Lifter device
AssigneeToyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorYasuaki Suzuki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A lifter device includes a pinion gear and a rotation control device that is configured to control rotation of the pinion gear. The rotation control device includes a rotation shaft, a support member, a rotation driving mechanism, and a lock mechanism. The rotation drive mechanism includes a feed gear, and a plurality of feed pawls. The lock mechanism is configured to release locking of the rotation shaft until any one of the feed pawls meshes with the feed gear when an operation handle is operated. A plurality of the feed pawls are provided with respect to either operation direction on a seat lifting side or lowering side of the operation handle, and one of the feed pawls meshes with the feed gear when at least one of the others of the feed pawls does not mesh with the gear.
Claims9
A lifter device comprising:
- a pinion gear that is configured to mesh with an input gear of a link mechanism that lifts or lowers a seat;
- and a rotation control device that is configured to control rotation of the pinion gear and includes:
- a rotation shaft that is configured to rotate in synchronization with the pinion gear,
- a support housing that rotatably supports the rotation shaft,
- a rotation driving mechanism that is configured to, when an operation handle for lifting or lowering the seat is operated to lift or lower the seat, rotate the rotation shaft toward a lifting side or a lowering side in accordance with an operation direction of the operation handle, and
- a lock mechanism having a lock plate, wherein the lock mechanism is configured to, when the operation handle is operated to lift or lower the seat, allow rotation of the rotation shaft, and to lock the rotation of the rotation shaft in a neutral position in which the operation handle is released from operation, wherein the rotation driving mechanism includes:
- a feed gear that is coupled with and configured to rotate together with the rotation shaft, wherein the circumference of the feed gear is provided with a gear, and
- a plurality of feed pawls that is configured to mesh with the feed gear so as to drive the feed gear to rotate in the operation direction of the operation handle when the operation handle is operated, and to be released from meshing with the feed gear so as to be returned to a predetermined position when the operation handle is released from operation and is returned to the neutral position,
- wherein the lock mechanism is configured to release locking of the rotation shaft until any one of the feed pawls meshes with the feed gear when the operation handle is operated, and
- wherein a plurality of the feed pawls are provided with respect to either operation direction on the seat lifting side or lowering side of the operation handle, and one of the feed pawls meshes with the feed gear when at least one of the others of the feed pawls does not mesh with the gear.
The lifter device according to 6, further comprising:
- a friction generation unit having a friction spring, wherein the friction generating unit is configured to apply a frictional force to the rotation of the rotation shaft when the operation handle is operated to lower the seat.
The lifter device according to 8, further comprising:
- a friction generation unit having a friction spring, wherein the friction generating unit is configured to apply a frictional force to the rotation of the rotation shaft when the operation handle is operated to lower the seat.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.