U.S. patent application number 14/183038 was filed with the patent office on 2014-06-12 for release mechanism.
The applicant listed for this patent is Grand Rapids Controls Company, LLC. Invention is credited to Mark G. Tomandl.
Application Number | 20140157939 14/183038 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50879551 |
Filed Date | 2014-06-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140157939 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tomandl; Mark G. |
June 12, 2014 |
RELEASE MECHANISM
Abstract
A release mechanism generates a force on a cable to operate an
adjustment mechanism or the like in a seat or other device. The
release mechanism includes a rotor, a housing, a spring, and a
cover that attaches to the housing. The spring generates a torque,
and the spring also axially biases the rotor into engagement with
the cover to prevent rattling.
Inventors: |
Tomandl; Mark G.; (Coral,
MI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Grand Rapids Controls Company, LLC |
Rockford |
MI |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
50879551 |
Appl. No.: |
14/183038 |
Filed: |
February 18, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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13315797 |
Dec 9, 2011 |
|
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14183038 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
74/502.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16C 1/12 20130101; B60N
2/0296 20130101; B60N 2/2356 20130101; Y10T 74/20438 20150115; B60N
2/933 20180201 |
Class at
Publication: |
74/502.2 |
International
Class: |
F16C 1/12 20060101
F16C001/12 |
Claims
1. A release mechanism of the type that shifts an elongated
connector to selectively release an adjustment mechanism, the
release mechanism comprising: a housing defining a pivot element; a
rotor pivotably engaging the pivot element for rotation about an
axis, wherein the rotor is adapted to be manually rotated by a
user; and wherein the rotor includes a connecting feature that
provides for connecting an end of an elongated flexible cable to
the rotor such that rotation of the rotor shifts the elongated
flexible cable; and a helical coil spring having a first end
connected to the housing, and a second end connected to the rotor,
the coil spring being simultaneously compressed and rotationally
deformed and simultaneously axially biasing the rotor axially away
from the housing along the axis and rotationally biasing the rotor
for rotation in a first direction about the axis.
2. The release mechanism of claim 1, wherein: the rotor includes a
cavity; the pivot element comprises a boss that is received in the
cavity to rotatably interconnect the rotor and the housing; and the
helical coil spring is disposed inside the cavity of the rotor.
3. The release mechanism of claim 2, wherein: the housing includes
a first spring-connecting structure, and the rotor includes a
second spring-connecting structure; and the coil spring comprises a
helical wire coil having a plurality of coils that are disposed
around the boss, and includes a first end engaging the housing and
a second end engaging the rotor and generating a rotational
bias.
4. The release mechanism of claim 2, wherein: the rotor includes a
central portion having a cylindrical inner surface defining the
cavity; the boss includes a cylindrical outer surface that is
spaced apart from the cylindrical inner surface to define an
annular gap therebetween; and the coil spring is disposed in the
annular gap.
5. The release mechanism of claim 1, wherein: the housing includes
first and second portions that are spaced apart to define a gap,
and wherein the rotor defines a central portion disposed in the
gap, and wherein the spring biases the central portion of the rotor
away from the first portion of the housing towards the second
portion of the housing, and wherein the rotor slidably engages the
second portion of the housing.
6. The release mechanism of claim 5, wherein: the housing comprises
a first sidewall and an outer sidewall extending transversely from
the first sidewall to define a cavity having an open side, and
wherein the second portion of the housing comprises a cover closing
off at least a portion of the cavity.
7. The release mechanism of claim 6, wherein: the cover includes an
opening therethrough, and wherein the rotor includes an internal
portion disposed in the cavity and an elongated extension extend
from the internal portion outwardly through the opening to define
an external portion.
8. The release mechanism of claim 7, wherein: the external portion
includes a handle extending in a direction that is transverse to
the axis.
9. The release mechanism of claim 8, wherein: the external portion
comprises a plurality of outwardly facing teeth, and wherein the
handle comprises a separate component having a plurality of
inwardly extending teeth engaging the outwardly facing teeth.
