Sliding locking structure for sliding rail device

Abstract

[Problem] A final locking state exhibiting high mechanical strength is obtained by using a simple structure in a sliding locking structure of a sliding rail device. [Solution] Provided are: a housing (50); left and right locking parts (56) provided with cam surfaces (66) provided on the left and right outer sides thereof and engaging protrusions (58) protruding to the left and right outer sides, and the left and right locking parts are provided on the housing (20) so as to be able to switch positions in the left and right directions between an engaging position in which the engaging protrusions (58) enter a groove (40) in a rail (24) and a releasing position in which the engaging protrusions (58) are disengaged from the groove (40); a compression coil spring (68) which pushes the left and right locking parts (56) toward the engaging position; and an operating part (86) provided on the housing (50) so as to be able to switch positions and provided with corresponding cam surfaces (94) which slide on the cam surfaces (66) to switch the left and right locking parts (56) to their releasing positions against the spring force of the compression coil springs (68) by switching positions in the vertical direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a sliding locking structure for a sliding track device. Background Art

[0002] A known slide lock structure for a slide rail device used in a car seat device, etc., forms a locked state by engaging an engagement claw of a lever rotatably supported by a slider with rack teeth or recesses formed in a lower rail. See Patent Documents 1 and 2, for example.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: JP2018-75947A

[0006] Patent Document 2: JP2019-137126A Summary of the invention

[0007] Tasks to be accomplished by the present invention

[0008] According to the conventional slide locking structure, it is difficult to achieve a simple structure and a reliable locking state with high mechanical strength.

[0009] In view of the above problems of the prior art, a main object of the present invention is to provide a sliding locking structure for a sliding rail device, which can produce a reliable locking state with high and reliable mechanical strength by adopting a simple structure.

[0010] Technical solutions for solving technical problems

[0011] According to the present invention, a sliding locking structure (10) for a sliding rail device (14), the sliding rail device includes a linear rail (24) and a sliding member (26) slidably engaged with the linear rail, the linear rail extending in the longitudinal direction and having a channel cross section, the channel cross section including a first side wall (36) and a second side wall (36) separated from each other and opposite to each other in the transverse direction, each side wall being provided with a plurality of slots (40) arranged in the longitudinal direction thereof, the sliding locking structure (10) comprising: a housing (50) attached to the sliding member and having a portion located between the first side wall and the second side wall; a first locking member (56) and a second locking member (56), each locking member being provided on the housing and provided with a cam surface ( 66) and at least one engagement protrusion (58) protruding laterally outward, the at least one engagement protrusion being laterally movable between an engagement position and a disengagement position, in which the at least one engagement protrusion is accommodated in one of the plurality of slots, and in which the at least one engagement protrusion is disengaged from the plurality of slots; a first biasing member (68) which pushes the first locking member and the second locking member toward the engagement position; and an operating member (86) which is movably arranged on the housing and is provided with a cooperating cam surface (94) which is slidably engaged with the cam surface, so that when the operating member moves in a specified direction, the first locking member and the second locking member overcome the biasing force of the first biasing member and move to the disengagement position.

[0012] Thereby, a reliable locking state with high mechanical strength can be obtained with a simple structure. In addition, the slide locking structure can be formed as a single module, so that it is easy to assemble the slide locking structure to the slide rail device.

[0013] Preferably, the sliding locking structure according to an embodiment of the present invention also includes a second biasing component (92), which pushes the operating component upward relative to the shell, wherein the operating component is movable in a downward direction by overcoming the biasing force of the second biasing component, and wherein the cam surface includes an inclined outer surface inclined outward from its upper end toward its lower end, and the cooperating cam surface includes an inclined inner surface inclined outward from its upper end toward its lower end, so that when the operating component is pushed downward, the first locking component and the second locking component overcome the biasing force of the first biasing component and move to a disengaged position.

[0014] Thus, the first locking member and the second locking member can be reliably displaced to the disengaged position with a simple structure.

[0015] Preferably, the at least one engaging protrusion of each of the first locking member and the second locking member includes a plurality of engaging protrusions arranged at an interval in the longitudinal direction, the interval being an integral multiple of an interval between adjacent slots.

[0016] Thereby, the plurality of engagement projections can be moved into the corresponding slots, so that a highly reliable locked state can be obtained.

[0017] Preferably, the inclined outer surface of each of the first locking member and the second locking member includes a pair of inclined outer surfaces, which are arranged one behind the other in a spaced relationship in the longitudinal direction, and the inclined inner surface of the operating member includes two pairs of inclined inner surfaces corresponding to the corresponding inclined outer surfaces.

[0018] Therefore, the cam surface and the cooperating cam surface can jointly displace the first locking member and the second locking member to the disengaged position in a reliable manner.

