Seat sliding device

Abstract

The present invention provides a seat slide device that reduces space between the side walls of the upper rail and improves the efficiency of the assembly work of spring members to the upper rail. [Solution] The spring member 8 has a mounting portion 26 in the center of its longitudinal direction for locking the lock plate 6, and has a first spring portion 27 extending linearly along the inner surface of one side wall 17a of the upper rail 4, and a second spring portion 28 extending linearly along the inner surface of the other side wall 17b of the upper rail, and has a pair of first and second locking portions 33, 34 provided at front and rear positions on both side walls, respectively, which lock the respective tip portions 27a, 28a of the first and second spring portions from above and below, thereby applying a biasing force to the lock plate in the direction of the upper and lower lock positions, and a pair of restricting portions 35, 36 provided near each locking portion on both side walls, respectively, which contact the tip contact portions 29, 30 of the respective tip portions of the first and second spring portions from the longitudinal direction, thereby restricting the longitudinal movement of the spring member.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a seat slide device.

Background Art

[0002] For example, as a seat slide device mounted on an automobile or the like, the one described in Patent Document 1 below is known.

[0003] This seat slide device includes a lower rail fixed to the floor surface of the vehicle, an upper rail slidably attached to the lower rail, and a locking mechanism capable of locking the upper rail at an arbitrary position on the lower rail.

[0004] The upper rail is provided with first and second hole portions in the shape of long holes on the rear side of the left and right side walls.

[0005] The locking mechanism biases the lock plate in the locking direction by a spring member to lock the upper rail to the lower rail. Further, by operating the operation lever in a predetermined release direction (for example, pulling up) against the spring force (biasing force) of the spring member, the lock plate is pushed down to release the locking of the upper rail to the lower rail.

[0006] The spring member is formed by bending a single metal wire, is disposed along the longitudinal direction inside the upper rail, and the lock plate is locked and fixed to the mounting portion at the central portion in the longitudinal direction, while the front end portion and the rear end portion in the longitudinal direction are fixed to the upper rail.

[0007] In other words, the spring member has a front end that is bent in a folded shape, and a portion of the front end fixing part has a spring force that prevents it from coming off the upper rail and other side walls, and also has a spring force that biases the front end in an upward direction to displace the operating lever to its initial position. On the other hand, the rear end has a rear end fixing part that is bent in a three-dimensional and substantially hexagonal shape, and this rear end fixing part is fitted into the first and second holes provided on both side walls of the upper rail, and is positioned in the front-rear direction by fitting it so as to contact the front and rear edges of each hole. In other words, in order to absorb dimensional variations, the portion of this hexagonal rear end fixing part that fits into the first and second holes is tapered in opposite directions, and it was necessary to bias it in the left-right direction when fitting into the first and second holes. Therefore, a portion of the rear end fixing portion is brought into contact with the other side wall opposite to the side wall having the first hole, thereby biasing the rear end fixing portion in the left-right direction to fit into the second hole. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-126914 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] In the seat slide device described in Patent Document 1, the rear end fixing portion of the spring member must be formed in a roughly hexagonal shape that bridges the left and right side walls of the upper rail, thus requiring a relatively large space within the rail.

[0010] Furthermore, when assembling the spring components, the rear end fixing portion must be fitted into the first and second holes in the side walls, respectively. This assembly process is complicated and increases the number of man-hours required. As a result, the efficiency of spring component assembly decreases and the cost of the work increases.

