Title:

Car seat

Document Type and Number:

United States Patent Application 20010022458

Kind Code:

Abstract:

A car seat having a seat part and a central spring system for the seat part. The central spring system can be adjusted to vary the hardness of the seat part. Additionally, the car seat is provided with side reinforcements on the seat part that extend in the traveling direction, whose position or the position of their upper edge regions is adjustable in accordance with the hardness of the spring system of the seat. The adjustment of the spring system is such that a greater degree of hardness corresponds to a higher position of the upper edge regions of the side reinforcements.

Representative Image:

Inventors:

Küster,Peer (Hannover, DE)
Polak, Mirco (Stadthagen, DE)
Suhle, Karl Georg (Minden, DE)

Plaque It!

What is claimed is:

1. A car seat provided with a central spring system (3), having an adjustable hardness, and with a number of side reinforcements (2; 2′; 2″), which are provided on the seat part and which can be extended in the direction of the travel, that each have an upper edge region (2e; 2e′; 2e″), characterized by the fact that the position of the side reinforcements (2; 2′; 2″) or of the upper edge regions (2e; 2e′; 2e″) can be adjusted depending on the hardness of the seat spring system (3) in such a manner so that a greater degree of hardness of seat spring system (3) will correspond with a higher position of the upper edge regions (2e; 2e′; 2e″).

2. The car seat according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the upper edge region (2e) is supported on a supporting structure (2a), which is linked to a support (1) of the seat part so that the upper edge region (2e) can be rotated inward and outward around a longitudinal axis (2c) mounted in the direction of the travel.

3. The car seat according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the upper edge region (2e′) is supported on a supporting structure (2a′), which is linked to a support (1′) of the seat part so that it can be rotated upward and downward around a transverse axis (2d) deployed at a right angle to the travel direction.

4. The car seat according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that the transverse axis (2d) passes through a front region of each side reinforcement (2′).

5. The car seat according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the side reinforcements (2″) are provided with chambers (2f), which are located inside the side reinforcements, that can be activated by means of pressure so that at least the upper edge regions (2e″) will travel upward.

6. The car seat according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the hardness of the central spring system (3) can be changed by means of a rotating driving gear (4), rotating a transverse wave (1a) around a vertical axle (1b) of a support (1; 1′; 1″), linked to a number of longitudinal spring elements (3a) which are characterized by different tensile strength, jointed on each end in the longitudinal direction, whose other ends are fixed on a rear transverse spar (1c) of the support (1; 1′; 1″).

7. The car seat according to claim 6, characterized by the fact that the adjustment of a supporting structure (2a; 2a′) is coupled to the rotation of the transverse wave (1a) via a gear unit (5; 5′).

8. The car seat according to claim 7, characterized by the fact that the gear unit (5) is a bevel gear.

9. The car seat according to claim 6, characterized by the fact that the driving gear (4) can be operated by means of an electric motor (4a) which operates an attached gear (4b) of a rotation adjustment mechanism (4c).

10. The car seat according to claim 2, characterized by the fact that the supporting structure (2a), which is rotatable around longitudinal axis (2c), is attached to a rotating shaft (2b), which is mounted in the longitudinal direction of longitudinal axis (2c) and which is engaged by means of a bevel gear (5a) so that it remains engaged by a bevel gear (5b) of a driving gear (4).

11. The car seat according to claim 2, characterized by the fact that the rotatable supporting structure (2a′) of the upper edge region (2e′) is operated by means of a tooth segment (5c) and a related pinion gear (5d) whose rotational axis runs parallel to a transverse axis (2d) that is deployed at a right angle to the direction of travel.

Description:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to a car seat with a central spring system having an adjustable hardness. More specifically, the car seat has side reinforcements that are provided on the seat part and can be extended in the direction of travel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] According to a car seat of the known type (DE 297 23 586 U1), the hardness of the seat can be adjusted by changing the spring length and the initial tension in the spring is, thus, also adjustable.

[0003] Also known (from DE 197 37 271 C1) is a car seat wherein the side reinforcements can be rotated along the rotation axis in the direction opposite to the direction of the travel. This makes it possible to adjust the width of the seat and the side support for the seat part according to requirements.

[0004] A sport driver who prefers a firm and hard seat will require also a good side support, which is achieved with a particular definition of the side reinforcements. A comfort-oriented driver, on the other hand, will prefer a soft, comfortable seat with fewer distinctly defined side reinforcements. The separated adjustment of the seat hardness and of the design of the side reinforcement is complicated. With a separate and independent adjustment capability, both functions can also easily result in erroneous adjustments.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Based on this status of technology, the purpose of this invention is to form a car seat according to prior art in such a way that it enables to match in a simple manner the complete adjustment of the seat part with the individual requirements of different drivers.

[0006] The solution of this task is provided in accordance with the characteristics disclosed in patent claim 1 .

[0007] In accordance with the car seat of this invention, the hardness of the seat can be changed and combined with the formation of the side reinforcements easily and quickly.