[0019] Preferably, the inclined outer surfaces of the first locking part and the second locking part are both arranged on the bottom surface of the groove (64) defined between the corresponding two adjacent engaging protrusions, and the inclined inner surface is formed on the inner end surface of each plate part of a pair of plate parts (88), which are accommodated in the corresponding grooves in a vertically movably manner.

[0020] Thereby, the posture of the plate member and the posture of the cooperating cam surface are kept stable, so that the cam surface and the cooperating cam surface can shift the first locking member and the second locking member to the disengaged position in a reliable manner.

[0021] Preferably, the first locking member and the second locking member are provided with inner surfaces (56A) opposing each other, and the first biasing member includes a compression coil spring (68) inserted between the opposing inner surfaces so as to be adjacent to the corresponding plate member from the outside or the inside in the longitudinal direction.

[0022] Thereby, the biasing force of the compression coil spring acting on the first lock member and the second lock member can be stabilized, so that the posture of the plate member can be stabilized.

[0023] Preferably, the operating member includes a rod member (96) which protrudes upward in a middle portion of the operating member between the two plate members in a longitudinal direction so as to be configured to be pressed from the outside.

[0024] Thereby, the load applied to the operating member is prevented from becoming uneven in the longitudinal direction, so that the vertical movement of the operating member can be achieved in a highly smooth manner.

[0025] Preferably, the second biasing member includes a compression coil spring inserted between the housing and a middle portion of the operating member.

[0026] Thereby, the spring force of the compression coil spring is prevented from acting unevenly on the operating member with respect to the longitudinal direction of the operating member, so that vertical movement of the operating member can be achieved in a highly smooth manner.

[0027] Preferably, each of the first locking member and the second locking member is provided with a protrusion (61) in the bottom thereof, and the housing is provided with a pair of recesses (62) for respectively accommodating the protrusions in a transversely slidable manner.

[0028] Thereby, the linear lateral movement of the first locking member and the second locking member can be made more reliable.

[0029] Preferably, the housing is provided with a limiting portion (72, 74) which limits the outward movement of the first locking member and the second locking member relative to the housing.

[0030] Thereby, the first locking member, the second locking member and the compression coil spring are formed as a single subassembly that can be efficiently assembled to the housing.

[0031] Preferably, the locking structure also includes a pair of limiting plate components, a transversely elongated groove (76) formed in each plate component, and four protrusions (72), wherein the pair of limiting plate components are detachably retained to the shell in front of and behind the first locking component and the second locking component, and the four protrusions (72) protrude from the end faces of the first locking component and the second locking component in the longitudinal direction and are accommodated by corresponding transversely elongated slots.

[0032] Thereby, the restricting portion can be formed by a smaller number of components, and the first locking member, the second locking member, and the compression coil spring can be formed as a single subassembly that can be efficiently assembled to the housing.

[0033] Preferably, the slots in the linear rail each form a portion of an internal thread, and the engagement protrusions each form a portion of an external thread configured to threadably engage with the internal thread.

[0034] Thus, the track can also be used in an electric sliding track arrangement using a motor driven externally threaded member or worm screw engaging with a slot.

[0035] Effects of the Invention

[0036] Therefore, the slide locking structure according to the present invention provides a reliable locked state with high mechanical strength by using a simple structure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] Figure 1 is a simplified side view of a slide locking device of a seat slide device applied to a vehicle seat device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 2is a perspective view of a sliding track device provided with the sliding locking device of this embodiment;

[0039] Figure 3 is a top view of the sliding locking device of the present embodiment with its upper housing removed;

[0040] Figure 4 The sliding locking device of this embodiment (along Figure 3 A sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG.

[0041] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the slide locking device of this embodiment;

[0042] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the slide lock device of the present embodiment with its upper housing removed;

[0043] Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the main parts of the slide locking device of this embodiment;

[0044] Figure 8 is a perspective view of a locking member included in the slide locking device of the present embodiment;

[0045] 9 is a perspective view of materials and a press forming process for a rail of a sliding rail device according to the present embodiment;

[0046] Fig.10 is a perspective view of a rail finishing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Fig.11 is a front view of the rail finishing machine;

[0048] Fig. 12A is a perspective view of a finishing cutting tool used to manufacture the rail of this embodiment;

[0049] Fig. 12B is a perspective view of a finishing grinding tool used to manufacture the rail of the present embodiment; and

[0050] Fig.13 is a perspective view of a track manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specific embodiments

[0051] DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0052] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0053] Figure 1 An example is shown in which the slide locking structure 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied to a slide rail device 14 used for the front-rear slide adjustment of a seat device 12 of an automobile.

[0054] The seat device 12 is installed on a floor 16 of the vehicle. The seat device 12 includes a base member 18, a seat cushion 20 installed on the base member 18 to support the buttocks of an occupant, and a seat back 22 extending upward from the rear of the seat cushion 20 to support the back of the occupant.