[0011] The present invention was devised in view of the above-mentioned conventional technical problems, and aims to provide a seat slide device that saves space by eliminating the need to shape the rear end of the spring member to bridge the gap between the side walls of the upper rail, and also improves the efficiency of the assembly work of the spring member to the upper rail. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] One aspect of the present invention is a seat slide device comprising: a lower rail positioned and fixed on the floor surface of a vehicle along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; an upper rail slidably mounted to the lower rail along the longitudinal direction of the lower rail and to which a seat is attached; a locking member that moves in a vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the upper rail and is movable between a locked position that locks the sliding movement of the upper rail relative to the lower rail and an unlocked position that allows the sliding movement of the upper rail relative to the lower rail; and a rod-shaped spring member positioned inside the opposing side walls of the upper rail, extending along the longitudinal direction of the upper rail, and biasing the locking member toward the locked position, wherein The spring member has a mounting portion provided at the center of the longitudinal direction for locking and fixing the locking member, a first spring portion located on one side in the longitudinal direction and extending along the inner surface of one side wall of the upper rail, and a second spring portion located on the other side in the longitudinal direction and extending along the inner surface of the other side wall of the upper rail. A pair of locking parts are provided at the front and rear positions in the longitudinal direction of the opposing side walls of the upper rail, and the respective ends of the first spring part and the second spring part engage from above and below, thereby applying a biasing force to the locking member in the direction of the locked position. A pair of restricting parts are provided near the respective locking portions on the opposing side walls of the upper rail, and the leading edges of the first spring portion and the second spring portion abut from the longitudinal direction to restrict the longitudinal movement of the spring member, It is characterized by having [this feature]. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to one aspect of the present invention, since at least the rear end of the spring member does not need to be shaped to bridge the gap between the side walls of the upper rail, space can be saved. Furthermore, the efficiency of assembling the spring member to the upper rail and positioning it longitudinally can be improved, and the work cost can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the state in which the seat sliding device of the present invention is installed on the rear seat of a vehicle. [Figure 2] This is an exploded perspective view of the seat slide device of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of a spring member used in the seat slide device of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is an overhead view of the upper rail showing the spring member and lock plate used in this embodiment assembled. [Figure 5] This is a bottom view of the upper rail, showing the spring member and lock plate assembled. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view of the upper rail, seen from the bottom, with the spring component and lock plate assembled. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the seat slide device according to the present invention applied to a vehicle will be described based on the drawings.

[0016] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the seat slide device of the present invention installed on the rear seat of a vehicle, Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the seat slide device of the present invention, and Figure 3 is a perspective view of the spring member, which is a lock spring used in the seat slide device of the present invention.

[0017] In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, the "vertical direction" in this specification refers to the vertical direction in the state where the seat slide device 1 is fixed to the floor surface of the vehicle, which is the direction orthogonal to the floor surface of the vehicle, that is, the height direction of the vehicle. Further, the "front-rear direction" in this specification refers to the front-rear direction of the vehicle to which the seat slide device 1 is fixed, and for example, it is assumed to coincide with the left-right direction in FIG. 1.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the seat slide device 1 is attached to the lower part of the seat 2 and fixed on the floor surface 02 of the rear part 01 of the vehicle body. That is, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the seat slide device 1 includes a metal lower rail 3 disposed and fixed along the vehicle front-rear direction on the floor surface 02 of the vehicle, a metal upper rail 4 slidably (movably) attached to the lower rail 3 along the longitudinal direction of the lower rail, a plurality of pairs (one pair each for the front and rear in this embodiment) of guide members 5, 5 for reducing the frictional resistance when the upper rail 4 slides in the lower rail 3, a lock plate 6 which is a metal locking member capable of fixing (locking) the upper rail 4 to an arbitrary position with respect to the lower rail 3, an operation pin 31 as an operation member for pressing the lock plate 6 downward from the outside of the upper rail 4 and moving it in the unlocking direction, and a spring member 8 which is a biasing member for biasing the lock plate 6 in the direction in which the upper rail 4 is fixed (locked) with respect to the lower rail 3.

[0019] The lower rail 3 is formed by bending a steel plate made of, for example, high-tensile steel. The upper rail 4 is formed by bending a steel plate made of, for example, high-tensile steel. The lock plate 6 is formed by machining a steel plate, for example. The spring member 8 is formed of an elastic metal wire.

[0020] The assembly, which incorporates the upper rail 4 and lock plate 6 into the lower rail 3, is arranged in pairs between the seat 2 and the floor, parallel to each other along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. These pairs of assemblies are linked by a single operating lever (not shown). In other words, each lower rail 3 and each upper rail 4 of the pair of assemblies is locked by the spring force of the spring member 8 via the lock plate 6, but the lock can be released by pushing down the operating pin 31 (described later) using the operating lever (not shown), thereby moving the lock plate 6 downwards.

