Chairs and seats – Movable back – Tiltable
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-19
2001-12-18
Nelson, Jr., Milton (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
Movable back
Tiltable
C297S362000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06331034
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for adjusting the inclination of a backrest of a vehicle seat.
DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART
It is known to adjust the inclination of the backrest of the vehicle seat using an electric motor and/or hand wheel which act via an adjusting gear on an adjustable rigid back rest frame.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a compact apparatus for adjusting the inclination of a backrest of a vehicle seat comprising both a hand wheel and an electric motor as adjusting drives. With the invention, the hand wheel is arranged coaxial with the rotor of the electric motor and the hand wheel forms a hood-shaped housing that receives the motor components in the interior of the hood-shaped housing. The hand wheel and the electric motor also preferably possess a common output shaft connected to the adjusting gear. Advantageously, the rotor of the electric motor and the hand wheel can be arranged coaxially to the output shaft for this purpose, and the hand wheel can be non-rotatably connected to the output shaft from a released position by hand, for example by exertion of pressure.
The reduction gear is preferably integrated into the electric motor. It can be designed as a planetary gear as known, for example, from DE 43 02 042 A1.
With the adjusting device according to the invention, the inclination of the backrest can be adjusted both manually and electrically, and the components required for these adjusting drives are accommodated compactly. The backrest can be adjusted for comfort. The backrest can also be pre-adjusted for safety if there is a risk of a crash that is possibly detected by precrash sensors. Sensor signals of this type can be obtained, for example, from the brake pressure, from the electrical stability control of the vehicle, from information concerning longitudinal, transverse and vertical deceleration or external distance sensors and the like. The pivoting of the back rest is reversible owing to the electric motor drive, i.e., if there is no crash, the back rest can be brought back to its original inclination.
A basic safety adjustment of the back rest can be achieved automatically by appropriate control of the electric motor drive by means of electric signals which are proportional to the weight of the vehicle occupant, the longitudinally adjusted position of the seat and/or the extracted length of belt webbing. Manual actuation by the hand wheel is possible in the event of a power failure.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3401979 (1968-09-01), Putsch
patent: 3972563 (1976-08-01), Gustafsson
patent: 4143912 (1979-03-01), Kramer
patent: 4836606 (1989-06-01), Werner
patent: 4934755 (1990-06-01), Berghoff
patent: 5462498 (1995-10-01), Lindblad
patent: 4302042A1 (1994-07-01), None
patent: 4303042 (1994-07-01), None
patent: 19630325 (1997-03-01), None
patent: 19724555 (1998-11-01), None
patent: 2735083 (1996-02-01), None
Breed Automotive Technology Inc.
Drayer Lonnie R.
Jr. Milton Nelson
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