[0055] A pair of slide rail devices 14 are provided parallel to each other along the left and right sides of the seat device 12. Each slide rail device 14 is provided with a linear rail 24 fixed to the lower surface of the floor 16 and extending in the front-rear direction, and a slide member 26 slidably engaged with the rail 24 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction.

[0056] Each slide member 26 is fixed to the bottom of the base member 18. Therefore, the seat unit 12 can be moved in the front and rear directions by the slide rail unit 14.

[0057] like Figure 2 As shown, the track 24 includes a bottom wall 30, a pair of outer side walls 32 extending vertically from either side edge of the bottom wall 30, a pair of upper walls 34 extending toward each other from the upper edges of the respective outer side walls 32, and a pair of inner side walls 36 (first side wall and second side wall) extending downward from the inner edges of the respective upper walls 34. The track 24 thus has a channel-shaped cross-section having an open upper end and extending linearly in its longitudinal direction (in the front-rear direction). The opening 39 defined by the left and right inner side walls 36 is vertically aligned with the slot 17 formed in the floor 16, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 shown.

[0058] The left and right inner side walls 36 are spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction so as to be opposite to each other, and may be referred to as a first inner side wall and a second inner side wall. Each inner side wall 36 is provided with a protrusion 38, which protrudes toward the protrusion of the other side wall 36. A plurality of slots 40 are formed in each protrusion 38 at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction, or in other words, at a predetermined pitch P. Each slot 40 is vertically elongated and inclined at a guide angle α relative to the vertical direction (see FIG. 9 ), and is elongated in the vertical direction. As a result, the slots 40 define an internal thread group formed by the plurality of slots 40, and the plurality of grooves together form a portion of an internal thread, or a worm gear tooth developed in a plane.

[0059] The slide lock structure 10 is configured to releasably lock the slider 26 to the rail 24 at a desired position in the front-rear direction. In other words, the slide lock structure 10 fixes the seat device 12 as a slide lock target at a desired position in the front-rear direction on the floor 16.

[0060] Next, we will refer to Figures 2 to 8The details of the slide lock structure 10 are described. The slide lock structure 10 is provided with a rectangular parallelepiped housing 50 formed by a lower housing 52 and an upper housing 54 and elongated in the front-rear direction. The housing 50 is fixed to the slide member 26 (see Figure 1 ), and in a side view, most of the shell 50 is located within the left and right inner walls 36.

[0061] The housing 50 accommodates a pair of locking members 56 (a first locking member and a second locking member) that are laterally adjacent to each other so as to be immovable in the front-rear direction and the vertical direction but movable in the lateral direction.

[0062] Each locking member 56 is provided with a plurality of engaging protrusions 58 protruding laterally outward from its lateral outer side surface. The engaging protrusions 58 on each locking member 56 are arranged at the same interval or at an integral multiple of the interval (pitch P) of the slots 40, and are inclined at the same angle as the guide angle α with respect to the vertical direction. The engaging protrusions 58 extend from the opening 51 (see FIG. 2 ) formed on the side wall of the housing 50. Figure 5 Each locking member 56 is capable of shifting between an engaged position, in which the engagement projection 58 is received by the slot 40, and a disengaged position, in which the engagement projection 58 is disengaged from the slot 40.

[0063] Each locking member 56 is provided with a rectangular protrusion 61 (see Figure 8 ), the rectangular protrusion protrudes downward from the middle part (1 / 2 position) of the bottom surface with respect to the front-rear direction. The lower shell 52 is provided with a recess 62 at the bottom (see Figure 7 ), the recess accommodates the protrusion 61 so as to be slidable in the lateral direction. The slidable engagement between the protrusion 61 and the recess 62 linearly guides the lateral displacement of each locking member 56 between the engaged position and the disengaged position. Therefore, the linear movement of the left and right locking members 56 in the lateral direction can be performed in a reliable manner.

[0064] Each locking member 56 is provided with a pair of grooves 64 extending transversely therethrough and arranged one behind the other in the front-rear direction and each groove between adjacent engagement projections 58. The bottom surface of each groove 64 forms a cam surface 66 (see Figure 4 ). Therefore, the two cam surfaces 66 of each locking member 56 are arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction). More specifically, each cam surface 66 is provided on the bottom surface of each groove 64 formed between the corresponding mutually adjacent engaging protrusions 58, and includes at least one inclined outer surface inclined outwardly from the upper side toward the lower side thereof. The front and rear cam surfaces 66 of the locking member 56 each form a symmetrical pair adjacent to each other in the transverse direction.

