Fisher Company

Crh North America, Inc.

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Mircea Napau

Ioan Napau

Doina Napau

Ileana Dacia Napau

Dean Lenane

Matthew Essian

Sapan Mahendra Poptani

Antal Teer

Radu Calin Napau-Stoica

Robert James Bachula

Burckhard Becker

Armin Michel

Ileana-Dacia Napau

Tobias Keller

Patrick Frank Timmerman

Ryan Martin

Matthew Mclaughlin

Mike Chupa

Mike Chapa

A swivel assembly is provided for moving a vehicle seat in an angular direction. The swivel assembly may include a lower plate, a rotating plate, a gear ring, a motor, and a locking pin assembly. The lower plate may be attached to a vehicle floor. The rotating plate may be attached to the vehicle seat. The gear ring may be fixedly attached to the rotating plate. The motor may be coupled to the gear ring and drive the gear ring to move in the angular direction to cause corresponding movement of the rotating plate and the vehicle seat. The locking pin assembly may include a locking pin that is movable relative to the lower plate between an unlocked position and a locked position. The locking pin may move into and out of engagement with the rotating plate to selectively restrict and allow movement of the rotating plate.

Seat swivel assembly with locking pin

A seat adjuster assembly for a vehicle seat assembly may include a housing, a worm, a spindle screw, a motor, and either a helical gear or a single-enveloping worm gear. The worm may be disposed within the housing for rotation about a first axis and having a thread. The helical gear or single-enveloping worm gear may be disposed within the housing for rotation about a second axis and meshingly-engaged with a pitch surface of the thread of the worm. The spindle screw may extend along the second axis and through the housing and the helical gear or single-enveloping worm gear. The spindle screw may be meshingly-engaged with the helical gear or single-enveloping worm gear. The motor may drive the worm to cause linear movement of the housing, worm, motor, and the helical gear or single-enveloping worm gear along the second axis.

Open architecture power length adjuster assembly for a vehicle seat and method of manufacturing the same

A seat adjuster drive including a stationary track that is fixed to a vehicle and a sliding track that is arranged in sliding engagement with the stationary track for movement fore and aft. A gear box, mounted to the sliding track, supports a pinion that is part of a rack and pinion drive assembly. The gear box houses a conical spiral gear set and one or more planetary gear sets. The conical spiral gear set includes a conical pinion gear that is coupled to an electric motor and a conical spiral gear that is arranged in meshing engagement with the conical pinion gear. The conical spiral gear is carried on the pinion in a sliding fit. The one or more planetary gear sets rotatably couple the conical spiral gear and the pinion through a gear reduction.

Ultra-compact power length adjuster with anti-back drive capability and pinion-rack output for a vehicle seat

A vehicle seat adjustment mechanism may include a gearbox, a first gear, a second gear, and a spindle screw. The first gear is received in the gearbox and is rotatable relative to the gearbox about a first axis. The second gear is received in the gearbox and is rotatable relative to the gearbox about a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis. The first and second gears are meshingly engaged with each other. The spindle screw is meshingly engaged with the second gear and extends through the second gear along the second axis. The spindle screw may have trapezoidal threads.

Gearbox for vehicle seat adjustment mechanism

A gearbox for a vehicle seat adjustment mechanism in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure includes first and second portions. The first portion includes a first body defining a first longitudinal recess and a first peripheral recess in fluid communication with the first longitudinal recess. The first body includes a concave first curved surface. The second portion includes a second body defining a second longitudinal recess and a second peripheral recess in fluid communication with the second longitudinal recess. The second body includes a convex second curved surface. The second curved surface has an equal and opposite curvature compared to the first curved surface. In an assembled configuration, the first and second curved surfaces are in contact, the first longitudinal and second longitudinal recesses cooperate to define a longitudinal passage, and the first and second peripheral recesses communicate to define a peripheral receptacle.

A method of manufacturing a gear drive for a seat adjuster assembly may include applying a cutting process to a worm gear blank to cut gear teeth into the worm gear blank and form a single-enveloping worm gear; forming a worm with a helical thread that includes a pitch surface that is configured to mesh with the gear teeth of the single-enveloping worm gear. A longitudinal crown is created on the pitch surface of the helical thread of the worm such that the pitch surface has an arcuate profile moving from a proximal end of the worm to a distal end of the worm. In addition, a crowned tooth profile is created on the helical thread of the worm that extends in an angular direction between a top land and a bottom land of the helical thread. The crowned tooth profile bows outwardly along a convex curve.

A recliner mechanism includes first, second and third locking plates and a fastener. The first locking plate has a first inner diametrical surface having first teeth formed thereon. The second locking plate has a second inner diametrical surface having second teeth formed thereon. One or both of the first and second locking plates may include an aperture extending therethrough. The third locking plate has an outer diametrical surface having third teeth formed thereon. Some of the third teeth are meshingly engaged with some of the first teeth and some of the second teeth. The fastener may extend through the aperture and is attached to one of a seatback and a seat bottom.

