Vehicle seat adjustment device

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for adjusting the seat height of a motor vehicle seat. The adjustment device (2) according to the invention comprises a mechanical shaft (4) having at one of its ends a gripping means (6) for manually pivoting the mechanical shaft (4). The mechanical shaft includes at least one cam for moving a seat (30) of a motor vehicle. In a plane radial to the mechanical shaft (4), the cam is delimited by at least one flat face (16) intended to be opposite a seat (30) of a motor vehicle. (Figure 4)

Description

Title of the invention: Device for adjusting the seat height of a motor vehicle seat. Technical field to which the invention relates

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for adjusting the seat of a seat, more particularly a seat of a motor vehicle. Technological background

[0002] High-end motor vehicles are generally equipped with an electrically adjustable driver's seat. Advantageously, this electrically adjustable system allows the driver to adapt the angle of the seat's nose to provide optimal support for their lower limbs. By adapting the seat's nose angle to the driver's body shape, the driver benefits from greater driving comfort, notably by preventing calf cramps or sciatica.

[0003] Due to the high cost of installation and maintenance of an electric seat adjustment device, this device is reserved solely for high-end motor vehicles.

[0004] The invention aims to provide a more economical solution to a seat adjustment device, in order to allow the use of this device in a wider variety of motor vehicles. Object of the invention

[0005] To this end, the invention proposes a device for adjusting the seat of a motor vehicle, comprising a mechanical shaft having at one of its ends a gripping means for manually pivoting the mechanical shaft. The mechanical shaft includes at least one cam for moving a seat of a motor vehicle.

[0006] The invention is remarkable in that in a plane radial to the mechanical shaft, the cam is delimited by at least one flat face intended to be opposite a seat of a motor vehicle.

[0007] Advantageously, the adjustment device according to the invention includes a gripping means located at one end of the mechanical shaft. Thus, advantageously, the adjustment device can be operated manually by a user of the motor vehicle. Consequently, it is not necessary to use electric actuators to change the seat's inclination. The invention is therefore simpler and more economical to install.

[0008] Preferably, the gripping means is a lever or a notched wheel intended to be flush with the edge of a seat.

[0009] According to another advantage, the cam has a flat face intended to serve as a support for the seat. The adjustment device according to the invention therefore offers a more stable support surface for a seat and, consequently, the adjustment device is safer to use.

[0010] The adjustment device according to the invention is thus less expensive and safer compared to the prior art. The adjustment device according to the invention can therefore be fitted to a greater number of motor vehicles, in order to offer greater comfort to one or more passengers of the motor vehicle.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the invention, in a plane radial to the mechanical shaft, the cam is delimited by at least two adjacent flat faces, the flat faces are intended to be successively opposite a seat of a motor vehicle, when the gripping means is pivoted, and a roller is flush with the surface of the cam at the level of a junction zone located between two flat faces, and the roller pivots around an axis of rotation parallel to the mechanical shaft.

[0012] According to another embodiment of the invention, in a plane radial to the mechanical shaft, at least two adjacent flat faces are delimited by rollers. Each roller pivots about an axis of rotation parallel to the mechanical shaft of the cam, and each roller is flush with the surface of the cam such that the seat of a vehicle rests on two rollers when the seat is opposite a flat face delimited by the two rollers. In other words, when the flat face is positioned opposite a seat, the seat rests on the rollers located on each side of said flat face. This embodiment advantageously facilitates the pivoting of the cam to modify the inclination of the seat, while also providing better stability of the seat.Indeed, by resting on two distant support points, the seat's inclination is less likely to change involuntarily, for example due to vehicle vibrations while driving.

[0013] According to a preferred embodiment, the smallest distance between two rollers delimiting a flat face is between 30 mm and 80 mm, preferably between 50 mm and 60 mm, preferably around 55 mm.

[0014] According to another embodiment of the invention, the cam comprises at least four flat faces intended to be successively opposite a seat of a motor vehicle. This embodiment advantageously allows for several inclination positions of the same seat.

[0015] According to another embodiment of the invention, in a plane radial to the mechanical shaft, each flat face is located at a specific distance from the mechanical shaft. This embodiment advantageously allows each flat face to be associated with a specific degree of inclination of a seat resting on the adjustment device according to the invention. Preferably, in a plane radial to the mechanical shaft, two adjacent flat faces form an angle whose value is between 60° and 110°, preferably between 80° and 90°.

[0016] According to another embodiment of the invention, the cam comprises at least one roller interposed between two plates, and each plate is perpendicular to the mechanical shaft.

[0017] According to another embodiment of the invention, at least one pebble is based on polytetrafluoroethylene, for example based on Teflon.