[0065] The lock member 56 is provided with inner side surfaces 56A facing each other in the lateral direction. A pair of compression coil springs 68 forming a first biasing member is provided between the left and right inner side surfaces 56A, one behind the other in the front-rear direction. Each compression coil spring 68 abuts against the corresponding groove 60 from the outside with respect to the front-rear direction, or in other words, abuts against the plate member 88 (to be described later) fitted in the corresponding groove 60 from the outside with respect to the front-rear direction. In addition, each compression coil spring 68 abuts against the front end or rear end of the corresponding lock member 56. The compression coil spring 68 thus urges the lock member 56 toward the engagement position.

[0066] Since the compression coil springs 68 are disposed adjacent to the corresponding plate members 88 , the lock members 56 are urged by the compression coil springs 68 in a stable manner, and the posture of the plate members 88 is stabilized.

[0067] Each locking member 56 is provided with a pair of retaining recesses 57 (see Figure 8 ), the pair of retaining recesses are opened at the inner side 56A thereof to accommodate the ends of the corresponding compression coil springs 68. The lower housing 52 is provided with a pair of spring brackets 70 at its bottom (see Figure 7 ), each spring bracket is provided with an arcuate upper surface supporting the middle portion of the corresponding compression coil spring 68.

[0068] Each locking member 56 is provided with a pair of protrusions 72 protruding outwardly in the front-rear direction from the front and rear ends thereof, respectively. A pair of limiting plates 74 are disposed at the front and rear ends of the locking member 56. Each limiting plate 74 is provided with a pair of laterally elongated slots 76. Each elongated slot 76 accommodates the corresponding protrusion 72 in a laterally slidable manner. Each limiting plate 74 is provided with a downwardly extending tongue piece 78, which is vertically inserted into an engaging groove 80 formed in the bottom of the lower housing 52 in a vertically removable manner.

[0069] As a result, each restriction plate 74 is detachably held by the housing 50, and cooperates with the protrusion 72 to form a restriction portion that restricts the lateral inward and outward movement of the left and right locking members 56 relative to the housing 50. The restriction portion defines the engagement position and the disengagement position of the locking members 56 by restricting the limit of the lateral movement of the left and right locking members 56.

[0070] The restriction plate 74 engages the left and right locking members 56, which are urged away from each other by the compression coil spring 68, so that the left and right locking members 56 and the compression coil spring 68 can be handled as a single module or assembly. Thus, the left and right locking members 56, the compression coil spring 68, and the restriction plate 74 can be assembled to the lower housing 52 as a single subassembly in an efficient manner.

[0071] The operating member 86 is provided in the housing 50 so as to be displaceable in the vertical direction. The operating member 86 is an assembly of a pair of plate members 88 which are opposed to each other in the front-rear direction, parallel to each other and in a spaced relationship, and an intermediate connecting member 90 which connects the two plate members 88 to each other.

[0072] A compression coil spring 92 (see FIG. 1 ) forming a second urging member is inserted between the central portion of the intermediate connecting member 90 located in the center of the operating member 86 and the retainer recess 82 formed at the bottom of the lower case 52. Figure 5 ). The compression coil spring 92 pushes the operating member 86 upward relative to the housing 50. Since the compression coil spring 92 is arranged so that the spring force of the compression coil spring 92 acts on the intermediate connecting member 90 centrally with respect to the longitudinal direction, it is possible to prevent the biasing force of the compression coil spring 92 from acting unevenly on the operating member 86 with respect to the longitudinal direction, so that the operating member 86 can be displaced in a smooth manner in the vertical direction.

[0073] Each plate member 88 includes a connecting portion 88A disposed at a transversely central portion thereof and connected to the intermediate connecting member 90, a pair of arm portions 88B extending transversely outward from the connecting portion 88A, and a pair of overhanging portions 88C overhanging downward from the free ends of the respective arm portions 88B, all of which are disposed in a symmetrical manner. The left and right arm portions 88B and the overhanging portions 88C are received in the respective grooves 64 of the left and right locking members 56 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction.

[0074] The overhang portion 88C is provided with cooperating cam surfaces 94 so as to correspond to the cam surfaces 66 on the inner end surfaces thereof, respectively. Therefore, four cooperating cam surfaces 94 are located on either side of the front and rear portions of the single operating member 86 so as to correspond to the corresponding cam surfaces 66. Each cooperating cam surface 94 includes at least one inclined inner surface which is inclined downward from its upper side to its lower side and is configured to be in slidable contact with the corresponding cam surface 66. The cooperating cam surfaces 94 thus form a symmetrical pair which are laterally adjacent to each other.

[0075] When the operating member 86 is pushed downward against the biasing force of the compression coil spring 92, each cooperating cam surface 94 contacts the corresponding cam surface 66 and is slidably displaced downward relative to the cam surface 66. Therefore, the vertical displacement of the operating member 86 is converted into the lateral movement of the left and right locking members 56, so that the left and right locking members 56 are simultaneously displaced to the disengaged position against the biasing force of the compression coil spring 68.

