Apparatus for adjusting seats in motor vehicles

US4969621A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Keiper Recaro GmbH & Co. · DE

Inventors

• Andrea Munchow · Remscheid, DE
• Bernd Engels · Remscheid, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 4, 1990
• Grant date: Nov 13, 1990
• Expiry date: Sep 4, 2010

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T74/19358
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

Apparatus for adjusting a seat in a motor vehicle forwardly or backwards has guide rails on the floor of the passenger compartment in the vehicle, seat supporting rails which are movable along the guide rails, toothed racks on the guide rails, pinions meshing with the racks, and a motor-driven transmission with a rotary output element which serves to rotate the pinions in order to move the supporting rails along the guide rails. The shaft which transmits torque to the pinions has an external gear in mesh with an internally toothed portion of an axially movable sleeve which is further provided with an externally toothed portion movable into and from mesh with an internal gear of the output element. A shifting element is provided to move the sleeve axially into and from mesh with the internal gear of the output element. This enables the occupant of the seat or another person to disengage the output element from the shaft in the event of failure of the motor and to permit non-motorical adjustment of the position of the seat. A spring is provided to permanently bias the shifting element to a position in which the output element can transmit torque to the pinions.