Device for adjusting longitudinal position of seat

Abstract

To provide a device for adjusting a longitudinal position of a seat, which achieves simplification and downsizing of a rail structure.SOLUTION: A pair of fixed rails L and a pair of movable rails U are provided, and a power supply device E includes a storage housing for storing an electric wire 80. The power supply device includes a storage housing for storing a power feeding electric wire 80, and a slider 50 coupled to a seat support U and capable of sliding in the fixed rails L. The electric wire 80 capable of sliding in the fixed rails L when being pulled out from the storage housing is held by the slider 50. The slider 50 has an interference avoidance part 50c for avoiding interference with a transmission member 41, of a drive device, that is arranged so as to longitudinally pass through the fixed rails L. Accordingly, the transmission member of the drive device, and the electric wire holding slider that slides in the fixed rails can be arranged adjacent to each other while avoiding mutual interference.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a front - rear position adjusting device for a seat, particularly including a fixed rail fixed to the floor and extending in the front - rear direction, a seat support fixed to the seat and supported on the fixed rail so as to be slidable in the front - rear direction, and a driving device capable of driving the seat support in the front - rear direction with respect to the fixed rail. In this specification, front - rear and left - right refer to the front - rear and left - right with reference to the seat in a state set in a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] In the above - mentioned front - rear position adjusting device for a seat, a driving device for driving the seat support in the front - rear direction includes a motor provided on the seat side and a transmission member (more specifically, a fixed screw shaft screwed into a nut supported by the seat support and rotating in conjunction with the motor) arranged to vertically penetrate the inside of the fixed rail and related to the transmission of the driving force from the motor to the seat support. Such a device is conventionally known as shown in, for example, Patent Document 1.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] <First Problem> In the seat of Patent Document 1, a power supply device for supplying power to electrical components on the seat side includes a power supply rail formed in a long duct shape in the front - rear direction for housing power supply electric wires, and a slider slidably supported on the power supply rail for supporting a movable end portion of the electric wire in the power supply rail. The slider is connected to the seat support so that it can move back and forth together with the seat support.

[0005] However, this sheet structure has a problem that the rail structure becomes large as a whole.

[0006] <Second problem> In the sheet of Patent Document 2, the forward limit or the backward limit of the movable rail (and thus the sheet) with respect to the fixed rail is defined by bringing a stopper provided on the screw shaft into contact with a nut member that is a rigid body. However, since the stopper has a flat flange shape in the front-rear direction, it is necessary to configure the stopper to be thick in the axial direction in order to increase the support rigidity, which is disadvantageous in terms of reducing the weight of the stopper. This is the second problem.

[0007] The present invention has been proposed in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide a front-rear position adjusting device for a sheet that can solve the above first problem.

Means for solving the problem

[0008] <Means for solving the first problem> In order to achieve the above first object, the present invention provides a front-rear position adjusting device for a sheet, comprising a fixed rail, a movable rail movable with respect to the fixed rail, a motor for moving the movable rail with respect to the fixed rail, a screw shaft driven by the motor to move the movable rail, and a power supply device for supplying power to electrical components attached to the sheet. The power supply device includes a power supply wire connected to the movable rail and a slider that moves together with the movable rail with respect to the fixed rail, and a part of the slider and the screw shaft are arranged within the vertical width or the horizontal width of the fixed rail. This is the first feature.

[0009] In addition to the first feature, the present invention is characterized in that a part of the slider protrudes outward from a part of the fixed rail. This is the second feature.

[0010] In addition to the first or second feature, the present invention is characterized in that, in the height direction of the fixed rail, the screw shaft is provided at a position lower than the upper end of the slider. This is the third feature.

[0011] In addition to any one of the first to third features, the present invention is characterized in that, in the height direction of the fixed rail, the screw shaft is provided at the same position as the electric wire supported by the slider as a fourth feature.

[0012] In addition to any one of the first to fourth features, the present invention is characterized in that it includes a support plate that supports the screw shaft with respect to the movable rail, and in the longitudinal direction of the movable rail, the length of the support plate is longer than the length of the slider as a fifth feature.

[0013] In addition to any one of the first to fifth features, the present invention is characterized in that the fixed rail includes a bottom wall, a pair of standing walls that rise upward from both ends in the width direction of the bottom wall, a pair of upper walls that are connected to the upper ends of the standing walls, and a pair of hanging walls that are bent downward from the upper walls and face the standing walls. The slider includes a pair of wire holding portions for holding the electric wire, and the wire holding portions are disposed between the standing walls and the hanging walls. The wire holding portions are connected by a connecting portion having a pair of lower connecting portions disposed below the screw shaft in the height direction of the fixed rail and a top wall portion that connects the pair of lower connecting portions above the screw shaft as a sixth feature.

[0014] In addition to any one of the first to sixth features, the present invention is characterized in that a pair of the fixed rails and a pair of the movable rails are provided respectively. The power supply device includes a storage housing for storing the electric wire. The storage housing is disposed between the pair of fixed rails. The pair of fixed rails have a first fixing portion and a second fixing portion for fixing them to the vehicle body floor. The first fixing portion is disposed at a position overlapping the storage housing in the vertical direction, and the second fixing portion is disposed at a position not overlapping the storage housing in the vertical direction as a seventh feature.

[0015] In addition to any one of the first to seventh features, the present invention is characterized in that, in the width direction of the fixed rail, the width of the screw shaft is smaller than the width of the slider as an eighth feature.

[0016] Furthermore, the fixed rail L, movable rail U, motor M, screw shaft 41, seat S, power supply device E, electric wire 80, support plate 70, slider 50, bottom wall portion 12 of the fixed rail L, also side wall portion 13, also inward base portion of flange portion 13f, also downward tip portion of flange portion 13f, lower connecting portion 51u of the slider 50, also top wall portion 51t, also connecting portion 51, also electric wire holding portions 52, 53, storage housing H, support frame 9, support frame 8 in the embodiment respectively correspond to the fixed rail, movable rail, motor, screw shaft, seat, power supply device, electric wire, support plate, slider, bottom wall, standing wall, upper wall, hanging wall, lower connecting portion, top wall portion, connecting portion, electric wire holding portion, storage housing, first fixing portion, second fixing portion of the present invention.

[0017] Furthermore, the "fixed rail" of the present invention refers to the fixed rail on the side where the slider 50 is slidably provided among the pair of left and right fixed rails L, L in the embodiment (the left fixed rail L in the embodiment).

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0019] A ····· Front-rear position adjusting device E ····· Power supply device H ····· Storage housing L ····· Fixed rail M ····· Motor S ····· Automobile seat as a seat U ····· Movable rail as a seat support 8 ····· Second fixing part (support frame) 9 ····· First fixing part (support frame) 12 ····· Bottom wall (bottom wall part of the fixed rail) 13 ····· Standing wall (side wall part) 13f ··· Upper wall, hanging wall (flange part of the side wall part) 41 ····· Screw shaft 50 ····· Slider 51u ··· Lower connecting part 51t ··· Top wall part 52, 53 ··· A pair of wire holding parts 80 ····· Electric wire

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present invention and this specification, front-rear, left-right, and up-down respectively refer to the front-rear, left-right, and up-down as seen by a passenger sitting on the seat.