[0021] For convenience, the following description will focus on one of the pair of assemblies.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the lower rail 3 comprises a lower rail body portion 12 with a U-shaped cross-section that is open at the top and has a lower rail bottom wall 10 facing the floor surface 02 of the vehicle body 01 and a pair of lower rail outer walls 11 rising from both ends of the lower rail bottom wall 10 in the width direction, a pair of lower rail upper walls 13 extending inward horizontally from the tip of each lower rail outer wall 11, and a pair of lower rail inner walls 14 extending from the inner tip of each lower rail upper wall 13, folded back toward the lower rail bottom wall 10.

[0023] Both lower rail inner walls 14 have multiple lower rail lock grooves 15 formed at their lower ends. Each lower rail lock groove 15 is formed in a comb-like pattern along the longitudinal direction of the lower rail on the lower rail inner wall 14. Each lower rail lock groove 15 is formed in the longitudinal direction, for example, as a set of three grooves aligned in the longitudinal direction of the lower rail 3. In a set of three grooves, the grooves on either side are wider than the central groove.

[0024] The distance between the opposing pair of inner walls 14 of the lower rails is set so that the upper rail 4, which is housed in the lower rail 3, can slide.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, the upper rail 4 comprises an upper rail main body 18 with an inverted U-shaped cross-section having an upper rail top wall 16 and a pair of upper rail side walls 17a and 17b on both sides of the upper rail top wall 16, with the lower part open, and a pair of upper rail bent walls 19 that are folded outward from the lower ends of each upper rail side wall 17a and 17b and extend upward.

[0026] The upper rail top wall 16 is fixed to a side bracket (not shown) provided on the lower part of the seat 2 by bolts (not shown) inserted into a plurality of bolt holes 16a (three in this embodiment) formed through the front and rear in the longitudinal direction at predetermined intervals. In other words, the upper rail 4 is attached and fixed to the seat 2.

[0027] Each upper rail side wall 17a, 17b has three upper rail lock grooves 20 formed therein, corresponding to the set of lock teeth 24 of the lock plate 6, which will be described later. These three upper rail lock grooves 20 are formed in the longitudinal direction of the upper rail, approximately in the center of the upper rail side wall 17.

[0028] Each upper rail bent wall 19 is formed in a roughly V-shape by connecting two oppositely oriented slopes, and has a lower lower wall 19a and an upper upper wall 19b that are integrally connected to the lower end of each upper rail side wall 17. Each lower wall 19a and upper wall 19b extends along the longitudinal direction of the upper rail 4. In addition, each upper rail bent wall 19 fits between the lower rail outer wall 11 and the lower rail inner wall 14 when the upper rail 4 is assembled to the lower rail 3. At the same time, the lower rail inner wall 14 fits between the upper rail bent wall 19 and the upper rail side wall 17.

[0029] Each upper rail bent wall 19 has an opening 21 formed approximately in the center of the longitudinal direction of the upper rail. At the location of the opening 21, the lower ends of each upper rail side wall 17a, 17b are open, and three upper rail lock grooves 20 are formed extending upward from the lower end.

[0030] As shown in Figure 2, each guide member 5 is positioned opposite to each other in the width direction of each rail 3, 4, with a total of four guide members located at two locations, front and rear, in the longitudinal direction of each rail 3, 4. Each guide member 5 has two steel balls 23 rotatably held by each retainer 22, both above and below. The lower steel balls 23 are positioned between the corner of the lower rail outer wall 11 and the lower rail bottom wall 10 and the lower wall 19a of the upper rail bent wall 19. The upper steel balls 23 are positioned between the corner of the lower rail outer wall 11 and the lower rail upper wall 13 and the upper wall 19b of the upper rail bent wall 19. Furthermore, the front and rear guide members 5 abut against a pair of inwardly cut-out portions 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d on the front and rear sides of the lower rail 3 in the longitudinal direction, and also abut against four downwardly projecting stopper protrusions 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d formed at intervals in the longitudinal direction on the lower wall 19a of the upper rail 4, thereby restricting the rolling range of the steel ball 23 when it slides in the front-rear direction.

[0031] As shown in Figure 2, the lock plate 6 is made of a rectangular metal plate, and three lock teeth 24 are formed on each side by drilling multiple holes in the plate. The lock plate 6 also has a pair of locking holes 25 formed at the center of the front edge and the center of the rear edge. Each of these locking holes 25 is cut out at an angle with respect to the longitudinal and lateral directions of the lower rail 3, and a pair of rising portions 26a and 26b, which are located at the front and rear of the mounting portion 26 of the spring member 8 (described later), are fitted in from below and locked in place. In this way, the lock plate 6 is attached and fixed to the mounting portion 26.

