Seat slide device

Abstract

To achieve simplification of a shape of a biasing member and inhibit increase of the number of components.SOLUTION: At a front end of a lever member 131, front upper support surfaces 157a and rear upper support surfaces 158a facing an end upper surface of an operation member 133 are provided spaced apart from each other in a vehicle fore and aft direction. Further, a front lower support surface 147c facing an end lower surface of the operation member 133 is provided below the front upper support surfaces 157a. At an upper rail 105, a rear lower support surface 148a facing the end lower surface of the operation member 133 is provided below the rear upper support surface 158a. A front end of the biasing member 132 engages with the end lower surface of the operation member 133 to bias the operation member 133 upward at a position between the front upper support surfaces 157a and the rear upper support surfaces 158a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a seat slide device used in a vehicle seat. [Background technology]

[0002] A seat slide device for a vehicle has an upper rail fixed to a seat that is slidably mounted relative to a lower rail fixed to the vehicle body, and is locked by engaging a locking tooth (locking portion) of a locking member attached to the upper rail with a locking groove (locked portion) of the lower rail. The seat slide device includes a lever member that operates the locking portion in an unlocking direction, and a portion of the lever member forward of its rotation center is biased upward by a biasing member. An operating member is connected to the front end of the lever member, and the lever member rotates together with the operating member when the operating member is lifted upward.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, a lever member that operates the locking portion in the unlocking direction is provided, and the lever member is biased upward by a biasing member on the side forward of its rotation center. This biases the lever member so that the rear end of the lever member and the locking portion come into contact with each other with no clearance between them. Here, in Patent Document 1, a biasing member is provided between the lever member and an operating member that is inserted into the front end of the lever member, and the rear end connection portion of the operating member is supported so as to be swingable around an axis in the left-right direction that is different from the rotation center of the lever member.

[0004] On the other hand, in Patent Document 2, a clearance is provided between the operating member and the lever member from the initial position to the operating position where the release operating force is exerted against the biasing forces of the lock spring and the leaf spring to release the slide-locked state by the lock spring. That is, in Patent Document 2, only the operating member is allowed to rotate relative to the lever member in the unlocking direction (upward). Also, in Patent Document 2, one end of the leaf spring biases the upper surface of the operating member downward in a portion between a pair of front and rear upper support surfaces of the lever member, and a clearance is provided between the pair of upper support surfaces and the operating member. Therefore, in Patent Document 2, only the operating member is allowed to rotate relative to the lever member in the counter-unlocking direction (downward). For this reason, Patent Document 2 discloses that only the operating member is allowed to rotate relative to the lever member in both the unlocking direction (upward) and the counter-unlocking direction (downward). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-126184 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-67142 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the structure of Patent Document 2, the leaf spring has a complex shape, which not only makes the shape of the biasing member complex, but also increases the number of parts because the lock spring and the leaf spring are separate parts.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to simplify the shape of the biasing member and to suppress an increase in the number of parts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The seat slide device according to the present invention includes a lower rail extending along the longitudinal direction of a vehicle, an upper rail that moves relatively along the longitudinal direction of the lower rail, a lever member supported rotatably about a left-right axis relative to the upper rail, a locking member provided at a rear end of the lever member and including a locking portion that is movable between a locked position where it engages with a locked portion formed on the lower rail and an unlocked position where it is disengaged from the locked portion, a biasing member that biases the locking portion toward the locked position, and an operating member connected to a front end of the lever member. The biasing member extends along the longitudinal direction of the upper rail, and an intermediate portion between the rear and front ends of the biasing member is engaged with the upper rail. The rear end of the biasing member abuts against the rear end of the lever member from below to bias the rear end of the lever member upward, and the front end of the biasing member abuts against an end of the operating member from below to bias the front end of the lever member upward via the operating member. The front end of the lever member has a generally rectangular cross-section into which the operating member is inserted, and includes a pair of side walls extending along the longitudinal direction of the upper rail, a front upper support surface and a rear upper support surface facing the upper end surface of the operating member and spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction, and a front lower support surface facing the lower end surface of the operating member and positioned below the front upper support surface. The upper rail is provided with a rear lower support surface facing the lower end surface of the operating member and positioned below the rear upper support surface. The front end of the biasing member engages with the lower end surface of the operating member from below at a position between the front upper support surface and the rear upper support surface to bias the operating member upward. A vertical clearance is provided between the front lower support surface on the lever member and the lower end surface of the operating member, and between the rear lower support surface on the upper rail and the lower end surface of the operating member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, the shape of the biasing member can be simplified and an increase in the number of parts can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1]1 is an exploded perspective view of a seat slide device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a seat slide device including a lower guide ball and an upper guide ball disposed between an upper rail and a lower rail. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a rear view of the rear end portion of the operating member as seen from behind. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the lever member and the biasing member as viewed from above. [Figure 10A] 4 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of a main part of the seat slide device showing one of the bearing portions. FIG. [Figure 10B] 10 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of a main part of the seat slide device showing the other bearing portion. FIG. [Figure 11A] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the lever member seen from above before the operation member is attached. [Figure 11B] 3 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of a main part of the seat slide device, showing a state before an operating member is attached. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of a main part of the seat slide device. [Figure 13] 4 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of a main part of the seat slide device, showing a state in which the operating member is operated in an unlocking direction. FIG. [Figure 14] 4 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of a main part of the seat slide device, showing a state in which a load in a direction opposite to the unlocking direction acts on the operating member. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] A seat slide device 101 according to one embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. 1 is a manual type that manually adjusts a vehicle seat in the fore-and-aft direction. The seat slide device 101 includes lower rails 103 that are installed on the floor surface of the vehicle and extend in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and upper rails 105 that are installed on the rear surface of a seat cushion (not shown) and are assembled within the lower rails 103 along the longitudinal direction of the lower rails 103 so as to be relatively movable. The lower rails 103 and the upper rails 105 form rail bodies 106, and a pair of rail bodies 106 are provided on the left and right sides. In the following description (including other embodiments), "front" refers to the front side (FR) of the vehicle, which is the left side in Fig. 1, "rear" refers to the rear side (RR) of the vehicle, which is the right side in Fig. 1, and "left and right" refer to the left and right directions when looking at the front of the vehicle from the rear of the vehicle.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 2, the lower rail 103 includes a lower bottom wall 103a having a rectangular plate shape extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction. A pair of left and right lower outer walls 103b rise from both end edges of the lower bottom wall 103a in the vehicle width direction so as to be slightly inclined outward upward from the lower bottom wall 103a. A lower inclined wall 103c is formed between the lower ends of the pair of left and right lower outer walls 103b and the lower bottom wall 103a. A pair of left and right lower upper walls 103d are provided from the upper end edges of the pair of left and right lower outer walls 103b so as to extend parallel to the lower bottom wall 103a in directions approaching each other.

