Vehicle seat with a footrest attached to its back

Abstract

The vehicle seat (2) has a footrest (8) attached to a rear side, which can be pivoted about a pivot axis (S) between a rest position and a support position, and an actuator (10) for pivoting the footrest (8). The actuator (10) has a linear actuating element connected to the footrest (8) for performing the pivoting movement about the pivot axis (S).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle seat with a backrest and with a rear side to which a footrest for a rear row of seats is attached, wherein the footrest can be pivoted between a rest position and a support position about a pivot axis by means of an actuator.

[0002] Such a vehicle seat can be found, for example, in DE 10 2018 204 987 A1. In the known vehicle seat, a pinion drive is provided which drives a pinion segment that can pivot about a pivot axis and is connected to the footrest via a multi-joint toggle lever mechanism for actuating the footrest. The pinion segment is attached in a rotationally fixed manner to a transmission shaft that can pivot about the pivot axis. In one design variant, the pivot axis coincides with an axis of rotation about which the backrest can be adjusted in its inclination. This axis of rotation is usually defined by a shaft that connects two opposing pivot fittings to one another in order to synchronize their rotational position, for example. Such a shaft is also referred to as a recliner shaft. The transmission shaft is designed as a hollow shaft, which can be arranged around such a shaft.

[0003] Based on this, the invention is based on the object of providing a vehicle seat with an adjustable footrest attached to its rear side, in which the adjustment mechanism for adjusting the footrest is improved.

[0004] The object is achieved according to the invention by a vehicle seat with a backrest and a rear side to which a footrest is attached specifically for a rear row of seats (i.e., for example, for a second or third row of seats), which footrest can be pivoted about a pivot axis between a rest position and a support position. The vehicle seat further comprises an actuator for pivoting the footrest with a linear actuator element, which is connected to the footrest for performing the pivoting movement about the pivot axis.

[0005] Such an adjustment mechanism, in which the adjustment movement is transmitted from a linear actuator to the footrest, is significantly simpler and more compact than the known adjustment mechanism from the state of the art.

[0006] A footrest is generally understood to be a support device on which a passenger can rest their foot or heel. The footrest can therefore also be referred to as a heel support.

[0007] The back of the vehicle seat is generally understood to be the side of the vehicle seat facing away from a seating area.

[0008] The adjusting element acts directly on the footrest, meaning it is directly connected to it. This creates a direct connection between the adjusting element and the footrest.

[0009] The adjustment drive is designed, in particular, as a spindle drive. Compared to, for example, a pinion drive for the adjustment movement, such a drive has significantly less backlash, enabling a more precise adjustment movement with fewer tolerances compared to the state of the art.

[0010] The linear adjusting element is preferably a spindle rod of the spindle drive. The spindle rod is displaced along an adjustment axis defined by its spindle axis and transfers the adjustment force to the footrest.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the footrest has a lever arm firmly connected to it, to which the adjusting element is articulated. The lever arm forms a fixed angle other than 0° with a support plate of the footrest, on which the foot is supported, so that the adjusting force is transferred from the adjusting element to the footrest via the lever arm.

[0012] Preferably, the lever arm is mounted so it can rotate around the pivot axis. Due to the mounting on the pivot axis, comparatively small adjustment movements of the adjusting element are required to pivot the footrest.

[0013] Preferably, the lever arm and / or the pivot axis are further arranged in a region of the footrest facing the backrest, relative to the extended support position. Specifically, the lever arm is mounted at the outermost end of the footrest. In conjunction with the preceding feature, namely that the lever arm is mounted for rotation about the pivot axis, i.e., that the pivot axis extends through the lever arm, a particularly suitable positioning of the lever arm and the pivot axis is achieved.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the adjusting element extends along an adjusting axis, the inclination of which can be varied to compensate for height during the adjustment movement. Due to the special design, in which the lever arm is mounted at one end so that it can rotate around the pivot axis, a pivot point of the adjusting element on the lever arm moves along a circular path, i.e., along a path of movement that can be generated by the superposition of two linear movements. To enable this, the inclination of the linear adjusting element can be varied.

[0015] In the case of the spindle rod, the adjusting axis is the spindle axis.