[0018] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising a seat facing the floor of a motor vehicle. The seat is tiltable relative to the floor of the motor vehicle. Remarkably, an adjustment device as described above is interposed between the seat and the floor of the motor vehicle. The mechanical shaft of the adjustment device is held by at least one pivot joint to allow one or more cams supported by the mechanical shaft to modify the tilt of the seat when the mechanical shaft is pivoted by means of the gripping means.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the invention, the adjustment device is capable of modifying the inclination of the seat in a range of values ​​between 0 and 15°, preferably within a range of values ​​between 3° and 10°.

[0020] According to another embodiment, the seat is part of a bench seat in a motor vehicle.

[0021] According to another embodiment, the motor vehicle comprises several seats and at least two adjustment devices according to the invention, each adjustment device according to the invention being capable of modifying the inclination of a specific seat.

[0022] Other advantages and features will become clearer from the description that follows. Description of the figures

[0023] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following description, given solely by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to the drawings in which:

[0024] [Fig. 1] represents a schematic and perspective view of a seat adjustment device according to the invention;

[0025] [Fig.2] represents a schematic and perspective view of a cam composing a adjustment device illustrated by [Fig.1];

[0026] [Fig.3] shows a schematic front view of a plate composing a cam illustrated by [Fig.2];

[0027] [Fig.4] represents a schematic and profile view of an adjustment device according to the invention, implemented to modify the inclination of a seat in a motor vehicle.

[0028] In these figures, the same references are used to designate the same elements. Detailed description of the invention

[0029] As a reminder, the invention proposes a simpler implementation and more economical maintenance solution for a seat adjustment device for a motor vehicle, in order to allow the integration of such a device into a wider variety of motor vehicles.

[0030] Fig. 1 illustrates a non-limiting embodiment of an adjustment device 2 according to the invention, for a seat of a motor vehicle armchair.

[0031] An adjustment device 2 comprises a mechanical shaft 4 having a gripping means 6 located at one end of the mechanical shaft. According to an embodiment, a gripping means may be present at each end of the mechanical shaft.

[0032] The gripping means 6 is intended to be flush with one side of a seat set in motion by the adjustment device 2. According to the present example, the gripping means 6 is a knob whose ergonomics are adapted to allow a passenger of a motor vehicle to easily pivot the mechanical shaft 4.

[0033] According to the present example, the mechanical shaft serves as a support for several cams 8. The cams are spaced between 10 cm and 50 cm apart, preferably between 20 cm and 30 cm. The mechanical shaft 4 can carry a number of cams as described below, from 1 to 10, preferably from 2 to 5.

[0034] As illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, each cam 8 consists of two identical or substantially identical plates 10. Each plate is made of a metallic material. In the present example, each plate is made of steel.

[0035] A plate 10 is delimited by a large external face 12 parallel to a large internal face 14. The thickness of a plate 10, defined along a direction perpendicular to a large face, is between 15 mm and 25 mm, preferably on the order of 20 mm.

[0036] The contour of each plate is delimited by five flat faces 16. The length of the flat faces, measured in a plane radial to the mechanical shaft 4, is between 30 mm and 90 mm, preferably between 40 mm and 60 mm. According to the present example, each flat face is characterized by a specific length within the ranges of values ​​mentioned above.

[0037] The values ​​of the angles formed by the adjacent plane faces 16 are between 80° and 140°, preferably between 90° and 120°.

[0038] As illustrated by [Fig. 3], each plate 10 is traversed by an opening 18 allowing the passage of the mechanical shaft 4. The opening 18 is positioned near an edge of the plate 10, so that the smallest distance between the mechanical shaft 4 and an edge of the cam 8 is different for each edge of the plate 10. Thus, advantageously, the cam 8 makes it possible to modify the distance between the mechanical shaft 4 and a seat bearing against the cam 8, when the mechanical shaft is manually pivoted by means of the gripping means 6.

[0039] Each plate also has three cavities 20, formed in a large inner face 14 of the plate. Each cavity 20 is positioned near a junction zone 22 between two adjacent flat faces 16. Each cavity 20 is intended to accommodate a shaft supporting a roller 24, as described below.

[0040] As illustrated in [Fig. 2], two plates 10 as described above are held apart by means of a spacer 26 such that the large inner faces 14 of the plates 10 are opposite each other, the openings 18 are aligned, and the cavities 20 are also aligned. The spacer 26 is made from a polymer-based resin. The resin is characterized by a density of approximately 1.30 g / cm³, so as to be resistant to mechanical shocks.

[0041] A cam according to the invention also includes rollers 24 mounted to rotate freely about axes held in cavities 20 formed in the large inner faces 14 of the plates. Each roller 24 is flush with two adjacent flat faces 16 so that two adjacent rollers can form two distinct support points for a seat facing a flat face 16 delimited by said rollers. Preferably, each roller protrudes a flat face 16 by a distance greater than 5 mm, preferably greater than 10 mm.

[0042] According to the present example, the rollers 24 are made from polytetrafluoroethylene. The external diameter of the rollers is between 10 mm and 20 mm, preferably on the order of 16 mm. The rollers have a thickness, measured in a direction parallel to the mechanical shaft 4, of between 5 mm and 15 mm, preferably on the order of 10 mm.