[0076] As described above, each plate member 88 is slidably received in the corresponding groove 64, and its vertical movement relative to the locking member 56 is guided by the wall surface defining the groove 64, so that the locking member 56 is prevented from swinging, and the posture of the locking member 56 is stabilized. As a result, the posture of the cooperating cam surface 94 is stabilized, so that the cam surface 66 and the cooperating cam surface 94 can smoothly and reliably shift the locking member 56 to the disengaged position.

[0077] Furthermore, the cam surfaces 66 of the left and right locking members 56 are provided to be spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, and four cooperating cam surfaces 94 of the operating member 86 are also provided in the front and rear portions thereof so as to correspond to the corresponding cam surfaces 66. Thus, the locking member 56 can be smoothly and reliably shifted to the disengaged position.

[0078] like Figure 4 As shown, the operating member 86 is provided with an inclined upper surface 88D at the base of the arm portion 88B of the plate member 88, and the highest position of the operating member 86 under the upward biasing force is defined by abutting the inclined upper surface 88D with the corresponding inclined lower surface 54C of the upper case 54 located at the end of the slot 54A formed in the upper case 54. When the operating member 86 is located at the highest position, each arm portion 88B and each overhang portion 88C is partially accommodated in the corresponding slot 54A.

[0079] The operating member 86 also includes a rod-shaped lever member 96 that protrudes from the center of the operating member or from the central portion of the intermediate connecting member 90 with respect to the longitudinal direction between the two plate members 88. The lever member 96 passes through the through hole 54B formed in the upper housing 54 and protrudes upward from the housing 50 so as to be pressed downward from the outside.

[0080] The sliding locking structure 10 constructed as described above can be handled as a single module, making it easy to assemble the sliding locking structure to the sliding track device. More specifically, one of the unique features of the sliding locking structure 10 is that all of its components can be packaged as a single component that is assembled within the track 24 rather than being placed on the top of the track 24. In addition, the locked state of the sliding locking structure 10 can be achieved by sliding the left and right locking components 56 laterally in the lateral direction without the need for rotational movement around the fulcrum. As a result, the sliding locking structure 10 can be minimized in size and simplified in structure so as to be compactly hidden under the seat device 12.

[0081] like Figure 1 As shown, the upper surface of the lever member 96 contacts the end of the operating lever 28 rotatably attached to the base member 18 via the horizontal pivot 27. By rotating the operating lever 28 in the clockwise direction around the horizontal pivot 27, the lever member 96 can be pressed downward.

[0082] In a normal state when the rod member 96 is not pressed downward, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 As shown, the operating member 86 is in the raised position under the biasing force of the compression coil spring 92 , and the left and right cooperating cam surfaces 94 are vertically separated from the corresponding cam surfaces 66 .

[0083] Therefore, the left and right locking members 56 are placed at the engagement position under the spring force of the compression coil springs 68. As a result, all the engagement protrusions 58 of the left and right locking members 56 are accommodated by the corresponding left and right grooves 40, so that the locked state is achieved, and the slider 26 is prevented from moving together with the housing 50 in the longitudinal direction of the rail 24. Therefore, the seat device 12 can be fixed at any desired position in the front-rear direction on the floor 16.

[0084] Since the locked state is obtained by the left and right engaging protrusions 58 entering the corresponding left and right slots 40, compared with the case where the locked state is obtained by engaging the locking claw with one tooth of the rack, a highly reliable locking with high mechanical strength can be achieved by using a simple structure without worrying about causing deformation in any component.

[0085] The locked state can be released by pressing the lever member 96 downward against the biasing force of the compression coil spring 92. When the lever member 96 is pressed downward, the operating member 86 is displaced downward. As a result, the four cooperating cam surfaces 94 on either side of the front and rear portions of the operating member 86 abut against the corresponding cam surfaces 66 at the same time and are displaced downward relative to the cam surfaces 66, so that the left and right locking members 56 are displaced to the disengaged position at the same time or in a symmetrical manner against the biasing force of the compression coil spring 68. Therefore, the left and right locking members 56 can be reliably displaced to the disengaged position with a simple structure.

[0086] Once the left and right locking members 56 are in the disengaged position, all the left and right engaging protrusions 58 are reliably disengaged from the corresponding slots 40, so that the locked state is released in a reliable manner. In the unlocked state, the slide 26 can move freely in the longitudinal direction of the track 24 together with the housing 50, so that the position of the seat device 12 in the front-rear direction can be changed as needed.

[0087] Since the slot 40 of the track 24 forms part of the thread or a series of teeth of the worm wheel, the track 24 can also be used in an electric sliding track device using an externally threaded component or a worm driven by an electric motor engaged with the slot 40, and can be applied to a sliding track device that can be used in both electric sliding devices and manually operated sliding devices.

