Reclining device

Abstract

The object of the present invention is to provide a reclining device that can effectively prevent liquid or paint from entering the inside of the reclining device. [Solution] The reclining device 100 of the present invention is characterized by comprising a base plate 10, a gear plate 60, an operating shaft 80 for operating the locked state and release of the lock / unlock mechanism, a resin cap 90 for fixing the operating shaft 80, and the resin cap 90 comprising a fixing portion 91 fixed to the resin cap fixing portion, a cap body portion formed along the lock mechanism fitting portion, and an elastic portion 95 that applies force in the direction of pulling in the operating shaft.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a reclining device.

Background Art

[0002] In a conventional reclining device called manual-type round reclining, there are a first lock gear and a second lock gear. The first lock gear is guided by one first guide surface and the other first guide surface of a guide projection, and is respectively supported so as to be slidable only in the radial direction by a movable guide guided thereby. The second lock gear is guided by one second guide surface and the other second guide surface of the guide projection, and is respectively supported so as to be slidable only in the radial direction.

[0003] Such a reclining device has a structure in which each component rotates or slides, and a gap is provided between each component. Also, it is only fixed to an operating shaft with a metal member called a push nut, and does not have a mechanism for preventing the intrusion of liquid or paint. Therefore, when the seat frame is painted with the reclining device mounted on the seat frame, there is a possibility that paint may enter through these gaps. When this paint adheres and solidifies inside, there is a problem that the function of the reclining device deteriorates.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a reclining device that can effectively prevent the intrusion of liquid or paint into the device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve at least one of the above-mentioned main objectives, the present invention employs the following means.

[0007] The reclining device according to the present invention is base plate and Gear plate and, The base plate and the lock / unlock mechanism disposed within the gear plate, An operating shaft for operating the locked state and release of the aforementioned lock / unlock mechanism, A resin cap for fixing the aforementioned operating shaft, Equipped with, The operating shaft comprises a resin cap fixing portion to which the resin cap is fixed, a lock mechanism fitting portion that engages with the lock / unlock mechanism to move the lock mechanism, and a pressing portion that presses the base plate. The resin cap is characterized by comprising a fixing portion fixed to the resin cap fixing portion, a cap body portion formed along the locking mechanism fitting portion, and an elastic portion that applies force in the direction of pulling in the operating shaft.

[0008] According to the reclining device of the present invention, the intrusion of liquid or paint is prevented between the operating shaft and the resin cap by the tight contact of the fixing part with respect to the operating shaft, between the resin cap and the gear plate by the tight contact of the elastic part with respect to the gear plate, and between the base plate and the operating shaft by the tight contact of the pressing part when the operating shaft is retracted.

[0009] Furthermore, in the reclining device according to the present invention, The resin cap fixing portion of the operating shaft has serrations formed on its tip side, and a cylindrical portion formed adjacent to the serrations. The resin cap is characterized in that the fixing portion has a fixing hole formed in the serrations in an inverted form, and can be fixed to the operating shaft by inserting the fixing hole into the serrations and then rotating it on the cylindrical portion. By adopting this configuration, the resin cap can be easily fixed to the operating shaft.

[0010] Furthermore, the elastic portion of the resin cap may be formed in an umbrella shape extending outward from the cap body, and by fixing the umbrella-shaped elastic portion to the operating shaft in an open state, the gear plate can be fixed in a state of being pressed by the deformed stress. By fixing the elastic portion made of resin in a state where stress is deliberately maintained, the formation of gaps is prevented.

[0011] The umbrella-shaped elastic portion may be characterized by having a semicircular beaded edge formed near its outer circumference. By forming a beaded edge, the gear plate makes linear contact, making it difficult for gaps to form and effectively preventing the intrusion of liquids or paints. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a front view and cross-sectional view AA of the reclining device 100 according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the reclining device 100 according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the lock gear 20 and central cam 30 of the reclining device 100 according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of the resin cap 90 of the reclining device 100 according to this embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the reclining device 100 according to this embodiment mounted on a vehicle seat. [Figure 6]Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view AA of the reclining device 100 according to a modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Next, embodiments of the reclining device 100 according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the figures. The embodiments and drawings described below are illustrative of some embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope to these configurations. They can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0014] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the reclining device 100 according to the present invention mainly comprises a circular base plate 10, a gear plate 60 having internal teeth on its inner circumference, four lock gears 20 arranged inside the base plate 10 and gear plate 60, a central cam 30 located in the center of the lock gears 20, a cam plate 40, a biasing member 50, etc., a cover bracket 70, an operating shaft 80, and a resin cap 90.