[0014] A pair of left and right lower inner walls 103e are provided that hang down from the inner end edges of the pair of left and right lower upper walls 103d toward the lower bottom wall 103a. The distance between the opposing parallel lower inner walls 103e is set so that the upper rail 105 housed in the lower rail 103 can move.

[0015] The upper rail 105 includes an upper top wall 105a having a rectangular plate shape extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body. A pair of left and right upper side walls 105b hang downward from both vehicle width direction edges of the upper top wall 105a. Upper lower inclined walls 105c rise obliquely upward and outward from the lower edges of both left and right upper side walls 105b. Upper upper inclined walls 105e rise obliquely upward from the upper edges of both the pair of left and right upper lower inclined walls 105c via bent portions 105d toward the lower upper wall 103d.

[0016] A lower guide ball 107 is rollably disposed between a lower arc portion 103f between the lower bottom wall 103a and the lower inclined wall 103c of the lower rail 103 and an upper lower inclined wall 105c of the upper rail 105. An upper guide ball 109 is rollably disposed between an upper arc portion 103g between the lower outer wall 103b and the lower upper wall 103d of the lower rail 103 and an upper upper inclined wall 105e of the upper rail 105.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 1, the lower guide balls 107 and the upper guide balls 109 are rotatably supported by ball retainers 111, which are omitted from Fig. 2. The ball retainers 111 support two lower guide balls 107 and two upper guide balls 109, for a total of four. The ball retainers 111 supporting these lower guide balls 107 and upper guide balls 109 are arranged in two locations, one at the front and one at the back, within a housing section 113 (Fig. 2) surrounded by the lower outer wall 103b, the lower inclined wall 103c, the lower upper wall 103d, and the lower inner wall 103e, for a total of four locations for each pair of left and right rail bodies 106.

[0018] 12, when the rail body 106 is assembled, a lever member 131 is rotatably supported by a shaft member 115 on the upper side wall 105b on the front side of the upper rail 105. The shaft member 115 is suspended between the left and right upper side walls 105b of the upper rail 105 so as to straddle both the left and right upper side walls 105b. A lock member 117 is provided at the end of the lever member 131 rearward of the rotation center (shaft member 115). Meanwhile, an operating member 133 is connected to the end of the lever member 131 forward of the rotation center (shaft member 115).

[0019] As shown in Figure 5, the locking member 117 is a convex flat plate with two rectangular holes 125a formed along the front-rear direction near each of the left and right edges. The portions of the locking member 117 adjacent to each hole 125a in the front-rear direction form locking teeth 125b that serve as locking portions that protrude to the left and right. Three locking teeth 125b are formed on each of the left and right sides. The three locking teeth 125b on each of the left and right sides are connected at their tip ends by connecting portions 125c that extend in the front-rear direction.

[0020] In this embodiment, of the three lock teeth 125b on the right side in the vehicle width direction, the frontmost lock tooth 125b constitutes a main lock tooth 125m that is wider in the front-to-rear direction than the other lock teeth 125b. The main lock tooth 125m is only one of the multiple (six) lock teeth on the left and right sides.

[0021] Furthermore, in the center of the left-right direction of the locking member 117, there are provided, in order from the front, a front fixing hole 117a, an upper protrusion 117b that protrudes upward from the locking member 117, a lower protrusion 117c that protrudes downward from the locking member 117, and a rear fixing hole 117d. The upper protrusion 117b is formed by making a part of the locking member 117 protrude downward, and the lower protrusion 117c is formed by cutting and raising the locking member 117 downward.

[0022] As shown in Figure 4, three locking tooth receiving recesses 129 are formed on each side of the upper rail 105 along the front-to-rear direction, extending from the upper left and right side walls 105b to the upper lower inclined walls 105c, approximately near the center of the upper rail 105 in the front-to-rear direction. When the rail body 106 is assembled, the three locking teeth 125b of the locking member 117 fit into the three locking tooth receiving recesses 129 from below. At this time, protrusions 126 between the locking tooth receiving recesses 129 are inserted into the holes 125a of the locking member 117. To prevent the vicinity of the connecting portion 125c of the locking member 117 from interfering with the upper rail 105, openings 128 continuing to the bottom of the locking tooth receiving recesses 129 and notched openings 130 formed in the top of the upper upper inclined walls 105e are provided on both the left and right sides of the upper rail 105.

[0023] Further, both left and right upper side walls 105b of the upper rail 105 are provided with bearing holes 105f through which the shaft member 115 is inserted, and a pair of left and right locking portions 105g formed at the same position in the vehicle longitudinal direction and vertical direction and for locking a biasing member 132 (described later). The pair of left and right locking portions 105g are provided on the upper side walls 105b rearward of the rotation center (shaft member 115) of the lever member 131. The locking portions 105g are formed by cutting and raising inward from the upper side walls 105b.