[0088] Next, a process of manufacturing the rail 24 provided with the slot 40 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12 .

[0089] like Fig. 9A As shown, first, a steel plate 100 is prepared as the material of the track 24, and Fig. 9B As shown, a punching machine (not shown) is used to punch the side edge of the flat plate 100 to form slots (rough slots or guide slots) at a specified pitch P along its length. Each slot 40 is inclined at a specified guide angle α relative to the transverse direction. Two slots 40 can be formed for each punching stroke to reduce the punching load.

[0090] Then, the flat plate 100 is bent by a bending machine (not shown) to form a Fig. 9C The track 24 is shown curved.

[0091] By using Fig.10 and 11 The finishing machine 110 shown performs finishing of the rail 24. The finishing process of the rail 24 includes pitch correction and chamfer correction of each slot 40.

[0092] The finishing machine 110 includes a base 111 , a linear conveying guide rail 112 provided on the base 111 , a workpiece transfer table 114 engaged with the conveying guide rail 112 so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction thereof, and a processing head 118 disposed above the base 111 via a gantry gantry 116 .

[0093] The rail 24 is positioned and placed on the upper portion of the workpiece transfer table 114 by using the positioning pins 115 .

[0094] The machining head 118 includes a base plate 120, four horizontal alignment rollers 122 rotatably supported by the base plate 120 and arranged at the front and rear of both sides, vertical alignment rollers 124 rotatably supported by the base plate 120 and arranged in four pairs along the longitudinal direction, and a pair of finishing cutting tools 126 rotatably supported by the base plate 120 and arranged one behind the other along the longitudinal direction.

[0095] The horizontal alignment rollers 122 rotatably contact the outer surfaces of the corresponding outer side walls 32 of the rail 24 conveyed by the workpiece conveying table 114, and laterally position the rail 24 relative to the finishing cutting tool 126. The vertical alignment rollers 124 rotatably contact the upper surfaces of the left and right upper walls 34 of the rail 24, and vertically position the rail 24 relative to the finishing cutting tool 126 (to prevent lifting of the rail).

[0096] Each finishing cutting tool 126 is supported by a bearing seat 128 attached to the lower surface of the base plate 120 so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis extending in the front-rear direction. The front finishing cutting tool 126 and the rear finishing cutting tool 126 are laterally offset from each other so that the front finishing cutting tool 126 performs finishing cutting of the slot 40 on the right side of the rail 24 and the rear finishing cutting tool 126 performs finishing cutting of the slot 40 on the left side of the rail 24.

[0097] Each finishing cutting tool 126 is integrally provided with a gear 132, which will be described later. A pair of intermediate gears 136 rotatably mounted to the base plate 120 through corresponding bearing seats 134 are respectively meshed with the gears 132 of the finishing cutting tool 126. The intermediate gears 136 are also respectively meshed with drive gears 140, which are mounted one behind the other on a common drive shaft 138 extending in the front-rear direction. The drive shaft 138 is connected to an electric motor (not shown in the figure) mounted on the base plate 120, and is rotationally driven by the electric motor.

[0098] Therefore, the two finishing cutting tools 126 arranged one behind the other are synchronously rotationally driven by the above-mentioned gear train.

[0099] like Fig. 12A As shown, each finishing cutting tool 126 is provided with a retainer 142 having an external thread (worm shape) shape having a pitch the same as the pitch P and a lead angle the same as the lead angle α, and a central shaft portion 143 formed integrally with the retainer 142 and protruding from the front and rear ends thereof. The aforementioned gear 132 is integrally attached to the outer periphery of one of the respective protruding ends of the central shaft portion 143.

[0100] A pair of grooves 146 extending in the axial direction are formed at two positions rotationally displaced 180 degrees around the central axis on the outer circumference of the holder 142. A cutting blade 148 made of a comb-shaped flat plate having teeth arranged at the same pitch as the pitch P is detachably fitted into each groove 146. Each cutting blade 148 is fixed in the corresponding groove 144 in the axial direction relative to the holder 142 so that the pitch of the teeth of the cutting blade 148 matches the pitch of the thread of the holder 142.

[0101] While the front and rear finishing cutting tools 126 are rotationally driven, the rail 24 is conveyed toward the machining head 118 by the workpiece conveying table 114 at a predetermined speed so that the cutting blades 148 of the finishing cutting tools 126 perform finishing cutting of the slots 40 in the rail 24 .

[0102] As another example, Fig. 12BThe grinding tool 150 shown can be attached to the machining head 118 instead of the finishing cutting tool 126, so that the slot 40 can be finished by grinding. The grinding tool 150 is formed by sintering a suitable material into an external thread shape (worm shape) having the same pitch as the pitch P and the same lead angle as the lead angle α.