[0032] The lock plate 6 is attached to the mounting portion 26 of the aforementioned spring member 8 and positioned approximately in the center of the upper rail 4 in the longitudinal direction of the upper rail.

[0033] The lower end of the operating pin 31 is inserted into and crimped into a mounting hole 6a in the center of the lock plate 6. The operating pin 31 protrudes outward and upward from the upper rail 4 through a through hole 16b provided in the top wall 16 of the upper rail. A flanged cylindrical sleeve 32 is fixed to the through hole 16b, guiding the operating pin 31 so that it can slide vertically. An E-ring 37 is fitted into a groove formed in the upper end of the operating pin 31 that protrudes outward from the upper rail 4.

[0034] The lock plate 6 is movable in a vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the upper rail, and maintains a locked position in which the lock teeth 24 engage with both the lower rail lock groove 15 and the upper rail lock groove 20 by the upward spring force of the spring member 8, thereby achieving a locked state in which the upper rail 4 is fixed on the lower rail 3. In this locked state, sliding movement of the upper rail 4 relative to the lower rail 3 is prevented. When the lock plate 6 is released by operating the operating lever (not shown) provided on the seat 2 and pushing the operating pin 31 downward, the lock teeth 24 disengage from the lower rail lock groove 15 and the upper rail lock groove 20 against the spring force of the spring member 8, achieving an unlocked state in which the upper rail 4 is not fixed on the lower rail 3. In this unlocked state, sliding movement of the upper rail 4 relative to the lower rail 3 is possible.

[0035] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the spring member 8 is made of, for example, a single metal wire, and has a diameter that is approximately constant along its entire length. The spring member 8 has a first spring portion 27 and a second spring portion 28, which are located at the front and rear in the longitudinal direction, and these are fixed to the opposing inner surfaces of the side walls 17a and 17b of the upper rail 4.

[0036] As shown in Figure 3, the spring member 8 has a central mounting portion 26 to which the lock plate 6 is attached, a first spring portion 27 extending linearly from the mounting portion 26 toward the front of the vehicle, a second spring portion 28 extending linearly from the mounting portion 26 toward the rear of the vehicle, a first end contact portion 29 formed at the front end portion 27a of the first spring portion 27 and bent into a substantially L-shape, and a second end contact portion 30 formed at the rear end portion 28a of the second spring portion 28 and bent into a substantially L-shape.

[0037] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the mounting portion 26 is located approximately in the center of the longitudinal direction of the spring member 8 and is positioned to support the lower side of the lock plate 6. It also has a pair of raised portions 26a and 26b at its front and rear ends that fit into and engage with the respective locking holes 25, 25 of the lock plate 6.

[0038] The first spring portion 27 is formed to extend forward from the front rising portion 26a of the mounting portion 26, and has a bending point 27b at approximately the center in the longitudinal direction where the tip portion 27a is bent at a slight inclination angle in one lateral direction (towards one side wall 17a of the upper rail 4) in Figure 3. The first tip contact portion 29 is bent at approximately a right angle from the tip edge of the tip portion 27a in the vertical direction, that is, downward in the figure from the tip edge.

[0039] The second spring portion 28 is formed to extend from the rear rising portion 26b of the mounting portion 26 toward the rear of the vehicle, and has a bending point 28b at approximately the center in the longitudinal direction where the tip portion 28a is bent at a slight inclination angle toward the other lateral direction (towards the other side wall 17b of the upper rail 4) in Figure 3. The second tip contact portion 30 is bent at approximately a right angle from the tip edge of the tip portion 28a in the vertical direction, that is, downward in the figure from the tip edge.

[0040] Figure 4 is an overhead view of the upper rail showing the spring member and lock plate assembled in this embodiment, Figure 5 is a bottom view of the upper rail showing the spring member and lock plate assembled, and Figure 6 is a perspective view of the upper rail viewed from the bottom, also showing the spring member and lock plate assembled.

