Bistable seat articulation device

Abstract

The invention relates to a joint device (1) designed to form at least part of a joint of a passenger compartment element of a motor vehicle, the device (1) comprising an external body (2) comprising an internal cavity (3) delimited by a first wall (4) of the external body (2), the cavity (3) extending around an axis of rotation (A), the device (1) comprising an internal body (5), extending at least in part along the axis of rotation (A), the internal body (5) being delimited by a second wall (6) disposed at least in part in the cavity (3) and opposite the first wall (4), the device (1) comprising a plurality of elastically deformable connecting elements (7) connecting the first (4) and second (6) walls, the set of connecting elements (7) allowing the rotation of the internal body (5) relative to the external body (2) around the axis of rotation (A) between two equilibrium positions. (Figure 1)

Description

Title of the invention: Bistable seat articulation device

[0001] The technical field relates to articulation devices enabling the formation of at least one part of a joint of a passenger compartment element, a passenger compartment element having at least one such device and vehicles equipped with such passenger compartment elements.

[0002] Automobile manufacturers take great care to improve passenger comfort in their vehicles. Furthermore, for automobile manufacturers, the quality of their vehicles' finish, their aesthetic appeal, and the features offered are essential to differentiate themselves from other brands. Moreover, environmental considerations, and in particular the growth of motor vehicle use, encourage manufacturers to reduce the weight of their vehicles.

[0003] It is in this context that car manufacturers are constantly seeking to improve the interiors of their vehicles, to provide their customers with new features, or to improve existing ones.

[0004] Currently, articulating two parts of a component within a passenger compartment, such as the articulation between a seat cushion and its backrest, requires the implementation of numerous techniques, primarily involving the assembly of several parts of a mechanism to form the joint. Furthermore, to ensure that the parts of the component remain in an equilibrium position, several technical solutions, such as locks or hooks, must be implemented. Finally, to facilitate the movement of one part relative to the other part of the component, springs or jacks may be necessary.

[0005] Besides the required complexity, several defects make these solutions unsatisfactory.

[0006] First, a primary drawback arises from the significant increase in the number of parts required to create the joint, which leads to an increase in mass. Second, some of the components used, such as electric motors or hydraulic cylinders, affect reliability and ease of repair. Furthermore, a large number of parts increases the cost and complexity of manufacturing. Indeed, several shaping processes may be necessary (plastic extrusion, injection molding, machining, drilling, etc.), which complicates the production of parts on an industrial scale.

[0007] Finally, the diversity of the parts required generally implies a diversity of materials used, greatly limiting the possibility of recycling existing solutions.

[0008] Thus, there is a need for a solution to simplify the articulation of two parts of an element present in a passenger compartment, minimizing the number of parts and the diversity of materials used.

[0009] The present invention aims to overcome the problems described above. In this technical context, one objective of the present invention is to provide an articulation device that allows for the formation of a simple joint without a complex mechanism.

[0010] To this end, the present invention relates to an articulation device designed to form at least part of an articulation of a passenger compartment element of a motor vehicle, the device comprising an external body including an internal cavity delimited by a first wall of the external body, the cavity extending around an axis of rotation, the device comprising an internal body, extending at least in part along the axis of rotation, the internal body being delimited by a second wall disposed at least in part in the internal cavity and opposite the first wall, the device comprising a plurality of elastically deformable connecting elements, connecting the first and second walls, the set of connecting elements allowing the rotation of the internal body relative to the external body around the axis of rotation between at least two equilibrium positions.

[0011] The invention also relates to a passenger compartment element having at least two parts articulated together around an axis of rotation, the passenger compartment element having at least one articulation device according to the invention, a first part being attached to each external body, the second part being attached to each internal body, each internal body being mounted to rotate freely around the same axis of rotation between the first and second parts.

[0012] The invention finally relates to a motor vehicle having at least one articulation device according to the invention and / or a passenger compartment element according to the invention.

[0013] Thus, the articulation device makes it possible to form a simple joint, devoid of any mechanism. The device according to the invention makes it possible to articulate two parts of a passenger compartment element between at least two equilibrium positions thanks to the external and internal bodies articulated around the axis of rotation by all the connecting elements. The device according to the invention represents a material saving since a limited number of parts are required to create the joint. The device according to the invention also represents a reduction in mass and a reduction in manufacturing cost by eliminating the assembly steps encountered with complex mechanisms. Finally, the device according to the invention makes it possible to reduce the environmental footprint by increasing recyclability thanks to the limited number of materials, particularly when the device is a single piece.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the device, each connecting element comes from the material with the first and second walls.