[0024] 3, a plurality of locking grooves 127 serving as locked portions are provided along the front-to-rear direction on the left and right lower inner walls 103e of the lower rail 103, except for the front and rear portions thereof. When the locking teeth 125b of the locking member 117 are positioned in the locking tooth receiving recesses 129 and enter the locking grooves 127 from below, the locking member 117 is locked to the lower rail 103. As a result, the upper rail 105 to which the locking members 117 are attached is restricted from moving in the front-to-rear direction relative to the lower rail 103.

[0025] When the locking member 117 is attached to the upper rail 105, the biasing member 132 applies an upward elastic force to the locking member 117, thereby maintaining a state in which the locking teeth 125b are engaged with the locking groove 127. From this state, by operating the operating member 133 shown in FIG. 1 in the unlocking direction (upward), the locking member 117 is pushed downward via the lever member 131, and the lock is released. The operating member 133 is inserted into the upper rail 105 from the front and is arranged so as to be able to move in conjunction with the lever member 131.

[0026] As shown in Figure 6, the lever member 131 has left and right side walls 147 that extend along the longitudinal direction of the upper rail 105 and face each other at a predetermined interval in the left-right direction, and a bottom wall 134 that connects the bottom ends of the left and right side walls 147 in an area excluding the front ends of the left and right side walls 147.

[0027] A pair of left and right recessed grooves 147a serving as bearings are formed in the upper end of side wall 147, forward of the midpoint in the fore-and-aft direction of lever member 131. Of the pair of left and right recessed grooves 147a, the bottom surface of the right recessed groove 147a is formed as a semicircular arc surface having a radius slightly larger than the outer diameter of shaft member 115 (see FIG. 10A), and the bottom surface of the left recessed groove 147a is formed as a flat surface extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle (see FIG. 10B). Groove 147a engages with shaft member 115 from below, and lever member 131 is urged upward at the front and rear ends so as to maintain the state in which groove 147a is engaged with shaft member 115, and the bottom surfaces of the pair of left and right recessed grooves 147a each come into contact with shaft member 115 at a single point in the up-and-down direction. Here, the radius of the aforementioned arcuate surface is set to be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the shaft member 115 so that engagement with the shaft member 115 does not become a press fit due to variations.

[0028] Although not shown, in another embodiment, one of the pair of left and right bearing portions may be formed as a round hole, and the other bearing portion may be formed as an elongated hole extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.

[0029] Furthermore, on the lower wall 134 at the rear end of the lever member 131, there are provided, in order from the front side, a front protrusion 134a that protrudes downward from the lower wall 134, a positioning hole 134b, and a rear protrusion 134c that protrudes downward from the lower wall 134. The front protrusion 134a and the rear protrusion 134c are each formed by cutting and raising the lower wall 134 downward.

[0030] The front protrusion 134a and the rear protrusion 134c of the lever member 131 are inserted into the front fixing hole 117a and the rear fixing hole 117d of the locking member 117, respectively, and the upper protrusion 117b of the locking member 117 is inserted by press-fitting into the positioning hole 134b of the lever member 131. In this state, the front protrusion 134a and the rear protrusion 134c are respectively crimped, thereby fixing the locking member 117 to the rear end of the lever member 131 (see FIG. 11B).

[0031] The lower ends of the front ends of the lever members 131 are connected to each other by a front lower wall 147b, which serves as a front lower support portion and extends in the left-right direction toward the lower ends of the opposing opposite sides. The upper surface of the front lower wall 147b forms a front lower support surface 147c. Front upper protrusions 157, which serve as front upper support portions and extend in the left-right direction so as to bend from the front ends of both side walls 147 toward the opposing opposite sides, are formed at the upper ends of the front ends of the both side walls 147. The tips of the left and right front upper protrusions 157 are spaced apart from each other, leaving a gap between them. The lower surfaces of the front upper protrusions 157 form a front upper support surface 157a.

[0032] Rear upper protrusions 158 are formed on the upper portions of both side walls 147, rearward of front upper protrusions 157 and forward of recessed grooves 147a, as rear upper support portions. The rear upper protrusions 158 extend in the left-right direction, bending from both side walls 147 toward opposite sides of each other. The lower surfaces of rear upper protrusions 158 form rear upper support surfaces 158a. That is, the front end of lever member 131 is provided with a pair of upper support surfaces (front upper support surface 157a, rear upper support surface 158a) spaced apart in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction, facing upper surface 169b1 of the rear end of operating member 133. Furthermore, the front end of lever member 131 is provided with front lower support surfaces 147c facing lower surfaces 169b3 of the rear end of operating member 133, positioned below front upper support surfaces 157a.

[0033] The front end of the lever member 131 is formed into an approximately rectangular cross section by the front upper support surface 157a, the front lower support surface 147c, and both side walls 147, and the rear end of the operating member 133 is inserted inside the front end of this lever member 131.

[0034] Additionally, movement restricting protrusions 147d protruding toward opposing sides from both side walls 147 are formed on both side walls 147 behind rear upper protrusion 158 and in front of recessed groove 147a. The movement restricting protrusions 147d are formed by making parts of both side walls 147 protrude inward.

[0035] Furthermore, a pair of left and right recesses 147e are provided on both side walls 147 behind the recessed groove 147a and in front of the front protrusion 134a, and narrow portions 147f are formed in which the distance between both side walls 147 is narrower than the front end and rear end.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 7 , the biasing member 132 is formed of a pair of left and right elongated rod-shaped members extending substantially parallel to each other, and extends in the front-rear direction inside the upper rail 105 along the upper side wall 105b of the upper rail 105. The biasing member 132 has a front biasing member 135 having a pair of left and right front operating portions 135a that respectively abut against the front end of the lever member 131 so as to urge the front end of the lever member 131 upward. The biasing member 132 also has a rear biasing member 136 that has a pair of left and right rear operating portions 136a that respectively abut against the rear end of the lever member 131 so as to urge the rear end of the lever member 131 upward. The biasing member 132 also has a pair of left and right intermediate support portions 137 that are formed between the front operating portion 135a and the rear operating portion 136a and are respectively engaged with a pair of left and right engaging portions 105g provided on the upper side wall 105b of the upper rail 105.