[0021] First, referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, the first embodiment will be described. The vehicle seat S is supported on the floor frame F, which is a part of the vehicle body, via a front-back position adjusting device A so as to be adjustable in the front-back position. The floor frame F is an example of a floor.

[0022] The front-back position adjusting device A includes left and right fixed rails L that are placed and fixed (e.g., bolted) on the floor frame F via a plurality of support frames 7 to 9, extend in the front-back direction, and are parallel to each other, left and right movable rails U as seat support bodies that are slidably supported on each fixed rail L in the front-back direction, a driving device D that can drive the movable rails U (and thus the seat S) back and forth with respect to the fixed rails L, and a power supply device E that supplies power to electrical components (not shown) equipped on the seat S. Here, the electrical components include, for example, an electric reclining mechanism for adjusting the tilt angle of the seat back, a seating sensor for detecting the presence or absence of an occupant sitting on the seat S, a seat belt sensor for detecting whether the occupant on the seat is wearing a seat belt, and the like.

[0023] A downward vertical wall portion 100 is fixedly provided on the seat bottom plate of the seat S, and the upper part of the movable rail U is detachably coupled to the vertical wall portion 100 via, for example, a plurality of sets of bolts and nuts 101.

[0024] Also, the plurality of support frames 7 to 9 are arranged at intervals in the front-back direction on the floor frame F, and a part of them (e.g., the front and rear support frames 7, 9) extends long in the left-right direction and functions as a cross member that connects between the left and right fixed rails L, and the others (e.g., the middle front and rear support frame 8) are formed short in the left-right direction and are individually coupled to the left and right fixed rails L. As the coupling means, in this embodiment, weld nuts and bolts are used, but other coupling means (e.g., welding) are also possible. Note that the combination of the long and short shapes of the support frames 7 to 9 is arbitrary and is not limited to the embodiment. Further, all of the support frames 7 to 9 may be formed short like the support frame 8 of the embodiment, or may be formed long like the support frames 7, 9 of the embodiment.

[0025] Each of the left and right fixed rails L includes, as particularly shown in FIG. 5, a strip-shaped bottom wall portion 12 extending in the front-rear direction, and substantially vertical left and right side wall portions 13a standing upright integrally upward from both left and right ends of the bottom wall portion 12. The bottom wall portion 12 has a recess 12h recessed downward at the central portion in the left-right direction thereof, and left and right horizontal flat portions continuous with both sides of the recess 12h respectively serve as running guide surfaces 12a for the rollers 24 described later.

[0026] On the other hand, each of the left and right movable rails U is configured to be divided into left and right movable rail halves 22, and the two movable rail halves 22 are integrally joined (for example, rivet joining 23) by butting their upper halves against each other. The lower halves of the left and right movable rail halves 22 integrally have a top wall portion 22t that continues to the upper half and projects substantially horizontally to opposite sides, and a side wall portion 22s that extends substantially vertically downward from the outer end of the top wall portion 22t. And upward flange-shaped roller support portions 22f extending upward in an inverted manner are integrally extended from the lower ends of the respective side wall portions 22s, and a pair of front and rear rollers 24 arranged at intervals in the front-rear direction are rotatably supported on the respective roller support portions 22f.

[0027] Flange portions 13f are integrally provided continuously at the upper ends of the left and right side wall portions 13a of each fixed rail L. The flange portions 13f have an inward base portion covering the upper part of the roller 24 and a downward tip portion extending substantially vertically downward from the inner end of the inward base portion, and are formed in an L-shaped cross section. The downward tip portion of each flange portion 13f is loosely inserted into the gap between the side wall portion 22s and the roller support portion 22f of the movable rail U. Thus, by the rollers 24 of each movable rail U rolling on the above-described running guide surface 12a of each fixed rail, each movable rail U can slide smoothly back and forth on each fixed rail L via the rollers 24.

[0028] Next, an example of a drive device D for driving the movable rail U (sheet S) back and forth will be described.

[0029] The drive device D includes a screw shaft 41 arranged to vertically pass through the left and right fixed rails L respectively, front and rear bearing members 60 that rotatably support both front and rear ends of the screw shaft 41 on the fixed rails L, a nut member 42 that is screwed onto the screw shaft 41 between the front and rear bearing members 60 and is fixed to the movable rail U, a motor M that outputs a rotational force for relatively rotating the screw shaft 41 and the nut member 42, and a transmission mechanism 30 that transmits the output of the motor M to the screw shaft 41 to rotate the screw shaft 41.

[0030] The nut member 42 is coupled (e.g., welded) to the inner surface of the lower half of the movable rail U (more specifically, the top wall portion 22t). The screw shaft 41 and the nut member 42 cooperate with each other and function as transmission members related to the transmission of the driving force from the motor M to the movable rail U.

[0031] A drive unit Du for rotationally driving the screw shaft 41 is attached to the front end portions Lf of the left and right fixed rails L. This drive unit Du includes a motor M, left and right gear boxes 31 that respectively house the transmission mechanism 30, and a base frame 38 to which the motor M and the gear boxes 31 are coupled (e.g., bolted). The base frame 38 is formed in a channel frame shape extending in the left - right direction. The left and right gear boxes 31 are detachably coupled to the front end portions Lf of the left and right fixed rails L respectively, whereby the drive unit Du is attached to the fixed rail L. Note that the gear box 31 is an example of a transmission case.

[0032] The gear box 31 is, for example, divided into a gear box body 311 and a lid body 312 detachably coupled (e.g., press - fitted) to the open end thereof, and is formed in a box shape from a synthetic resin material. The side wall 31w of the gear box 31 on the fixed rail L side abuts against the outer surface of a cover 35 that detachably closes the opening of the front end portion Lf of the fixed rail L, and in this abutting state, is detachably locked and fixed to the fixed rail L via a leaf spring member 90.

[0033] That is, the base of the leaf spring member 90 is fastened (for example, bolted) to the front end portion Lf of the fixed rail L together with the support frame 7, and a locking claw 90a is provided at the tip of the leaf spring member 90 by raising a part thereof. On the other hand, the gear box 31 has a slit hole 31s that opens to the outer surface of the side wall 31w and into which the leaf spring member 90 can be inserted in a pluggable manner, and a locking hole 31h that opens to the inner surface of the slit hole 31s and can be locked to the locking claw 90a.

[0034] Therefore, if the tip of the leaf spring member 90 is inserted into the slit hole 31s so as to be pushed in, the locking claw 90a can be automatically locked to the locking hole 31h. Thus, the gear box 31, and thus the drive unit Du, can be quickly and easily locked and fixed to the left and right fixed rails L with one touch, and the workability of attaching the gear box 31 (drive unit Du) to the fixed rail L is good. Moreover, due to the elastic deformation of the leaf spring member 90, the amount of vibration transmitted from the motor M and the transmission mechanism 30 to the floor frame F and the seat S can be effectively reduced.