[0015] As shown in Figure 2, the base plate 10 has a pair of first lock gear guides 11a and a pair of second lock gear guides 11b that guide the four lock gears 20 to slide radially from the center. The pair of first lock gear guides 11a are positioned opposite each other at the center of the base plate 10, and the pair of second lock gear guides 11b are positioned opposite each other at the center of the base plate 10, and are also positioned at a 90° rotation relative to the first lock gear guides 11a at the center of the base plate 10. Guide portions 12 are formed on both sides of these lock gear guides 11. The guide portions 12 protrude from the inner surface of the base plate 10 and form guide surfaces on both sides of the lock gear guides 11. A shaft hole 15 into which an operating shaft 80 is inserted is provided in the center of the base plate 10.

[0016] The gear plate 60 is provided with internal teeth that mesh with the lock gear 20. The cover bracket 70 is a cover that relatively rotatably assembles the base plate 10 and the gear plate 60, and its form is not particularly limited.

[0017] In this embodiment, the lock / unlock mechanism will be described by taking as an example one composed of four lock gears 20, a central cam 30 arranged at the center of the lock gear 20, a cam plate 40, a biasing member 50, etc., but it is not limited to this mechanism, and known lock / unlock mechanisms can be appropriately applied.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 3, the locking gear 20 has a pair of first locking gears 21 arranged opposite to the center of the base plate 10 and a pair of second locking gears 22 arranged opposite to the first locking gears 21 at a position rotated 90° at the center. The locking gear 20 is formed to have a width substantially the same as the width of the corresponding locking gear guide portion 11, and is formed to be movable in the radial direction but hardly movable in the circumferential direction (some play may be allowed). A locking piece 21a is provided on the side surface of the pair of first locking gears 21, and a recess 21b for inserting a biasing member is formed on the side surface of the locking piece 21a. The locking piece 21a is provided with a taper whose width becomes narrower as it goes in the direction in which the end of the biasing member 50 biases, that is, in the central direction. External teeth 23 that mesh with the internal teeth of the gear plate 60 are provided on the outer peripheral side of the locking gear 20. On the other hand, a locking gear recess 24a is formed on the inner peripheral side of each locking gear 20, and rear end protruding portions 24b are formed on both sides thereof. By moving following the outer peripheral surface of the central cam 30 described later, the locking gear 20 slides in the radial direction. Each of the first locking gears 21 has a first protruding portion 25 formed to protrude on the front side. Each of the second locking gears 22 is formed to protrude on the front side and has a second protruding portion 26 that is lower in height than the first protruding portion 25. The first protruding portion 25 is arranged at a position protruding from the first cam hole 41 of the cam plate 40, and the second protruding portion 26 is arranged so as not to protrude from the second cam hole 42.

[0019] The central cam 30 is made of a plate-shaped member and is provided with a pair of protruding pieces 31 that can contact the rear end protrusions 24b on both sides of the lock gear recess 24a formed on the inner surface side of the lock gear 20. These protruding pieces 31 are provided corresponding to a pair of first lock gears 21 and second lock gears 22, and a total of eight protruding pieces 31 are formed at four locations. A central cam recess 33 is provided between the protruding pieces 31. In the center of the central cam 30, a shaft through hole 35 is formed in a roughly cross shape into which an operating shaft 80 for operating the central cam 30 is inserted. Furthermore, around the shaft through hole 35, two central cam protrusions 36 and two biasing member through holes 37 are provided alternately.