10. The release mechanism of claim 7, wherein: the housing includes
a generally annular groove extending around the boss, and the rotor
includes an end portion movably disposed in the groove.
11. The release mechanism of claim 1, wherein: the housing includes
a first retaining feature; the rotor includes a second retaining
feature; and the first retaining feature engages the second
retaining feature such that the rotor does not shift axially out of
engagement with the housing due to the bias of the coil spring
unless an external force is applied to the rotor to axially shift
the rotor to disengage the first and second retaining features.
12. The release mechanism of claim 11, wherein: the rotor is
axially movable relative to the housing between first and second
axial positions, and wherein axial movement of the rotor relative
to the housing from the first position to the second position
disengages the first and second retaining features such that the
first and second retaining features do not restrict rotation of the
rotor relative to the housing when the rotor is in the second
position relative to the housing.
13. The release mechanism of claim 12, wherein: the rotational bias
of the coil spring causes the second stop surface to be biased into
contact with the first stop surface.
14. The release mechanism of claim 13, wherein: the first stop
surface comprises an end surface of an arcuate slot of the housing;
and the second stop surface comprises an extension of the rotor
that is disposed in the arcuate slot when the rotor is in the first
axial position, and wherein the extension is disposed outside of
the arcuate slot when the rotor is in the second axial
position.
15. A release mechanism of the type that shifts an elongated
connector to selectively release an adjustment mechanism, the
release mechanism comprising: a housing; a rotor pivotably engaging
the housing for rotation about an axis, the rotor having a
generally hollow central portion defining a cavity, and wherein the
rotor includes a connecting feature that provides for connecting an
end of an elongated flexible cable to the rotor such that rotation
of the rotor shifts the elongated flexible cable; and a coil spring
having a first end connected to the housing, and a second end
connected to the rotor, wherein a plurality of coils of the coil
spring are disposed within the cavity of the rotor, and wherein the
spring is rotationally deformed to rotationally bias the rotor for
rotation in a first direction about the axis.
16. The release mechanism of claim 15, wherein: the housing
includes a boss that is received in the cavity to rotatably
interconnect the rotor and the housing.
17. The release mechanism of claim 16, wherein: the hollow central
portion includes a generally cylindrical inner surface defining the
cavity.
18. The release mechanism of claim 17, wherein: the boss comprises
a generally cylindrical outer surface that is spaced apart from the
cylindrical inner surface of the rotor to define an annular space
therebetween, and wherein the spring comprises a helical coil
spring that is disposed in the annular space.
19. The release mechanism of claim 15, wherein: the housing defines
first and second side portions and a space between the first and
second side portions, and wherein at least a portion of the rotor
is disposed in the space; the coil spring is compressed and
generates an axial force biasing the rotor away from the first side
portion of the housing towards the second side portion of the
housing.
20. A release mechanism, comprising: a housing having first and
second portions; a rotor pivotably engaging the housing for
rotation about an axis; and a spring defining a first length when
the spring is in a free state wherein the spring is not compressed
or stretched, and wherein the spring is in a compressed state when
assembled in the release mechanism to define a second length that
is substantially shorter than the first length, the spring biasing
the rotor axially along the axis away from the first portion of the
housing towards the second portion of the housing.
21. The release mechanism of claim 20, wherein: the spring
comprises a coil spring that torsionally biases the rotor in
addition to axially biasing the rotor.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/315,797, filed Dec. 9, 2011, and entitled
"RELEASE MECHANISM," the entire disclosure of which is incorporated
herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Seats for motor vehicles and the like may include one or
more adjustment features such as a seat back tilt mechanism that
selectively retains the seat back in a position selected by a user.
The seat may include additional adjustment features such as
fore-aft sliding of the seat relative to the vehicle floor, and
other such adjustment features. Various types of mechanisms have
been developed to retain the seat components in a desired position.
