Footrest for a motor vehicle seat

Abstract

In a footrest (1) for a vehicle seat (2), comprising a foot support (3) which is movable from a non-use position to a use position, wherein the foot support (3) is movable during the movement from the non-use position to the use position, wherein an electric motor (4) is provided for driving the foot support (3), wherein the foot support (3) has the electric motor (4) centrally located on its underside, the electric motor (4) is to radially drive a transmission rod (5) and the foot support (3) is held on its underside by means of a receptacle (6), wherein the transmission rod (5) extends force-free through the receptacle (6), wherein the transmission rod (5) engages at its end in a transmission mechanism (7), wherein the transmission mechanism (7) is statically connected on one side to a vehicle seat connection (8) and dynamically connected on the other side to an overload protection device (9),wherein the transmission rod (5) passes through the overload protection (9) without force, wherein the overload protection (9) is force-transmittingly connected to the receptacle (6) of the foot support (3), wherein in an overload case the force-transmitting connection of the overload protection (9) from the gearbox (7) to the receptacle (6) is decoupled.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The invention relates to a footrest for a motor vehicle seat according to the preamble of claim 1. State of the art

[0002] Such footrests are already known and commonly used in a variety of forms and designs. For example, DE 10 2012 012 849 B4 discloses a footrest for a vehicle seat, comprising a foot pad which is movable from a non-use position to a use position, wherein the foot pad is guided by a linear guide during the movement from the non-use position to the use position, wherein a drive unit is provided for driving the foot pad, wherein the drive unit comprises at least one spindle with at least one spindle nut arranged on the spindle and rotatable relative to the spindle, wherein the spindle extends in a transverse direction, and wherein the spindle comprises two threaded sections with oppositely oriented threads.

[0003] German patent DE 38 15 936 C1 discloses a device for vehicles specifically designed to improve footrests or foot supports. It comprises a foldable and positionally adjustable platform that provides ergonomic and safe foot support for the user. Particular attention is paid to the device's stability and adaptability to ensure both comfort and safety during use. The invention is suitable for various vehicle types and takes ergonomic requirements into account to make long-distance journeys more comfortable.

[0004] Reference is further made to DE 10 2015 000 841 A1. This patent discloses a support device intended for mounting in motor vehicles. It comprises a mounting section that allows the device to be mounted on a component in the vehicle, in particular on a vehicle seat. Furthermore, the device has a load-bearing section that is pivotably mounted on the mounting section and can be used in at least one operating position in which it bears a load. A holding device ensures that the load-bearing section is held in this operating position. This holding device is equipped with an overload protection device that, if a predetermined load is exceeded, allows the load-bearing section to pivot beyond its operating position in the direction of gravity. In addition, at least one locking element, preferably wedge-shaped, is attached to the load-bearing section.This locking element holds the load-bearing section in the operating position and moves out of its engagement position when a defined overload force is applied, thus enabling the load-bearing section to pivot. Object of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, a footrest is to be provided that is user-friendly, durable and lightweight. Solution to the task

[0006] The features according to claim 1 lead to the solution of the problem.

[0007] Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

[0008] The footrest for vehicle seats according to the invention represents a technical innovation that improves the comfort, safety and functionality for vehicle occupants.

[0009] The design includes a movable footrest that can be moved from a non-functional to a functional position. This mobility is made possible by a precise and quiet electric motor. The motor is centrally located on the underside of the footrest and drives a radial transmission rod. This transmission rod engages with a gearbox, which efficiently controls the footrest's movements.

[0010] A mounting bracket secures the footrest in its operating position, while an integrated overload protection system safeguards the structure from damage caused by excessive stress by disconnecting the linkage between the gearbox and the footrest when a defined force is exceeded. Such forces can also occur in a traffic accident and are designed to be prevented by the overload protection system to protect the occupants from injury.

