HAMMARSKIÖLD, Mattias (Förlunda 510, Örebro, S-705 91, SE)
| CLAIMS 1 A guide arrangement (16) for a seat suspension (14), comprising a guide rail (28) and a guided member (30) arranged in the guide rail (28), said guided member (30) being displaceable forwards and backwards along the guide rail (28), said guide rail (28) having a first portion (32) arranged to prevent displacement of the guided member (30) in a lateral direction by contacting an abutment surface (42) of the guided member (30), characterized in that the position of said first portion (32) of the guide rail (28) is variable in the lateral direction so as to enable a play in the lateral direction between the guided member (30) and the first portion (28) to be adjusted 2 The guide arrangement (16) for a seat suspension (14) according to claim 1 , wherein said guided member (30) comprises a roller, said roller comprising a roll surface (40) for rolling along the guide rail (28) and said abutment surface (42), said abutment surface (42) forming an angle with said roll surface (40) 3 The guide arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said first portion (32) is a separate member, said guide arrangement further comprising attachment means (44', 44", 46', 46", 64', 64") adapted to attach said first portion (32) to said guide rail (28) 4 The guide arrangement according to claim 3, wherein said attachment means (44', 44", 64', 64") is adapted to releasably attach said first portion (32) to said guide rail (28) 5 The guide arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said attachment means (44', 44") and said first portion (32) are a unitary component 6 The guide arrangement according to claim 3 or 4, wherein said attachment means (46', 46", 64', 64") is adapted to enable a continuous adjustment of said play 7 A vehicle (10), preferably a truck or a work machine, comprising a guide arrangement (16) according to any one of the preceding claims A kit adapted to adjust a play in a lateral direction of a guide arrangement for a seat suspension, said guide arrangement (16) comprising a guide rail (28) and a guided member (30) arranged in the guide rail (28), said guided member (30) being displaceable forwards and backwards along a first direction in the guide rail (28), said lateral direction being substantially perpendicular to said first direction, characterized in that said kit comprises a first portion (32) adapted to be located between said guided member and at least a portion of said guide rail (28), and attachment means (44', 44") adapted to attach said first portion (32) to said guide rail (28) The kit according to claim 8, wherein said attachment means (44', 44") is adapted to releasably attach said first portion (32) to said guide rail (28) The kit according to claim 9, wherein said attachment means (44', 44") comprises a snap-on connection, preferably a clip The kit according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein said kit comprises a plurality of first portions (32) The kit according to claim 11 , wherein at least two of said plurality of first portions (32) have different thicknesses A method of obtaining a required play in a lateral direction of a guide arrangement (16) for a seat suspension (14), said guide arrangement (16) comprising a guide rail (28) and a guided member (30) arranged in the guide rail (28), said guided member (30) being displaceable forwards and backwards along a first direction in the guide rail (28), said lateral direction being substantially perpendicular to said first direction, said method compπsing the steps of - determining an initial gap between said guided member (30) and said guide rail (28) in said lateral direction, based on said initial gap, determining a required gap reduction in order to obtain said required play, determining a required position in said lateral direction of a first portion in order to obtain said required gap reduction, positioning said first portion (32) in said required position, and attaching said first portion (32) to said guide rail (32) such that said first portion (32) remains in said required position 14 The method according to claim 13, wherein in said step of positioning said first portion (32) in said required position comprises the steps of generating a contact assembly comprising at least said first portion (32) such that the thickness of said contact assembly is substantially equal to said required gap reduction, and - inserting said contact assembly between said guided member (30) and said guide rail (28) such that at least a portion of said contact assembly abuts at least a portion of said guide rail (28) to thereby attain said required position 15 The method according to claim 14, wherein in said contact assembly further comprises an intermediate member adapted to be located between said first portion (32) and at least a portion of said guide rail (28) 16 A guide arrangement for a seat suspension, comprising a guide rail and a guided member arranged in the guide rail, said guided member being displaceable forwards and backwards along the guide rail, said guide rail having a first portion arranged to prevent displacement of the guided member in a lateral direction by contacting an abutment surface of the guided member, wherein the position of said first portion of the guide rail is variable in the lateral direction so as to enable a play in the lateral direction between the guided member and the first portion to be adjusted 17 A guide arrangement for a seat suspension according to claim 16, wherein the guided member comprises a roller, said