[0037] The rear biasing member 136 extends from the intermediate support portion 137 to the rear acting portions 136a along both the left and right upper sidewalls 105b, and has connecting portions 136b at its rear end to which the pair of left and right rear acting portions 136a are connected. Therefore, the rear biasing member 136 (biasing member 132) is formed in a substantially U-shape in a plan view. The connecting portions 136b of the rear biasing member 136 abut the lower surface of the locking member 117 from below, and the rear acting portions 136a (connecting portions 136b) bias the locking member 117 upward (toward the locked position). The connecting portions 136b of the rear biasing member 136 are positioned between the downward protrusions 117c and the rear protrusions 134c, thereby restricting the range of movement of the rear biasing member 136 (biasing member 132) in the front-rear direction.

[0038] The rear end portion (a pair of left and right rear acting portions 136a, connecting portion 136b) of the rear biasing member 136 is located below the lever member 131 and the locking member 117, and the middle portion (a pair of left and right middle support portions 137) extends above the lever member 131 through the recess 147e (between the narrow portion 147f and the upper side wall 105b).

[0039] On the other hand, the front biasing member 135 extends from the intermediate support portion 137 to the front acting portions 135a along both the left and right upper side walls 105b. The pair of left and right front acting portions 135a of the biasing member 132 are biased so as to move apart outward in the left-right direction and are also biased upward by the elastic force of the biasing member 132. The pair of left and right front acting portions 135a of the front biasing member 135 abut separately from below against the inner surface of the operating member 133, and each front acting portion 135a biases the front end of the lever member 131 upward via the operating member 133.

[0040] A guide portion 138 inclined with respect to the vehicle longitudinal direction is formed on the front portion (tips) of each of the pair of left and right front acting portions 135a to guide the front acting portions 135a into the connection end portion 169 of the operating member 133 when the operating member 133 is attached to the lever member 131. The pair of left and right front acting portions 135a are adapted to abut separately against the front end of the lever member 131 at different positions in the vehicle longitudinal direction between the front upper support surface 157a and the rear upper support surface 158a. Of the pair of left and right front acting portions 135a, the front acting portion 135a located on the front side has an extension portion 139 extending in the left-right direction from one left-right side to the other left-right side of the flat surface portion 170a of the operating member 133 on which it is located.

[0041] The front biasing member 135 has its rear end (a pair of left and right intermediate support portions 137) located above the lever member 131, and its front end (a pair of left and right front acting portions 135a, guide portion 138, extension portion 139) bent inward so as to approach each other and extend forward between both side walls 147.

[0042] The front biasing member 135 and the rear biasing member 136 are integral (one member).

[0043] 1, the operating member 133 includes a pair of left and right arm portions 167 provided corresponding to the pair of left and right rail bodies 106, and a grip portion 168 connecting the pair of left and right arm portions 167 and extending in the vehicle width direction. The pair of left and right arm portions 167 extend in the front-rear direction and have rear ends that are inserted from their front ends into the respective left and right upper rails 105. The grip portion 168 is gripped by the occupant when operating the operating member 133.

[0044] 12, the rear end of arm portion 167 is inserted between the left and right side walls 147 of lever member 131. Arm portion 167, including grip portion 168, is configured entirely from a cylindrical member, and the aforementioned rear end forms connecting end portion 169, which serves as a rear connecting portion, and is shaped by pressing the cylindrical member.

[0045] 8, the connection end 169 has an upper surface 169b1, side surfaces 169b2 extending downward from both left and right ends of the upper surface 169b1, and lower surfaces 169b3 provided at the lower ends of the left and right side surfaces 169b2. The connection end 169 has a flat surface 170a at the top and an arcuate surface 170b at the bottom that is convex downward, forming a generally semicircular cross section. A pair of left and right front acting portions 135a of the front biasing member 135 are respectively disposed at both left and right ends of the flat surface 170a.

[0046] 11A and 11B, an operating member side protrusion 173 that protrudes downward from the flat surface 170a is provided on the upper inner surface of the connection end 169. The operating member side protrusion 173 is formed by cutting and raising downward from the flat surface 170a of the connection end 169.

[0047] An inclined surface 174 is formed at the rear of the operating member-side protrusion 173 so that the extension 139 can climb over the operating member-side protrusion 173 when the operating member 133 is attached to the lever member 131. In addition, a locking surface 175 is formed at the front of the operating member-side protrusion 173 so that forward movement of the operating member 133 is restricted when the operating member 133 is attached to the lever member 131 and the extension 139 and the operating member-side protrusion 173 are engaged.

[0048] Before the operating member 133 is attached to the lever member 131, the front end (contact portion) of the biasing member 132 abuts against the front upper support surface 157a or the rear upper support surface 158a of the lever member 131. That is, the pair of left and right front acting portions 135a of the biasing member 132 abut against the front upper support surface 157a or the rear upper support surface 158a of the lever member 131. Furthermore, the pair of left and right movement restricting protrusions 147d formed on the lever member 131 abut against the pair of left and right front acting portions 135a in the left-right direction. Then, when the operating member 133 is attached to the lever member 131 (see FIG. 12), the front end (contact portion) of the biasing member 132 abuts against the lower surface (the inner surface of the upper surface 169b1) of the operating member 133 from below, thereby biasing the operating member 133 upward.

[0049] Next, an example of a procedure for assembling the operating member 133 to the rail body 106 (lever member 131) will be described.

[0050] (1) Before mounting the operating member 133 The pair of left and right front acting portions 135a contact the upper support surfaces (front upper support surface 157a, rear upper support surface 158a) of the lever member 131 and the movement restricting protrusion 147d, and are respectively arranged on the inner portions of the upper ends of the left and right side walls 147, and are inclined so as to face the center in the left-right and up-down directions so that each guide portion 138 fits into the connecting end 169 of the operating member 133 (see Figure 11A).