[0011] Another advantage of the footrest is the ability to electrically adjust its position, allowing for individual customization to the needs of the occupants. This adjustability ensures an ergonomic seating position and reduces fatigue during long journeys. This is a significant comfort benefit, especially for frequent drivers and long-distance travelers. The overload protection further enhances safety by preventing mechanical damage and ensuring the device's reliable operation even under extreme conditions.

[0012] The footrest is designed for durability. High-quality materials such as robust plastics guarantee high resistance to wear, even with intensive use. The sturdy construction is complemented by a compact design that allows for seamless integration into the vehicle seat without requiring additional space in the vehicle's interior. The electric motor is housed in a specially designed recess, protected by a cover. This cover prevents the ingress of dust, moisture, or other environmental influences, significantly extending the motor's lifespan.

[0013] Furthermore, the footrest is protected by a cushion, which provides the user with a pleasant feel when placing their foot on it.

[0014] Another advantage lies in the modular design of the footrest. Individual components, such as the overload protection device or the force transmission device, can be replaced independently as needed. This also makes assembly simpler and more cost-effective. This not only simplifies maintenance but also reduces long-term operating costs. The overload protection device itself consists of a combination of sliding bushings, a tension disc, an overload protection washer, a disc spring, and a lock nut. This design ensures an even distribution of forces and guarantees that the overload protection functions reliably even under load.

[0015] The overload protection system functionally consists of an overload device and a force transmission device, with the overload protection device and the force transmission device being operatively connected via a central transmitter. This allows for a compact design.

[0016] The central transmitter has circular openings for the balls, with the balls being movably arranged in the openings between the overload device and the power transmission device.

[0017] The power transmission device is arranged towards the gearbox and consists of a sliding bushing, an overload protection disc and a retaining ring, which are arranged in a housing, the housing forming an outer edge guide groove which is operatively connected to a driver of the central transferor.

[0018] The overload protection device consists of another sliding bushing, a clamping washer, an overload protection washer, a disc spring, and a lock nut that connects to the mounting. This allows the overload protection device to directly and quickly influence the footrest mounting in the event of an overload, as the footrest can pivot freely into the transition position because the mounting is no longer subjected to any forces.

[0019] The precision of the movement is ensured by a drive pinion and a gear, which are connected to the transmission rod to transmit power. This mechanism provides precise control of the footrest's movements and contributes to high operational reliability. At the same time, the design allows for dynamic positional adjustment, further expanding the footrest's range of applications. The integration of ball-bearing elements into the overload protection system ensures low-friction and long-lasting operation, while the enclosed housing provides additional protection against external influences. In a preferred embodiment, four steel balls are arranged in openings of a central transmission element.

[0020] In summary, this footrest combines numerous advantages in a well-designed and advanced construction. It enhances comfort through individually adjustable footrest positions, increases safety with its innovative overload protection, offers durability thanks to the use of robust materials, and facilitates maintenance and adjustments with its modular design. The compact integration into the vehicle seat and the protective measures against external influences make this footrest an outstanding solution for modern vehicles, meeting the highest demands for comfort, safety, and functionality. This product is not only a technological achievement but also a valuable contribution to improving the driving experience and occupant safety. Character description

[0021] Further advantages, features and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments and from the drawings; these show in: Fig. 1 a perspective view of a vehicle seat with a footrest attached to it in the use position; Fig. 2 a perspective view of an underside of the footrest after Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a perspective exploded view of a footrest of the foot support according to Fig. 1; Fig. 4 a perspective exploded view of part of the Fig. 3; Fig. 5 a perspective view of an overload protection device for use in the footrest according to Fig. 1; Fig. 6 a perspective exploded view of the overload protection according to Fig. 5; Fig. 7 an exploded view of another part of the footrest according to Fig. 1; Fig. 8 a side view of the footrest Fig. 1 in operating position; Fig. 9 a side view of the footrest Fig. 1 in overload situation; and Fig. 10 a side view of the footrest Fig. 1 in non-use position. Example of implementation

[0022] In the Fig. Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat 2 with a view of vehicle seat connections 8 (see Fig. 2) Footrest 1 attached to it shown in the operating position.