roller comprising a roll surface for rolling along the guide rail and said abutment surface, said abutment surface forming an angle with said roll surface 18 A guide arrangement according to claim 16 or 17, wherein said first portion is a separate member, said guide arrangement further comprising an attacher adapted to attach said first portion to said guide rail 19 The guide arrangement according to claim 18, wherein said attacher is adapted to releasably attach said first portion to said guide rail 20 The guide arrangement according to claim 19, wherein said attacher and said first portion are a unitary component 21 The guide arrangement according to claim 20, wherein said attacher is adapted to enable a continuous adjustment of said play 22 A vehicle, preferably a truck or a work machine, comprising a guide assembly according to any one of claims 16 - 21 23 A kit adapted to adjust a play in a lateral direction of a guide arrangement for a seat suspension, said guide arrangement comprising a guide rail and a guided member arranged in the guide rail, said guided member being displaceable forwards and backwards along a first direction in the guide rail, said lateral direction being substantially perpendicular to said first direction, wherein said kit comprises - a first portion adapted to be located between said guided member and at least a portion of said guide rail, and attachment means adapted to attach said first portion to said guide rail 24 The kit according to claim 23, wherein said attachment means is adapted to releasably attach said first portion to said guide rail 25 The kit according to claim 24, wherein said attachment means comprises a snap- on connection, preferably a clip 26 The kit according to any one of claims 23 to 25, wherein said kit comprises a plurality of first portions 27 The kit according to claim 26, wherein at least two of said plurality of first portions have different thicknesses A method of obtaining a required play in a lateral direction of a guide arrangement for a seat suspension, said guide arrangement comprising a guide rail and a guided member arranged in the guide rail, said guided member being displaceable forwards and backwards along a first direction in the guide rail, said lateral direction being substantially perpendicular to said first direction, wherein said method comprises the steps of determining an initial gap between said guided member and said guide rail in said lateral direction, based on said initial gap, determining a required gap reduction in order to obtain said required play, determining a required position in said lateral direction of a first portion between said guided member and said guide rail in order to obtain said required gap reduction, positioning said first portion in said required position, and - attaching said first portion to said guide rail such that said first portion remains in said required position The method according to claim 28, wherein in said step of positioning said first portion in said required position comprises the steps of - generating a contact assembly comprising at least said first portion such that the thickness of said contact assembly is substantially equal to said required gap reduction, and inserting said contact assembly between said guided member and said guide rail such that at least a portion of said contact assembly abuts at least a portion of said guide rail to thereby attain said required position The method according to claim 29, wherein in said contact assembly further comprises an intermediate member adapted to be located between said first portion and at least a portion of said guide rail |
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a guide arrangement according to the preamble of claim 1 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention will be described for an articulated hauler This should however be regarded as a non-limiting example, wherein the invention may be realized in other types of vehicles or work machines, such as for example wheel loaders
The term "work machine" comprises different types of material handling vehicles like construction machines, such as a wheel loader and a dump truck (such as an articulated hauler) A work machine is provided with a bucket, container or other type of work implement for carrying/transporting a load Further terms frequently used for work machines are "earth moving machinery", "off-road work machines" and "construction equipment"
In connection with transportation of heavy loads, e g in contracting work, work machines are frequently used A work machine may be operated with large and heavy loads in areas where there are no roads, for example for transports in connection with road or tunnel building, sand pits, mines and similar environments
Vehicle seats of today are generally provided with a seat suspension arrangement In order to provide comfortable conditions for occupants in the vehicle, the seat suspension arrangement is preferably adapted to allow a displacement of the seat relative the vehicle As such, should the vehicle for instance be driven on a bumpy road, such a seat suspension arrangement may at least partially reduce the accelerations imparted on the seat and hence on a person using the seat
A seat suspension arrangement allowing a relative displacement of the seat often includes one or more guide arrangements Such a guide arrangement may also - or instead - be used for adjusting the position of the seat The aforementioned guide arrangement generally includes a guide rail and a guided member arranged in the guide rail Moreover, the guided member is generally displaceable forwards and backwards along the guide rail in order to provide the aforesaid relative displacement and/or adjustability of the seat
