Chairs and seats – Movable back – Tiltable
Utility Patent
1998-11-16
2001-01-02
Nelson, Jr., Milton (Department: 3624)
Chairs and seats
Movable back
Tiltable
C297S361100
Utility Patent
active
06168235
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This application relates to a control assembly that moves a seat member between a plurality of angular positions. The control assembly has a pair of gears and an input shaft. The input shaft provides rotational input to one of the gears and moves the other gear into engagement with the first gear to cause the seat member to move.
Control assemblies with gearing mechanisms are often used in seat assemblies for controlling movement between seat members. The control assembly can be actuated by either a mechanical actuator, an electrical actuator, or an electromechanical actuator. Typically a first seat member, such as a seat bottom, is fixed to seat track assembly, and a second seat member, such as a seat back, is supported with respect to the seat bottom for pivotal movement relative to the seat bottom. The control assembly selectively controls the pivotal movement of the seat back and allows the seat back to be moved between a plurality of reclined positions relative to the seat bottom.
Known gear mechanisms in control assemblies are. often complex, requiring a great number of parts which increases assembly time. Also, these gear mechanisms often do not have a smooth transition between desired seat angle positions. Thus, when a seat occupant changes the seat back angle from one position to another, the seat back will jerk or snap into the next position. This can damage gear teeth and can significantly decrease the fatigue life of the gearing mechanism.
Thus, it is desirable to have a control assembly with a gearing mechanism that can provide improved smooth seat adjustment capability without requiring a great number of parts. It is also desirable to have such a control assembly that is durable and robust yet requires few parts so that assembly cost and overall assembly weight can be reduced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a disclosed embodiment, a vehicle seat assembly includes a first seat member and a second seat member supported for pivotal movement relative to the first seat member. The position of the second seat member can be adjusted to a variety of angular positions with respect to the first seat member. The seat includes a control assembly that causes the second seat member to pivot with respect to the first seat member. The control assembly includes an epicycloide gear mechanism with a first gear supported on the first seat member and a second gear supported on the second seat member. The second gear has a plurality of gear teeth that selectively mesh with a plurality of gear teeth on the first gear. The first gear teeth have a non-epicycloide tooth profile and the second gear teeth have an epicycloide tooth profile. An input member defines an axis of rotation about which the second gear rotates. The input member moves the second gear teeth into engagement with the first gear teeth and provides rotational input to the second gear causing the second gear teeth to react against the first gear teeth resulting in the second seat member pivoting with respect to the first seat member.
In a further embodiment, the input member is an eccentric input shaft having a geometric center that is eccentrically mounted or spaced apart from, the axis of rotation. This eccentricity causes the second gear teeth to move into engagement with the first gear teeth. When the input shaft is rotated in a first direction, the second gear is caused to rotate in a second direction, opposite from the first direction, resulting in the seat back pivoting with respect to the seat bottom.
The subject control assembly provides a simplified control mechanism that is light-weight, durable, easily installed, easily maintained, and is inexpensive. These and other features can be understood from the following specification and drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3667804 (1972-06-01), Yasui et al.
patent: 4302047 (1981-11-01), Esser
patent: 5209637 (1993-05-01), Reubeuze
patent: 5755491 (1998-05-01), Baloche et al.
patent: 2560832 (1976-08-01), None
patent: 2495800 (1982-06-01), None
patent: 1445947 (1976-08-01), None
Dura Global Technologies Inc.
Jr. Milton Nelson
Roth Robert K.
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