[0051] (2) When the operating member 133 is attached As the operating member 133 moves rearward, the pair of left and right front acting portions 135a are pushed downward by the guide portion 138 and move inward in the left-right direction, thereby entering into the connecting end portion 169 of the operating member 133. The extension portion 139 of the front acting portion 135a on the left side in the vehicle width direction climbs over the operating member-side protrusion 173, being pushed downward by the inclined surface 174 of the operating member-side protrusion 173.

[0052] (3) After the operation member 133 is attached The locking surface 175 of the operating member-side protrusion 173 faces the front acting portion 135a on the left side in the vehicle width direction, restricting forward (removal direction) movement of the operating member 133. In addition, the rear end surface of the operating member 133 faces the movement restricting protrusion 147d, restricting further rearward (pushing-in) movement of the operating member 133.

[0053] 12, a lever member 131 is rotatably supported by a shaft member 115 on the upper side wall 105b of the upper rail 105, and a biasing member 132 is locked by a locking portion 105g so as to restrict downward movement. In addition, rear lower protrusions 148 are formed on both left and right upper side walls 105b of the upper rail 105 at positions forward of the bearing holes 105f in the vehicle longitudinal direction, as rear lower support portions that protrude in a curved manner from both upper side walls 105b toward opposite sides. These rear lower protrusions 148 are formed by cutting and raising inward from the upper side walls 105b.

[0054] The pair of front acting portions 135a of the biasing member 132 engage from below with the lower surface (inner surface of the upper surface 169b1) of the rear end portion of the operating member 133 at a position below the front upper support surface 157a and the rear upper support surface 158a, thereby biasing the operating member 133 upward. As a result, the upper surface 169b1 of the operating member 133 contacts the pair of upper support surfaces (front upper support surface 157a, rear upper support surface 158a). At this time, vertical clearances C1 and C2 are provided between the front lower support surface 147c provided on the lever member 131 and the lower surface 169b3 of the rear end portion of the operating member 133, and between the rear lower support surface 148a provided on the upper rail 105 and the lower surface 169b3 of the rear end portion of the operating member 133, respectively.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 12, on one side (the right side in the vehicle width direction), a length L1b between a contact point (support point P0) between the locking portion 105g and the intermediate support portion 137 of the urging member 132 and a contact point (front action point P1b) between the front end of the lever member 131 and the front action portion 135a of the urging member 132 is shorter than a length L2 between the contact point (support point P0) between the locking portion 105g and the intermediate support portion 137 of the urging member 132 and a contact point (rear action point P2) between the rear end of the lever member 131 and the rear action portion 136a of the urging member 132 (rear action point P2). <L2)。

[0056] On the other hand, on the other side (left side in the vehicle width direction), the length L1a between the contact point (support point P0) between the locking portion 105g and the intermediate support portion 137 of the urging member 132 and the contact point (front action point P1a) between the front end of the lever member 131 and the front action portion 135a of the urging member 132 is approximately the same length as the length L2 between the contact point (support point P0) between the locking portion 105g and the intermediate support portion 137 of the urging member 132 and the contact point (rear action point P2) between the rear end of the lever member 131 and the rear action portion 136a of the urging member 132 (L1a ≒ L2).

[0057] The rotational moment at the support point P0 is such that when the biasing forces acting on the front-side acting points P1a and P1b are defined as the front-side biasing forces F1a and F1b, and the biasing force acting on the rear-side acting point P2 is defined as the rear-side biasing force F2, from the moment balance "M0 = (F1a × L1a + F1b × L1b) - F2 × L2 = 0", it follows that "F1a × L1a + F1b × L1b = F2 × L2". Here, in the present embodiment, the length L1b between the support point P0 and one of the front-side acting points P1b is made shorter than the length L2 between the support point P0 and the rear-side acting point P2 (L1b < L2). On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the length L1a between the support point P0 and the other front-side acting point P1a is approximately the same as the length L2 between the support point P0 and the rear-side acting point P2 (L1a ≈ L2). That is, the force (F1a + F1b) that biases the front end portion of the lever member 131 upward (unlock direction) is greater than the force F2 that biases the rear end portion of the lever member 131 upward (lock direction) ((F1a + F1b) > F2).

[0058] Here, let the length between the rotation center Q of the lever member 131 and the contact point (front-side acting point P1a) of the front end portion of the lever member 131 and the other front-side acting portion 135a of the biasing member 132 be "L3a". On the other hand, let the length between the rotation center Q of the lever member 131 and the contact point (front-side acting point P1b) of the front end portion of the lever member 131 and the one front-side acting portion 135a of the biasing member 132 be "L3b". Also, let the length between the rotation center Q of the lever member 131 and the contact point (rear-side acting point P2) of the rear end portion of the lever member 131 and the rear-side acting portion 136a of the biasing member 132 be "L4". At this time, the lengths L3a, L3b, and L4 are set such that the rotational moment at the rotation center Q of the lever member 131 has the moment on the rear end portion side (Mb = F2 × L4) greater than the total moment Ma (Ma1 + Ma2 = F1a × L3a + F1b × L3b) on the front end portion side.

[0059] In this embodiment, the aforementioned length L3a is made shorter than the length L1a (L1a > L3a), and the aforementioned length L3b is made shorter than the length L1b (L1b > L3b), and at the same time, the aforementioned length L2 is made shorter than the length L4 (L2 < L4). By doing so, the rotational moment at the rotation center Q of the lever member 131 is such that the moment (Mb = F2 × L4) on the rear end side is larger than the total moment Ma (Ma1 + Ma2 = F1a × L3a + F1b × L3b) on the front end side.

[0060] Therefore, the rotational moment at the rotation center Q of the lever member 131 acts as a biasing force that biases the rear end portion (lock member 117) of the lever member 131 in the locking direction.