In order to prevent that at least a portion of the seat suspension arrangement is subjected to excessive displacements in a lateral direction - which lateral direction generally is perpendicular to the aforesaid forward and backward displacements - for instance when the seat and the seat's occupant are subjected to lateral inertial loads, the guide assembly preferably includes a stop The stop is adapted to prevent a lateral displacement above a predetermined threshold value of the guided member relative to the guide rail Generally, the aforesaid stop is constituted by a stop surface of the guide rail and the threshold value is governed by the play in the lateral direction between the stop surface and an abutment surface of the guided member
Since the aforementioned threshold value is governed by the play, it is generally desired to be able to control the initial play when the seat suspension arrangement is assembled If the initial play is too small, the abutment surface may contact the stop surface too often, which may result in that the forward and backward displaceability of the guided member is impaired On the other hand, if the initial play is too large, there is a risk that the seat and/or the seat's occupant may be subjected to excessive lateral accelerations resulting in an uncomfortable driving situation of the occupant Moreover, if the initial play is too large, there is a risk that the guide assembly may produce a rattling noise in use which noise generally is undesired
In order to obtain a desired initial play, prior art proposes the introduction of shims between a contact surface of the guided member and a portion of the seat suspension arrangement The contact surface faces away from the stop surface The initial play may then be adjusted by selecting a shim or several shims with appropriate thicknesses Although the prior art approach provides the desired initial gap, the approach has some disadvantages
First of all, the insertion of the shim or shims generally has to be performed prior to the final assembly of the seat suspension arrangement As such, if it after the complete assembly of the seat suspension is discovered that the initial play is not the desired one, at least a portion of the seat suspension assembly has to be disassembled in order to replace the existing shιm(s) and/or to insert a new shim or shims
Moreover, if it after the assembly of the seat suspension arrangement is discovered that the play has changed, for instance due to wear of any component or components in the seat suspension arrangement, at least a portion of the seat suspension assembly again has to be disassembled in order to correct the change in play
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a guide arrangement comprising a guide rail and a guided member, wherein the play between the guide rail and the guided member may be adjusted in a straightforward manner
This object is achieved by a guide arrangement according to claim 1
As such, the present invention relates to a guide arrangement for a seat suspension The guide arrangement comprises a guide rail and a guided member arranged in the guide rail, the guided member being displaceable forwards and backwards along the guide rail The guide rail has a first portion arranged to prevent displacement of the guided member in a lateral direction by contacting an abutment surface of the guided member
As used herein, the expression "lateral direction" relates to a direction - separated from a vertical direction - which lateral direction generally extends substantially perpendicular to the forward and backward displacement of the guided member along the guide rail
According to the present invention, the position of the first portion of the guide rail is variable in the lateral direction so as to enable a play in the lateral direction between the guided member and the first portion to be adjusted
Since the position of the first portion of the guide rail is variable in the lateral direction, the play may be adjusted in a straightforward manner Moreover, the fact that the first portion is associated with the guide rail rather than the guided member enables that the lateral position of the first portion - and hence the play - may be adjusted after the seat suspension arrangement has been assembled In another embodiment of the present invention, the first portion is a separate member The guide arrangement further comprises attachment means adapted to attach the first portion to the guide rail Arranging the first portion as a separate member provides for a versatility in the ways the play may be adjusted
A second aspect of the present invention relates to a vehicle, preferably a truck or a work machine, comprising a guide assembly according to the present invention
A third aspect of the present invention relates to a kit adapted to adjust a play in a lateral direction of a guide arrangement for a seat suspension, the guide arrangement comprising a guide rail and a guided member arranged in the guide rail, the guided member being displaceable forwards and backwards along a first direction in the guide rail, the lateral direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction The kit comprises a first portion adapted to be located between the guided member and at least a portion of the guide rail, and attachment means adapted to attach the first portion to the guide rail