High torque load power rotary recliner with anti-back drive capability and reduced backlash for car seat

A seat adjuster assembly including a housing, a worm, a worm gear, and a spindle screw is provided. The worm is disposed within the housing for rotation about a first axis and includes a helical thread. The worm gear is disposed within the housing for rotation about a second axis and is meshingly-engaged with the worm. The spindle screw extends through the housing and the worm gear for rotation about the second axis. The spindle screw is meshingly-engaged with the worm gear. The helical thread of the worm may be longitudinally crowned or double-crowned.

A gear assembly for a seat adjuster includes a gear housing, a worm gear, a helical gear meshed with the worm gear, a wobble gear carried on an eccentric lobe of the helical gear, a pinion disc, a first ring gear disposed in the gear housing, a second ring gear disposed in the pinion disc, and a pinion member carrying the helical gear and the pinion disc. The wobble gear includes first and second sets of wobble gear teeth that mesh with the first and second ring gears, respectively. A housing side gear ring disposed in the gear housing defines part of the first ring gear and the gear housing defines another part of the first ring gear. The pinion disc defines the second ring gear.

Gear assembly for a seat adjuster

A seat adjustment assembly includes a housing, a worm, a gear, and a rail. The worm is disposed within the housing for rotation about a first axis and including a helical thread defining an arcuate profile extending about the first axis. The gear is disposed within the housing for rotation about a second axis and is meshingly-engaged with the worm. The rail extends through the housing and the gear for rotation about a third axis. The rail is meshingly-engaged with the gear.

Power seat length adjuster assembly and method of manufacture

A gear assembly for a seat adjuster includes a gear housing, a worm gear, a helical gear meshed with the worm gear, a wobble gear carried on an eccentric lobe of the helical gear, a pinion disc, a first ring gear disposed in the gear housing, a second ring gear disposed in the pinion disc, and a pinion member carrying the helical gear and the pinion disc. The wobble gear includes first and second sets of wobble gear teeth that mesh with the first and second ring gears, respectively. A housing side gear ring disposed in the gear housing defines part of the first ring gear and the gear housing defines another part of the first ring gear. A pinion disc gear ring disposed in the pinion disc defines part of the second ring gear and the pinion disc defines another part of the second ring gear.

A single-stage gear reduction output mechanism for an automotive seat assembly includes a gear housing bracket, gear housing, axle shaft, eccentric, and first and second gears. The axle shaft extends through the eccentric with a slip fit, the first gear rotates with the axle shaft, and the second gear is carried on a first bearing surface of the eccentric and meshingly engages the first gear in a planetary arrangement. The second gear includes an external flange with at least two guide holes. First and second support pins that are rigidly fixed in place relative to the axle shaft extend through the two guide holes in the external flange of the second gear. Forces acting at the interfaces between the first and second support pins and the two guide holes and between the eccentric and the second gear prevent the first gear from back-driving rotation of the second gear.

Single-stage gear reduction output mechanism having a locking gear with pin receiving guide holes and anti-back drive capability for automotive seat adjuster drives

A single-stage gear reduction output mechanism for an automotive seat assembly including a gear housing bracket, gear housing, axle shaft, eccentric, and first and second gears. The axle shaft extends through the eccentric with a slip fit, the first gear rotates with the axle shaft, and the second gear is carried on a first bearing surface of the eccentric and meshingly engages the first gear in a planetary arrangement. A locking plate including first, second, and third slot cutouts is disposed within the gear housing. A support pin extends from the gear housing through the first slot cutout and a second bearing surface of the eccentric extends through the second slot cutout to support the locking plate and limit its movement along a lateral axis. The second gear includes a first pin that extends through the third slot cutout to prevent the first gear from back-driving the second gear.

Single-stage gear reduction output mechanism with a locking fork providing anti-back drive capability for automotive seat adjuster drives

Methods for generating gear teeth of a double involute-face gear drive system, curved in their longitudinal direction in form of either shortened, normal or an extended involute curve, include methods for generating the teeth of both components. Methods for generating the teeth of a double involute pinion, shaped in form of a normal involute in their profile direction and curved in their longitudinal direction in form of an either shortened, a normal or an extended involute curve, include the use of one of the following tools (1) a face hob and (2) a conical hob. Methods for generating the teeth of a face gear curved in their longitudinal direction in form of an either shortened, a normal or an extended involute curve include the use of one of the following tools (1) a rack cutter, (2) a shaper cutter and (3) a conical hob.

Methods for generating gear teeth of a double involute pinion-face gear drive system

A double involute pinion-face gear drive provides transmission of torque and speed, or direction of movement modification between non-intersecting shafts at right angles to one another. A double involute cylindrical pinion on one axis, engages a rotatable disk-shaped gear on the second axis. The teeth of the pinion are curved in an abridged, normal or extended involute shape. Likewise, the teeth of the face gear are curved in abridged, normal or extended involute shape in the lengthwise direction of the teeth. These gear drives can be simultaneously bi-rotational and bi-directional and allow a relatively wide range of speed ratios, as low as 1:1 and as high as 7.5:1.

Growing community of inventors

Sterling Heights, MI, United States of America

Mircea Napau