[0015] According to one possibility, each connecting element forms a lamella extending radially around the axis of rotation.

[0016] In one embodiment of the articulation device, the first and second walls have a cylindrical shape along the axis of rotation, preferably a cylindrical shape with a circular base.

[0017] According to one possibility of the articulation device, the external body includes first coupling means designed to couple the external bodies of two devices so that their respective internal bodies rotate around the same axis of rotation and / or a part of a cabin element to the device.

[0018] Advantageously, the internal body includes second coupling means designed to couple two internal bodies of two devices and / or a part of a passenger compartment element to the device.

[0019] According to one possibility of the passenger compartment element, the first part forms part of a seat.

[0020] Advantageously, the first part is the seat cushion and the second part forms the seat back or a vehicle chassis. Thus, the device according to the invention allows a seat cushion to be tilted, particularly towards the front of the vehicle, in order, for example, to allow access to the second-row seats in vehicles equipped with three doors, the articulation then taking place between the cushion and the chassis. By articulating the backrest and the cushion, the backrest can be folded down onto the cushion to create, for example, a space allowing the loading of long objects above said seat.

[0021] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following detailed description, given solely by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

[0022] [Fig.1] [Fig.1] represents a plate of main views of an articulation device according to the invention shown in an equilibrium position.

[0023] A joint device 1 according to the invention, illustrated in the figure, is designed to form at least part of a joint of a passenger compartment element according to the invention of a motor vehicle. The passenger compartment element according to the invention thus comprises two parts articulated to each other about an axis of rotation, and one or more devices 1 according to the invention form at least part of the joint of the two parts.

[0024] The device 1 comprises an external body 2 including an internal cavity 3 delimited by a first wall 4 of the external body 2. As illustrated in the figure, the cavity 3 extends around an axis of rotation A, illustrated in the figure.

[0025] In the example shown in the figure, the first wall 4 has a cylindrical shape along the axis of rotation A, with a circular base. The external body 2 has, for example, an external cylindrical shape.

[0026] The device 1 also includes an internal body 5, illustrated in the figure, extending at least in part along the axis of rotation A. The internal body 5 is delimited by a second wall 6 disposed at least in part in the internal cavity 3 and opposite the first wall 4. In the example illustrated in the figure, the second wall 6 has a cylindrical shape along the axis of rotation A, with a circular base.

[0027] As illustrated in the figure, the device 1 comprises a plurality of elastically deformable connecting elements 7, linking the first 4 and second 6 walls. The set of connecting elements 7 allows the internal body 5 to rotate relative to the external body 2 around the axis of rotation A between at least two equilibrium positions. In the example described, each connecting element is made of the same material as the first 4 and second 6 walls. Thus, the articulation device 1 according to the invention is a single piece. A simple way to implement each connecting element 7 is to give it the shape of a strip 8 extending radially around the axis of rotation A. Each strip 8 thus extends in a plane including the axis of rotation A.

[0028] By way of example, the articulation device 1 is produced by a 3D printing process. Other processes are conceivable for obtaining the device 1 according to the invention, in particular processes by injection of plastic material.

[0029] As an alternative to the example shown in the figure, each connecting element 7 is connected to the first 4 and / or the second 6 walls at an angle other than a right angle. The dimensions of each connecting element 7 are either identical or different from one connecting element 7 to another. The respective shapes and stiffnesses of each connecting element 7 thus make it possible to modulate the angular distance between two equilibrium positions and / or the forces required to rotate the internal body 5 around the axis of rotation A.

[0030] As illustrated in the figure, the external body 2 has first coupling means 9 allowing two devices 1 according to the invention to be coupled so that their respective internal bodies 5 rotate around the same axis of rotation A. In this case, the first coupling means 9 have scalloped assembly grooves 10 allowing the engagement of a second external body 2 and arranged at one end of the external body 2.

[0031] Advantageously, the inner body 5 of the device 1 also has second coupling means 11 disposed at at least one of the ends 12a, 12b of the inner body 5 in order to allow coupling along the axis of rotation A of two external bodies 2 of two coupled devices 1. By way of example, the second coupling means 11 has a shape 13 projecting from the external body 2 along the axis of rotation A at one end 12a of the ends 12a, 12b of the internal body 5. In this case, the protruding shape 13 has a star shape. At the other end 12b, the internal body 5 has a housing 14 complementary to the shape 13, also star-shaped, dimensioned to accommodate the end 12a of an external body 2 of another device 1.