[0016] The pivot axis is generally defined by a bearing point of the vehicle seat, whereby this bearing point is preferably located on the rear side, i.e., not inside the backrest. Compared to the prior art described above, in which the bearing point is formed by a rotary shaft connecting two opposing rotary fittings, the bearing point is therefore essentially displaced rearward and outward. Accordingly, the bearing point is preferably spaced from such a shaft, specifically spaced from a recliner shaft, which connects such rotary fittings. The rotary fittings enable the backrest's inclination to be adjusted.

[0017] The bearing point is formed, for example, by a bearing pin, in particular by two opposing bearing pins, or by a continuous bearing shaft. In principle, it is also possible for a bearing eye to be formed on the vehicle seat as a bearing point, into which a bearing pin attached to the footrest engages.

[0018] A preferred variant is one in which the bearing point on the vehicle seat is designed as a bearing pin or a bearing shaft, and in which a bearing eye is formed on the footrest, which at least partially and preferably completely surrounds this bearing pin or the bearing shaft. This bearing eye is designed, for example, as a bearing tube, which extends, for example, across the entire width of the footrest or, alternatively, only over a partial area.

[0019] The adjustment drive is preferably attached to a side bolster of the backrest of the vehicle seat. The aforementioned bearing point is formed in particular on this side bolster, preferably on a rear side of this side bolster, i.e., a rear side facing away from a seating area. The previously described bearing point is preferably formed on a respective side bolster.

[0020] An embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the figures, which show, in partially schematic representations: Fig. 1 a partial side view of the frame of a vehicle seat in the connecting area between a seat part and a backrest with a footrest attached to the backrest in a resting position and Fig. 2 a representation analogous Fig. 1, with the footrest in a supporting position.

[0021] The vehicle seat 2, which is only partially shown in the figures, has a seat part 4 to which a backrest 6 is attached. This backrest is typically adjustable in its inclination relative to the seat part 4 about a backrest axis L. For this purpose, suitable swivel fittings are attached to the two opposite sides.

[0022] A footrest 8 is arranged on the rear side of the vehicle seat 2, particularly on the backrest 6, in its lowest section. The footrest 8 can be pivoted about a pivot axis S from a resting position to a supporting position. The pivoting movement is performed by an electric motor actuator 10, which has an electric motor 12 and a spindle drive with a spindle rod 14. This extends along a spindle axis 15.

[0023] The footrest 8 has a support plate 8A with an upper surface on which a passenger in a rear row of seats can rest his feet when the footrest 8 is in its extended support position.

[0024] Furthermore, the footrest 8 has a lever arm 8B, which is represented in the figures by a dotted line. This lever arm 8B is formed, for example, by a plate. The lever arm 8B is fixedly connected, in particular in a rotationally fixed manner, to the support plate 8A. It is attached to the support plate 8A, in particular, at the rearmost end of the support plate. The lever arm 8B forms a fixed, constant angle with the support plate 8A, which angle is not equal to 0 and, in the exemplary embodiment, is formed as an acute angle.

[0025] At one end, which faces the support plate 8A and is connected thereto, the lever arm 8B forms a bearing, so that the footrest 8 is mounted via this bearing so as to be rotatable about the pivot axis S about a bearing point formed on the vehicle seat 2 and specifically one of the backrest 6. The bearing point formed on the vehicle seat 2 is formed in particular by a bearing shaft 16. This runs in particular between two opposite side cheeks 18 of the backrest 6, of which only one can be seen in the figures.

[0026] For the adjustment movement, preferably only a single actuator 10 is arranged, namely on one of the two side cheeks 18. Alternatively, an actuator 10 is attached to each of the two side cheeks 18.

[0027] The spindle rod 14 is mounted with its end on the lever arm 8B, namely at its second end, rotatably about a rotation axis D.

[0028] To explain the adjustment movement, auxiliary lines and auxiliary elements are drawn in the two figures.

[0029] First of all, Fig. 1 shows the footrest 8 in the folded rest position, in which the support plate 8A is oriented essentially vertically. The support plate 8A is additionally represented schematically by a rectangle. Furthermore, a reference point P is drawn at a front end of the support plate 8A, along with a connecting line from this point to the pivot axis S. This reference point P follows a circular line K during the pivoting movement, as shown in the figures.

[0030] In the extended end position, i.e. when the support plate 8A is in its support position, the support plate 8A is oriented essentially horizontally. This is shown in the Fig. 1 by the schematic rectangle, which in the support position in Fig. 1 is shown as a dashed rectangle.