[0035] The motor shaft 37 extends from the motor M in two directions, left and right, and penetrates into the left and right gear boxes 31, respectively. A worm gear 37g is fitted and fixed to the outer periphery of the penetrating end portion. Further, a transmission shaft 36 that is coaxially connected to the front end of the screw shaft 41 via a joint J is rotatably supported by the gear box 31. A worm wheel gear 36g that meshes with the worm gear 37g and transmits the rotation of the motor shaft 37 to the transmission shaft 36 (and thus the screw shaft 41) is fitted and fixed to the outer periphery of the intermediate portion of the transmission shaft 36.

[0036] Next, an example of the bearing member 60 will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. The bearing member 60 is composed of a strip-shaped plate material whose intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction is bent. For example, it includes first and second standing walls 61 and 62 that have through holes 61a and 62a for inserting the screw shaft 41 and are arranged at intervals in the front-rear direction, and a connecting wall portion 63 that integrally connects the tips (upper ends) of the standing walls 61 and 62.

[0037] At the proximal ends (lower ends) of the first and second vertical walls 61 and 62, extension walls 61w and 62w extending in opposite directions in the front-rear direction are integrally connected to each other, and a bearing member 60 is coupled (e.g., bolt-coupled) to the bottom wall portion 12 of the fixed rail L by both of these extension walls 61w and 62w.

[0038] The connecting wall portion 63 is formed in an arch shape in a cross-sectional shape cutting across the screw shaft 41. Note that the cross-sectional shape of the connecting wall portion 63 is not limited to the illustrated example, and may be a bent shape protruding to the side away from or approaching the screw shaft 41 such that at least the central portion serves as the top, for example, a mountain shape in which only the central portion protrudes to the side away from the screw shaft 41 as shown in FIG. 7(A), or a U-shaped shape with the opening facing downward as shown in (B). Note that although not shown, conversely to FIG. 7, the cross-sectional shape of the connecting wall portion 63 may be a mountain shape in which only the central portion protrudes to the side approaching the screw shaft 41, or a U-shaped shape with the opening facing upward.

[0039] In the through-hole 61a of one of the first and second vertical walls 61 and 62 (the first vertical wall 61 on the outer side in the axial direction in the illustrated example), the screw shaft 41 is fitted and supported without play via a bearing bush 65, and in the through-hole 62a of the other (the second vertical wall 62 on the inner side in the axial direction in the illustrated example) of the first and second vertical walls 61 and 62, the screw shaft 41 is inserted with play. Note that it is also possible to implement a modified example in which the bearing bush 65 is omitted and the screw shaft 41 is directly fitted and supported rotatably in the through-hole 61a.

[0040] The screw shaft 41 integrally has a large-diameter first male screw portion 41a for screwing a nut member 42, a bush support portion 41b adjacent to both front and rear ends of the first male screw portion 41a via flange portions 41f and for fitting the bearing bush 65, and a small-diameter second male screw portion 41c adjacent to the outer end of the bush support portion 41b via a stepped portion.

[0041] On the left and right second male screw portions 41c, nuts 45 that are close to and face the outer ends of the bearing bushes 65 are respectively screwed, and by engaging these nuts 45 with the first vertical wall 61 of the bearing member 60, the axial movement of the screw shaft 41 is restricted. Further, on the second male screw portion 41c, particularly on the front side of the screw shaft 41, an extension shaft portion 41d with a smaller diameter is continuously provided, and this extension shaft portion 41d is connected to the transmission shaft 36 on the gearbox 31 side via the joint J.

[0042] The second vertical wall 62 has a stopper surface 62s that indirectly engages with the nut member 42 (i.e., via the support plate 70 to be described next) to restrict the forward limit or backward limit of the movable rail U.

[0043] The support plate 70 has through holes that slightly and loosely penetrate the screw shaft 41, and front and rear stopper wall portions 71, 72 that are arranged in parallel with a space therebetween in the front and rear directions, and an intermediate wall portion 73 that extends long in the front and rear directions by integrally connecting both the stopper wall portions 71, 72 at both ends. This support plate 70 is arranged within the movable rail U between the front and rear bearing members 60, and the intermediate wall portion 73 has an intermediate bending portion 73m that holds the nut member 42 fixed to the movable rail U. Note that the intermediate bending portion 73m may or may not be fixed (e.g., welded) to the nut member 42.

[0044] The intermediate wall portion 73 is coupled (e.g., welded) to the inner surface of one of the left and right side wall portions 22s of the lower half of the movable rail U. Thereby, the support plate 70 is fixed to the movable rail U, and the base ends of the front and rear stopper wall portions 71, 72 are fixed to the movable rail U (more specifically, the side wall portion 22s) via the intermediate wall portion 73, that is, cantilever - supported.

[0045] Thus, the forward limit and backward limit of the movable rail U are restricted by the front and rear stopper wall portions 71, 72 of the support plate 70 coming into and leaving contact with the respective stopper surfaces 62s on the front and rear bearing members 60. Note that the support plate 70 may be omitted and the nut member 42 may be directly brought into contact with the respective stopper surfaces 62s of the front and rear bearing members 60.

[0046] Further, on the movable rail U, particularly on the upper part of each movable rail half 22, a reinforcing portion 22b is provided at a position where it at least partially overlaps with the support plate 70 in the axial direction. This reinforcing portion 22b is formed by plastically deforming a part of the upper half of the movable rail half 22 into a rib shape that projects outward in the left-right direction. Due to the special provision of such a reinforcing portion 22b, the region of the movable rail U where the load burden increases due to the fixation of the support plate 70 can be effectively reinforced by the reinforcing portion 22b.

[0047] Next, an example of the power supply device E will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 6.

[0048] The power supply device E includes a power supply wire 80, a storage housing H for storing the wire 80, and a slider 50 connected to the movable rail U on one side (the left side in the illustrated example) and slidable within the fixed rail L on the same side. The wire 80 is loosely inserted throughout substantially its entire length into a bellows-shaped protective tube 81 made of a synthetic resin material and having flexibility. The wire 80 is protected by the covering and protecting action of the protective tube 81 without being bent forcibly.

[0049] Then, a part of the wire 80, that is, the movable end portion 80a, which is pulled out from the storage housing H and slidable within the fixed rail L as will be described later, is embedded and held together with the movable end portion of the protective tube 81 that surrounds it in the slider 50.

[0050] In the present invention and this specification, the "wire" may be a single lead wire, or may be in a state called a wire harness formed by bundling a plurality of lead wires. However, in the illustrated example, the wire harness is simply referred to as a wire.

