.1 and 2.2 independently adjustable thereon and provided with a respective drive 4.1, 4.2 manages without a continuous upper rail, on which the seat base G would be fixed on a longitudinal side of the seat. Rather, a (seat longitudinal) adjustment device 1A is provided here, which has two adjustment units in the form of the slides 2.1 and 2.2, which can be adjusted separately from one another and each define a hinge point / viewing point for the seat subframe G. An adjusting device 1A or 1B is thus configured without a continuous upper rail, but with two short slide-shaped upper rail pieces which are defined by the adjusting units 2.1 and 2.2. On the individual rail 3, it is thus possible to provide independent controllable swing arm drives for a front swing arm and a rear swing arm of the seat subframe G, in order, for example, to at least adjust the inclination and / or the height of the seat subframe G with respect to the floor B by varying a distance between front and rear swing arms in combination with a second adjusting device 1B corresponding to the rail arrangement SA of FIG. 4. In this case, comparatively large strokes can be realized via the slides 2.1 and 2.2 which can be adjusted relative to one another.List of reference characters1A, 1B adjusting device 2.1, 2.2 slide (adjusting unit) 20 bearing part 200 articulation point / screw-on point 21 flange section 22, 23, 24, 25 roller (supporting element) 3 (single) rail 30 cavity 31 o, 31 u rim web 32 side wall 4.1, 4.2 drive 40 connection bushing 5.1, 5.2 semicircular profile (guide profile) 6 roller assembly 60, 61 bearing plate 7 spindle 8 adjusting gear 80 gear housing 800 drive worm 801 spindle nut 81.1, 81.2 holding plate 9 spindle holder 90 spindle holding plate (spindle holding part) 91 a, 91 bstop plate (locking element) 92 screw (fastening element) B base BS 1, Bs2 Floor slot F Vehicle seat G Seat base L Seat longitudinal axis LF Running surface R Backrest SA Rail arrangement SE Control unit