[0043] As illustrated in [Fig. 4], the adjustment device 2 described above is intended to be interposed between the floor 28 of a motor vehicle and a tilting seat 30. The term "tilting seat" refers to the possibility of pivoting the seat about a pivot axis 32 that is parallel or substantially parallel to the floor 28. The seat 30 includes a support plate 34 on which the seat material rests.

[0044] The adjustment device 2 according to the invention is interposed between the floor 28 of the motor vehicle and the support plate 34, such that the mechanical shaft 4 of said device is parallel or substantially parallel to the pivot axis 32 of the seat. The mechanical shaft 4 is supported by at least one pivot joint 36, visible in [Fig. 4], to allow a passenger to easily pivot the mechanical shaft 4 by means of the gripping means 6. Thus, advantageously, a passenger can easily and at will modify the inclination of the seat by pivoting the mechanical shaft 4 so that the support plate 34 is opposite a flat face 16 defining the plates 10 forming the cams 8.

[0045] Advantageously, the presence of the rollers 24 at the junction zones 22 located between two flat faces facilitates the pivoting of the mechanical shaft. According to another advantage, the fact that the distance between the mechanical shaft 4 and each flat face 16 is different allows a passenger to tilt the seat at different angles of inclination, each angle of inclination being specific to the positioning of a flat face 16 of a cam, opposite the support plate 34 of the seat.

[0046] By way of non-limiting example, the adjustment device 2 described above allows the seat 30 to be inclined in at least four different positions. Between two successive positions, the inclination of the seat is changed by an angle whose value is between 1° and 15°, preferably between 2° and 5°.

[0047] Thus, the invention provides a seat adjustment device 2 for an armchair or a bench seat in a motor vehicle, which is more economical to implement and maintain, since it is not necessary to use electric actuators to change the seat's inclination. The adjustment device 2 according to the invention can therefore be integrated into a greater number of vehicles, particularly inexpensive vehicles.

Claims

Demands

1. Adjustment device (2) for the seat of a motor vehicle, comprising a mechanical shaft (4) having at one of its ends a gripping means (6) for manually pivoting the mechanical shaft (4), the mechanical shaft comprising at least one cam (8) for moving a seat of a motor vehicle, characterized in that in a plane radial to the mechanical shaft (4), the cam (8) is delimited by at least one flat face (16) intended to be opposite a seat of a motor vehicle, and in that the adjustment device (2) is intended to be interposed between a floor of the motor vehicle and the seat.

2. Adjustment device (2) for the seat of a motor vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the cam (8) has at least four flat faces intended to be successively opposite a seat of a motor vehicle.

3. Adjustment device (2) for the seating of a motor vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in a plane radial to the mechanical shaft (4), each flat face (16) is located at a specific distance from the mechanical shaft (4).

4. A vehicle seat adjustment device (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, in a plane radial to the mechanical shaft (4), two adjacent flat faces (16) form an angle whose value is between 60° and 110°

5. Adjustment device (2) for the seat of a motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that in a plane radial to the mechanical shaft (4), the cam (8) is delimited by at least two adjacent flat faces (16), the flat faces are intended to be successively opposite a seat of a motor vehicle when the gripping means (6) is pivoted, and in that a roller (24) is flush with the surface of the cam (8) at the level of a junction zone (22) located between two flat faces (16), and in that the roller (24) pivots about an axis of rotation parallel to the mechanical shaft (4).

6. Adjustment device (2) for the seat of a motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that in a plane radial to the mechanical shaft (4), at least two flat faces (16) adjacent are delimited by rollers (24), each roller (24) pivots around an axis of rotation parallel to the mechanical shaft (4) of the cam, and in that each roller (24) is flush with the surface of the cam (8) so that the seat of a vehicle rests on two rollers (24) when the seat is opposite a flat face (16) delimited by the two rollers (16).

7. Adjustment device (2) for the seating of a motor vehicle according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the cam (8) comprises at least one roller (24) interposed between two plates (10), and in that each plate (10) is perpendicular to the mechanical shaft (4).

8. Adjustment device (2) for the seat of a motor vehicle according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that at least one roller (24) is based on polytetrafluoroethylene.

9. Motor vehicle comprising a seat (30) opposite a floor (28) of the motor vehicle, the seat (30) being tiltable relative to said floor, characterized in that an adjustment device (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is interposed between the seat (30) and the floor (28) of the motor vehicle, the mechanical shaft (4) of the adjustment device (2) is held by at least one pivot joint (36) in order to allow one or more cams (8) supported by the mechanical shaft (4) to modify the inclination of the seat (30) when the mechanical shaft (4) is pivoted by means of the gripping means (6).

10. Motor vehicle according to claim 9, characterized in that the adjustment device (2) is capable of modifying the inclination of the seat (30) in a range of value between 0° and 15°.

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