Such mechanisms may be actuated by a cable that is connected to a
manually-operated release mechanism by an elongated cable. Also,
elongated cables may be utilized to operably interconnect a lever
or other release member located inside a vehicle to a component
such as a hood release latch. Various mechanisms for manual user
input have been developed. However, known mechanisms may suffer
from various drawbacks.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] One aspect of the present invention is a release mechanism
of the type utilized to shift an elongated connector to selectively
release an adjustment mechanism. The release mechanism includes a
housing defining a pivot element, and a rotor disposed within the
housing and pivotably engaging the pivot element for rotation about
an axis. The rotor is adapted to be manually rotated by a user, and
the rotor includes a connecting feature that provides for
connecting an end of an elongated flexible cable to the rotor, such
that rotation of the rotor shifts the elongated flexible cable. The
release mechanism also includes a helical coil spring having a
first end connected to the housing, and a second end connected to
the rotor. The coil spring is rotationally deformed to rotationally
bias the rotor for rotation in a first direction about the axis,
and the coil spring is also compressed, and biases the rotor
axially away from the housing along the axis.
[0004] The housing may include a separate cover that snaps onto a
main portion of the housing during assembly. The housing and rotor
can be utilized in either a "left hand" or "right hand"
orientation. The housing and rotor may be symmetrical about a
center plane, and the direction of the rotational bias of the rotor
can be changed by selecting a helical coil that generates either a
clockwise or counter clockwise torque on the rotor. Also, the
housing may include connecting features whereby a cable can be
interconnected to the housing of the release mechanism at either of
two opposite side faces of the housing.
[0005] The release mechanism may include a rotation-limiting
feature such as a boss on the rotor and corresponding arcuate slot
on the housing to limit rotation of the rotor relative to the
housing. During assembly, the rotor is rotated against the spring
bias relative to the main portion of the housing, and the rotor is
shifted axially to move the boss into the arcuate slot. Friction
between the boss and a side surface of the arcuate slot prevents
shifting of the rotor that could otherwise occur due to the axial
bias of the helical coil spring.
[0006] These and other features, advantages, and objects of the
present invention will be further understood and appreciated by
those skilled in the art by reference to the following
specification, claims, and appended drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a partially fragmentary side elevational view of a
motor vehicle seat or the like including an adjustment mechanism
and a release mechanism that is interconnected to the adjustment
mechanism by an elongated cable;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a release mechanism according
to one aspect of the present invention;
[0009] FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the release mechanism
of FIG. 2;
[0010] FIG. 4 is an exploded isometric view of the release
mechanism of FIG. 2;
[0011] FIG. 4A is an exploded isometric view of the release
mechanism of FIG. 2 showing the spring in an uncompressed
state;
[0012] FIG. 5 is a partially exploded isometric view of the release
mechanism of FIG. 2;
[0013] FIG. 6 is a partially fragmentary enlarged, isometric view
of a portion of a release mechanism according to one aspect of the
present invention;
[0014] FIG. 7 is a partially fragmentary, enlarged isometric view
of a portion of a rotor of a release mechanism according to one
aspect of the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 8 shows a coil spring according to one aspect of the
present invention in an uncompressed state;
[0016] FIG. 9 shows the spring of FIG. 8;
[0017] FIG. 10 is an end view of the spring of FIG. 8; and
[0018] FIG. 11 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of a portion of the
spring of FIG. 10.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0019] For purposes of description herein, the terms "upper,"
"lower," "right," "left," "rear," "front," "vertical,"
"horizontal," and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention
as oriented in FIG. 1. However, it is to be understood that the
invention may assume various alternative orientations, except where
expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to be understood
that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached
drawings, and described in the following specification are simply
exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the
appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical
characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are
not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state
otherwise.
[0020] With reference to FIG. 1, a seat assembly 1 includes a seat
portion 2 and a back portion 3 that is pivotally interconnected to
the seat portion for fore-aft tilting movement as indicated by the
arrow "A." A releasable adjustment mechanism 4 selectively retains
the back portion 3 at various positions B, B1, B2 etc. An
adjustment mechanism 4 may be positioned on both the left and right
sides of the seat 1. A support structure 5 interconnects the seat
assembly 1 with a vehicle floor 6. The support structure 5 may
include slides or the like (not shown) that permit movement of the
seat assembly 1 in a fore-aft direction relative to the floor 6 of
a vehicle as indicated by the arrow "C." The seat portion 2, back
portion 3, adjustment mechanism 4, and support structure 5 may
comprise conventional, known components such that these parts will
not be described in detail herein
[0021] A release mechanism 10 is operably interconnected to the
adjustment mechanism 4 by an elongated cable 11. The release
mechanism 10 includes a movable input member such as a handle 12
that is movable as indicated by the arrow "R" by a user to
selectively release adjustment mechanism 4 to permit tilting of the
seat back 3.
