Seat cushion adjusting device, especially in a motor vehicle

(74) Agent (s); Cabinet Lavoix.

(54) Device for adjusting a seat cushion, in particular in a motor vehicle.

(57) Device for adjusting the height of the front portion 2 cTun seat cushion 1 of a seat, in particular a motor vehicle seat, comprising a support 3 connected to a lower frame of the seat by a transverse articulation and capable of cooperating with a adjustment mechanism operable by the occupant of the seat by means of a button or an operating lever disposed near the seat cushion 1, characterized in that at least one spring 5 is interposed between the support 3 of the front portion 2 and a pivoting part 11 which is articulated on the frame of the seat and capable of cooperating ** with an adjustment member 12 actuable by the aforementioned button or le ver. This arrangement allows the occupant of the seat to slightly lower the front portion 2 of the cushion 1 when he stretches one leg for example towards a pedal of the vehicle, and therefore eliminates any discomfort in this movement.

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FR 2 562 003

D

Sale of booklets at IMPRIMERIE NATIONALE. 27. rue de la Convention - 75732 PARIS CEDEX 15 mobile seat adjustment, in relation to adjustment allows movement

The invention relates to a device for the height of the front portion of a cushion fitted to certain seats of autocette vehicles, the front portion being slightly mobile the central part of the cushion. One such is to slightly modify the shape of the cushion, adapting it more or less to the morphology of the seat user.

This extreme portion generally comprises a support element connected to the frame of the seat by a transverse articulation, and which cooperates with an adjustment mechanism which can be actuated by the occ upant of the seat by means of a button or of a lever. maneuver placed near the seat cushion,

This adjustment is not always satisfactory, in particular when the occupant of the seat has to notably 'his legs in height for any brake or clutch pedal of the vehicle. In fact, if the extreme front portion of the cushion is adjusted to a relatively high position © in order to provide comfortable support for the legs at rest, it constitutes discomfort for lengthening and lowering one of these towards the corresponding pedal.

The object of the invention is to eliminate this drawback and to allow said end portion to lower slightly, relative to its chosen rest position, when the occupant of the seat extends one leg, in particular to actuate a pedal.

According to the invention, at least one spring is interposed between the support of the front portion and a pivoting part which is articulated on the frame of the seat and capable of cooperating with an adjustment member actuable by the above-mentioned button or lever. .

2562063

The presence of the spring or springs makes it possible to slightly lower the front portion of the seat cushion, whether this is in the high position at the bottom.

According to other advantageous features of the invention:

said front support is in support "acr the spring along a transverse line preferably located approximately halfway along the front jper10 tion and materialized for example by a transverse link connecting two springs of steel wire;

- The hinge axis of the pivoting part is transverse 'and the adjusting member is a polygonal c »« ie secured to a transverse shaft rotatably connected to the frame;

this transverse shaft has at one end a toothed wheel cooperating with a cljûgwet carried by the operating lever, itself mounted JL &amp; tere in rotation on the transverse shaft.

A nonlimiting example of embodiment S9; an adjustment device according to the invention is described below, with reference to the appended drawings "*" r which:

- Figure 1 is a simplified view &lt;"" his seat equipped with the adjustment device according to the ** iSMwm "tion, in section through a longitudinal vertical plane?

and Figure 2 is a partial perspective view with parts broken away, with a larger blade. of a part of the device.

We see in Figure 1 the seat cushion of a motor vehicle seat, cushion described the front portion 2 is supported by a rigid support 3 formed of a thin metal plate approximately horizontal and extending over almost the entire seat width. On the underside of this plate and near each of its two lateral ends, the first end 4 of one of two springs 5 ​​is wound around a transverse rod 6 carried by the lower frame 7 of the seat . The end 4 of each spring 5 is connected to that of the other spring 5 by a transverse strand 4a which is made of the same steel wire as the two springs 5, and which is engaged in several curved tabs 8 integral with the plate 3, substantially mid-length thereof in the longitudinal direction of the seat. The strand 4a forms a transverse support line for the front portion 2, this support line being preferably located approximately at the same length as the front portion 2.

The second end 9 of each spring 5 is engaged in a slot 10 formed in each of two levers 11 integral with the rod 6 and pivoting around the axis of this rod. Each lever 11 is supported, under the action of the spring 5, on one of two eccentric polygonal cams 12 anchored on a transverse shaft 13 carried by the frame 7.

On one end 13a of this shaft 13 located outside the frame 7, is fixed a toothed wheel 14 cooperating with a pawl 15 pivoting on an axis 16 fixed to an operating lever 17 mounted free in rotation on the end 13a of the shaft 13. Springs 18 and 19, shown schematically, respectively recall the pawl 15 towards the end 13a of the shaft 13, and the lever 17 downwards, against a stop 20 integral with the frame 7. The teeth of the wheel 14 and the arrangement of the pawl 15 are such that the latter drives the wheel 14 only when the lever 17 pivots upwards.

In Figure 1, the front portion 2 of the seat cushion 1 is in the low position, each lever 11 resting on the associated cam 12 by a peripheral face 12a located at a small distance from the axis of the shaft 13. To modify the height of the portion 2, for example to raise it to the position 2a corresponding to the position 3a of the plate 3, the occupant of the seat raises the lever 17 one or more times, causing through the pawl 15 the rotation of the wheel 14, therefore of the shaft 13 and of the two cams 12, for example until the latter cooperate with the associated levers 11 by a peripheral facet 12b situated at a relatively great distance from the axis of the shaft 13, as shown in Figure

2.

Thanks to the flexibility of the springs 5, and whatever the selected height of the front portion 2, it can lower slightly, for example under the push of a leg of the occupant actuating a brake pedal or d vehicle clutch. In addition, a slight modification of the angular position of the front portion 2 is authorized by pivoting of the plate 3 around the transverse line of support of the strand 4a connecting the respective first ends 4 of the two springs 5. Thus the plate 3 and the portion 2 can take more or less inclined positions, such as 3b and 2b. which allows to better adapt the shape of the front part of the seat cushion to the morphology of the seat occupant.

Alternatively, a single spring 5 can be used, associated with a lever 11 and a cam 12 similar to those described above. In this case. the first end 4 of the spring 5 is preferably supported on the plate 3 near its center, and the latter is stabilized laterally for example by means of two longitudinal arms respectively integral with each of the lateral ends of the plate and connected to the reinforcement 7 by a transverse articulation.

Furthermore, in a simpler arrangement comprising neither a pawl nor a toothed wheel, the lever 17 or an operating button is fixed to the end 13a of the shaft 13.