Vehicle seat with support for the lower legs

Abstract

A vehicle seat includes a lower leg support fastened pivotably to a seat cushion. The lower leg support may be moved in an infinitely variable manner between a stowaway position and a position of use and may be fixed in a freely selectable position. To provide reliability against incorrect operation, the lower leg support includes an overload safeguard which releases the fixation of the lower leg support in the event of overload, thereby allowing it to give way.

1 - 8 . (canceled)  
   
   
       9 . A vehicle seat, comprising: 
 a seat cushion; and    a lower leg support pivotably fastened to the seat cushion, infinitely variably moveable between a stowaway position and a position of use and fixable in a freely selectable position, the lower leg support including an overload safeguard device configured to release fixation of the lower leg support in response to an overload to allow the lower leg support to give way in response to the overload.    
   
   
       10 . The vehicle seat according to  claim 9 , further comprising an inclination-adjustment device, the lower leg support pivotably connected to a frame of the seat cushion by the inclination-adjustment device.  
   
   
       11 . The vehicle seat according to  claim 10 , wherein the inclination-adjustment device is configured as self-locking, the overload safeguard device arranged to interact with the inclination-adjustment device to release the self-locking of the inclination-adjustment device in response to the overload to allow the lower leg support to pivot freely in response to the overload.  
   
   
       12 . The vehicle seat according to  claim 10 , wherein the inclination-adjustment device includes a driving motor arranged to pivot the lower leg support.  
   
   
       13 . The vehicle seat according to  claim 10 , wherein the inclination-adjustment device includes an electric driving motor arranged to pivot the lower leg support.  
   
   
       14 . The vehicle seat according to  claim 9 , wherein the overload safeguard device includes two disks that are acted upon by a spring, that are frictionally connected and that are rotationally fixedly connected to each other, the rotationally fixed connection of the two disks releaseably in response to the overload.  
   
   
       15 . The vehicle seat according to  claim 14 , wherein the two disks are arranged parallel to each other and arranged one behind another on a shaft, each disk including a toothing arranged on a side surface and arranged to engage the toothing of the other disk.  
   
   
       16 . The vehicle seat according to  claim 15 , wherein the toothing of each disk is arranged in an encircling manner on the side surface of the disk.  
   
   
       17 . The vehicle seat according to  claim 15 , wherein the toothings of the disks are asymmetrical, the disks configured to engage with each other only in a defined position of the disks with respect to each other.  
   
   
       18 . The vehicle seat according to  claim 15 , wherein the overload safeguard device includes a spring configured to press the disks against each other with a spring force, the toothings including teeth having at least one beveled flank arranged to push the disks apart counter to the spring force when a torque is introduced into the overload safeguard device.  
   
   
       19 . The vehicle seat according to  claim 18 , wherein the spring is arranged as a disk spring.  
   
   
       20 . The vehicle seat according to  claim 18 , wherein the toothings include two beveled flanks.  
   
   
       21 . The vehicle seat according to  claim 9 , wherein the vehicle seat is configured as a rear vehicle seat.  
   
   
       22 . A vehicle seat, comprising: seat cushion means; and 
 lower leg support means pivotably fastened to the seat cushion means, infinitely variably moveable between a stowaway position and a position of use and fixable in a freely selectable position, the lower leg support means including an overload safeguarding means for releasing fixation of the lower leg support means in response to an overload to allow the lower leg support means to give way in response to the overload.