[0022] With further reference to FIGS. 2-4 and 4A, mechanism 10
includes a housing having a first portion 14 and a second portion
or cover 16 that together form an interior space 18. When
assembled, a rotor 20 is rotatably interconnected with a boss or
protrusion 22 of housing 14 for rotation about an axis "A1" (FIG.
4). As discussed in more detail below, a spring 25 includes a first
end 26 that is interconnected to housing 14, and a second end 28
that is interconnected with rotor 20 to rotationally bias the rotor
20 relative to housing 14 for rotation about an axis "A1." Rotor 20
includes an arm 34 having an end portion 36 that includes first and
second connecting features 30A and 30B (cavities) that interconnect
with a fitting 32 of cable 11 whereby rotation of rotor 20
longitudinally shifts the cable 11 and releases adjustment
mechanism 4. The arm 34 is substantially symmetrical such that
either connecting feature 30A or connecting feature 30B can be
utilized to connect with a cable end fitting 32. In the illustrated
example, the end fitting 32 is received in connector 30A to thereby
pull on cable 11 upon rotation of rotor 20 in the direction of the
arrow "R1." An end portion 11A of cable 11 wraps around curved end
surface 37 of arm 34. End surface 37 may include a relatively flat
central portion 37A having a reduced radius about axis Al to
provide increased force on cable 11 as it wraps around central
portion 37A. Cable end fitting 32 may be received in connecting
feature 30B such that rotation of rotor 20 in a direction opposite
the arrow "R1" pulls on cable 11 to actuate adjustment mechanism 4.
The direction of rotational bias provided by spring 25 may be
reversed if connecting feature 30B is utilized to thereby provide
the proper rotational bias for a particular application. A bushing
or fitting 38 includes an annular groove 39 that engages a selected
one of the openings 40A-40D of sidewall 41A or 41B of housing 14 to
slidably support cable 11 where it enters housing 14.
[0023] Rotor 20 includes a generally cylindrical extension 42
having a plurality of teeth or splines 44 that engage corresponding
teeth or splines 46 on an interior portion of extension 47 of
handle 12 in a known manner to interconnect rotor 20 and handle 12.
A pair of transverse slots 48 receive a clip or other retainer (not
shown) to retain handle 12 to rotor 20 in a conventional
manner.
[0024] Housing 14 includes a plurality of wedges 52 that protrude
from sidewalls 41C, 41D, and 41E. Wedges 52 are received in
openings 53 formed in transverse flaps or extensions 54 (see also
FIGS. 2 and 3). The wedges 52 and corresponding connectors 53-54
retain cover 16 on housing 14 prior to installation of the release
mechanism 10 on a seat assembly 1. Threaded fasteners 56 (FIG. 3)
are received in openings 57 in housing 14 and cover 16 (FIGS. 2 and
3) and engage threaded openings in the seat structure to secure the
release mechanism 10 to the seat assembly 1. Fasteners 56 also
ensure that housing 14 and cover 16 remain assembled together when
mechanism 10 is attached to the seat assembly 1.