By the use of a kit according to the above, a mechanic or the like may adjust the play in a straightforward manner
A fourth aspect of the present invention relates to a method of obtaining a required play in a lateral direction of a guide arrangement for a seat suspension, the guide arrangement comprising a guide rail and a guided member arranged in the guide rail, the guided member being displaceable forwards and backwards along a first direction in the guide rail, the lateral direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction The method comprises the steps of determining an initial gap between the guided member and the guide rail in the lateral direction, based on the initial gap, determining a required gap reduction in order to obtain the required play, determining a required position in the lateral direction of a first portion in order to obtain said required gap reduction, - positioning the first portion in the required position, and attaching the first portion to the guide rail such that the first portion remains in the required position
As used herein, the expression "required play" is not limited to one specific value of the play Instead, the expression "required play" also encompasses a required play range or a required play interval
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
With reference to the appended drawings, below follows a more detailed description of embodiments of the invention cited as examples
Fig 1 illustrates a vehicle with a seat suspension arrangement,
Fig 2 illustrates a schematic perspective view of a seat suspension arrangement comprising an embodiment of the guide arrangement of the present invention,
Fig 3 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of the guide arrangement of the present invention,
Fig 4 illustrates a front view of the Fig 3 guide arrangement,
Fig 5 illustrates an embodiment of a kit according to the third aspect of the second invention,
Fig 6 illustrates another embodiment of a kit according to the third aspect of the second invention,
Fig 7 illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment of the guide arrangement of the present invention,
Fig 8 illustrates a front view of the Fig 7 guide arrangement,
Fig 9 illustrates a perspective view of a further embodiment of the guide arrangement of the present invention, and Fig 10 illustrates a front view of the Fig 9 guide arrangement
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The invention will be described using examples of embodiments It should however be realized that the embodiments are included in order to explain principles of the invention and not to limit the scope of the invention, defined by the appended claims
Fig 1 schematically illustrates a vehicle 10 which is exemplified by a work machine The work machine 10 comprises a seat 12 with a seat suspension arrangement 14
Fig 1 further illustrates that the vehicle 10 has an X dimension extending between the rear and the front of the vehicle 10 Furthermore, the vehicle 10 has a Y dimension extending from one side to the other of the vehicle 10 and a Z dimension the direction of which is perpendicular to both the X and Y dimensions
Fig 2 illustrates a perspective schematic view of a seat suspension arrangement 14 comprising an embodiment of a guide arrangement 16 of the present invention In fact, the Fig 2 comprises four guide arrangements 16, 18, 20, 22 of the present invention
The purpose of the Fig 2 guide arrangements 16, 18, 20, 22 is to allow that an upper structure 24 and the lower structure 26 are displaceable towards and away from each other
Moreover, as may be gleaned from Fig 2, the seat suspension arrangement 14 extends in three dimensions, a longitudinal dimension L, a transversal dimension T and a vertical dimension V The vertical dimension V is defined by the fact that the first and second structures 24, 26 are separated from one another in the vertical dimension V Moreover, each one of the longitudinal dimension L and the transversal dimension T extends perpendicular to the vertical dimension V The longitudinal dimension L and the transversal dimension T form a plane P
In the Fig 2 seat suspension arrangement 14, the longitudinal dimension L is parallel to the X dimension, the transversal dimension T is parallel to the Y dimension and the vertical dimension V is parallel to the Z dimension of the vehicle 10 However, in other embodiments of the sea suspension arrangement 14, the arrangement 14 may be oriented in other ways in relation to the vehicle 10 Purely by way of example, it is possible that the seat suspension arrangement 14 may be oriented such that the longitudinal dimension L thereof is substantially parallel to the Y dimension of the vehicle 10
The guide arrangement 16 comprises a guide rail 28 and a guided member 30 arranged in the guide rail 28 The guided member 30 is displaceable forwards and backwards along the guide rail 28 The forward and backward displacement may be regarded as displacements in a first direction In Fig 2 the first direction is parallel to the longitudinal dimension L
The guide rail 28 has a first portion 32 arranged to prevent displacement of the guided member 30 in a lateral direction by contacting an abutment surface of the guided member 30 In the embodiment of the guide arrangement 16 illustrated in Fig 2, the lateral direction extends substantially parallel to the transversal dimension T However, in other embodiments of the guide arrangement 16, the lateral direction may form an angle with the transversal dimension T However, the lateral direction generally lies in the plane P