[0061] Next, the operation of the seat slide device 101 configured as described above will be described.

[0062] FIG. 12 shows a standby state (a non-operation state in which the operation member 133 is not operated) in a locked position where the locking teeth 125b of the lock member 117 are engaged with the locking groove 127 of the lower rail 103. In this state, the operation member 133 is pressed against a pair of upper support surfaces (the front upper support surface 157a and the rear upper support surface 158a) by the front end portion (contact portion) of the biasing member 132. The pressing force (biasing force) by the front end portion of this biasing member 132 is greater than the force by which the operation member 133 tends to lower due to its own weight. On the other hand, as the rotational moment that rotationally biases the lock member 117 in the unlocking position direction is smaller than the rotational moment in the locking position direction due to the pressing force (biasing force) of the rear end portion of the biasing member 132, the aforementioned standby state is maintained.

[0063] 12, when the occupant performs an operation to lift the grip portion 168 of the operating member 133, the operating member 133 rotates around the point of contact between the front upper support surface 157a and the upper surface 169b1 of the operating member 133 as a fulcrum, and the rear end of the operating member 133 presses down the front end portion (contact portion) of the biasing member 132 and moves downward. When the grip portion 168 of the operating member 133 is further lifted from that state, the lower surface 169b3 of the rear end portion of the operating member 133 abuts against the rear lower support surface 148a provided on the upper rail 105, and the operating member 133 rotates around the point of contact between the rear lower support surface 148a and the lower surface 169b3 of the rear end portion of the operating member 133 as a fulcrum. As a result, the upper surface 169b1 of the operating member 133 rotates to lift the front upper support surface 157a of the lever member 131 upward, and the lever member 131 rotates the locking portion of the locking member 117 toward the unlocked position (see FIG. 13).

[0064] As a result, the lever member 131 swings and rotates clockwise in FIG. 12 around the shaft member 115. At this time, the lever member 131 pushes the lock member 117 downward by swinging and rotating, and the biasing member 132 (rear biasing member 136) elastically deforms downward. As a result, the lock tooth 125b disengages from the lock groove 127 of the lower rail 103, and the lock is released to an unlocked state. By releasing the lock, the seat (not shown) can be moved forward or backward together with the upper rail 105 relative to the vehicle floor surface on the lower rail 103 side, and the seat position desired by the occupant can be secured.

[0065] When the occupant releases the operating member 133 after the seat position has been determined, the biasing member 132 (rear biasing member 136) presses the locking member 117 upward, causing the lever member 131 to swing and rotate, returning to the standby state shown in Fig. 12. At this time, the lever member 131 swings and rotates counterclockwise in Fig. 12 around the shaft member 115 as the rotation center.

[0066] 12, when a load is applied to the operating member 133 in the direction opposite to the unlocking direction (downward), the operating member 133 rotates around the point of contact between the rear upper support surface 158a and the upper surface 169b1 of the operating member 133 as a fulcrum, and the operating member 133 can move downward by the amount of clearance C1 between the lower surface 169b3 of the operating member 133 and the front lower support surface 147c (see FIG. 14). At this time, the lever member 131 rotates downward around the meshing position of the main lock tooth 125m, and the lower surfaces of the front ends of both side walls 147 abut against the rear lower support surfaces 148a, thereby restricting the downward movement of the lever member 131 and preventing the recessed groove 147a from coming off the shaft member 115.

[0067] The following describes the operation and effect of the seat slide device 101 according to this embodiment.

[0068] (1) The seat slide device 101 includes a lower rail 103 extending along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, an upper rail 105 that moves relatively along the longitudinal direction of the lower rail 103, a lever member 131 that is supported rotatably about an axis in the left-right direction with respect to the upper rail 105, a locking member 117 that is provided at the rear end of the lever member 131 and has a locking portion (locking tooth 125b) that is movable between a locked position where it engages with a locked portion (lock groove 127) formed in the lower rail 103 and an unlocked position where it is disengaged from the locked portion, a biasing member 132 that biases the locking portion toward the locked position, and an operating member 133 that is connected to the front end of the lever member 131. The biasing member 132 extends along the longitudinal direction of the upper rail 105, and an intermediate portion (intermediate support portion 137) between the rear end and the front end of the biasing member 132 is engaged with the upper rail 105. The rear end of the biasing member 132 abuts against the rear end of the lever member 131 from below, biasing the rear end of the lever member 131 upward, and the front end of the biasing member 132 abuts against an end (connection end 169) of the operating member 133 from below, biasing the front end of the lever member 131 upward via the operating member 133. The front end of the lever member 131 has a substantially rectangular cross section into which the operating member 133 is inserted, and has a pair of side walls 147 extending along the longitudinal direction of the upper rail 105, a front upper support surface 157a and a rear upper support surface 158a that face the upper surface of the end of the operating member 133 and are spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction, and a front lower support surface 147c that faces the lower surface of the end of the operating member 133 and is positioned below the front upper support surface 157a. The upper rail 105 is provided with a rear lower support surface 148a facing the underside of the end of the operating member 133 and positioned below the rear upper support surface 158a, and the front end of the urging member 132 engages with the underside of the end of the operating member 133 from below at a position between the front upper support surface 157a and the rear upper support surface 158a, thereby urging the operating member 133 upward. Clearances C1 and C2 in the vertical direction are provided between the front lower support surface 147c provided on the lever member 131 and the underside of the end of the operating member 133, and between the rear lower support surface 148a provided on the upper rail 105 and the underside of the end of the operating member 133, respectively.

[0069] In a standby state (a non-operating state in which the operating member 133 is not operated), the operating member 133 is urged upward by the urging member 132 so as to be pressed against a pair of upper support surfaces (front upper support surface 157a and rear upper support surface 158a) arranged in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Therefore, the lower surface of the end of the operating member 133 faces the front lower support surface 147c of the lever member 131 and the rear lower support surface 148a of the upper rail 105, which are arranged below, with clearances C1 and C2 between them.