[0008] Preferred embodiments of the invention will be further described based on the subordinated claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The following is a preferred embodiment form of the invention based on the enclosed figures which are described in detail. The figures indicate:

[0010] FIG. 1 —a top view of the frame of a seat part according to a first embodiment form;

[0011] FIG. 2 —a greatly simplified representation of the section along plane II—shown in FIG. 1 with a sporty hard seat adjustment.

[0012] FIG. 3 —a section corresponding to FIG. 2 indicating a more comfortable seat adjustment;

[0013] FIG. 4 —a schematic side view of a seat part support according to a second embodiment form provided with side reinforcements located in a high position;

[0014] FIG. 5 —a schematic front view of the seat part support according to FIG. 4 ;

[0015] FIG. 6 —a schematic side view of the seat part support according to FIG. 4 with lowered side reinforcements;

[0016] FIG. 7 —a schematic front view of a seat part support according to a third embodiment form with lowered side reinforcements, which have an adjustable form;

[0017] FIG. 8 —a schematic front view of the seat part support according to FIG. 7 with raised side reinforcements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Only the support 1 , 1 ′, or 1 ″ of the seat part is indicated in all the figures. This support 1 is provided with a seat part frame of which only one rear transverse spar 1 c and front spar 1 d are shown in FIG. 1 . Inside the seat part frame is arranged a spring system 3 . Rotatable side reinforcements 2 are connected to the seat part frame.

[0019] Between the transverse spars 1 c and 1 d are extended shaped wire springs 3 b . On the rear transverse spar 1 c , are further also attached belt-shaped longitudinal spring elements 3 a , which are extended over the front transverse spar 1 d all the way up to transverse wave 1 a . The longitudinal spring elements 3 a run in the meandering form of the turns of the formed wires 3 b. The longitudinal wire elements 3 a are linked to transverse wave 1 a . They form the variable tensile spring system 3 of the seat part.

[0020] The transverse wave 1 a is supported in support 1 on bearings so that it is rotatable around vertical axle 1 b . It is driven with a rotation adjustment mechanism 4 c and with an attached gear 4 b of an electric motor 4 a . The transverse wave 1 a is firmly connected on both of its sides with bevel gears 5 b to provide torsional strength. The bevel gears 5 b engage bevel gears 5 a arranged on rotating shafts 2 b . The bevel gears 5 a and 5 b form a gear unit 5 enabling to drive supporting structures 2 a of the side reinforcement 2 attached to rotating shafts 2 b.

[0021] Tension is created in the longitudinal spring elements 3 a or released by the turning of transverse wave 1 a . The tension in the spring system is indicated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 by the cross-sectional contour of the spring system 3 . Simultaneously with the turning of transverse wave 1 a , the supporting structure 2 a of side reinforcement 2 is rotated by gear unit 5 around longitudinal axle 2 c . At the same time, the upper edge regions 2 e of the supporting structures 2 a will travel, due to the effect of gear unit 5 , in the upward and inward direction in the tension applying direction of the rotation of transverse wave 1 a . Side reinforcements 2 , which surround supporting structures 2 a , thus provide excellent side support for a seat user when they are in their inwardly retracted position.

[0022] The second embodiment form shown in FIG. 4 through FIG. 6 differs from the previous embodiment only in the arrangement and adjustment of the side reinforcement 2 ′. The supporting structures 2 a ′ are rotatable around vertical axles 2 d mounted at right angles to the direction of the travel. Vertical axles 2 d are provided in the vicinity of the leading edge of side reinforcement 2 ′, on the side turned away from the back support.

[0023] A pinion gear 5 d connected through gear unit 5 ′ to transverse wave 1 a is engaged by tooth segment 5 c which is arranged on the supporting structure 2 a ′. The pinion gear 5 d runs on bearings in support 1 ′ so that it is rotatable around an axle running parallel to vertical axle 2 d.

[0024] With a harder adjustment of spring system 3 , as shown in FIG. 4 , the upper edge region 2 e ′ is rotated around vertical axle 2 d in the counterclockwise direction. A soft adjustment of the spring system 3 results in a lowering of the rear end of the supporting structure 2 a ′ into the position which is indicated in FIG. 6 .

[0025] In a third embodiment form shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , side reinforcements 2 ″ are arranged on the longitudinal sides of support 1 ″ so that a chamber 2 f is enclosed in each of them. The supporting structure of the side reinforcements 2 ″ is constructed in such a way that an increased pressure in chamber 2 f will cause stretching of the side support 2 ″ in the vertical direction and in the direction outward. Because of that, the upper edge region 2 e ″ of the side support 2 ″ will be displaced so that it will be tilted in the outward/upward direction. The pressure applied in chambers 2 f is controlled according to a known manner, not indicated here, by valves depending on the turning position of the transverse wave 1 a . The stretched form of the side support 2 ″ thus corresponds to the harder adjustment of the spring system 3 .

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