In the Fig 2 embodiment of the guide arrangement 16, the guided member 30 comprises a first roller 34 Moreover, the Fig 2 guided member 30 also comprises a second roller 36 The guided member 30 is attached to an intermediated structure 38 of the seat suspension arrangement 14
In other embodiments of the guide arrangement 16, the guided member 28 may be of another type Purely by way of example, the guided member 30 may be a sliding member (not shown) adapted to slide on at least a portion of the guide rail 28
In order to enable that a play in the lateral direction between the guided member 30 and the first portion 32 may be adjusted, the position of the first portion 32 of the guide rail 28 is variable in the lateral direction Preferably, the position of the first portion 32 is variable in the lateral direction relative to the remaining portion of the guide rail 28 The first portion 32 is preferably made of a material having an appropriate wear resistance Purely by way of example, the first portion 32 may be made of steel The first portion 32 may preferably be elongate The play in the guide arrangement 16 of the present invention may preferably be adjusted by a method in accordance with the third aspect of the present invention Such a method generally comprises the steps of determining an initial gap between the guided member 30 and the guide rail 28 in the lateral direction, based on the initial gap, determining a required gap reduction in order to obtain the required play, determining a required position in the lateral direction of the first portion 32 in order to obtain the required gap reduction, - positioning the first portion 32 in the required position, and attaching the first portion 32 to the guide rail 28 such that the first portion
32 remains in the required position
Examples of how this variability of the lateral position of the first portion 32 may be obtained are presented hereinbelow with reference to Fig 3 to Fig 10 Also with reference to Fig 3 to Fig 10, embodiments of the above method will be presented
The position of the first portion 32 in the lateral direction may be varied in a plurality of ways in order to adjust the play As such, a few examples of how this may be achieved are presented hereinbelow It should however be pointed out that the examples are in no way an exhaustive listing of possible ways In fact, the examples below should only be regarded as a small selection of possible ways to vary the position of the first portion 32 in accordance with the present invention
As a first example, the first portion 32 may be displaceable in the lateral direction Preferably, the first portion 32 is displaceable in relation to the remaining portion of the guide rail 28 Purely by way of example, this displaceability may be obtained by furnishing the guide arrangement with an attachment means adapted to attach the first portion to the remaining portion of the guide rail The attachment means may preferably be adapted to allow a displacement of the first portion in the lateral direction
As a second example, the first portion 32 may be insertable in the remaining portion of the guide rail 28 As such, if it is determined that a play decrease is desired, the first portion 32 may be inserted in - and subsequently attached to - the remaining portion of the guide rail 28 Inversely, and as a third example, if it is determined that a play increase is desired the first portion 32 may be removed from the remaining portion of the guide rail 28
As a fourth example, the first portion 32 may be expandable and/or contractible in at least the lateral direction
The present invention also encompasses combinations of the four examples above As such, as a fifth example, the play may be adjusted by exchanging the first portion 32 in the guide rail 28 Such an exchange may for instance result in that a thinner first portion 32 is replaced by a thicker first portion 32, or vice versa, in order to adjust the lateral play
Fig 3 illustrates an embodiment of the guide arrangement 16 wherein the guided member 30 comprises a first roller 34 The first roller 34 comprises a roll surface 40 for rolling along the guide rail 28 The abutment surface 42 of the forms an angle with the roll surface 40 In the Fig 3 embodiment, the abutment surface 42 and the roll surface 40 form a substantially right angle to one another
In the Fig 3 embodiment of the guide arrangement 16, the first portion 32 is a separate member Moreover, in the Fig 3 embodiment, the first portion 32 may be removed from - or attached to - the guide rail 28 To this end, the guide arrangement 16 further preferably comprises attachment means or an attacher 44', 44" adapted to releasably attach the first portion 32 to the guide rail 28 As may be gleaned from Fig 3, the guide rail 28 comprises a vertically extending portion 29 at which the first portion 32 is adapted to be attached
The attachment means 44', 44" may be designed in a plurality of ways Purely by way of example, the attachment means 44', 44" may comprise a snap-on connection, preferably a clip Moreover, the attachment means 44', 44" may be made of a resilient material such as a plastics material Further, the attachment means 44', 44" may comprise one or more separate components adapted to attach the first portion 32 to the guide rail 28