[0020] The cam plate 40 is a component that moves the lock gear 20 by the movement of the operating shaft 80. As shown in Figure 2, the cam plate 40 has a first cam hole 41 at a position corresponding to the first projection 25 of the pair of first lock gears 21, and a second cam hole 42 at a position corresponding to the second projection 26 of the pair of second lock gears 22. Both the first cam hole 41 and the second cam hole 42 are wider than the first projection 25 and the second projection 26, and the outer circumferential surfaces of the first cam hole 41 and the second cam hole 42 are formed as surfaces that gradually decrease in distance from the center when rotated (counterclockwise in this embodiment). By rotating the cam plate 40 counterclockwise, the first projection 25 and the second projection 26 are pressed and moved toward the center. Furthermore, the cam plate 40 is provided with an interference prevention hole 43 to prevent interference with the biasing member 50, a fitting hole 44 for fitting with the central cam projection 36, and an insertion hole 45 into which the operating shaft 80 and the biasing member 50 are inserted.

[0021] The biasing member 50 is made of a curved, elongated spring material, such as a linear or plate-shaped material. One end 51 is inserted into the biasing member through hole 37 of the central cam 30, and the other end 52 is inserted into the biasing member insertion recess 21b of the locking piece 21a. The biasing member 50 is installed such that one end 51 biases the central cam 30 in the direction that locks it (clockwise rotation), and the other end 52 biases the locking piece 21a in the direction that locks the first lock gear 21, that is, towards the center.

[0022] The operating shaft 80 is a shaft that, when rotated by the occupant, rotates the central cam 30 and cam plate 40 to release the locked state of the gear plate 60 and lock gear 20. From its tip, it includes a resin cap fixing part 81 that is inserted into the resin cap 90 and fixes the resin cap 90, a lock mechanism fitting part 82 that is inserted so as to fit into the shaft through hole 35 of the central cam 30, and a pressing part 83 that presses against the surface around the shaft hole 15 of the base plate 10. The resin cap fixing part 81 has serrations 81a for attaching the resin cap 90, which will be described later, and a cylindrical part 81b with a circular cross-section is formed on the back side of these serrations 81a. The lock mechanism fitting part 82 is formed with a cross-shaped cross-section to fit into the cross-shaped hole of the shaft through hole 35. Between the locking mechanism fitting portion 82 and the cylindrical portion 81b, there is a second cylindrical portion 81c with a larger outer diameter than the cylindrical portion 81b, forming a step, and the cylindrical portion 81b has a groove. The pressing portion 83 has a pressing surface 84 that can press against the back surface around the shaft hole 15 of the base plate 10.

[0023] The resin cap 90 is made of synthetic resin and is a component that secures the operating shaft 80 by pulling it in. As shown in Figure 4, the resin cap 90 comprises a fixing part 91 that is fixed to the cylindrical part 81b of the resin cap fixing part 81, a cap body part 93 formed from the fixing part 91 along the locking mechanism fitting part 82 from the cylindrical part 81b of the operating shaft 80, and an elastic part 95 that applies force in a direction that pulls in the operating shaft 80. The fixing part 91 is a part that is arranged to surround the cylindrical part 81b, and the inner circumference of the fixing part 91 has a hole formed in a shape inverted with respect to the serrations 81a so that it can be inserted along the serrations 81a of the resin cap fixing part 81 when installed, and as shown in the BB cross-sectional view, it is formed in a claw shape that protrudes inward so that it can be attached by hooking it onto the cylindrical part 81b. The cap body portion 93 has an inner circumferential surface formed to follow the outer circumferential surface of the locking mechanism fitting portion 82 from the cylindrical portion 81b of the operating shaft 80. The elastic portion 95 is formed in an umbrella shape extending outward from the cap body portion 93 and is manufactured in a plate shape that slopes from the cap body portion 93 outward toward the bottom surface. A beaded edge 97 is provided on the outermost circumference, with a cross-section that is arbitrarily approximately semicircular or semi-elliptical. By providing the beaded edge 97, line contact with the gear plate 60 is possible, and the occurrence of gaps can be suppressed.