[0041] After the two rising portions 26a and 26b are assembled to the upper rail 4, which will be described later, the spring member 8 applies a spring force (biasing force) that attempts to hold the lock plate 6 in the locked position (upper position), as shown in Figure 4, when the respective tip portions 27a and 28a of the first and second spring portions 27 and 28 are locked and fixed to the respective locking portions 33 and 34 of the upper rail 4.

[0042] Furthermore, the spring member 8 is bent laterally from the two bending points 27b and 28b in opposite directions, so that, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, after assembly to the upper rail 4, the tip portions 27a and 28a from each bending point 27b and 28b are arranged parallel to the inner surfaces of one side wall 17a and the other side wall 17b of the upper rail 4.

[0043] Therefore, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, the spring member 8 is formed in an extremely simplified structure that is almost entirely a single piece, and is formed in a point-symmetric shape with respect to the longitudinal center point P, that is, the center point P between the two rising parts 26a and 26b, regardless of whether it is assembled to the upper rail 4 or not.

[0044] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the upper rail 4 is provided with a pair of first locking parts 33 and second locking parts 34 at the front and rear positions in the longitudinal direction of the opposing side walls 17a and 17b, which engage with the respective tip portions 27a and 28a of the first spring portion 27 and second spring portion 28 of the spring member 8. In addition, the side walls 17a and 17b are provided with a pair of first restricting parts 35 and second restricting parts 36, which are located near the first and second locking parts 33 and 34, that is, at a position in front of the first locking part 33 and a position behind the second locking part 34, and which contact the first tip contact portion 29 and second tip contact portion 30 of the spring member 8 from the front and rear directions of the upper rail 4, thereby restricting the longitudinal movement of the spring member 8.

[0045] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the first locking portion 33 is formed by cutting out a piece from the front end of one side wall 17a of the upper rail 4, with the upper end being a tongue-shaped piece with the upper end being a free end. The lower end of the side wall 17a is a fixed end, and the upper tip portion 33a is formed to rise inward and inclined, so that the whole is a plate-shaped inclined surface at a predetermined angle.

[0046] The second locking portion 34 is formed by cutting out a tongue-shaped piece from the rear end of the other side wall 17b of the upper rail 4, with the upper end being the free end. The lower end of the other side wall 17b is fixed, and the upper tip portion 34a is formed to rise inward and inclined, so that the whole is a plate-shaped inclined surface at a predetermined angle.

[0047] The aforementioned locking portions 33 and 34 are formed so that the inclination angles of the tip portions 33a and 34a from their respective fixed ends are the same predetermined angle, and the tip portions 27a and 28a of the first and second spring portions 27 and 28 are locked to the inside from above in the vertical direction.

[0048] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the first restricting portion 35 is positioned in front of the first locking portion 33 on one side wall 17a. It is formed by cutting out a piece from one side wall 17a in the shape of a tongue, with the front side in the longitudinal direction being the free end. The first locking portion 33 side is the base end, and the front tip portion 35a side is formed to rise and slope upwards, so that the whole is a plate-like inclined surface.

[0049] The second restricting portion 36 is positioned behind the second locking portion 34 on the other side wall 17b. It is formed by cutting out a piece from the other side wall 17b in a tongue shape, with the rear end in the longitudinal direction being the free end. The rear end 36a is formed to rise and slope upwards, with the second locking portion 34 side as the base end, so that the entire structure is a plate-like inclined surface.

[0050] Both restricting portions 35 and 36 have inclination angles θ set to approximately 60 degrees from their base ends to their respective tip portions 35a and 36a, as shown in Figure 5. Furthermore, as described above, when the first and second spring portions 27 and 28 of the spring member 8 are assembled by locking them inside the respective locking portions 33 and 34, the tip edges of the first and second tip contact portions 29 and 30 contact each other from the longitudinal direction, thereby restricting the longitudinal movement of the spring member 8.

[0051] Therefore, the spring member 8 is easily assembled while being positioned in the front-rear and left-right directions relative to the opposing inner surfaces of the side walls 17a and 17b of the upper rail 4 by the first and second locking parts 33 and 34 and the first and second restricting parts 35 and 36. [Method for assembling spring components to the upper rail] As a preliminary step, the sleeve 32 is inserted into the through hole 16b of the upper rail 4 and welded in place. Also, the lower end of the operating pin 31 is inserted into the mounting hole 6a of the lock plate 6 and crimped in place.

