Seat adjuster assembly
AssigneeJohnson Electric S.A.
InventorsYoshinori Ishii, Zhi Song Wang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A seat adjuster assembly includes an electric motor having an output shaft with a worm gear positioned in a gearbox, a spur gear meshing with the worm gear in the gearbox, a spindle shaft fixed to and driven by the spur gear coacting with a nut contained in a tube, and a linkage system connected to both a vertically movable upper vehicle seat part and a non-vertically movable lower vehicle seat part that positions vertically the upper vehicle seat part responsive to the position of the nut relative to the spindle shaft. At least one washer is provided on the spindle shaft. The spur gear is a plastic spur gear molded over the washer. A pair of leaf springs disposed in the gearbox bears against the spur gear and a wall of the gearbox.
Claims25
A seat adjuster assembly for adjusting a vertically movable upper vehicle seat part relative to a non-vertically movable lower vehicle seat part, the seat adjuster assembly comprising:
- an electric motor comprising an output shaft with a worm gear positioned in a gearbox;
- a spindle shaft providing first threads;
- a spur gear fixed to the spindle shaft, the spur gear meshing with the worm gear;
- and
- a linkage system connected to the upper vehicle seat part and the lower vehicle seat part, the linkage system comprising a non-rotatable member providing second threads coacting with the first threads of the spindle shaft such that the linkage system positions vertically the upper vehicle seat part relative to the lower vehicle seat part in response to the position of the spindle shaft relative to the non-rotatable member of the linkage system,
- wherein at least one washer is provided on the spindle shaft and the spur gear is an over-molded gear embedding the at least one washer therein;
- and
- wherein the non-rotatable member of the linkage system is a tube with a nut fixed thereto, the spindle shaft extending through the nut and into the tube, inner threads of the nut forming said second threads.
A seat adjuster assembly for adjusting a vertically movable upper vehicle seat part relative to a non-vertically movable lower vehicle seat part, the seat adjuster assembly comprising:
- an electric motor comprising an output shaft with a worm gear positioned in a gearbox;
- a spindle shaft providing first threads;
- a spur gear fixed to the spindle shaft, the spur gear meshing with the worm gear;
- and
- a linkage system connected to the upper vehicle seat part and the lower vehicle seat part, the linkage system comprising a non-rotatable member providing second threads coacting with the first threads of the spindle shaft such that the linkage system positions vertically the upper vehicle seat part relative to the lower vehicle seat part in response to the position of the spindle shaft relative to the non-rotatable member of the linkage system,
- wherein at least one washer is provided on the spindle shaft and the spur gear is an over-molded gear embedding the at least one washer therein;
- and
- wherein the at least one washer comprises a plurality of washers, the spur gear embedding the plurality of washers therein, each washer comprising an annular split ring with an opening for fitting the ring to the spindle shaft.
A seat adjuster assembly for adjusting a vertically movable upper vehicle seat part relative to a non-vertically movable lower vehicle seat part, the seat adjuster assembly comprising:
- an electric motor comprising an output shaft with a worm gear positioned in a gearbox;
- a spindle shaft providing first threads;
- a spur gear fixed to the spindle shaft, the spur gear meshing with the worm gear;
- and
- a linkage system connected to the upper vehicle seat part and the lower vehicle seat part, the linkage system comprising a non-rotatable member providing second threads coacting with the first threads of the spindle shaft such that the linkage system positions vertically the upper vehicle seat part relative to the lower vehicle seat part in response to the position of the spindle shaft relative to the non-rotatable member of the linkage system,
- wherein at least one washer is provided on the spindle shaft and the spur gear is an over-molded gear embedding the at least one washer therein;
- and
- wherein the at least one washer comprises a single annular split ring with an opening defined between two ends of the ring, and the ring is pinched onto the spindle shaft.
A motor sub-assembly for a seat adjuster assembly, the motor sub-assembly comprising:
- an electric motor comprising an output shaft with a worm gear positioned in a gearbox;
- a spindle shaft providing first threads;
- a spur gear fixed to the spindle shaft, the spur gear meshing with the worm gear;
- and
- a non-rotatable member providing second threads coacting with the first threads of the spindle shaft such that the spindle shaft drives the non-rotatable member along the spindle shaft when the spindle shaft rotates,
- wherein at least one washer is provided on the spindle shaft and the spur gear is an over-molded gear embedding the at least one washer therein, and
- wherein the non-rotatable member is a tube with a nut fixed thereto, the spindle shaft extending through the nut and into the tube, inner threads of the nut forming said second threads.
A motor sub-assembly for a seat adjuster assembly, the motor sub-assembly comprising:
- an electric motor comprising an output shaft with a worm gear positioned in a gearbox;
- a spindle shaft providing first threads;
- a spur gear fixed to the spindle shaft, the spur gear meshing with the worm gear;
- and
- a non-rotatable member providing second threads coacting with the first threads of the spindle shaft such that the spindle shaft drives the non-rotatable member along the spindle shaft when the spindle shaft rotates,
- wherein at least one washer is provided on the spindle shaft and the spur gear is an over-molded gear embedding the at least one washer therein, and
- wherein the at least one washer comprises a plurality of washers, the spur gear embedding the plurality of washers therein, each washer comprising an annular split ring with an opening for fitting the ring to the spindle shaft.
A motor sub-assembly for a seat adjuster assembly, the motor sub-assembly comprising:
- an electric motor comprising an output shaft with a worm gear positioned in a gearbox;
- a spindle shaft providing first threads;
- a spur gear fixed to the spindle shaft, the spur gear meshing with the worm gear;
- and
- a non-rotatable member providing second threads coacting with the first threads of the spindle shaft such that the spindle shaft drives the non-rotatable member along the spindle shaft when the spindle shaft rotates,
- wherein at least one washer is provided on the spindle shaft and the spur gear is an over-molded gear embedding the at least one washer therein, and
- wherein the at least one washer comprises a single annular split ring with an opening defined between two ends of the ring, and the ring is pinched onto the spindle shaft.
A seat adjuster assembly for adjusting a vertically movable upper vehicle seat part relative to a non-vertically movable lower vehicle seat part, the seat adjuster assembly comprising:
- an electric motor having an output shaft and a worm gear positioned in a gearbox;
- a spur gear meshing with the worm gear;
- a spindle shaft fixed to and driven by the spur gear, the spindle shaft having first threads;
- and
- a linkage system connected to the upper vehicle seat part and the lower vehicle seat part, the linkage system comprising a non-rotatable member having second threads engaging with the first threads of the spindle shaft such that the linkage system positions vertically the upper vehicle seat part in responsive to the position of the spindle shaft relative to the non-rotatable member,
- wherein two leaf springs are disposed within the gearbox and bear against the spur gear and a wall of the gearbox.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.