IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,611,277
Granted Patent B2
US 10,611,277 · App. 16/214,383 · Granted Apr 7, 2020

Adjustable thigh support for a vehicle seat

Inventors: Julius Maximilian Engelke (Aachen, DE); Jessica Rebecca Rausch (Moenchengladbach, DE); Niels Pasligh (Monchengladbach, CH); Markus Franzen (Stolberg, DE); Carsten Starke (Vaals, NE); Philipp Wolf (Cologne, DE)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
B60N2/62A47C7/14
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,611,277
App. No.
16/214,383
Granted
Apr 7, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle seat comprises a seat surface and a thigh support. The thigh support is adjustable and/or movable by use of a first adjustment device in or opposed to a first adjustment direction, which preferably runs substantially parallel to the seat surface, from an extended position into a retracted position. Furthermore, the thigh support is deflectable substantially vertically to the seat surface and/or to the underlying surface by use of a force which can be exerted by a vehicle occupant and is downwardly directed in the direction of a vehicle floor, wherein the thigh support has at least one second adjustment device for setting and/or defining a movement resistance with which the thigh support opposes the downwardly directed force.

Claims (26)

1. A vehicle seat for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a seat surface; and

a thigh support being adjustable and/or movable by use of a first adjustment device in or opposed to a first adjustment direction, substantially parallel to the seat surface, from an extended position into a retracted position and being deflectable substantially vertical to the seat surface and/or to a vehicle floor by use of a force which can be exerted by a vehicle occupant and is directed downward in the direction of the vehicle floor, wherein the thigh support has a second adjustment device for setting and/or determining a movement resistance with which the thigh support opposes the downwardly directed force, and wherein the first adjustment device and the second adjustment device are operable and/or activatable in an interacting manner such that the position of the support relative to the thigh support does not change during the adjusting and/or moving of the position of the thigh support.

2. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second adjustment device has at least one support, the position of which relative to the seat surface and/or to the thigh support sets or determines the movement resistance which opposes the downwardly directed force.

3. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the support is designed for displacement in or opposed to a second adjustment direction which runs substantially parallel to the seat surface.

4. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a common guide device which defines and/or determines the first adjustment direction and the second adjustment direction along which the thigh support and/or the support for setting and/or determining the movement resistance is displaceable.

5. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first adjustment device and the second adjustment device are operable and/or activatable independently of each other.

6. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first adjustment device and/or the second adjustment device are formed with at least one gearwheel/rack apparatus.

7. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the second adjustment device has a thigh support rack, which is fixedly connected to the thigh support, and a support rack, which is fixedly connected to the support, and the thigh support rack and support rack are in meshing engagement with a spur gearwheel.

8. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 1 further comprising at least one device for electrical operability and/or activatability of the first adjustment device and/or of the second adjustment device.

9. A vehicle seat, comprising:

a seat surface;

a thigh support;

a first adjustment device for moving the thigh support in a first adjustment direction, substantially parallel to the seat surface between extended and retracted positions and being deflectable substantially vertical to the seat surface by use of a downward force exerted by a vehicle occupant;

a second adjustment device for setting a movement resistance with which the thigh support opposes the downward force; and

at least one device for electrical operability and/or activatability of the first adjustment device and/or of the second adjustment device.

10. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the second adjustment device has at least one support, the position of which relative to the seat surface and/or to the thigh support sets or determines the movement resistance which opposes the downwardly directed force.

11. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the support is designed for displacement in or opposed to a second adjustment direction which runs substantially parallel to the seat surface.

12. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 11 further comprising a common guide device which defines and/or determines the first adjustment direction and the second adjustment direction along which the thigh support and/or the support for setting and/or determining the movement resistance is displaceable.

13. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the first adjustment device and the second adjustment device are operable and/or activatable in an interacting manner such that the position of the support relatively to the thigh support does not change during the adjusting and/or moving of the position of the thigh support.

14. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the first adjustment device and the second adjustment device are operable and/or activatable independently of each other.

15. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the first adjustment device and/or the second adjustment device are formed with at least one gearwheel/rack apparatus.

16. The vehicle seat as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the second adjustment device has a thigh support rack, which is fixedly connected to the thigh support, and a support rack, which is fixedly connected to the support, and the thigh support rack and support rack are in meshing engagement with a spur gearwheel.

17. A vehicle seat for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a seat surface; and

a thigh support being adjustable and/or movable by use of a first adjustment device in or opposed to a first adjustment direction, substantially parallel to the seat surface, from an extended position into a retracted position and being deflectable substantially vertical to the seat surface and/or to a vehicle floor by use of a force which can be exerted by a vehicle occupant and is directed downward in the direction of the vehicle floor, wherein the thigh support has a second adjustment device for setting and/or determining a movement resistance with which the thigh support opposes the downwardly directed force, wherein the first adjustment device and/or the second adjustment device are formed with at least one gearwheel/rack apparatus, and wherein the second adjustment device has a thigh support rack, which is fixedly connected to the thigh support, and a support rack, which is fixedly connected to the support, and the thigh support rack and support rack are in meshing engagement with a spur gearwheel.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 10, 2018
From: ENGELKE, JULIUS MAXIMILIAN; RAUSCH, JESSICA REBECCA; PASLIGH, NIELS; FRANZEN, MARKUS; STARKE, CARSTEN; WOLF, PHILIPP
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 047723/0889 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2018 200 024 · Jan 2, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190202328A1 · Jul 4, 2019
Cited By (2)
US 12,570,183 US 12,649,392