Device for damping an upper suspension part in at least one spatial direction with respect to a lower suspension part movable relative thereto

{
  "publication_number": "US9694727B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Device for damping an upper suspension part in at least one spatial direction with respect to a lower suspension part movable relative thereto",
  "abstract": "The invention relates to a device for damping an upper suspension part in at least one spatial direction with respect to a lower suspension part movable relative thereto, wherein a spring apparatus which acts between the upper suspension part and the lower suspension part is provided for damping, wherein an actuating element is provided by way of which a force can be introduced into the device bidirectionally in the operating direction of the spring apparatus, wherein the actuating element is actuable via a control apparatus, wherein the actuating element comprises a drive, preferably in the form of a rotary field magnet, and a coupling rod, drivable by the drive and in the form of a shaft, in such a way that a distance between the lower suspension part and upper suspension part can be varied as a result of the coupling rod rotating.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A device for damping a vehicle seat, comprising: an upper suspension part and a lower suspension part, the upper suspension part is configured to dampen oscillations in at least one spatial direction with respect to the lower suspension part and is movable relative thereto, a spring apparatus which acts between the upper suspension part and the lower suspension part being provided for damping the oscillations, an actuating element is provided by way of which a force can be introduced into the device bidirectionally in the operating direction of the spring apparatus, the actuating element being actuable via a control apparatus, the actuating element comprising: a drive, in the form of a rotary field magnet, positioned in a space defined between a plurality of links of a scissor-type support apparatus, and a coupling rod, drivable by the drive and in the form of a shaft, extends through the drive and rotates about an axis of the rotary field magnet, the coupling rod is fixedly and non-rotatably connected to lower ends of the plurality of links of the scissor-type support apparatus, and the coupling rod is fixedly and rotatably connected to the lower suspension part, wherein the control apparatus is configured to actuate the drive, which rotates the coupling rod about the axis and moves the plurality of links so that a distance between the lower suspension part and upper suspension part can be varied as a result of the rotation of the coupling rod, wherein the actuating element levels temporary deviations in the distance between the lower and upper suspension parts and actively engages in isolating the oscillations.",
    "2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the spring apparatus comprises a spring, which is arranged between the upper suspension part and the lower suspension part, and the scissor-type support apparatus, which connects the upper suspension part to the lower suspension part such that they are movable relative to one another.",
    "3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the scissor-type support apparatus comprises a first scissors, having a first inner link and a first outer link, and a second scissors, having a second inner link and a second outer link, which are preferably interconnected via at least one transverse connection.",
    "4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the drive is fixedly arranged on the upper suspension part or lower suspension part, respectively and the coupling rod in the form of the shaft is in the form of a fixed bearing transverse connection between the first inner link and the second inner link or between the first outer link and the second outer link, and is mounted rotatably in a fixed bearing.",
    "5. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one movement sensor is provided, which detects the movements of the upper suspension part with respect to the lower suspension part in the at least one spatial direction, which can be passed on to the control apparatus.",
    "6. The device according to claim 1, wherein an acceleration sensor is provided, which detects accelerations between the upper suspension part and the lower suspension part, and can be passed on to the control apparatus.",
    "7. The device according to claim 1, a shock absorber is provided for damping oscillations of the spring apparatus.",
    "8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of links comprising a plurality of inner links, the drive is positioned in the space defined between the plurality of inner links, and the coupling rod is fixedly and non-rotatably connected to the plurality of inner links of the scissor-type support apparatus.",
    "9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the drive rotates the coupling rod about the axis in a first direction to decrease the distance between the lower suspension part and the upper suspension part, and the drive rotates the coupling rod about the axis in a second direction to increase the distance between the lower suspension part and the upper suspension part.",
    "10. A device, comprising: an upper suspension part; a lower suspension part, wherein the lower suspension part is movable relative to the upper suspension part; a spring apparatus, wherein the spring apparatus acts between the upper suspension part in the lower suspension part; a control apparatus; an actuating element, wherein the actuating element is operable to introduce a force into the device bidirectionally in an operating direction of the spring apparatus, wherein the actuating element includes: a drive positioned in a space defined between the upper suspension part and the lower suspension part and defined between a plurality of links; a coupling rod extending through the drive such that the coupling rod and the drive are coaxially aligned and, the coupling rod is drivable by the drive, wherein the coupling rod is fixedly and non-rotatably connected to lower ends of the plurality of links of a scissor-type support apparatus between the upper suspension part and the lower suspension part, and the coupling rod is fixedly and rotatably connected to the lower suspension part, wherein a distance between the lower suspension part and the upper suspension part can be varied as a result of a rotation of the coupling rod being rotated by the drive and the plurality of links being entrained in rotation, wherein the actuating element is actuated via the control apparatus, wherein the actuating element levels temporary deviations in the distance between the lower and upper suspension parts and actively engages in isolating the oscillations.",
    "11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the drive is a rotary field magnet.",
    "12. The device according to claim 10, wherein the coupling rod is a shaft.",
    "13. The device according to claim 10, wherein the drive rotates the coupling rod in a first direction to decrease the distance between the lower suspension part and the upper suspension part, and the drive rotates the coupling rod in a second direction to increase the distance between the lower suspension part and the upper suspension part."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The invention relates to a device for damping an upper suspension part in at least one spatial direction with respect to a lower suspension part movable relative thereto.\n\nDevices of this type are often used to damp vehicle seats during operation of a vehicle. In this context, the upper suspension part is connected to the seat surface of the vehicle seat, whilst the lower suspension part is arranged fixed in place on the vehicle or the body thereof, respectively.\n\nHowever, in devices of this type for damping an upper suspension part with respect to a lower suspension part, it is problematic that during the operation of the device, in particular in a vehicle seat, temporary deviations from a pre-set distance between the lower and upper suspension face occur as a result of forces introduced into the device.\n\nAn object of the invention is therefore to further develop a device of the aforementioned type in such a way that deviations of this type during the operation of the device are minimized.\n\nThis object is achieved by a device having all of the features of claim 1. Advantageous configurations of the device may be found in dependent claims 2 to 7. This object is further achieved by a seat having all of the features of claim 8 and a vehicle having all of the features of claim 9.",
  "cpc": [
    "B60N 2/505",
    "B60N 2/02253",
    "B60N 2/0244",
    "B60N 2/162",
    "B60N 2/164",
    "B60N 2/165",
    "B60N 2/50",
    "B60N 2/501",
    "B60N 2/502",
    "B60N 2/508",
    "B60N 2/525",
    "B60N 2002/0236",
    "F16F 9/56"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B60N 2/16",
    "B60N 2/50",
    "B60N 2/52",
    "B60N 2/02"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Grammar AG"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Erwin Haller",
    "Jens Kolb"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2015-01-30",
  "publication_date": "2017-07-04",
  "grant_date": "2017-07-04",
  "priority_date": "2014-02-20",
  "application_number": "US-201514609618-A",
  "family_id": "52102391",
  "cited_by_count": 13,
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