[0032] Thus, thanks to the first 9 and second 11 coupling means, an assembly of several devices 1 according to the invention is obtained by coupling the devices 1 along the axis of rotation A. By implementing devices 1 having different equilibrium positions from one device 1 to another, the assembly of devices 1 according to the invention has more than two equilibrium positions.

[0033] Device 1, or an assembly of devices 1 as described above, can be used to form a joint between the two parts of a passenger compartment element according to the invention. Thus, the first part of the passenger compartment element is attached to each external body 2, while the second part of the passenger compartment element is attached to each internal body 5. Rotation of the first and second parts of the passenger compartment element around the axis of rotation A is possible thanks to the rotation of the internal bodies 5 relative to the external bodies 2 around the axis of rotation A. Depending on the number of devices 1 used, the first and second parts of the passenger compartment element can then assume several respective equilibrium positions around the axis of rotation A. For example, the passenger compartment element is a motor vehicle seat. The first part is, for example, a seat cushion.The second part is then, for example, a seat back. In such a case, the axis of rotation A is oriented to allow the seat back to tilt forward to provide access to the rear seats. The axis of rotation A is then substantially horizontal. In one possibility, the device 1 is made of one or both parts of the seat, so as to form a single unit. In an embodiment not shown, the articulation is between the seat and the vehicle chassis, the chassis being the vehicle floor to which the seat is fixed, allowing the seat to be folded down, particularly towards the front of the vehicle, to free up space to facilitate access to the rear seats in the case of a vehicle with a side door on each side.

[0034] Advantageously, the seat cushion is mounted to rotate about an axis of rotation A perpendicular to the floor of the passenger compartment by means of one or more devices 1 according to the invention.

[0035] Thus, the articulation device 1 makes it possible to form a simple articulation, devoid of a mechanism. The device 1 according to the invention makes it possible to articulate two parts of a passenger compartment element between at least two equilibrium positions thanks to the external body 2 and internal body 5 articulated around the axis of rotation A by the set of connecting elements 7. The device 1 according to the invention represents a gain in material, manufacturing costs, mass and allows to reduce the ecological footprint.

[0036] The invention is not limited to the embodiment of the articulation device described above, only by way of example, but other embodiments may be designed by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope and extent of the present invention.

Claims

Demands

1. Articulation device (1) designed to form at least part of an articulation of a motor vehicle interior component, the device (1) comprising an external body (2) comprising an internal cavity (3) delimited by a first wall (4) of the external body (2), the cavity (3) extending about an axis of rotation (A), the device (1) comprising an internal body (5), extending at least partly along the axis of rotation (A), the internal body (5) being delimited by a second wall (6) disposed at least partly in the internal cavity (3) and opposite the first wall (4), the device (1) comprising a plurality of elastically deformable connecting elements (7) linking the first (4) and second (6) walls, the set of connecting elements (7) allowing the internal body (5) to rotate relative to the external body (2) about the axis of rotation (A) between at least two equilibrium positions.

2. Articulation device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that each connecting element (7) comes from the material with the first (4) and second (6) walls.

3. Articulation device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each connecting element (7) forms a slat (8) extending radially around the axis of rotation (A).

4. Articulation device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the first (4) and second (6) walls have a cylindrical shape along the axis of rotation (A), preferably a cylindrical shape with a circular base.

5. Articulation device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the external body (2) comprises first coupling means (9) designed to couple the external bodies (2) of two devices (1) so that their respective internal bodies (5) rotate around the same axis of rotation (A) and / or a part of a cabin element to the device (1).

6. Articulation device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the internal body (5) comprises second coupling means (11) designed to couple two internal bodies (5) of two devices (1) and / or a part of a passenger compartment element to the device (1).

7. A passenger compartment element having at least two parts articulated together about an axis of rotation (A), the passenger compartment element having at least one articulation device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, a first part being fixed to each external body (2), the second part being fixed to each internal body (5), each internal body (5) being mounted to rotate freely about the same axis of rotation (A) between the first and second parts.

8. Cabin element according to claim 7, characterized in that the first part forms part of a seat.

9. Cabin element according to claim 8, characterized in that the first part is the seat cushion and the second part forms the seat back or a vehicle chassis.

10. Motor vehicle having at least one articulation device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and / or a passenger compartment element according to any one of claims 7 to 9.

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