[0025] With further reference to FIG. 5, arm 34 of rotor 20
includes cylindrical extension 64. Housing 14 includes a ridge or
sidewall 60 that protrudes from inner surface 58 of sidewall 59 of
housing 14. When assembled, extension 64 is received in arcuate
slot 62, and spring 25 rotatably biases extension 64 towards end
surface 66 or end surface 68 of arcuate slot 62. Spring 25 may be
configured to rotatably bias rotor 20 in a first direction R1, or a
second direction that is opposite R1, depending upon which
direction handle 12 is required to rotate when release mechanism 10
is installed on a seat or other structure. For example, in FIG. 1
mechanism 10 is mounted on a left side of a seat 2, and handle 12
rotates upwardly when the handle 12 is pulled by a user. However,
mechanism 10 may also be installed on a seat at a lower right side
edge whereby the mechanism 10 is rotated 180 degrees about a
horizontal axis relative to the orientation shown in FIG. 1. If
mechanism 10 is configured for use on a right side edge of a seat,
the spring 25 is configured to provide a bias in the opposite
rotational direction, and cable 11 will be configured to extend out
of an opposite sidewall of housing 14. Because the mechanism 10 is
substantially symmetrical (other than spring 25) about a center
plane "P" (FIG. 2) Cable 11 is oriented in either the configuration
shown in FIG. 2 in solid lines, or in the configuration shown in
dashed lines 11A as also shown in FIG. 2.
[0026] With further reference to FIG. 6, housing 14 includes an
annular wall 70 protruding from inner side surface 58 of sidewall
59 of housing 14. An inner side of sidewall 70 includes a plurality
of raised portions or pads 72 having cylindrical end surface
portions 73. A ring-like annular space 76 is formed between boss 22
and cylindrical sidewall 70. A plurality of protrusions 74 project
into annular space 76 from sidewall 59. A plurality of grooves 77
are formed between protrusions 74. Grooves 77 extend radially away
from boss 22. When assembled, end 26 (see also FIG. 5) of spring 25
is received in a selected one of the grooves 77 to thereby
rotationally retain the spring 25 relative to housing 14.
[0027] The protrusions 74 also define convex cylindrical outer
surfaces 78 that face the concave cylindrical surfaces 73 of pads
72 of cylindrical sidewall 70. When assembled, the space between
surfaces 73 and 78 receives end portion 80 (FIG. 7) of rotor 20.
End portion 80 of rotor 20 includes a cylindrical inner side
surface 81 that defines a cylindrical cavity or space 83. End
portion 20 also includes a cylindrical outer surface 82. When
mechanism 10 is assembled, end 28 (see also FIG. 4) of spring 25 is
received in a selected one of a plurality of openings 85 in inner
base surface 84 of cavity 83. An opening 86 in rotor 20 has a
hexagonal shape to receive a hexagonal tool (not shown) during
assembly of rotor 20 and housing 14 to control the rotational
position of rotor 20 relative to housing 14.
[0028] During assembly, end 26 of spring 25 (FIGS. 4 and 4A) is
positioned in a selected slot 77 (FIG. 6) of housing 14, with a
portion of spring 25 being disposed between cylindrical sidewall 70
and boss 22 of housing 14. Spring 25 is initially in an
uncompressed or "free" state wherein the individual coils of spring
25 are spaced apart as shown in FIGS. 4A, 8 and 9. Rotor 20 is then
moved to a position adjacent housing 14, such that end 28 of spring
25 is received in a selected one of the openings 85 of rotor 20.
Rotor 20 is then rotated relative to housing 14 using a hexagonal
tool (not shown), such that spring 25 generates a torsional bias or
force between housing 14 and rotor 20. Rotor 20 is then shifted
axially along axis Al (FIG. 4) to position end portion 80 of rotor
20 on the boss 22 of housing 14. End portion 80 of rotor 20 is
received in the space 76 (FIG. 6) between surfaces 73 of pads 72
and the end surfaces 78 of protrusions 74. As the rotor 20 is moved
into position relative to housing 14, protrusion 64 (FIG. 5) of
rotor 20 is positioned in arcuate slot 62 of housing 14. After the
extension 64 is positioned in arcuate slot 62, the torsional force
acting on rotor 20 by the hexagonal tool is removed, and the
torsional force caused by spring 25 causes extension 64 on arm 34
of rotor 20 to move into engagement with end 66 (or end 68) of
arcuate slot 62. As rotor 20 is moved into position relative to
housing 14, spring 25 is compressed in addition to being
rotationally deformed. This causes spring 25 to generate an axial
force tending to push rotor 20 away from housing 14. However,
friction between extension 64 and end 66 (or 68) of arcuate slot 62
is sufficient to prevent the axial bias from shifting rotor 20
relative to housing 14. When compressed, the coils of spring 25 are
in contact with one another or directly adjacent one another as
shown in FIG. 4.