[0051] The storage housing H is formed in a box shape that linearly extends in a predetermined direction and is flat in the vertical direction so that it can be reasonably arranged in a narrow space directly below the seat S. A pair of electric wires 80 each surrounded by a bellows-shaped protective cylinder 81 are stored inside. The ends of the pair of electric wires 80 on the vehicle body side converge with each other, and the converging portion is connected to a coupler 82 fixedly provided at an appropriate position on the outer surface of the storage housing H. This coupler 82 is detachably coupled to a coupler 84 continuous with an electric wire 83 extending from an electronic control device (not shown) on the vehicle body side. The base end portion Ha of the storage housing H is detachably connected to the rear end portion Lr of one of the left and right fixed rails L. And an opening facing the internal space of the fixed rail L is provided at the base end portion Ha, and this opening functions as an outlet for the pair of electric wires 80 each surrounded by the protective cylinder 81. Therefore, the pair of electric wires 80 stored in the storage housing H and each surrounded by the protective cylinder 81 are drawn out into the fixed rail L through the opening of the base end portion Ha of the storage housing H and can be slidably contacted within the fixed rail L (more specifically, on the traveling guide surface 12a) following the forward and backward sliding of the slider 50.

[0052] Moreover, particularly in the present embodiment, the storage housing H is arranged so as to be inclined toward the center side in the left-right direction of the seat with respect to the fixed rail L in a plan view. According to this arrangement, the storage housing H can be compactly stored in the front-rear direction in the dead space between the left and right fixed rails L, L directly below the seat S. Moreover, by inclining the storage housing H with respect to the fixed rail L in a plan view, compared with the case where the storage housing H is arranged along the fixed rail L, the curvature of the electric wire 80 drawn out from the opening of the base end portion Ha of the storage housing H and inverted to the fixed rail L side can be reduced. Therefore, the electric wire 80 can be smoothly bent without difficulty within the storage housing H, and the durability of the electric wire 80 can be improved.

[0053] Next, an example of the slider 50 will be described. The slider 50 has a slider base 50B most of which is disposed within the fixed rail L, and a slider tip 50A integrally connected via a constricted portion 50m to the upper part of the slider base 50B and protruding higher above the fixed rail L, and is made of a synthetic resin material. The slider base 50B includes a pair of wire holding portions 52, 53 arranged at intervals in the left-right direction within the fixed rail L, and a connecting portion 51 integrally connecting between the two wire holding portions 52, 53.

[0054] Both wire holding portions 52, 53 are placed and supported on the traveling guide surface 12a of the bottom wall portion 12 of the fixed rail L so as to be slidable back and forth. Also, at both wire holding portions 52, 53, the tip of the bellows-shaped protective tube 81 drawn into the fixed rail L through the opening of the base end portion Ha of the storage housing H, and a part of the wire 80 extending from the tip of the protective tube 81, that is, the movable end portion 80a, are integrally covered and held. The movable end portion 80a of the wire 80 extends upward within the slider tip 50A and converges, and the converging portion is connected to a coupler 86 fixed to the slider tip 50A. This coupler 86 is detachably coupled to a coupler 88 continuous with the wire 87 extending from the electrical component on the sheet S side.

[0055] The connecting portion 51 has a top wall portion 51t capable of covering above the screw shaft 41 and the bearing member 60, left and right side wall portions 51s extending vertically downward from both left and right ends of the top wall portion 51t, and lower connecting portions 51u extending from the left and right side wall portions 51s to both wire holding portions 52, 53. An interference avoidance portion 50c having a U-shaped cross section for avoiding interference with the screw shaft 41 and the bearing member 60 is formed by the inner surfaces of the top wall portion 51t and the left and right side wall portions 51s. That is, a first recess 51h formed by recessing the inner surface of the connecting portion 51 (i.e., the surface facing the screw shaft 41) upward is configured as an interference avoidance portion 50c for avoiding interference with the screw shaft 41 and the bearing member 60.

[0056] Then, a wide space is secured between this first concave portion 51h (interference avoidance portion 50c) and a second concave portion 12h formed by recessing downward the bottom wall portion 12 of the fixed rail L so as to face this first concave portion 51h. The screw shaft 41 vertically passes through this space and the bearing member 60 can pass through relatively. That is, the first and second concave portions 51h and 12h make it possible to secure a sufficiently wide arrangement space for the screw shaft 41 and peripheral components (for example, the bearing member 60). Moreover, since the portion of the bottom wall portion 12 of the fixed rail L corresponding to the second concave portion 12h can exhibit the effect of a reinforcing rib, the bending rigidity of the fixed rail L can be increased.

[0057] Also, at least a part of the wire holding portions 52 and 53 of the slider 50 is arranged so as to overlap with the screw shaft 41 when viewed from the side of the sheet. According to this arrangement, since the fixed rail L is provided with both the slider 50 (particularly the wire holding portions 52 and 53) and the screw shaft 41 inside thereof, it is possible to suppress an increase in size in the vertical direction.

[0058] The slider 50 is detachably coupled to the movable rail U via a coupling means to be described below. That is, the coupling means includes an elastic locking claw 51a protruding from the front end of the coupling portion 51 (more specifically, the side wall portion 51s) of the slider 50 and extending forward, and a locking hole 22h formed in the side wall portion 22s of the lower half of the movable rail half body 22 corresponding to the elastic locking claw 51a. A locking protrusion 51at is provided at the tip of the locking claw 51a, and this locking protrusion 51at is detachably locked to the locking hole 22h. By this locking, while holding the state where the front portion 50A of the slider is abutted against the rear end of the upper half of the movable rail U, the base portion 50B of the slider can be detachably coupled to the lower half of the movable rail U. Thereby, the slider 50 can be moved back and forth following the movable rail U.

[0059] Note that the coupling means between the slider 50 and the movable rail U is not limited to the structure of the above embodiment, and various coupling means (for example, bolt coupling, caulking coupling, etc.) can be adopted.

[0060] Also, the fixed rail L is neatly covered with a floor carpet (not shown) that covers the upper surface of the floor frame F. In this case, the floor carpet is appropriately provided with slits that allow the movable rail U and the slider 50 to move back and forth. That is, the narrow upper half on the left and right of the movable rail U and the constricted portion 50m of the slider 50 can move back and forth through the gaps of the slits.

[0061] Next, the operation of the first embodiment described above will be explained. For example, when the occupant operates an operation switch (not shown) on the inner surface of the door to rotate the motor M forward or backward, the rotational force is transmitted through the motor shaft 37, the left and right transmission mechanisms 30, the transmission shaft 36, and the joint J to rotate the screw shaft 41 forward or backward. In conjunction with this, the nut member 42 (and thus the movable rail U and the seat S) slides forward or backward on the fixed rail L. This sliding is performed via the roller 24 that rolls on the running guide surface 12a on the inner surface of the fixed rail L, so that the sliding resistance can be extremely small.