[0070] As a result, when the operating member 133 is lifted toward the unlocking direction (upward) from its standby position in a non-operated state, only the operating member 133 rotates around the fulcrum at the contact point between the front end lower surface of the front upper support surface 157a and the upper surface of the end of the operating member 133 until the lower surface of the end of the operating member 133 abuts against the rear lower support surface 148a provided on the upper rail 105. Then, when the operating member 133 is lifted further upward, the operating member 133 rotates around the fulcrum at the contact point with the rear lower support surface 148a provided on the upper rail 105, causing the upper surface of the end of the operating member 133 to lift the front upper support surface 157a of the lever member 131 upward, causing the lever member 131 to rotate in the unlocking direction.

[0071] On the other hand, when the operating member 133 is pushed down in the direction opposite to the unlocking direction (downward) from its standby position in a non-operated state, only the operating member 133 can rotate, with the contact point between the underside of the rear upper support surface 158a and the upper surface of the end of the operating member 133 as a fulcrum, until the underside of the end of the operating member 133 abuts against the front lower support surface 147c provided on the lever member 131.

[0072] Therefore, it is possible to set a range in which only the operating member 133 can rotate relative to the lever member 131 in both directions from the standby position of the operating member 133 in a non-operated state toward the anti-unlock direction (downward) and the unlock direction (upward).

[0073] Such a structure can be configured by the biasing member 132 that biases the lever member 131 in the locking direction, which simplifies the structure and reduces manufacturing costs.

[0074] (2) The biasing member 132 is formed from a pair of left and right rod-shaped members extending approximately parallel to one another. The biasing member 132 has a pair of left and right front acting portions 135a that respectively abut against the front end of the lever member 131 to urge the front end of the lever member 131 upward, a pair of left and right rear acting portions 136a that respectively abut against the rear end of the lever member 131 to urge the rear end of the lever member 131 upward, a pair of left and right intermediate support portions 137 that respectively engage with a pair of left and right engaging portions 105g formed on the upper rail 105 at the same positions in the front-rear and up-down directions, and a connecting portion 136b that connects the rear ends of the pair of left and right rear acting portions 136a to one another, and is formed approximately U-shaped in a plan view. The pair of left and right front acting portions 135a each abut against the front end of the lever member 131 at different positions in the front-rear direction between the front upper support surface 157a and the rear upper support surface 158a.

[0075] By using the approximately U-shaped biasing member 132, tilting in the left-right direction does not occur, and the biasing force (rotational moment) of the lever member 131 in the locking direction and the upward biasing force of the biasing member 132 at the front end of the lever member 131 can be stabilized and made stronger.

[0076] (3) The pair of left and right front acting portions 135a of the biasing member 132 are biased so as to move away from each other outward in the left-right direction and are also biased upward. Before the operating member 133 is attached to the lever member 131, the pair of left and right front acting portions 135a abut in the left-right direction against the front upper support surface 157a or the rear upper support surface 158a of the lever member 131, and also abut in the left-right direction against the pair of left and right movement restricting protrusions 147d formed by protruding portions of the pair of left and right side walls 147 of the lever member 131 inward. At the front portions of the pair of left and right front acting portions 135a, inclined guide portions 138 are formed to guide the front acting portions 135a into the end portions of the operating member 133 when the operating member 133 is attached to the lever member 131, when the pair of left and right front acting portions 135a are in contact with the front upper support surface 157a or the rear upper support surface 158a and the movement restricting protrusion 147d.

[0077] Before the operating member 133 is attached to the lever member 131, the biasing member 132 abuts against the lower surfaces of the upper support surfaces (front upper support surface 157a, rear upper support surface 158a) and also abuts against the movement restricting protrusions 147d in the left-right direction. Because the biasing member 132 can be temporarily held, the position of the biasing member 132 relative to the lever member 131 is stable, and the assembly is easy.

[0078] (4) The connecting end of the operating member 133 is formed in an approximately semicircular cross section with a flat portion 170a at the top, and a pair of left and right front acting portions 135a of the urging member 132 are respectively arranged on both left and right side ends of the flat portion 170a of the operating member 133.

[0079] Since the left-right positions of the pair of left and right front acting portions 135a of the biasing member 132 are stable, the generation of abnormal noise and rattle due to misalignment of the biasing member 132 can be suppressed.

[0080] The operating member 133 can be formed simply by pushing the upper surface of a cylindrical pipe member up and down, which makes it easy to process and also makes it possible to increase rigidity.

[0081] Of the pair of left and right front acting portions 135a, the front acting portion 135a disposed on the front side has an extension portion 139 extending in the left - right direction from one end portion in the left - right direction of the plane portion 170a where it is disposed toward the other end portion. The operating member 133 has an operating - member - side protrusion 173 protruding downward from the plane portion 170a. On the rear portion of the operating - member - side protrusion 173, an inclined surface 174 is formed so that the extension portion 139 can get over the operating - member - side protrusion 173 when the operating member 133 is attached to the lever member 131. On the front portion of the operating - member - side protrusion 173, a locking surface 175 is formed so that the forward movement of the operating member 133 is restricted in a state where the operating member 133 is attached to the lever member 131 and the extension portion 139 and the operating - member - side protrusion 173 are engaged with each other.

[0082] The operating - member - side protrusion 173 provided on the plane portion of the operating member 133 can be engaged with the extension portion 139 of the biasing member 132 to prevent the operating member 133 from coming off. Also, when attaching the operating member 133 to the lever member 131, since the operating - member - side protrusion 173 pushes down the extension portion 139, the assembly is easy.

[0083] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been explained. However, these embodiments are merely illustrative descriptions provided to facilitate the understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. The technical scope of the present invention includes not only the specific technical matters disclosed in the above embodiments but also various modifications, changes, alternative technologies, etc. that can be easily derived therefrom.

