IP Library Granted Patent US 7,484,787
Granted Patent B2
US 7,484,787 · App. 11/608,365 · Granted Feb 3, 2009

Longitudinal seat adjustment device

Assignee: IMS Gear GmbH
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,484,787
App. No.
11/608,365
Granted
Feb 3, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention relates to a longitudinal scat adjustment device having an upper rail and a lower rail. The upper rail sits in the lower rail. Between the two rails a spindle is fixedly connected to the lower rail. Drivable on the spindle is a transmission, which can be retained in a specific manner by slotted bridges in the case of a crash.

Claims (26)

1. A longitudinal seat adjustment device for use in a motor vehicle that includes a chassis, said device comprising:

a lower rail fixed to the chassis, inside the lower rail an upper rail attached to a seat is adapted to be propelled by a motor;

a spindle sitting inside the upper rail and having its respective ends fixed to the lower rail, on which spindle a transmission fixedly coupled to the upper rail is arranged in axially movable fashion, wherein there are recesses in opposite side walls of the upper rail into which a thrust ring, fixed to the spindle and sitting with its principal surface transverse to the longitudinal axis of the spindle, intrudes and is pressed against the side walls of the upper rail in the case of a crash.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the wall parts of the upper rail has a notch through which a flexible shaft coupled to the motor is guided.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the side walls of the upper rail include slotted bridges that are pressed into the interior of the upper rail, and wherein a housing for the transmission is braced against the slotted bridges.

4. A longitudinal seat adjustment device for use in a motor vehicle that includes a chassis, said adjustment device comprising:

a lower rail fixed to the chassis, inside the lower rail is an upper rail to which a seat is attached, where the seat is adapted to be propelled by a motor;

a spindle sitting inside the upper rail and having its respective ends fixed to the lower rail;

a transmission fixedly coupled to the upper rail and arranged on the spindle in axially movable fashion, wherein the transmission is clampingly held in the upper rail and has a transmission housing whose opposite housing walls lie between wall parts of the upper rail and whose upper wall projects from the upper rail, and where the transmission includes a gear arrangement that translates rotational motion of a shaft connected to the motor into translational motion of the upper rail, the gear arrangement comprising a spindle nut having a thrust ring; and

metal stirrups bent into an L-shape and formed oppositely in a corresponding recess in the upper rail, where between the stirrups the transmission housing is slipped with wall tapers and where the stirrups clampingly hold the transmission.

5. A longitudinal seat adjustment device for use in a motor vehicle that includes a chassis, said adjustment device comprising:

a lower rail fixed to the chassis, inside the lower rail is an upper rail to which a seat is attached, where the seat is adapted to be propelled by a motor;

a spindle sitting inside the upper rail and having its respective ends fixed to the lower rail;

a transmission fixedly coupled to the upper rail and arranged on the spindle in axially movable fashion, wherein the transmission is clampingly held in the upper rail and has a transmission housing whose opposite housing walls lie between wall parts of the upper rail and whose upper wall projects from the upper rail, and where the transmission includes a gear arrangement that translates rotational motion of a shaft connected to the motor into translational motion of the upper rail, where the transmission has a spindle nut resting on the spindle with worm gear and a worm engaging with the worm gear; and

a thrust ring integrally molded onto the spindle nut.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the spindle nut and the thrust ring are made of metal.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the worm gear is coaxially applied to the spindle nut by plastic injection.

8. A longitudinal seat adjustment device for use in a motor vehicle that includes a chassis, said adjustment device comprising:

a lower rail configured to be fixed to the chassis, inside which lower rail is an upper rail, to which a seat is attached, and can be propelled by a motor;

a spindle inside the upper rail and having its respective ends fixed to the lower rail; and

a transmission fixedly coupled to the upper rail and arranged in axially movable fashion, wherein the transmission is clampingly held in the upper rail and has a transmission housing whose opposite housing walls lie between wall parts of the upper rail and whose upper wall projects from the upper rail, where the transmission housing comprises two plastic housing shells that engage each other in a direction that is parallel to an axis of the spindle.

9. A longitudinal seat adjustment device for use in a motor vehicle that includes a chassis, said adjustment device comprising:

a lower rail configured to be fixed to the chassis, inside which lower rail is an upper rail that is configured to be attached to a seat;

a spindle inside the upper rail and having its respective ends fixed to the lower rail; and

a transmission fixedly coupled to the upper rail and arranged in axially movable fashion with respect to the lower rail, where the transmission is clampingly held in the upper rail and has a transmission housing whose opposite housing walls lie between wall parts of the upper rail and whose upper wall projects from the upper rail, where the transmission housing comprises two plastic housing shells that slidingly engage each other in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the spindle.

10. The device of claim 5 , wherein the transmission housing comprises two plastic housing shells, which are connected to one another by ultrasonic welding.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 30, 2016
From: IMS GEAR GMBH
To: IMS GEAR SE & CO. KGAA
Reel/Frame 041227/0895 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 28, 2016
From: IMS GEAR GMBH
To: IMS GEAR SE & CO. KGAA
Reel/Frame 040689/0578 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 11, 2006
From: HOFSCHULTE, WOLFRAM-HEINRICH; WOHRLE, MICHAEL; PROBST, FRANK; KRIMMEL, FRED
To: IMS GEAR GMBH
Reel/Frame 018622/0354 →
Priority Claims (2)
DE 101 10 245 · Mar 5, 2001 · national
WO PCT/EP02/02396 · Mar 5, 2002 · international
Continuity (2)
Continuation 1047122600 · Jan 20, 2004
Related Publication 20070096494A1 · May 3, 2007