[0062] When the seat S reaches the desired front-rear position, the operation of the operation switch is stopped to stop the motor M, whereby the seat S can be adjusted to the desired position in the front-rear direction at any time. Incidentally, the energization control of the motor M may be automated by an electronic control device so that it can be automatically adjusted to a preset front-rear position.

[0063] Following the forward and backward sliding of the seat S described above, the slider 50 slides forward and backward within the fixed rail L, and a part of the electric wire 80 drawn out from the storage housing H follows and slides forward and backward within the fixed rail L (more specifically, on the running guide surface 12a) together with the protective cylinder 81.

[0064] In this embodiment, a drive unit Du including an output motor M that outputs a driving force for driving the movable rail U (seat S) back and forth and a gear box 31 of a transmission mechanism 30 that transmits the output of the motor M to the screw shaft 41 is attached to the front end portion Lf of the fixed rail L. Also, a power supply device E (for example, a storage housing H, a slider 50, etc.) that supplies power to the electrical components on the seat S side is disposed closer to the rear end portion Lr of the fixed rail L than the drive unit Du (for example, the motor M, the gear box 31, the transmission mechanism 30). Thereby, mutual interference between the drive unit Du (motor M, gear box 31, transmission mechanism 30) and the power supply device E (storage housing H, slider 50) can be avoided without difficulty, and their degrees of freedom in arrangement can be increased. Moreover, vibration generated by the motor M and the transmission mechanism 30 can be effectively suppressed from being transmitted to the seat S side, and the riding comfort of the seat S can be improved.

[0065] In this embodiment, the drive device D has a motor M and a screw shaft 41 as a transmission member disposed to vertically penetrate the inside of the fixed rail L. On the other hand, the power supply device E that supplies power to the electrical components on the seat S side includes a slider 50 that is connected to the movable rail U and is slidable inside the fixed rail L. The movable end portion 80a of a power supply electric wire 80 that is slidable inside the fixed rail L is held by this slider 50, and the slider 50 has an interference avoidance portion 50c that avoids interference with the screw shaft 41 inside the fixed rail L.

[0066] Thereby, the screw shaft 41 and the bearing member 60 that vertically penetrate the inside of the fixed rail L of the drive device D and the slider 50 for holding the electric wire that slides inside the fixed rail L can be disposed close to each other inside the fixed rail L while avoiding mutual interference, contributing to simplification and miniaturization of the rail structure as a whole. Also, even if the screw shaft 41 vertically penetrates the inside of the fixed rail L, it is not necessary to separately provide the sliding support means (for example, the power supply rail of Patent Document 1) outside the fixed rail L. Therefore, such sliding support means does not overlap vertically with, for example, the support frames 7 to 9, and the design freedom of the mounting structure of the fixed rail L on the floor frame F is increased.

[0067] Furthermore, the slider 50 of the present embodiment has a pair of wire holding portions 52 and 53 arranged at intervals in the left - right direction within the fixed rail L, and a connecting portion 51 that connects between the two wire holding portions 52 and 53. The interference avoidance portion 50c is provided at the opposing portion of the connecting portion 51 with respect to the screw shaft 41. Thereby, by utilizing the connecting portion 51 that connects the left and right wire holding portions 52 and 53, the interference avoidance portion 50c can be formed compactly without difficulty. Therefore, it is possible to effectively suppress the left - right enlargement of the fixed rail L due to the arrangement of the screw shaft 41, the bearing member 60, and the slider 50 inside it.

[0068] Moreover, the connecting portion 51 has a top wall portion 51t that covers the upper part of the screw shaft 41, and left and right side wall portions 51s that extend vertically downward from both the left and right ends of the top wall portion 51t. The inner surfaces of the top wall portion 51t and the left and right side wall portions 51s constitute an interference avoidance portion 50c having a U - shaped cross - section. In that case, by making the left and right side wall portions 51s of the interference avoidance portion 50c vertical walls respectively, the width of the interference avoidance portion 50c in the left - right direction can be suppressed as much as possible, which is advantageous for miniaturizing the connecting portion 51 and thus the slider 50 in the left - right direction.

[0069] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a bearing member 60 that is fixed to the fixed rail L and supports the screw shaft 41 includes a plurality of vertical walls 61 and 62 having through - holes 61a and 62a for inserting the screw shaft 41 respectively and arranged at intervals in the front - rear direction, and a connecting wall portion 63 that integrally connects the tips of these vertical walls 61 and 62. Thereby, the bearing member 60 can be stably supported on the fixed rail L with a long support span in the front - rear direction without forming it thick in the front - rear direction.

[0070] Moreover, the connecting wall portion 63 that connects the plurality of vertical walls 61 and 62 has a cross - sectional shape across the screw shaft 41 that is arched (see FIG. 5), or is formed in a bent shape (see FIG. 7) that protrudes away from or approaches the screw shaft 41 such that at least the central portion is the top. Therefore, the bending rigidity of the connecting wall portion 63 itself can be effectively increased. As a result, the bearing member 60 can ensure sufficient support rigidity with respect to the screw shaft 41 while reducing its own weight.

[0071] In addition, the screw shaft 41 is fitted and supported without play in the through hole 61a of the first vertical wall 61 among the plurality of vertical walls 61 and 62, and the screw shaft 41 is fitted into the through hole 62a of the second vertical wall 62 with play. Therefore, even if there are a plurality of vertical walls 61 and 62 (and thus through holes 61a and 62a), it is only necessary to form a through hole 61a (bearing hole) that supports the screw shaft 41 without play in only a part of the vertical walls 61. As a result, it is not necessary to strictly control the coaxial accuracy between the plurality of through holes 61a and 62a, and the processing cost can be reduced.

[0072] Also, the bearing member 60 is composed of a bent strip-shaped plate material, and the screw shaft 41 is fitted and supported in the through hole 61a of a part of (the first) vertical wall 61 via a bearing bush 65. Thereby, even if the vertical wall 61 having the through hole 61a serving as a bearing hole is plate-shaped and thin-walled, a decrease in the support rigidity with respect to the screw shaft 41 can be minimized.

[0073] Moreover, the first vertical wall 61 is arranged on the outer side in the axial direction of the screw shaft 41 with respect to the second vertical wall 62, and the second vertical wall 62 has a stopper surface 62s that engages directly or indirectly (i.e., via the support plate 70) with the nut member 42 to regulate the forward limit or the backward limit of the movable rail U. Therefore, the bearing member 60 that supports the screw shaft 41 also serves as a stopper member that regulates the forward limit or the backward limit of the movable rail U, and the structure can be simplified accordingly. Moreover, by respectively assigning functions to the vertical wall 61 on the outer side in the axial direction among the plurality of vertical walls 61 and 62 of the bearing member 60 as a bearing wall and the vertical wall 62 on the inner side in the axial direction as a stopper means, the load burden on each of the vertical walls 61 and 62 can be reduced, and further weight reduction can be achieved.