Claims

Adjusting device (1A, 1B) for the longitudinal adjustment of a vehicle seat (F), having - at least one rail (3) for defining a seat longitudinal axis (L) along which a seat subframe (G) of the vehicle seat (F) is adjustable, and for mounting at least one adjusting unit (2.1, 2.2) of the adjusting device (1A, 1B), and - at least two displaceably guided adjusting units (2.1, 2.2) arranged one behind the other along the seat longitudinal axis (L), to which adjusting units the seat subframe (G) is to be fixed in order to be adjustable along the seat longitudinal axis (L), wherein the at least two adjusting units (2.1, 2.2) are adjustable relative to one another along the seat longitudinal axis (L) and each adjusting unit (2.1, 2.2) has its own drive (4.1, 2.2), 4.2) for power-operated adjustment along the seat longitudinal axis (L), characterized in that for power-operated adjustment of the at least two adjustment units (2.1, 2.2) a common, fixed spindle (7) and two spindle nuts (801) are provided, each associated with an adjustment unit (2.1, 2.2) and respectively meshing with the spindle (7).Adjusting device (1A, 1B) according to claim 1, characterised in that at least one adjusting unit (2.1, 2.2) has a bearing part (20) for connection to a rocker of the seat base (G).Adjusting device (1A, 1B) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that a longitudinal axis of the spindle (7) runs substantially perpendicular to a drive axis of the drive of an adjusting unit (2.1, 2.2).Adjusting device (1A, 1B) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the adjusting device (1A, 1B) has an electronic control unit (SE) for controlling the adjusting movements of the at least two adjusting units (2.1, 2.2) relative to one another.Adjusting device (1A, 1B) according to Claim 4, characterized in that the electronic control unit (SE) is configured to vary a distance of the at least two adjusting units (2.1, 2.2) arranged one behind the other relative to one another along the seat longitudinal axis (L) for a change in an inclination and / or a height of the seat base (G) and / or of a upholstery carrier arranged thereon.Adjusting device (1A, 1B) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least two adjusting units (2.1, 2.2) are mounted displaceably on one and the same rail (3) or the at least two adjusting units (2.1, 2.2) are mounted displaceably on different rails.Adjusting device (1A, 1B) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one adjusting unit (2.1, 2.2) is mounted displaceably on the at least one rail (3) via at least one supporting element (22, 23, 24, 25).Adjusting device (1A, 1B) according to Claim 7, characterized in that the at least one support element (22, 23, 24, 25) (a) bears slidingly on the rail (3) and / or (b) is mounted rotatably and can execute a rotational movement for displacing the adjusting unit (2.1, 2.2) along the seat longitudinal axis (L).Adjusting device (1A, 1B) according to Claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the at least one support element (22, 23, 24, 25) is supported on the rail (3) or on a component (5.1, 5.2) connected thereto.Adjusting device (1A, 1B) according to claim 9, characterised in that the at least one support element (22, 23, 24, 25) is supported on a convexly curved guide profile (5.1, 5.2), which is formed integrally with the rail (3) or which is formed as a separate component and is connected to the rail (3).Adjusting device (1A, 1B) according to one of Claims 1 to 3 and one of Claims 7 to 10, characterized in that the spindle (7) is supported on the at least one supporting element (22, 23, 24, 25).Adjusting device (1A, 1B) according to claim 11, characterised in that at least two support elements (22, 25; 23, 24) are provided on an adjusting unit (2.1, 2.2), between which the spindle (7) extends.Adjusting device (1A, 1B) according to claim 12, characterised in that at least two pairs of respectively two support elements (22, 25; 23, 24) arranged one behind the other along the seat longitudinal axis (L) are provided on an adjusting unit (2.1, 2.2) and the spindle (7) extends through the at least two pairs (22, 25; 23, 24).Adjusting device (1A, 1B) according to claim 13, characterised in that the spindle nut (801) meshing with the spindle (7) is rotatably mounted between the at least two pairs of support elements (22, 25; 23, 24) of an adjusting unit (2.1, 2.2).Adjusting device (1A, 1B) according to one of Claims 1 to 3 and 14, characterized in that the spindle nut (801) is part of an adjusting gear (8) which is accommodated at least partially in a gear housing (80) and is coupled to the drive (4.1, 4.2) of the adjusting unit (2.1, 2.2).Adjusting device (1A, 1B) according to Claim 15, characterized in that the transmission housing (80) is formed at least partially by two bearing plates (60, 61) which are situated opposite one another transversely with respect to the seat longitudinal axis (L) and on which at least one rotatable support element (22, 23, 24, 25) is mounted, or the transmission housing (80) is fixed to the bearing plates (60, 61) which are situated opposite one another.Adjusting device (1A, 1B) for the longitudinal adjustment of a vehicle seat (F) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a spindle holding part (90) is fixed to the rail (3), on which holding part a portion of the spindle (7) is held and which (a) closes one end of the rail (3) and / or (b) is releasably fixed in the rail (3) via at least one separate fastening element (92).Adjusting device (1A, 1B) according to claim 17, characterised in that the spindle holding part (90) is releasably fixed in the rail (3) by means of at least one screw or bolt connection.Adjusting device (1A, 1B) according to Claim 17 or 18, characterized in that the spindle holding part (90) is received in a positive-locking manner between two locking elements (91a, 91b), which are arranged opposite one another in a cavity (30) of the rail (3).Vehicle seat (F) having at least one adjusting device (1A, 1B) according to one of Claims 1 to 19.Vehicle seat (F) according to claim 20, characterised in that the at least one rail (3) and at least one adjustment unit (2.1, 2.2) are arranged below a floor (B) of the vehicle and the floor (B) has an elongated recess from which only one bearing part (20) of the adjustment unit (2.1, 2.2) for the connection of the seat base frame (G) to the adjustment unit (2.1, 2.2) protrudes on the floor (B) of the vehicle.Vehicle seat (F) according to Claim 20 or 21, characterized in that the vehicle seat (F) is adjustable by means of the at least one adjusting device (1A, 1B) along the seat longitudinal axis (L) between a position in a first row of seats and a position in a second row of seats of the vehicle.Vehicle seat (F) according to one of Claims 20 to 22, characterized in that the vehicle seat (F) has two adjusting devices (1A, 1B) each having at least two adjusting units (2.1, 2.2) which are arranged one behind the other along the seat longitudinal axis (L) and to which a respective drive (4.1, 4.2) for power-actuated adjustment is assigned, and which, in total, at least four drives (4.1, 4.2) of the adjusting units (2.1, 2.2) can be controlled in pairs and / or individually in order to adjust an inclination and / or a height of the seat subframe (G) or of a cushion carrier arranged thereon relative to a floor (B) of a vehicle by means of the at least two adjusting devices (1A, 1B).

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