[0103] In addition, as another embodiment, Fig.13 As shown, the slots 40 may be punched out by using a roller punch 162 provided with a plurality of punches 160 arranged on an outer peripheral surface thereof and a roller die 166 provided with corresponding dies 164 arranged on an outer peripheral surface thereof.

[0104] The present invention has been described according to the preferred embodiments thereof, but it can be easily understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and can be changed in various ways without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0105] For example, the left and right engaging protrusions 58 may also be one or more than four in number. The compression coil spring 68 may also be arranged to abut against the plate member 88 from the inside with respect to the front-rear direction.

[0106] The sliding locking structure 10 according to the present invention is not limited to being applied to the sliding track device 14 of the seat device 12, but can also be applied to the sliding track devices 14 of various other devices.

[0107] In addition, not all the components shown in the above-mentioned embodiments are essential to the present invention, and these components can be appropriately selected and replaced within a range not departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0108] Reference numerals list

[0109] 10: Sliding locking structure 12: Seat device

[0110] 14: Sliding track device 16: Floor

[0111] 17: Slot 18: Base assembly

[0112] 20: Seat cushion 22: Seat back

[0113] 24: Track 26: Sliding piece

[0114] 27: Horizontal pivot 28: Operating lever

[0115] 30: Bottom wall 32: Outer wall

[0116] 34: Up the wall

[0117] 36: Inner side wall (first side wall, second side wall)

[0118] 38: protrusion 39: opening

[0119] 40: slot 50: housing

[0120] 51: opening 52: lower shell

[0121] 54: Upper housing 54A: Slot

[0122] 54B: Through hole 54C: Inclined lower surface

[0123] 56: Locking member (first locking member, second locking member)

[0124] 56A: Inner surface 57: Retainer recess

[0125] 58: Engagement protrusion 60: Groove

[0126] 61:Protrusion 62:Concave

[0127] 64: Groove 66: Cam surface

[0128] 68: Compression coil spring 70: Spring bracket

[0129] 72: protrusion 74: limiting plate

[0130] 76: slot 78: tongue

[0131] 80: Engagement groove 82: Retainer recess

[0132] 86: Operation part 88: Board part

[0133] 88A: Connecting part 88B: Arm part

[0134] 88C: Overhanging part 88D: Inclined upper surface

[0135] 90: Intermediate connecting component 92: Compression coil spring

[0136] 94: cooperating cam surface 96: lever member

[0137] 100: Flat plate 110: Finishing machine

[0138] 111: Base 112: Conveyor guide rail

[0139] 114: Workpiece carrier 115: Positioning pin

[0140] 116: Gate gantry 118: Processing head

[0141] 120: Base plate 122: Horizontal alignment roller

[0142] 124: Vertical alignment roller 126: Finishing cutting tool

[0143] 128: Bearing seat 132: Gear

[0144] 134: Bearing seat 136: Intermediate gear

[0145] 138: drive shaft 140: drive gear

[0146] 142: Retainer 143: Central axis

[0147] 144: groove 148: cutting blade

[0148] 150: Grinding tool 160: Punch

[0149] 162: Roller punch 164: Die

[0150] 166: Roller mold

Claims

1. A sliding locking structure for a sliding track device, the sliding track device comprising a linear track and a sliding member slidably engaged with the linear track, the linear track extending in a longitudinal direction and having a channel cross section, the channel cross section comprising a first side wall and a second side wall separated from each other and opposite to each other in a transverse direction, each side wall being provided with a plurality of slots arranged along the longitudinal direction thereof, The sliding locking structure comprises: a housing attached to the slide and including a portion between the first side wall and the second side wall; a first locking member and a second locking member, each of the locking members being disposed on the housing and provided with a cam surface formed on an outer side thereof and at least one engaging protrusion protruding laterally outward, the at least one engaging protrusion being laterally movable between an engaged position in which the at least one engaging protrusion is received in one of the plurality of slots and a disengaged position in which the at least one engaging protrusion is disengaged from the plurality of slots; a first biasing member urging the first locking member and the second locking member toward the engaged position; as well as an operating member movably disposed on the housing and provided with a cooperating cam surface that slidably engages the cam surface so that when the operating member moves in a prescribed direction, the first locking member and the second locking member overcome the biasing force of the first biasing member and move to the disengaged position, The slide locking structure further includes a second biasing member that pushes the operating member upward relative to the housing. wherein the operating member is movable in a downward direction against the biasing force of the second biasing member, and In which, the cam surface includes an inclined outer surface inclined outward from its upper end toward its lower end, and the cooperative cam surface includes an inclined inner surface inclined outward from its upper end toward its lower end, so that when the operating part is pushed downward, the first locking part and the second locking part overcome the biasing force of the first biasing part and move to the disengaged position.