[0024] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the components manufactured as described above are arranged so that the lock gears 20 are positioned on each lock gear guide portion 11 of the base plate 10. A pair of first lock gears 21 are positioned on the first lock gear guide portion 11a, and a pair of second lock gears 22 are positioned on the second lock gear guide portion 11b. A central cam 30 is positioned at the center of these lock gears 20. After attaching the central cam 30 by fitting the central cam projection 36 of the central cam 30 into the fitting hole 44 of the cam plate 40, one end 51 of the biasing member 50 is inserted into the biasing member through hole 37 of the central cam 30, and the other end 52 is inserted into the biasing member insertion recess 21b on the side of the lock piece 21a. Then, the gear plate 60 is placed over the lock gears so that the internal teeth of the gear plate 60 mesh with the external teeth 23 of the lock gears 20, and then fixed with the cover bracket 70. Furthermore, after inserting the operating shaft 80 from the rear side (base plate side), the resin cap 90 is inserted in alignment with the serrations 81a of the operating shaft 80. The fixing part 91 is pushed up to the cylindrical portion 81b of the operating shaft 80 and rotated around the central axis of the operating shaft 80, causing the fixing part 91 to fit into the groove and preventing the resin cap 90 from coming off in the front direction. At this time, the elastic part 95 is installed with stress applied to its umbrella-shaped outer circumference, which is more open than its natural state. Therefore, the fixing part 91 constantly applies force to pull the operating shaft 80 from the base plate 10 towards the gear plate 60, and force is applied to the outer circumference of the elastic part 95 (or the bead 97 if present) to press against the gear plate 60. In this way, the reclining device 100 is completed.

[0025] The completed reclining device 100 is then assembled to the vehicle seat 200 by fixing the gear plate 60 to the seat back 201 of the vehicle seat 200 via the seat back bracket 202, as shown in Figure 5, and fixing the base plate 10 to the seat cushion 203 via the seat cushion bracket 204. After this, the seat frame is painted, but the space P1 between the operating shaft 80 and the resin cap 90 is prevented from entering because the fixing part 91 of the resin cap 90 fits into the groove and the front surface of the fixing part 91 is pressed against the serration 81a. In addition, the space P2 between the gear plate 60 and the resin cap 90 is eliminated by the stress of the elastic part 95, which presses the outer circumference of the elastic part or the beaded edge 97 against the gear plate 60, thus preventing the entry of liquid or paint. Furthermore, the gap between the operating shaft 80 and the base plate 10 is prevented from being penetrated by liquid or paint because the operating shaft 80 is pulled in by the resin cap 90, and the pressing surface 84 of the operating shaft 80 is pressed against the base plate 10.

[0026] Next, the operation method of the reclining device 100 assembled as described above will be explained. When the seat back 201 of the vehicle seat 200 is in the driving position, that is, when the seat back 201 is upright, and the operating lever 205 is not operated, the central cam 30 is biased in the clockwise direction by the biasing member 50. Due to this biasing force, the protruding piece 31 of the central cam 30 presses against the rear end protrusion 24b of the lock gear 20. As a result, all the external teeth 23 of the lock gear 20 mesh with the internal teeth of the gear plate 60, and the base plate 10 and the gear plate 60 are fixed in position and do not rotate relative to each other. In other words, the seat back 201 is fixed in place.

[0027] To move the seat back 201 from this state, that is, to unlock it, the operating lever 205 is operated. By pulling the operating lever 205 upward, the operating shaft 80 rotates counterclockwise, and consequently the central cam 30 rotates counterclockwise. As a result, the protruding piece 31 of the central cam 30 moves to the position of the lock gear recess 24a of the lock gear 20, and the lock gear 20 becomes able to move toward the center of the base plate 10. At the same time, as one end 51 of the biasing member 50 moves counterclockwise, the biasing direction of the other end 52 is changed from biasing toward the center to biasing toward the radial direction. As a result, the pressing force on the lock gear 20 is released, the fixing of the first lock gear 21 is released, and movement toward the center becomes possible. Furthermore, since the cam plate 40 is fitted with the central cam protrusion 36 of the central cam 30 in the fitting hole 44, the cam plate 40 also rotates in conjunction with the movement of the central cam 30. The rotation of the cam plate 40 causes the positions of the first cam holes 41 and 2 cam holes 42 of the cam plate 40 to move, and the first projection 25 of the first lock gear 21 and the second projection 26 of the second lock gear 22 slide along the outer surfaces of the first cam holes 41 and 2 cam holes 42, respectively. Since the outer surfaces of the first cam holes 41 and 2 cam holes 42 are formed as surfaces that gradually move closer to the center when rotated to the left, the first lock gear 21 and 2 lock gear 22 move in the direction that disengages the meshing, i.e., towards the center. As a result, the meshing between the external teeth 23 of all lock gears 20 and the internal teeth of the gear plate 60 is disengaged, and relative rotational movement between the base plate 10 and the gear plate 60 becomes possible. In other words, the seat back 201 becomes movable forward and backward.