[0023] The footrest 1 comprises a foot pad 3, which can be moved from a non-use position to a use position, as shown in the Fig. 8, Fig. 9 to Fig. 10 is shown, where the Fig. 9 indicates an overload situation. An overload situation exists when a force exceeding the defined limit acts on the footrest 1, such that damage to the structure is to be expected if this force continues to act upon it. In this case, an overload protection device 9 is triggered, which on the one hand protects the footrest 1 from damage and on the other hand ensures a long service life.

[0024] Fig. Figure 2 shows an underside of the footrest 1. In the context of the invention, "underside" refers to the side of the footrest 1 that, from the user's perspective, is located on the opposite side of the visible foot support 3. In other words, it is the side that faces the vehicle floor.

[0025] The footrest 3 can be moved from the non-use position to the use position. This is accomplished by an electric motor 4, which is shown in the following figures. Viewed from the underside of the footrest 3, the electric motor 4 is located in a motor recess 13, which appears as an approximately central bulge on the underside of the footrest 3.

[0026] The electric motor 4 radially drives a transmission rod 5. The footrest 3 is held on its underside by a receptacle 6, with the transmission rod 5 passing through the receptacle 6 without any force being applied. The transmission rod 5 extends at its end into a gearbox 7, where it engages to transmit force. The gearbox 7 is statically connected to the vehicle seat mounting 8 and dynamically connected to an overload protection device 9. "Statically" means that the radial movement of the transmission rod 5 is not transmitted to the vehicle seat mounting 8, but dynamically to the overload protection device 9, which is located on the side of the gearbox 7 facing the receptacle 6.In this context, dynamic means that the radial force of the transmission rod 5 from the gearbox 7 acts on the overload protection 9, whereby the overload protection 9 passes the radial force on to the receiver 6, so that an adjustment of the footrest 3 from the operating position to the non-operating position or vice versa is possible.

[0027] The transmission rod 5 passes through the overload protection 9 without force, the overload protection 9 being force-transmitting and connected to the receptacle 6 of the foot support 3, wherein in an overload case the force-transmitting connection of the overload protection 9 is decoupled from the gearbox 7 to the receptacle 6.

[0028] Fig. Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the footrest 3 of the foot support 1, showing the upper side of the footrest 3. The upper side is the side of the footrest 3 facing away from the underside. The electric motor 4 is arranged in the motor recess 13 of the footrest 3, which has already been described above and can be closed with a cover 12.

[0029] To Fig. 4 refers to the remaining character description. Here is an exploded view of part of the Fig. Figure 3 shows in particular the arrangement of the overload protection device 9 between the receptacle 6 and the gearbox 7, wherein the gearbox 7 is arranged between the vehicle seat connection 8 and the overload protection device 9.

[0030] Fig. Figure 5 shows an enlarged view of the overload protection device 9. It is clearly visible that the overload protection device 9 functionally consists of an overload device 25 and a power transmission device 26, with the overload protection device 25 forming an operative connection with the power transmission device 26 via a central transmitter 18. Additionally, the Fig. Figure 5 clearly shows how a driver 29 of the central transmitter 18 is arranged in an outer edge guide groove 28 of a housing 16. The movement of the driver 29 in the outer edge guide groove 28 of the housing 16 simultaneously defines the mobility of the foot support 3.

[0031] In Fig. Figure 6 shows a perspective exploded view of the overload protection device 9. Here, the central transmitter 18 is shown in the center, which has circular openings 27 for balls 19 on a disk, wherein the balls 19 are movably arranged in the openings 27 between the overload device 25 and the force transmission device 26.