[0074] Furthermore, extension walls 61w and 62w that extend in opposite directions in the front-rear direction are integrally connected to the base ends of the first and second vertical walls 61 and 62 arranged at intervals in the front-rear direction, and the bearing member 60 is coupled to the fixed rail L by both of the extension walls 61w and 62w. Thereby, the support span of the fixed rail L with respect to the bearing member 60 can be extended by the specially provided extension walls, and the support rigidity with respect to the bearing member 60 can be further increased.

[0075] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, plate-shaped stopper wall portions 71 and 72 that penetrate the screw shaft 41 are cantilevered and fixedly supported on the movable rail U at positions spaced apart from the nut member 42 in at least one (both in the embodiment) of the front and rear directions. By the stopper wall portions 71 and 72 being abutted against and separable from the stopper surface 62s of the bearing member 60, the forward limit or the backward limit of the movable rail U is restricted. As a result, since the plate-shaped stopper wall portions 71 and 72 are elastically deformed to some extent when abutting against the stopper surface 62s, the impact absorption effect during engagement is enhanced as compared with a structure in which the nut member 42 directly engages with the stopper surface 62s.

[0076] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a pair of front and rear bearing members 60 are fixed to the fixed rail L with a space therebetween in the front and rear directions so as to sandwich the nut member 42 therebetween. Front and rear stopper wall portions 71 and 72 that penetrate the screw shaft 41 are fixed to the movable rail U at positions spaced apart from the nut member 42 in the front and rear directions, respectively. By the pair of front and rear stopper wall portions 71 and 72 being abutted against and separable from the stopper surfaces 62s of the pair of front and rear bearing members 60, respectively, the forward limit and the backward limit of the movable rail U are respectively restricted. Thereby, by providing the pair of front and rear stopper wall portions 71 and 72 that penetrate the screw shaft 41 at positions spaced apart from the nut member 42 in the front and rear directions, respectively, the intermediate region of the screw shaft 41 that is free in the direction of eccentricity vibration can be reduced, which is effective for suppressing the runout of the screw shaft 41.

[0077] Also, the support plate 70 of the present embodiment has front and rear stopper wall portions 71 and 72, and an intermediate wall portion 73 that connects both the stopper wall portions 71 and 72 at both ends and extends in the front and rear directions and is fixed (for example, welded) to the movable rail U. The support plate 70 is disposed within the movable rail U between the front and rear bearing members 60. The intermediate wall portion 73 has an intermediate bending portion 73m that holds the nut member 42 fixed to the movable rail U. Thereby, a single support plate 70 having the front and rear stopper wall portions 71 and 72 and exhibiting the stopper functions in both the front and rear directions can be easily and inexpensively formed by press forming a strip-shaped plate material. Moreover, the support plate 70 can enhance the support strength for the nut member 42 by utilizing the intermediate bending portion 73m thereof.

[0078] FIG. 8 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. That is, in the first embodiment, the storage housing H is inclined toward the center side in the left - right direction of the seat with respect to the fixed rail L in plan view, toward the front end portion Lf of the fixed rail L. However, in the second embodiment, the storage housing H is arranged so as to extend toward the center side in the left - right direction of the seat substantially orthogonally to the fixed rail L in plan view. Since other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, each component is simply assigned the same reference numeral as the corresponding component in the first embodiment, and further description thereof is omitted.

[0079] Therefore, also in the second embodiment, the same operational effects as those in the first embodiment can be basically exhibited. Further, in the second embodiment, since the storage housing H is made substantially orthogonal to the fixed rail L, there is no concern that the fixing portions (for example, support frames 7 to 9) of the fixed rail L to the floor frame F and the storage housing H overlap vertically, and the degree of design freedom is further improved. Moreover, since the storage housing H is made substantially orthogonal to the fixed rail L in plan view, compared with the case where the storage housing H is provided along the fixed rail L, the curvature of the electric wire 80 that is drawn out from the storage housing H and curves toward the fixed rail L side can be further reduced, and there are advantages such as that the electric wire 80 can be bent more smoothly.

[0080] FIG. 9 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the connecting portion 51 of the slider 50 has a top wall portion 51t that covers above the screw shaft 41 and left and right side wall portions 51s that extend obliquely downward and flare - out from both left and right ends of the top wall portion 51t. An interference - avoiding portion 50c having a mountain - shaped cross - section is formed on the inner surfaces of the top wall portion 51t and the left and right side wall portions 51s. Since other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, each component is simply assigned the same reference numeral as the corresponding component in the first embodiment, and further description thereof is omitted.

[0081] Therefore, also in the third embodiment, the same operational effects as those in the first embodiment can be basically achieved. Further, in the third embodiment, the lower half of the connecting portion 51 of the slider 50 expands downward first, so that interference with the screw shaft 41 can be avoided without difficulty. Moreover, since the top wall portion 51t of the connecting portion 51 is relatively narrowed in width, the exposed overhanging portion of the slider 50 from the upper end of the fixed rail L can be miniaturized in the left-right direction, which is effective for avoiding interference with other objects.

[0082] Also, FIG. 10 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment, the gear box 31 (drive unit Du) is shown to be detachably locked to the fixed rail L via the leaf spring member 90. However, in the fourth embodiment, the outer end of the transmission shaft 36 coupled to the extension shaft portion 41d of the screw shaft 41 via the joint J is projected outwardly of the outer side wall (cover body 312) of the gear box 31, and the head of the bolt 200 screwed from the outside is engaged with the projected end face, thereby fixing the gear box 31 to the front end portion Lf of the fixed rail L. Since the other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, the same reference numerals as the corresponding components in the first embodiment are given to each component, and further description thereof is omitted.

[0083] Therefore, also in the fourth embodiment, the same operational effects as those in the first embodiment can be basically achieved. Further, in the fourth embodiment, the transmission shaft 36 can be also used as a retaining means for the gear box 31 in cooperation with the bolt 200, so that the fixing structure of the gear box 31 is simplified accordingly. Incidentally, as a modification of the fourth embodiment, for example, a structure in which the extension shaft portion 41d of the screw shaft 41 and the transmission shaft 36 are integrally formed is also feasible.

[0084] Also, FIGS. 11 and 12 show a fifth embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment, the upper end opening of the fixed rail L is only covered with a floor carpet and not covered with a molding. However, in the fifth embodiment, the upper end opening of at least one of the left and right fixed rails L (the right side in the illustrated example) is configured to be closed by a pair of left and right moldings 14 and 15. And the upper part of those moldings 14 and 15 is covered with a floor carpet (not shown) as required.