[0052] To assemble the spring member 8 to the opposing inner surfaces of the side walls 17a and 17b of the upper rail 4, first, the lock plate 6 is engaged and fixed to the mounting portion 26 of the spring member 8 via the locking holes 25, 25. In this state, while inserting the operating pin 31 into the sleeve 32 and holding the spring member 8, the lock teeth 24 of the lock plate 6 are engaged into the upper rail lock grooves 20, and the lock plate 6 is placed at the innermost position of the upper rail lock groove 20 (a position where it is engaged more deeply than the locked position). Next, the first spring portion 27 and the second spring portion 28 are deformed toward the upper rail top wall 16 side, and then returned to their original position to be locked to the respective locking portions 33, 34 from above. At this time, the first spring portion 27 and the second spring portion 28 are pushed in the left-right direction along the inclination of the respective locking portions 33 and 34 so as to contact the respective side walls 17a and 17b of the upper rail 4, so that the respective L-shaped end contact portions 29 and 30 come into contact with the respective restricting portions 35 and 36, which are inclined in the longitudinal direction, from the longitudinal direction. As a result, the spring portion 28 is positioned in the front-back and left-right directions relative to the side walls 17a and 17b of the upper rail 4, and a spring force is applied to the lock plate 6 in the upward direction (locking direction).

[0053] Thus, according to this embodiment, when assembling the spring member 8 to the upper rail 4, the assembly work is simple and easy because the tip portions 27a and 28a of the first spring portion 27 and the second spring portion 28 are locked and fixed to the respective locking portions 33 and 34 from above, while the tip contact portions 29 and 30 are brought into contact with the respective restricting portions 35 and 36 from the longitudinal direction, thereby restricting movement in the longitudinal direction.

[0054] Therefore, the assembly of the spring members 8 to the side walls 17a and 17b of the upper rail 4 becomes extremely easy, improving work efficiency and reducing work costs.

[0055] Furthermore, since the first and second spring portions 27 and 28 of the spring member 8 are formed in a nearly straight line, and the respective end contact portions 29 and 30 are simply bent into an L-shape, the overall structure of the spring member 8 is considerably simpler compared to conventional spring members. Consequently, the manufacturing process for the spring member 8 becomes easier, and the manufacturing costs can be reduced.

[0056] Furthermore, since the spring member 8 is formed with a point-symmetric shape in the front-rear direction with respect to the longitudinal center point P, the front-rear assembly direction to the upper rail 4 is the same, which also improves assembly workability. In other words, the spring member 8 can be positioned without considering its front-rear position during assembly, making the assembly work easier. Also, since the shape of the spring member 8 is the same in the front-rear direction, management is also easier.

[0057] Each locking portion 33, 34 and each restricting portion 35, 36 provided on the upper rail 4 can be formed by, for example, simple bending (bendering), which simplifies the manufacturing process and reduces manufacturing costs.

[0058] Since the first and second end contact portions 29 and 30 are formed in an L-shape along the vertical direction of the upper rail 4, space can be saved within the upper rail 4. In other words, in the prior art described in the aforementioned publication, the rear end fixing portion of the spring member must be hexagonal in shape to bridge the left and right side walls of the upper rail, thus requiring a relatively large space within the rail. However, in this embodiment, since the first and second end contact portions 29 and 30 of each spring portion 27 and 28 are bent into an L-shape along the vertical direction of both side walls 17a and 17b of the upper rail 4, it is not necessary to take up a large space between the side walls 17a and 17b, and sufficient space can be saved.

[0059] Furthermore, since the locking portions 33 and 34 of each spring portion 27 and 28 are formed on inclined surfaces, their own spring force causes the locking position of each locking portion 33 and 34 to be displaced in the left-right direction so that it contacts the respective side walls 17a and 17b of the upper rail 4. As a result, the first and second end contact portions 29 and 30 are also pushed so that they contact the respective inner surfaces of the respective side walls 17a and 17b.