Purely by way of example, the attachment means 44', 44" as well as the first portion 32 may be made of steel The Fig 3 embodiment illustrates a preferred implementation of the attachment means 44', 44" and the first portion 32 wherein they are a unitary component 45 The Fig 3 implementation of the attachment means 44', 44" and the first portion 32 may preferably be used for reducing a play between guided member 34 and the guide rail by inserting the unitary component 45 in the guide rail 28 and attaching it to the guide rail 28 by means of the attachment means 44', 44" In this respect, the play is the smallest gap between the guided member 30 and the guide rail 28, or any component attached to the guide rail 28, along the length of stroke of the guided member 30 in the guide rail 28, in the lateral direction
Moreover, the unitary component 45 illustrated in Fig 3 may be comprised in a kit adapted to adjust the aforesaid play Such a kit may comprise a plurality of unitary components 45 wherein each one of the unitary components 45 comprises a first portion 32 the thickness of which differs from the thickness of the first portion 32 of each one of the remaining unitary components
As such, a method for obtaining a required play in the guide arrangement 16 using the aforementioned kit may comprise a step of selecting the unitary component 45 of the plurality of unitary components 45 comprised in the kit which has a first portion 32 the thickness of which is closest to the aforementioned required gap reduction The selected unitary component 45 may then be inserted in, and attached to, the guide rail 28
Fig 5 illustrates an embodiment of a kit comprising a plurality of unitary components 45 the first portions 32 of which have different thicknesses ti, t 2 and t 3
Optionally, a kit may comprise one attachment means - or one set of a plurality of attachment means - 44', 44" and a plurality of first portions having varying thicknesses adapted to adjust the aforesaid play Such a kit may compnse a plurality of first portions 32 wherein at least two of the plurality of first portions 32 have different thicknesses Moreover the attachment means 44', 44" in such a kit may comprise a plurality of separate clips
An example of a kit according to the above is illustrated in Fig 6 A kit according to the above, may preferably be used in a method according to an embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention for obtaining a required play in the guide arrangement 16 Such an embodiment of the method may comprise a step of selecting the first portion 32 the thickness of which is closest to the aforementioned 5 required gap reduction Optionally, the method may comprise a step of generating a contact assembly comprising at least the first portion such that the thickness of the contact assembly is substantially equal to the required gap reduction Such a contact assembly may comprise a plurality of the first portions 32 As another alternative, such a contact assembly may comprise one first portion 32 and an intermediate member (not 10 shown) adapted to be located between the first portion and at least a portion of the guide rail Purely by way of example, such an intermediate member may be of another material than the first portion 32
As a non-limiting example, the thicknesses of the first portions 32 may be in the range of 15 0 1 - 0 8 preferably 0 1 - 0 5 mm These ranges are preferred both for a first portion 32 which is a separate component as well as a first portion which is a unitary component 45 with the attachment means 44', 44" It should be noted that the above ranges are also preferred for the intermediate member (not shown)
20 Fig 7 and Fig 8 illustrate a guide arrangement 16 according to another embodiment of the present invention In Fig 7, the attachment means 44', 44" is adapted to enable a continuous adjustment of the play To this end, the adjustment means 44', 44" may preferably comprise a threaded member 46', 46" attaching the first portion 32 to the guide rail 28
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Fig 7 and Fig 8 illustrate a preferred implementation of the attachment means 44', 44" The attachment means comprises a first attachment portion 44' and a second attachment portion 44" Since the features and functions of the first attachment portion 44' and the second attachment portion 44" are the same, or at least similar, only the features of the
30 first attachment portion 44' will be presented hereinbelow
The first attachment portion 44' comprises a laterally extending opening 48' The first portion 32 comprises a connecting member 50' The connecting member 50' protrudes from the first portion 32 in a lateral direction In the Fig 7 embodiment, the lateral direction 35 is substantially parallel to the transversal dimension T Moreover, the connecting member 50' extends at least partially through the laterally extending opening 48' Further, the first attachment portion 44' comprises a threaded member 46' extending in a threaded member direction which forms an angle with the transversal dimension T In the Fig 7 and 6 embodiment, the threaded member direction is substantially perpendicular to the transversal dimension T
The play in the Fig 7 and Fig 8 embodiment of the guide arrangement 16 may be adjusted by an embodiment of the aforesaid adjustment method The embodiment of the method may preferably comprise a step of positioning the first portion 32 in a required position such that a required play Δ has been obtained
In order to ensure that the required play Δ is obtained, an insert 51 may preferably be used The insert 51 is adapted to be inserted between the guided member 30 (ι e the roller 34 in Fig 8) and the first portion 32 Moreover, the insert has a thickness which corresponds to the required play Δ As such, when the insert 51 has been introduced between the roller 34 and the first portion 32, the first portion 32 is positioned such that the insert 51 abuts both the abutment surface 42 and the first portion 32