[0085] Also, in the movable rail U of the fifth embodiment, a pair of movable rail halves 22, 22' are formed asymmetrically left and right, and the upper half of the movable rail U and the joint portion between it and the vertical wall portion 100 of the seat bottom plate are offset and arranged on the inner side of the seat (the left side in FIG. 12). That is, the second movable rail half 22' on the inner side of the seat has a substantially continuous vertical wall for most of its upper and lower halves, while the lower half of the first movable rail half 22 on the outer side of the seat (the right side in FIG. 12) includes a wide top wall portion 22t in the left-right direction and a side wall portion 22s that extends vertically downward from the outer end of the top wall portion 22t, and the wide top wall portion 22t covers not only the nut 45 and the support plate 70 but also a part of the screw shaft 41 and the bearing member 60. In addition, according to the above-described offset arrangement toward the inner side of the seat, the upper half of the movable rail U and the joint portion between it and the vertical wall portion 100 of the seat bottom plate can be brought as close as possible to the inner side of the seat, so there is also an advantage that it can be made less visible from the outer side of the seat.

[0086] Also, in the floor frame F of the vehicle body, a groove-shaped mounting recess Fa extending in the front-rear direction is formed to receive the fixed rail L, and the bottom wall portion 12 of the fixed rail L is coupled (for example, bolt-coupled) to the bottom of the mounting recess Fa. On the left and right opening edge portions of the mounting recess Fa, concave or convex (concave in the illustrated example) locking portions 16 extending in the front-rear direction are respectively formed, and a pair of left and right first and second moldings 14, 15 that cooperate to cover the upper end opening of the fixed rail L are locked to both locking portions 16.

[0087] Each of the moldings 14, 15 is formed in a strip shape and has a molding body 14m, 15m that extends in a substantially horizontal posture over the entire length of the fixed rail L, and lip portions 14l, 15l that are continuously provided on the inner edges of the molding bodies 14m, 15m and are elastically and slidably pressed against the upper half of the corresponding movable rail half 22 are integrally and continuously provided. Incidentally, the lip portions 14l, 15l may be formed of a different material from the molding bodies 14m, 15m and be attached to the molding bodies 14m, 15m later, or may be integrally formed with the molding bodies 14m, 15m using an elastic material. Also, a protective film for reducing sliding resistance may be applied to the sliding contact surface of the lip portions 14l, 15l with the movable rail half 22 as needed.

[0088] In particular, the mall body 14m of the first mall 14 on the outer side of the sheet is formed wide left and right so as to cover the top wall portion 22t of the lower half of the movable rail half 22 on the same side and the upper end flange portion 13f on the same side of the fixed rail L. Along the outer edge of the mall body 14m, a downward first engaging protrusion 14mo that engages with and presses against the upper surface of the floor frame F outside the mounting recess Fa is provided, and along the inner edge of the mall body 14m, a downward second engaging protrusion 14mi that slidably engages with and presses against the upper surface of the top wall portion 22t of the first movable rail half 22 is provided. Further, on the lower surface of the mall body 14m, at least one (a plurality in the embodiment, spaced apart front and back) downward locking piece 14mk that protrudes into the opposing gap between the outer surface of the fixed rail L and the inner surface of the mounting recess Fa is integrally protruded, and a locking claw portion 14mka provided at the tip of the locking piece 14mk is detachably locked to the locking portion 16 on the inner surface of the mounting recess Fa.

[0089] On the other hand, the mall body 15m of the second mall 15 on the inner side of the sheet mainly covers the upper end flange portion 13f on the same side of the fixed rail L and is formed relatively narrow left and right. Along the outer edge of the mall body 15m, a downward first engaging protrusion 15mo that engages with and presses against the upper surface of the floor frame F outside the mounting recess Fa is provided, and along the inner edge of the mall body 15m, a downward second engaging protrusion 15mi that engages with and presses against the upper surface of the upper end flange portion 13f on the same side of the fixed rail L is provided. Further, on the lower surface of the mall body 15m, at least one (a plurality in the embodiment, spaced apart front and back) downward locking piece 15mk that protrudes into the opposing gap between the outer surface of the fixed rail L and the inner surface of the mounting recess Fa is integrally protruded, and a locking claw portion 15mka provided at the tip of the locking piece 15mk is detachably locked to the locking portion 16 on the inner surface of the mounting recess Fa.

[0090] Then, with the first mold 14, the locking piece 14mk is elastically locked to the locking portion 16 with the first and second engaging protrusions 14mo and 14mi in contact with the upper surfaces of the floor frame F and the top wall portion 22t, respectively, so that the lip portion 14l is pressed against the upper half of the first movable rail half body 22 and locked and fixed in the mounting recess Fa. Also, with the second mold 15, the locking piece 15mk is elastically locked to the locking portion 16 with the first and second engaging protrusions 15mo and 15mi in contact with the upper surfaces of the floor frame F and the fixed rail L, respectively, so that the lip portion 15l is pressed against the upper half of the second movable rail half body 22 and locked and fixed in the mounting recess Fa.

[0091] And in the above-described locked and fixed state, the first and second molds 14 and 15 cooperate with each other (mainly the first mold 14) to cover the upper end opening of the fixed rail L (and thus also the screw shaft 41, the bearing member 60, the slider 50 in the fixed rail L, and the gaps between the fixed rail L and the upper halves of the first and second movable rail half bodies 22 and 22'), and can also cover the gap between the fixed rail L and the mounting recess Fa. Thereby, it is possible to effectively prevent the adhesion of dust and other foreign matters to the spare parts such as the screw shaft 41, the bearing member 60, and the slider 50 in the fixed rail L and the engaging portions between the spare parts, and also to neatly conceal the inside of the fixed rail L, enhancing the commercial value.

[0092] The shapes of the lip portions 14l and 15l of the first and second molds 14 and 15 may be set such that in the regions where the lip portions 14l and 15l do not face the upper half of the movable rail U, they are restored to approach each other by their own elasticity so that the lip portions 14l and 15l are in direct contact with each other, or alternatively, the mutual gap may be set to be narrow even if they do not contact.

[0093] Since other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, each component is only assigned the same reference numeral as the corresponding component in the first embodiment, and further description is omitted.

[0094] Therefore, also in the fifth embodiment, substantially the same operational effects as those of the first embodiment can be achieved. Further, in the fifth embodiment, as described above, the effect of covering the upper end opening of the fixed rail L can be achieved by providing the special facilities in the first and second moldings 14 and 15.

[0095] In addition, in the fifth embodiment, a molding structure for covering the upper end opening of the fixed rail L is shown provided on one of the left and right fixed rails L (the right side in the illustrated example). However, a similar molding structure may be provided on the other of the left and right fixed rails L (the left side in the illustrated example). In this case, particularly when applying the molding structure of the fifth embodiment to a case where a slider 50 for holding the power supply wire 80 is slidably provided in the fixed rail L like the left fixed rail L in the first embodiment, the lip portions 14l and 15l of the first and second moldings 14 and 15 are slidably press-contacted not only to the upper half of the movable rail U but also to the inner surface of the constricted portion 50m of the slider 50. Further, when the upper halves of the movable rail halves 22 and 22' are offset inward of the seat like the movable rail U in the fifth embodiment, it is desirable to offset the constricted portion 50m of the slider 50 inward of the seat as well.

[0096] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments, and various design changes are possible without departing from the gist thereof.