[0029] After the temporary subassembly of housing 14 and rotor 20
is formed. Bushings 38 are assembled with housing 14, and end
fitting 32 of cable 11 is positioned in connector 30A or connector
30B of arm 34 of rotor 20. It will be understood that these
operations may be performed either before rotor 20 is installed in
housing 14, or after rotor 20 is installed in housing 14. Cover 16
is then snapped onto housing 14 and retained thereon by wedges 52
and openings 53.
[0030] Referring back to FIG. 4., After the cover 16 and housing 14
are assembled, spring 25 shifts rotor 20 towards cover 16 slightly,
such that annular bearing surface 90 of extension 42 of rotor 20
slidably engages an annular bearing surface 88 formed around
opening 89 of cover 16. The engagement of bearing surfaces 88 and
90 prevents rattling of rotor 20 when installed to a seat, yet
permits some variation in the sizing of the components.
[0031] When assembled, outer surface 82 (FIG. 4) of end 80 of rotor
20 slidably engages surface 73 (FIG. 6) of housing 14, and outer
surface 92 of extension 42 of rotor 20 slidably engages surfaces or
pads 94 (FIG. 4) of opening 90 in cover 16.
[0032] During assembly, handle 12 is positioned on extension 42 of
rotor 20, and a clip or other retainer (not shown) is positioned in
engagement with transverse slots 48 of extension 42 to thereby
retain the handle 12.
[0033] Because the rotor 20 can be temporarily assembled with
housing 14, rotor 20 does not need to be retained in position
relative to housing 14 by a fixture or the like while cover 16 is
installed. Thus, assembly of release mechanism 10 is simplified.
Also, as discussed above, the axial bias of spring 25 ensures that
the bearing surface 90 of rotor 20 remains in sliding engagement
with the corresponding bearing surface 88 of cover 16. The bearing
surfaces 88 and 90 may comprise low friction materials, such that
very little frictional resistance is generated. This permits spring
25 to have a relatively low torsional stiffness to return handle 12
to the rest position.
[0034] With further reference to FIGS. 8-11, spring 25 may comprise
a helical coil spring having a wire diameter of 1.14 mm with 10
coils. The coils may have a right hand or left hand wind direction
as required to provide a right or left hand version of mechanism
10. The spring 25 has a free or unstressed length "L1" of 28.5 mm.
In general, the length L1 may be about 23.0 mm to about 33.0 mm.
However, lengths L1 outside this range may also be utilized if
required for a particular application. During assembly, an axial
force "F" is applied to the spring 25 as described in more detail
above. This results in a compression of spring 25 to an installed
length "L2" of 14.65 mm. Thus, the deflection of spring 25 when
installed is about 13.85 mm.
[0035] The overall length "L3" of spring 25 in an unstressed or
free state is 34.34 mm as shown in FIG. 8. The inner radius "R" is
1.40 mm, and the outer diameter "D2" (FIG. 10) is 11.15 mm. The
spring 25 may include straight portions 26A and 28A directly
adjacent the ends 26 and 28, respectively. The inner dimension "D1"
(FIG. 10) is 8.72 mm, and the outside diameter "D2" is 11.15 mm.
With reference to FIG. 11, the angle ".theta.2" is 142.4.degree..
Ends 26 and 28 extend at an angle ".theta.1" of 90.degree.. Spring
25 is preferably made of spring steel or other suitable material
such as music wire (ASTM A228), and the spring 25 has a maximum
solid height of 12.65 mm. The specific dimensions given above are
an example of one possible configuration for spring 25. However,
the specific dimensions, shapes, materials, and other
characteristics of spring 25 may vary as required for a particular
application. For example, mechanism 10 may be utilized in
connection with different types of seats requiring different force
characteristics to release adjustment mechanism 4 (FIG. 1) or other
such mechanism. It will be understood that the specific dimensions
of the mechanism and spring 25 may vary as required, and the
release mechanism 10 of the present application is not limited to
any specific application.