[0032] The power transmission device 26 is arranged towards the gearbox 7 and consists of a sliding bushing 17, an overload protection disc 15 and a retaining ring 17, which are arranged in a housing 16, wherein the housing 16 forms the outer edge guide groove 28, which is operatively connected to the driver 29 of the central transferor 18.

[0033] The overload device 25 consists of a further sliding bushing 20, a clamping disc 21, an overload locking disc 22 and a disc spring 23 and a locking nut 24, which forms a connection to the receptacle 6.

[0034] According to Fig. 7 the electric motor 4 drives a gear 11 via a drive pinion 10, the gear 11 in turn being connected to the transmission rod 5 in a force-transmitting manner.

[0035] In the figures, some components are shown and implemented twice, as this improves functionality. For example, the figures show two mounts 6, two overload protection devices 9, and two gearboxes 7. Likewise, two vehicle seat attachments 8 are present. All these duplicated components are mirror images of each other on the centrally located electric motor 4 on the underside of the footrest 3. The transmission rod 5 runs through all the listed components, transmitting force or operating without force when installed. Reference symbol list 1 footrest 2 vehicle seats 3 footrest 4 electric motors 5 transmission rod 6 recording 7 gearboxes 8 vehicle seat connection 9 Overload protection 10 drive pinions 11 gear 12 Cover 13 Engine recess 14 retaining ring 15 Overload protection disc 16 cases 17 sliding bushing 18 central transmitters 19 balls 20 sliding bushings 21 Tensioning washer 22 Overload protection disc 23 Belleville washers 24 Locknut 25 Overload device 26 Power transmission device 27 openings 28 Outer edge guide groove 29 drivers

Claims

[1] Footrest (1) for a vehicle seat (2), comprising a footrest (3) which is movable from a non-use position to a use position, wherein the footrest (3) is movable during the movement from the non-use position to the use position, wherein an electric motor (4) is provided for driving the footrest (3), wherein the footrest (3) has the electric motor (4) centrally located on an underside, characterized by, that the electric motor (4) radially drives a transmission rod (5) and the footrest (3) is held on the underside by means of a receptacle (6), wherein the transmission rod (5) extends force-free through the receptacle (6), wherein the transmission rod (5) engages force-transmittingly in a gearbox (7) at its end, wherein the gearbox (7) is statically connected on one side to a vehicle seat connection (8) and dynamically connected on the other side to an overload protection device (9), wherein the transmission rod (5) extends force-free through the overload protection device (9), wherein the overload protection device (9) is force-transmittingly connected to the receptacle (6) of the footrest (3), wherein in an overload case the force-transmitting connection of the overload protection device (9) from the gearbox (7) to the receptacle (6) is decoupled. [2] Footrest (1) according to claim 1, characterized by, that the overload protection (9) consists of an overload device (25) and a power transmission device (26), wherein the overload protection (25) has an operative connection with the power transmission device (26) via a central transmitter (18). [3] Footrest (1) according to claim 2, characterized by , that the central transmitter (18) has circular openings (27) for balls (19), wherein the balls (19) are movably arranged in the openings (27) between the overload device (25) and the power transmission device (26). [4] Footrest (1) according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized by, that the power transmission device (26) is arranged towards the gearbox (7) and consists of a sliding bushing (17), an overload protection disc (15) and a retaining ring (17) which are arranged in a housing (16), wherein the housing (16) forms an outer edge guide groove (28) which is operatively connected to a driver (29) of the central transferor (18). [5] Footrest (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized by , that the overload device (25) consists of a further sliding bushing (20), a clamping disc (21), an overload locking disc (22) and a disc spring (23) and a locking nut (24) which forms a connection to the receptacle (6). [6] Footrest (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the electric motor (4) is arranged in a motor recess (13) of the footrest (3), wherein the motor recess (13) can be closed with a cover (12). [7] Footrest (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the electric motor (4) drives a gear (11) via a drive pinion (10), wherein the gear (11) is connected to the transmission rod (5) in a force-transmitting manner.

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