A method according to an embodiment of the fourth aspect of the invention then comprises a step of tightening the threaded members 46', 46" such that the first portion 32 remains in the required position If the aforementioned insert 51 has been used for obtaining a required play Δ, the insert 51 may then preferably removed in order to obtain a gap between the guided member 34 and the first portion 32 Optionally, the insert 51 is of a material which wears off quickly during use such that manual removal of the insert 51 may be omitted
Fig 9 and Fig 10 illustrate a guide arrangement 16 according to another embodiment of the present invention As may be gleaned from Fig 9 the guide rail 28 of the guide arrangement 16 illustrated therein comprises two parts The first part of the guide rail 28 is a contact surface 52 which the guided member 30 (ι e the roller 34 in Fig 9 and 10) is adapted to contact when the guided member 30 is displaced forwards and backwards along the guide rail 28 In the implementation of the guide rail 28 illustrated in Fig 9 and Fig 10, the contact surface 52 is an integral part of the lower structure 32 However, in other implementations of the guide rail 28, the contact surface 52 may be a separate component (not shown) which preferably is fixedly attached to a portion of the seat suspension arrangement 14
The second part of the guide rail 28 is a guide assembly 54 comprising the first portion 32 The guide assembly 54 is adapted to be attached to the contact surface 52 - preferably by means of a releasable attachment arrangement such as a bolt arrangement The guide assembly 54 further comprises a vertical control portion 56 and an attachment portion 58 The vertical control portion 56 extends in the horizontal plane P when the guide assembly 54 is attached to the contact surface 52 The purpose of the vertical control portion 56 is to prevent to large an upward displacement of the guided member 30 relative to the contact surface 52 The aforesaid upward displacement may for instance occur if the seat suspension arrangement 14 is subjected to vertical accelerations The attachment portion 58 is preferably at least partially adapted to contact the contact surface 52 when the guide assembly 54 and the contact surface 52 are connected to one another
Fig 9 and Fig 10 illustrate a preferred implementation of attachment means 60', 60" which preferably may be used to for attaching together the contact surface 52 and the guide assembly 54 in order to form the guide rail 28 Since the features and functions of the first attachment portion 60' and the second attachment portion 60" are the same, or at least similar, only the features of the first attachment portion 60' will be presented hereinbelow
The first attachment portion 60' comprises an opening 62' in the guide assembly 54 In the Fig 9 implementation on the guide assembly 54, the opening 62' is located in the attachment portion 58 of the guide assembly 54 which is a preferred location of the opening 62' The opening 62' is elongate and extends at least partially in the lateral direction - which lateral direction in the Fig 9 embodiment is parallel to the transversal direction T The Fig 9 implementation of the opening 62' is in the form of an elongate recess in the attachment portion 58 However, in other implementations of the first attachment portion 60', the opening 62' may instead be for instance a bore in the attachment portion 58
Moreover, the first attachment portion 60' comprises a fastener 64' - preferably a threaded fastener such as a bolt or a screw - adapted to extend through the opening 62' and to attach the guide assembly 54 to the contact surface 52 To this end, the contact surface 52 preferably comprises a fastener opening 66' through which the fastener 64' is adapted to at least partially extend The fastener opening 66' is preferably provided with threads with which the fastener 64' may engage
5 In order to adjust the play between the guided member 34 and the guide rail 28, the fastener 64' - or fasteners 64', 64" - are firstly loosened such that the guide assembly 54 is movable in at least the lateral direction The guide assembly 54 is then laterally displaced until a desired gap Δ between the first portion 32 has been obtained In order to assure that the desired gap Δ is obtained, an insert 51 similar to the one discussed in 10 conjunction with Fig 8 The fastener 64' is then tightened such that the guide assembly 54 and the contact surface 52 are rigidly connected to one another
It should be realized that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described hereinabove and illustrated in the drawings For instance, the opening 64' or
15 openings 64', 64" of the guide assembly 54 may extend in the first direction in addition to the lateral direction to thereby enable that the position of the attachment portion 58 in relation to the contact surface 52 may be adjusted both laterally as well as in the first direction Moreover, it should be understood that although the invention has been described by embodiments wherein the guide rail 28 is associated with the lower structure
20 26 of the seat arrangement 14, the invention is equally applicable for guide rails 28 being associated with the upper structure 24 As such, a person skilled in the art will realize that many changes and modifications may be performed within the scope of the appended claims
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