[0084] For example, in the above - mentioned embodiment, the length L1a between the support point P0 on the other side (left side in the vehicle width direction) and the front acting point P1a and the length L2 between the support point P0 and the rear acting point P2 are set to be substantially the same length (L1a≒L2). However, similar to one side (right side in the vehicle width direction), the length L1a may be shorter than the length L2 (L1a < L2). Also, if the resultant force of the front biasing forces (F1a + F1b) is larger than the rear biasing force F2 ((F1a + F1b)>F2), the length L1a may be made longer than the length L2.

[0085] Furthermore, although the front acting portion 135a of the biasing member 132 is inserted inside the operating member 133, the outer lower surface (lower surface 169b3) may be biased upward from below.

[0086] Furthermore, although the upper protrusions 157 and 158 are provided at the upper end portions of both side walls 147, they may be provided at the upper end portion of only one of the side walls 147.

[0087] Furthermore, although the lower ends of the front ends of lever member 131 are connected to each other by front lower wall 147b, front upper protrusions 157 may also be configured to be connected to each other. In this case, lever member 131 has an inverted U-shape that is open downward, with lower wall 134 connecting the lower ends of left and right side walls 147 becoming an upper wall connecting the upper ends. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 101 Seat slide device 103 Lower rail 105 Upper Rail 105g locking part 117 Locking member 125b locking teeth 127 Lock groove 131 Lever member 132 biasing member 133 Operating member 135a Front side working part 136a Rear acting part 136b Connection section 137 Intermediate support part 138 Guide section 139 Extension 147 Side wall 147c Front lower support surface 147d Movement restriction protrusion 148a Lower rear support surface 157a Front upper support surface 158a Upper rear support surface 169 Connection end 169b1 Top surface 169b3 Bottom surface 170a Flat part 173 Operation member side protrusion 174 Slope 175 Locking surface C1 Clearance C2 Clearance

Claims

1. a lower rail extending along the front-rear direction of the vehicle; an upper rail that moves relatively along the longitudinal direction of the lower rail; a lever member supported on the upper rail so as to be rotatable about an axis in the left-right direction; a locking member provided at a rear end of the lever member and including a locking portion movable between a locked position where the locking portion engages with a locked portion formed on the lower rail and an unlocked position where the locking portion is disengaged from the locked portion; a biasing member that biases the locking portion toward the locked position; an operating member connected to a front end of the lever member, The biasing member extends along the longitudinal direction of the upper rail, an intermediate portion between the rear end and the front end of the biasing member is engaged with the upper rail; a rear end portion of the biasing member abuts against the rear end portion of the lever member from below to bias the rear end portion of the lever member upward; a front end of the biasing member abutting against an end of the operating member from below, and biasing the front end of the lever member upward via the operating member; the front end of the lever member has a substantially rectangular cross section into which the operating member is inserted, and includes a pair of side walls extending along the longitudinal direction of the upper rail, a front upper support surface and a rear upper support surface facing an upper surface of the end of the operating member and spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction, and a front lower support surface facing a lower surface of the end of the operating member and positioned below the front upper support surface, a rear lower support surface facing a lower surface of an end of the operating member is provided on the upper rail and positioned below the rear upper support surface; a front end portion of the biasing member engages with an inner side of an upper surface or an outer side of a lower surface of the operating member from below at a position between the front upper support surface and the rear upper support surface to bias the operating member upward; a vertical clearance is provided between the front lower support surface provided on the lever member and a lower surface of the end of the operating member, and between the rear lower support surface provided on the upper rail and a lower surface of the end of the operating member, Seat slide device.

2. The biasing member is formed of a pair of left and right rod-shaped members extending substantially parallel to each other, a pair of left and right front acting portions that respectively abut against the front end portion of the lever member so as to urge the front end portion of the lever member upward; a pair of left and right rear acting portions that respectively abut against the rear end portion of the lever member so as to urge the rear end portion of the lever member upward; a pair of left and right intermediate support portions that are respectively engaged with a pair of left and right engaging portions formed on the upper rail at the same positions in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction; a connecting portion that connects rear end portions of the pair of left and right rear acting portions to each other, and is formed in a substantially U-shape in a plan view, the pair of left and right front acting portions respectively come into contact with the front end portion of the lever member at different positions in the front-rear direction between the front upper support surface and the rear upper support surface; The seat slide device according to claim 1 .

3. The pair of left and right front acting portions of the biasing member are biased so as to be separated outward in the left-right direction and are also biased upward, before the operation member is attached to the lever member, the pair of left and right front acting portions abut in the left-right direction against the front upper support surface or the rear upper support surface of the lever member, and also abut in the left-right direction against a pair of left and right movement restricting protrusions formed by protruding inward portions of the pair of left and right side walls of the lever member, At the front portions of the pair of left and right front acting portions, inclined guide portions are formed to guide the front acting portions into the ends of the operating member when the operating member is attached to the lever member in a state in which the pair of left and right front acting portions are in contact with the front upper support surface or the rear upper support surface and the movement restricting protrusion. The seat slide device according to claim 2 .

4. The connecting end of the operating member is formed in a substantially semicircular cross section with a flat portion at the top, the pair of left and right front acting portions of the biasing member are respectively disposed on both left and right side ends of the planar portion of the operating member, The seat slide device according to claim 2 or 3.

5. Of the pair of left and right front acting portions, the front acting portion disposed on the front side has an extension portion extending in the left-right direction from one side end toward the other side end in the left-right direction of the planar portion on which the front acting portion is disposed, the operating member has an operating member-side protrusion that protrudes downward from the flat surface, a sloped surface is formed at the rear of the operating member-side protrusion so that the extension can climb over the operating member-side protrusion when the operating member is attached to the lever member; a locking surface is formed at the front portion of the operating member-side protrusion so that forward movement of the operating member is restricted when the operating member is attached to the lever member and the extension portion and the operating member-side protrusion are engaged with each other; The seat slide device according to claim 4.

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