[0031] Fig. Figure 2, on the other hand, shows the actuator 10 and thus also the footrest 8 in the extended position (support position). The rectangle representing the support plate 8A is now shown as a solid line in the support position and as a dashed line in the rest position.

[0032] In the Fig. In the rest position shown in Figure 1, the spindle rod 14 is in a retracted position. From this position, the spindle rod 14 moves backward, i.e., toward the footrest 8, and presses on one end of the lever arm 8B, thus generating the desired pivoting movement. The entire footrest 8 pivots about the pivot axis S. The spindle rod 14 progressively extends and finally reaches the position shown in Fig. 2 shown final position.

[0033] In Fig. 1, the spindle axis 15 is shown as a solid line and as a dashed line. The solid line indicates the orientation of the spindle rod 14 in the rest position shown, and the dashed line indicates the orientation in the support position, as shown in Fig. 2 is taken. In general, therefore, the spindle rod 14 and thus also the spindle axis 15 are adjustable for height compensation during the pivoting movement, particularly in their inclination with respect to the horizontal.

[0034] Overall, the adjustment mechanism described here, in which the spindle rod 14 engages directly with the footrest 8, specifically with the lever arm 8B, results in a compact adjustment mechanism with only a few components. The small number of components and the simple mechanics result in an adjustment mechanism with minimal play. The spindle drive also contributes positively to the minimal play.

[0035] The comparatively simple mechanism and direct linkage of the spindle rod 14 also facilitate the transfer of mechanical forces. The small number of components and minimal bearing points also contribute to the robust design of the mechanism. This is also helped by the fact that the lever arm 8B is comparatively short compared to the length of the support plate 8B.

[0036] In Fig. In Figure 2, this is illustrated by an arrow at the reference point, representing a loading force F1. This can, for example, be much greater than an adjustment force F2, which runs essentially opposite and, in particular, tangential to the circular line K.

[0037] Furthermore, the arrangement of the bearing shaft 16 on the rear side of the backrest 6 simplifies assembly compared to the known design, since complex assembly on a recliner shaft is no longer necessary. List of reference symbols 2 vehicle seats 4 Seat part 6 backrest 8 Footrest 8A support plate 8B lever arm 10 Actuator 12 electric motor 14 spindle rod 15 spindle axis 16 Bearing shaft 18 sidewall L backrest axis S swivel axis D axis of rotation K Circular line P reference point F1 load force F2 Adjustment force QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 10 2018 204 987 A1

[0002]

Claims

[1] Vehicle seat (2) with a backrest (6) and with a rear side to which a footrest (8) is attached, which can be pivoted about a pivot axis (S) between a rest position and a support position, and with an actuator (10) for pivoting the footrest (8), characterized by that the actuator (10) has a linear actuating element which is connected to the footrest (8) for performing the pivoting movement about the pivot axis (S). [2] Vehicle seat (2) according to the preceding claim, characterized by that the linear actuator is directly connected to the footrest (8). [3] Vehicle seat (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the actuator (10) is designed as a spindle drive. [4] Vehicle seat (2) according to the preceding claim, characterized by that the linear actuating element is a spindle rod (14) of the spindle drive. [5] Vehicle seat (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the footrest (8) has a lever arm (8B) which is connected to it in a rotationally fixed manner and to which the adjusting element is articulated. [6] Vehicle seat (2) according to the preceding claim, characterized by that the lever arm (8B) is rotatably mounted about the pivot axis (S). [7] Vehicle seat (2) according to one of the two preceding claims, characterized by that the lever arm (8B) is formed in a region of the footrest (8) facing the backrest (6). [8] Vehicle seat (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the adjusting element extends along an adjusting axis, the inclination of which can be varied to compensate for height during the adjustment movement. [9] Vehicle seat (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the pivot axis (S) is defined by a bearing point, and that the bearing point is formed on a rear side of the backrest (6). [10] Vehicle seat (2) according to the preceding claim, characterized by that the bearing point is designed at a distance from a shaft which connects two opposite rotary fittings, via which an adjustment of the inclination of the backrest (6) is possible. [11] Vehicle seat (2) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the actuator (10) is attached to a side panel (18) of the backrest (6) of the vehicle seat (2).

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