2. The sliding locking structure according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one engagement protrusion of each of the first locking member and the second locking member includes a plurality of engagement protrusions arranged at an interval in the longitudinal direction, the interval being an integral multiple of an interval between adjacent slots.

3. A sliding locking structure according to claim 2, wherein the inclined outer surface of each of the first locking part and the second locking part includes a pair of inclined outer surfaces, and the pair of inclined outer surfaces are arranged one behind the other in a spaced relationship with each other in the longitudinal direction, and the inclined inner surface of the operating part includes two pairs of inclined inner surfaces corresponding to the corresponding inclined outer surfaces.

4. A sliding locking structure according to claim 3, wherein the inclined outer surfaces of the first locking part and the second locking part are both arranged on the bottom surface of a groove defined between two corresponding adjacent engaging protrusions, and the inclined inner surface is formed on the inner end surface of each plate part in a pair of plate parts, and the pair of plate parts are accommodated in the corresponding grooves in a vertically movably manner.

5. A sliding locking structure according to claim 4, wherein the first locking member and the second locking member are provided with inner surfaces opposite to each other, and the first biasing member includes a compression coil spring, which is inserted between the opposite inner surfaces so as to be adjacent to the corresponding plate member from the outside or the inside in the longitudinal direction.

6. The sliding locking structure according to claim 5, wherein: The operating member includes a lever member that protrudes upward so as to be configured to be pressed from the outside in a middle portion of the operating member between the two plate members in the longitudinal direction. 7 . The slide locking structure according to claim 6 , wherein the second biasing member comprises a compression coil spring inserted between the housing and the intermediate portion of the operating member. 8 . The slide-locking structure according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of slots in the linear rail each form a portion of an internal thread, and the engagement protrusions each form a portion of an external thread configured to threadably engage with the internal thread.

9. A sliding locking structure for a sliding track device, the sliding track device comprising a linear track and a sliding member slidably engaged with the linear track, the linear track extending in a longitudinal direction and having a channel cross section, the channel cross section comprising a first side wall and a second side wall separated from each other and opposite to each other in a transverse direction, each side wall being provided with a plurality of slots arranged along the longitudinal direction thereof, The sliding locking structure comprises: a housing attached to the slide and including a portion between the first side wall and the second side wall; a first locking member and a second locking member, each of the locking members being disposed on the housing and provided with a cam surface formed on an outer side thereof and at least one engaging protrusion protruding laterally outward, the at least one engaging protrusion being laterally movable between an engaged position in which the at least one engaging protrusion is received in one of the plurality of slots and a disengaged position in which the at least one engaging protrusion is disengaged from the plurality of slots; a first biasing member urging the first locking member and the second locking member toward the engaged position; as well as an operating member movably disposed on the housing and provided with a cooperating cam surface that slidably engages the cam surface so that when the operating member moves in a prescribed direction, the first locking member and the second locking member overcome the biasing force of the first biasing member and move to the disengaged position, The housing is provided with a limiting portion, which limits the outward movement of the first locking component and the second locking component relative to the housing.

10. A sliding locking structure according to claim 9, wherein the limiting portion includes a pair of limiting plate parts, a transversely elongated slot and four protrusions, the pair of limiting plate parts are detachably retained to the shell in front and behind the first locking part and the second locking part, the transversely elongated slot is formed in each plate part, and the four protrusions protrude from the end faces of the first locking part and the second locking part along the longitudinal direction and are accommodated by the corresponding transversely elongated slots.

11. A sliding locking structure for a sliding track device, the sliding track device comprising a linear track and a sliding member slidably engaged with the linear track, the linear track extending in a longitudinal direction and having a channel cross section, the channel cross section comprising a first side wall and a second side wall separated from each other and opposite to each other in a transverse direction, each side wall being provided with a plurality of slots arranged along the longitudinal direction thereof, The sliding locking structure comprises: a housing attached to the slide and including a portion between the first side wall and the second side wall; a first locking member and a second locking member, each of the locking members being disposed on the housing and provided with a cam surface formed on an outer side thereof and at least one engaging protrusion protruding laterally outward, the at least one engaging protrusion being laterally movable between an engaged position in which the at least one engaging protrusion is received in one of the plurality of slots and a disengaged position in which the at least one engaging protrusion is disengaged from the plurality of slots; a first biasing member urging the first locking member and the second locking member toward the engaged position; as well as an operating member movably disposed on the housing and provided with a cooperating cam surface that slidably engages the cam surface so that when the operating member moves in a prescribed direction, the first locking member and the second locking member overcome the biasing force of the first biasing member and move to the disengaged position, Each of the first locking member and the second locking member is provided with a protrusion in a bottom portion thereof, and the housing is provided with a pair of recesses for respectively accommodating the protrusions in a transversely slidable manner.

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