[0028] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited in any way to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0029] For example, in the embodiment described above, the resin cap 90 was fixed to the resin cap fixing part 81 by inserting it along the serrations and rotating it. However, as shown in Figure 6, the inner circumferential surface of the fixing part 91 may be made to have the same inner diameter as the cylindrical part 81 of the resin cap fixing part 81, and it may be attached by forcibly pressing it using the deformation of the resin. [Industrial applicability]

[0030] As shown in the embodiments described above, it can be used as a reclining device for vehicle seats. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 10…Base plate, 11…Lock gear guide, 11a…First lock gear guide, 11b…Second lock gear guide, 12…Guide part, 15…Shaft hole, 20…Lock gear, 21…First lock gear, 21a…Lock piece, 21b…Recess for inserting biasing member, 22…Second lock gear, 23…External teeth, 24a…Lock gear recess, 24b…Rear end projection, 25…First projection, 26…Second projection, 30…Center cam, 31…Protruding piece, 33…Center cam recess, 35…Through hole for shaft, 36…Center cam projection, 37…Through hole for biasing member, 40…Cam plate, 41…First cam hole, 42…Second cam hole, 43…Interference prevention 44…Blocking hole, 45…Insertion hole, 50…Biasing member, 51…End, 52…Other end, 60…Gear plate, 70…Cover bracket, 80…Operating shaft, 81…Resin cap fixing part, 81a…Serration, 81b…Cylindrical part, 81c…Second cylindrical part, 82…Locking mechanism fitting part, 83…Pressing part, 84…Pressing surface, 90…Resin cap, 91…Fixing part, 93…Cap body part, 95…Elastic part, 97…Ball edge, 100…Reclining device, 200…Vehicle seat, 201…Seat back, 202…Seat back bracket, 203…Seat cushion, 204…Seat cushion bracket, 205...Operating lever

Claims

1. base plate and Gear plate and The base plate and the lock / unlock mechanism disposed within the gear plate, An operating shaft for operating the locked state and release of the lock / unlock mechanism, A resin cap for fixing the aforementioned operating shaft, Equipped with, The operating shaft comprises a resin cap fixing portion to which the resin cap is fixed, a lock mechanism fitting portion that engages with the lock / unlock mechanism to move the lock mechanism, and a pressing portion that presses the base plate. The reclining device is characterized in that the resin cap comprises a fixing portion fixed to the resin cap fixing portion, a cap body portion formed along the locking mechanism fitting portion, and an elastic portion that applies force in the direction of pulling in the operating shaft.

2. The resin cap fixing portion of the operating shaft has serrations formed on its tip side, and a cylindrical portion formed adjacent to the serrations. The reclining device according to claim 1, characterized in that the resin cap has a fixing hole formed in the fixing portion in the form of an inverted serration, and can be fixed to the operating shaft by inserting the serration into the fixing hole and then rotating it on the cylindrical portion.

3. The reclining device according to claim 1, characterized in that the elastic portion of the resin cap is formed in an umbrella shape extending outward from the cap body, and by fixing the umbrella-shaped elastic portion to the operating shaft in an open state, the gear plate can be fixed in a state of being pressed by the deformed stress.

4. The reclining device according to claim 3, characterized in that a semicircular beaded edge is formed on the outer circumference of the elastic portion.

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