[0036] As discussed above, the installed length L2 of spring 25 is
greater than the solid height or length of spring 25. Accordingly,
when spring 25 is installed in mechanism 10 spring 25 is in a
compressed state. When spring 25 is in the compressed (installed)
state, the spacing between the individual coils of spring 25 is
reduced, and spring 25 generates a biasing force tending to expand
the length of spring 25. As discussed above, this biasing force
insures that bearing surface 90 of rotor 20 remains in sliding
engagement with corresponding bearing surface 88 of cover 16.
[0037] As also discussed above, mechanism 10 may be assembled by
temporarily assembling rotor 20 with housing 14, with friction
between extensions 64 and end 66 (or end 68) of arcuate slot 62 to
generate friction sufficient to prevent axial bias of spring 25
from shifting rotor 20 relative to housing 14. Alternatively,
mechanism 10 may also be assembled as follows. First, housing 14
may be positioned in a fixture (not shown) or otherwise retained in
a generally horizontal orientation with interior space 18 (FIG. 4)
facing upwardly. Spring 25 is then positioned over boss 22, and
shifted (if required) to cause end 26 of spring 25 to engage one of
the grooves 77 (FIG. 6) of housing 14. The rotor 20 is then
positioned on spring 25 such that spring 25 is received within
cylindrical cavity or space 83 of rotor 20 (FIGS. 5 and 7), and end
28 of spring 25 is engaged with one of the openings 85 (FIG. 7) of
rotor 20. The arm 34 of rotor 20 is initially oriented as shown in
solid lines in FIG. 4A. This initial position is rotated
180.degree. relative to the assembled orientation of arm 34 shown
in dashed lines in FIG. 4A. The assembled orientation of arm 34 is
also shown in solid lines in FIG. 4. After placing the rotor 20
onto the spring 25, cover 16 is positioned on rotor 20 with
extension 42 of rotor 20 extending through opening 89 of cover 16.
A hex tool (not shown) is positioned in hex opening 86 (FIG. 7) of
rotor 20, and the rotor 20 is then rotated 180.degree. until it is
in the assembled rotational orientation (FIG. 4). Rotor 20 may be
rotationally constrained due to engagement of extension 64 on arm
34 of rotor with end 66 or 68 of arcuate slot 62. Alternatively,
rotor 20 may be configured to temporarily engage cover 16 to
prevent rotation of rotor 20 during the assembly process. After the
cover 16 is positioned over rotor 20 and rotor 20 is rotated to its
assembled angular orientation, the housing 14 and cover 16 are
pushed together and interconnected utilizing wedges 52 and openings
53 as described in more detail above.
[0038] Due to the axial compression (deflection), spring 25
generates about 24N of axial force when assembled. This axial force
biases rotor 20 away from housing 14, and into engagement with
cover 16. Also, when assembled the rotational deflection or
deformation of spring 25 causes the spring 25 to be preloaded such
that it generates a torsional force of about 250 N-mm. Thus, when
assembled spring 25 simultaneously generates a substantial axial
biasing force and a substantial torsional biasing force.
[0039] The axial force/bias acting on rotor 20 ensures that the
rotor does not rattle, and substantially eliminates noises from
vibrations or the like. Furthermore, spring 25 has a longer length
than conventional torsion springs utilized in prior mechanisms. The
longer length allows spring 25 to have a lower torsional spring
constant, thereby reducing the spring biasing force acting on the
handle 12 (FIG. 1) for a given spring displacement. The total force
required by a user in moving (rotating) handle 12 includes force
required to overcome the torsion of spring 25 and the force
required to actuate adjustment mechanism 4. Thus, reducing the
torsional force generated by spring 25 reduces the total force a
user must apply to handle 12 to actuate adjustment mechanism 4.
[0040] It is to be understood that variations and modifications can
be made on the aforementioned structure without departing from the
concepts of the present invention, and further it is to be
understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the
following claims unless these claims by their language expressly
state otherwise.
* * * * *