[0097] For example, in the above embodiment, the vehicle seat S for an automobile is exemplified as the seat. However, in the present invention, the present invention is also applicable to seats used in vehicles other than automobiles (for example, railway vehicles), seats used in vehicles other than vehicles (for example, ships, airplanes), or seats used other than vehicles. In addition, when used as a vehicle seat for an automobile, the seat may be a front seat or a rear seat.

[0098] In the above-described embodiment, the power supply wire 80 (wire harness) is inserted into and protected by the bellows-shaped protective cylinder 81. However, the protective cylinder 81 only needs to have at least flexibility and the strength to protect the wire 80, and does not necessarily have to be formed in a bellows shape. Alternatively, it is also possible to implement another embodiment in which the protective cylinder 81 is omitted.

[0099] In the above-described embodiment, the screw shaft 41 is rotatably supported on the floor-side fixed rail L via the bearing member 60, while the nut member 42 that engages with the screw shaft 41 is fixed to the seat-side movable rail U, and the motor M and the transmission mechanism 30 for rotationally driving the screw shaft 41 are attached to the fixed rail L (vehicle body side). However, either the screw shaft 41 or the nut member 42 may be the rotating side or the fixed side. For example, the screw shaft 41 may be fixed and supported on the fixed rail L via the bearing member 60, while the nut member 42 is rotatably supported on the movable rail U, and the motor M and the transmission mechanism 30 for rotationally driving the nut member 42 may be attached to the seat S side.

[0100] Also, the vertical positional relationship between the screw shaft 41 and the nut member 42 is not limited to the embodiment. For example, the screw shaft 41 may be rotatably supported on the upper movable rail U via a bearing member, while the nut member 42 is fixed to the lower fixed rail L, and the motor and the transmission mechanism for rotationally driving the screw shaft 41 may be attached to the seat side. In this case as well, the arrangement of the rotating side and the fixed side may be reversed. For example, the screw shaft 41 may be fixed and supported on the movable rail U via a bearing member, while the nut member 42 is rotatably supported on the fixed rail L, and the motor and the transmission mechanism for rotationally driving the nut member 42 may be attached to the vehicle body side.

Claims

1. A seat front-rear position adjusting device including a fixed rail, a movable rail movable relative to the fixed rail, a motor for moving the movable rail relative to the fixed rail, a screw shaft driven by the motor to move the movable rail, and a power supply device for supplying power to electrical components attached to the seat, the power supply device includes a slider that connects a power supply line to the movable rail and moves together with the movable rail relative to the fixed rail; A seat front-rear position adjusting device, wherein the width of the screw shaft in the width direction of the fixed rail is smaller than the width of the slider.

2. The screw shaft is disposed at the center of the fixed rail, 2. The seat front-rear position adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the screw shaft is disposed inside a pair of locking portions of the slider that lock onto the movable rail in the width direction of the fixed rail.

3. A seat front-to-rear position adjustment device as described in Claim 1, wherein the screw shaft is positioned lower than the upper end of the slider in the height direction of the fixed rail.

4. A seat front-to-rear position adjustment device as described in Claim 1, wherein, in the height direction of the fixed rail, the screw shaft is provided at the same position as the electric wire supported by the slider.

5. A seat front-to-rear position adjustment device as described in claim 1, which is provided with a support member that supports the screw shaft against the movable rail, and the length of the support member in the longitudinal direction of the movable rail is longer than the length of the slider.

6. The fixed rail has a bottom wall, a pair of standing walls rising upward from both widthwise ends of the bottom wall, a pair of upper walls connected to the upper ends of the standing walls, and a pair of hanging walls bent downward from each of the upper walls and facing the standing walls, the slider includes a pair of wire holding portions for holding the wires, each between the opposing vertical wall and the opposing hanging wall, 2. The seat front-rear position adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the pair of wire holding portions are connected by a connecting portion having a pair of lower connecting portions arranged below the screw shaft and a top wall portion connecting the pair of lower connecting portions above the screw shaft.

7. The fixed rails and the movable rails are each provided in pairs, the power supply device includes a housing for accommodating the electric wire; The storage housing is disposed between the pair of fixed rails, The pair of fixed rails have a first fixed portion and a second fixed portion for fixing to the vehicle body floor, the first fixing portion is disposed at a position overlapping the receiving housing in the vertical direction, The seat front-rear position adjusting device according to claim 1 , wherein the second fixing portion is disposed at a position that does not overlap the storage housing in the vertical direction.

8. A method for manufacturing a seat front-rear position adjustment device, comprising: providing a movable rail that is movable relative to a fixed rail; providing a motor for moving the movable rail relative to the fixed rail; preparing a screw shaft that is driven by the motor to move the movable rail; and preparing a power supply device that supplies power to electrical equipment attached to the seat, the power supply device includes a slider that connects a power supply line to the movable rail and moves together with the movable rail relative to the fixed rail; a width of the screw shaft in the width direction of the fixed rail being smaller than a width of the slider;

9. The screw shaft is disposed at the center of the fixed rail, 9. The method for manufacturing a seat front-rear position adjusting device according to claim 8, wherein the screw shaft is disposed inside a pair of locking portions of the slider that engage with the movable rail in the width direction of the fixed rail.

10. A method for manufacturing a seat front-to-rear position adjustment device as described in Claim 8, wherein the screw shaft is positioned lower than the upper end of the slider in the height direction of the fixed rail.

11. A method for manufacturing a seat front-to-rear position adjustment device as described in Claim 8, wherein, in the height direction of the fixed rail, the screw shaft is provided at the same position as the electric wire supported by the slider.

12. A method for manufacturing a seat front-to-rear position adjustment device as described in Claim 8, which is provided with a support member that supports the screw shaft against the movable rail, and the length of the support member in the longitudinal direction of the movable rail is longer than the length of the slider.

13. The fixed rail has a bottom wall, a pair of standing walls rising upward from both widthwise ends of the bottom wall, a pair of upper walls connected to the upper ends of the standing walls, and a pair of hanging walls bent downward from each of the upper walls and facing the standing walls, the slider includes a pair of wire holding portions for holding the wires, each between the opposing vertical wall and the opposing hanging wall, 9. A method for manufacturing a seat front-rear position adjustment device as described in claim 8, wherein the pair of wire holding portions are connected by a connecting portion having a pair of lower connecting portions arranged below the screw shaft and a top wall portion connecting the pair of lower connecting portions above the screw shaft.

14. The fixed rails and the movable rails are each provided in pairs, the power supply device includes a housing for accommodating the electric wire; The storage housing is disposed between the pair of fixed rails, The pair of fixed rails have a first fixed portion and a second fixed portion for fixing to the vehicle body floor, the first fixing portion is disposed at a position overlapping the receiving housing in the vertical direction, The method for manufacturing a device for adjusting a seat's front-rear position according to claim 8 , wherein the second fixing portion is disposed at a position that does not overlap the storage housing in the vertical direction.

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