Bearing

Details Bearing Bearing

2002-03-01

2003-12-09

Barfield, Anthony D. (Department: 3636)

Chairs and seats

Movable back

Tiltable

C016S358000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06659559

ABSTRACT:

The invention relates to a bearing, in particular for a part of a seat, such as a pivotable armrest or a backrest which can be folded over, having a bearing arm which is connected in an articulated manner to a positionally fixed bearing bracket.
Armrests and, in particular, backrests of vehicles are, if possible, to be designed such that they can be pivoted or folded over. This applies both for front seats and for rear seats. However, the present invention is not to be restricted solely to backrests of vehicles, but applies to all backrests which are to be designed such that they can be folded over.
It is desirable for it to be possible for backrests of this type to be folded over easily with normal handling. In contrast, they are to lock, for example, in the event of an accident, so that they do not fling or push the seated person even further forward.
However, the present invention is not to be restricted to a bearing for a part of a seat. It can be used wherever pivoting and rotating bearings are required.
The present invention is based on the object of developing a bearing of the above-mentioned type which achieves this advantage by extremely simple means.
This object is achieved in that the bearing arm is assigned a locking element which, in the event of a rapid rotation of the bearing arm, travels around the joint onto a stop, but in the event of slow rotation releases the bearing arm.
If, for example, a motor vehicle is involved in an accident, then as a consequence of the impact the bearing arm rotates very rapidly about its rotating joint, in which case the bearing arm or the locking element also impacts against the stop and therefore cannot be rotated further.
If, in contrast, the backrest tips forward slowly, the locking element releases the bearing arm, with the result that its rotating movement is not restricted until the bearing movement is in its desired end position.
The locking element is preferably to be arranged on the bearing bracket, in which case the fixed stop can also be situated on the bearing bracket, since it is to interact with the locking element.
The locking element is guided in a slotted guide which, in the present exemplary embodiment, is of very simple construction, but permits a very effective guidance of the locking element. The slotted guide is a slot which runs horizontally or obliquely and from which a lug-shaped recess which runs approximately vertically downward leads away in the vicinity of the stop.
The locking element in turn has two spaced-apart sliding bodies which run in the slotted guide. The sliding bodies interact with the slotted guide in such a manner that, in the event of a rapid rotating movement of the bearing arm, the sliding bodies remain in the slot, so that a lug which belongs to the bearing arm and is held between the two sliding bodies is not released.
If, in contrast, a slow rotation takes place, then one sliding body falls into the downwardly orientated recess and therefore releases the lug of the bearing arm.
An arrangement of this type is of very simple construction and manages with few components, but operates extremely effectively.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4882807 (1989-11-01), Frye et al.
patent: 4953259 (1990-09-01), Frye et al.
patent: 5476307 (1995-12-01), Whalen
patent: 5894634 (1999-04-01), Nithammer et al.
patent: 6292981 (2001-09-01), Ford et al.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Bearing does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Bearing, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Bearing will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3145075