Supports – Stand – Horizontally movable support surface
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-14
2001-05-15
King, Anita M. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Stand
Horizontally movable support surface
C074S527000, C248S430000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06231022
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a longitudinal guide rail of a motor vehicle seat, which, in a familiar way, shows two head-on adjustable rails, namely a top rail and a bottom rail and which also has a device for locking for the releasable fixing of these two rails in opposition. Such a longitudinal guide rail is known for example from the DE 44 00 232 A1. Also here, the device for locking has more than two blocking fingers, which, loaded by an own retaining spring can engage independently from each other into a locking position and can, together, be pulled into a release position, for which a release device is provided for. In a furthermore familiar way a notching rail is allocated to the blocking fingers, which shows notches and notched openings, into the latter the blocking fingers can engage.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the case of such longitudinal guide rails the several locking teeth never engage together into notched openings, to the contrary in most blocking conditions at least on blocking finger rests on a notch. The blocking fingers do neither all engage in full depth into a notched opening, in the contrary, typically at least one locking tooth engages only partially into a notched opening, here it lies in most cases against a sloping side at the edge of the notched opening. For the locking only two locking fingers are needed, of which one takes charge of the locking into one sliding direction and the other of the locking into the other sliding direction. The device for locking has in most cases three to four blocking fingers.
So, in the case of a typical locking position, there generally is at least one misnotched blocking finger, typically at least one blocking finger, which only partially engages and finally at least one blocking finger, which engages fully.
Such devices for locking are especially suitable for longitudinal guide rails, but they can also be used for other manually operated locking devices on adjustable motor vehicle seats, for example for setting the angle of a rest hinged mounting or for the height adjustment of the front edge of a seat.
The unlocking hatch is constructed as delayed action switch. In the cases of an unlocking process it initially works together with at least one fully engaged blocking finger, and pulls it up. In the case of a continuation of the unlocking movement its carriers get in contact with at least the one only partially engaged blocking finger, which also is lifted up. Finally, the unlocking hatch takes, with the associated carrier, in the case of a continuation of the unlocking movement at least one blocking finger along, which is misnotched. In the case of the same being lifted up, all existing blocking fingers are picked up from the unlocking hatch. The lift movement must be carried out to such an extent, that the rails can be freely adjusted in opposition.
In the case of the described practical operation the operator feels a graded operator force. Initially only the one, fully engaged blocking finger must be lifted up via the unlocking hatch, in case of a continuation of the unlocking movement the operator force increases, if at least on partially engaged blocking finger is pulled up, finally the maximum operational force is existent, when all blocking fingers are pulled by the unlocking hatch. A user then notices during the unlocking movement of the blocking fingers a stage rising force, which is conditional of the retaining spring of the individual blocking fingers.
The above-mentioned unexamined German application offers already a solution for the fact that for the user power stages, which are as small as possible, occur during the release movement. Alternating short or longer notched openings are arranged consecutively in the notching rail.
Disturbing is the relative large construction height of the device for locking at the known longitudinal guide rails. Starting from this, it is the task of the invention to create a device for locking, especially for a longitudinal guide rail, which on the one hand allows a small construction height in the longitudinal direction of the blocking fingers and which, on the other hand, influences the operational force during the release process through suitable measures in such a way, that the described power stages, which occur during the release process, are hardly noticeable for the user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Starting from the longitudinal guide rail of the above-mentioned kind, this task is solved by a longitudinal guide rail of a motor vehicle seat, which on the one hand has a top and a bottom rail and which, on the other hand, has a device for locking, which a) has a bearing casing, b) has a few blocking fingers, which are arranged in the bearing casing and independently from each other, are able to engage into a locking position and which can be released into a release position, c) which has an unlocking hatch, which is arranged around a swiveling axis and which, at the same time, is arranged in a swiveling manner at the bearing casing between a blocking position and a release position, which has an unlocking area and which has, for each blocking finger, a carrier for the form-locking harmonic excitation of the respective blocking finger into the release position and d) has a retaining spring for each blocking finger, which each is arranged between the unlocking hatch and the associated blocking finger.
On account of the unlocking hatch a very flat construction height of the device for locking is achievable. In the case of a suitable formation of the retaining spring, for example as leaf type springs or as spring bars, especially as operating lever springs, this is essentially only determined through the maximum required lift for the blocking fingers. On account of the unlocking hatch the retaining springs engage in from the side, that means they essentially run crosswise to the longitudinal direction of the blocking fingers. They are arranged at the unlocking hatch and thereby essentially extent parallel to the main area of this unlocking hatch. With this a considerable part of the mechanic is arranged lateral to the blocking fingers, which enables the smaller construction height.
The bearing casing can be constructed relatively easily. It is fixed on one of the two rails, typically on the top rail. The bearing casing stores the unlocking hatch. It is in a preferred embodiment of the invention furthermore responsible for the guide of the individual blocking fingers, but the guide of the individual blocking fingers can be transferred more or less onto the associated rail and onto the means which are provided there. The corresponding section of the associated rail then forms, in the sense of usage of the present description, a component part of the bearing casing.
In an especially preferred embodiment a master spring is arranged between the bearing casing and the unlocking hatch, which prestresses the unlocking hatch against the effect of the individual retaining springs into the topmost indexing position. Mechanically seen, the master springs and the group of the individual retaining springs are thus switched consecutively. The master spring loads the unlocking hatch into the topmost indexing position. The individual retaining springs load the unlocking hatch into the opposite direction. The spring tension of the master spring is selected in such a size, that in the standard condition, i.e. without an acting solving power in the unlocking area, the unlocking hatch is in the topmost indexing position. In this for example, it rests directly on the lower part of the bearing casing or on the top side of the associated rail, especially of the top rail.
The advantage of the mechanical series arrangement of the springs is in the following: In the case of a release process one initially works against the force of at least one retaining spring. If the release movement is continued, further release springs come into effect, whereby the tension of the retaining springs is continuously released. During the release process they become increasingly no longer appare
Becker Burckhard
Frohnhaus Ernst-Reiner
C. Rob. Hammerstein & Co Kg
King Anita M.
Lezdey John
LandOfFree
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