[0060] Here, since each of the restricting portions 35 and 36 is formed on an inclined surface, if there is variation in the overall length of the multiple manufactured spring members 8 due to dimensional errors, the first and second end contact portions 29 and 30 will be pressed between the inclined surfaces of each of the restricting portions 35 and 36. In other words, they will be in contact with each of the inclined surfaces of each of the restricting portions 35 and 36 without any gaps, absorbing the variation in dimensions in the length direction.

[0061] As a result, the spring member 8 is prevented from shifting position in the outer diameter or length direction during assembly, and is stably supported in the correct position, while the lock plate 6 can be held in the correct and stable position.

[0062] Furthermore, as mentioned above, when the spring member 8 is assembled to the upper rail 4, the first and second end contact portions 29 and 30 of the first spring portion 27 and the second spring portion 28, respectively, which are bent into an L shape, come into contact with the opposing inner surfaces of the side walls 17a and 17b of the upper rail 4, respectively, when the lock plate 6 is locked, thereby restricting the twisting of the spring member 8. This suppresses a decrease in the spring force applied to the lock plate 6 due to the twisting of the spring member 8.

[0063] The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment. For example, in addition to bending the first and second end contact portions 29 and 30 of the spring member 8 into an L-shape, they can also be bent into annular or polygonal shapes. Of course, even in this case, each end contact portion 29 and 30 is bent along the vertical direction of the upper rail 4.

[0064] Furthermore, the inclination angles of the first and second locking parts 33, 34 and the first and second restricting parts 35, 36 can be arbitrarily set.

[0065] Examples of seat sliding devices based on the embodiments described above include those described below.

[0066] One embodiment of this is a seat slide device comprising: a lower rail positioned and fixed on the floor surface of a vehicle along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; an upper rail slidably attached to the lower rail along the longitudinal direction of the lower rail and to which a seat is attached; a locking member that moves in a vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the upper rail and is movable between a locked position that locks the sliding movement of the upper rail relative to the lower rail and an unlocked position that allows the sliding movement of the upper rail relative to the lower rail; and a rod-shaped spring member positioned inside the opposing side walls of the upper rail, extending along the longitudinal direction of the upper rail, and biasing the locking member toward the locked position, The spring member has a mounting portion provided at the center of the longitudinal direction for locking and fixing the locking member, a first spring portion located on one side in the longitudinal direction and extending along the inner surface of one side wall of the upper rail, and a second spring portion located on the other side in the longitudinal direction and extending along the inner surface of the other side wall of the upper rail. A pair of locking parts are provided at the front and rear positions in the longitudinal direction of the opposing side walls of the upper rail, and the respective ends of the first spring part and the second spring part engage from above and below, thereby applying a biasing force to the locking member in the direction of the locked position. The upper rail has a pair of restricting parts provided near the respective locking parts on the opposing side walls of the upper rail, the tip edges of the first spring part and the second spring part abutting from the longitudinal direction to restrict the longitudinal movement of the spring member.

[0067] According to this embodiment of the invention, the spring member is arranged along the opposing inner surfaces of the side walls of the upper rail, and the structure is formed by arranging the first spring portion and the second spring portion in a substantially straight line, thus saving space within the upper rail.

[0068] Furthermore, when assembling the spring members to both side walls of the upper rail, the ends of the first spring section and the second spring section are locked to the respective locking parts from above, so that the leading edges of each end contact the respective restricting parts from the longitudinal direction, thereby restricting movement in the longitudinal direction, and the assembly work is completed.

[0069] Therefore, the assembly of spring members to both side walls of the upper rail becomes extremely easy, improving work efficiency and reducing work costs.

[0070] Furthermore, the simplification of the spring member's structure makes the manufacturing process easier and reduces manufacturing costs.

[0071] More preferably, the ends of the first spring portion and the second spring portion each have a tip contact portion that is bent in a substantially L-shape along the vertical direction, and each of these tip contact portions abuts the regulating portion from the longitudinal direction, and one side edge of each tip contact portion abuts the inner surface of one side wall of the upper rail.

[0072] According to this embodiment of the invention, one side edge of each L-shaped bent end contact portion of the first spring portion and the second spring portion contacts the inner surface of one side wall of the upper rail when the locking member is locked, thereby restricting the twisting of the spring member and suppressing a decrease in spring force due to the twisting of the spring member.

[0073] Furthermore, since the spring member is formed simply by bending the ends of the first and second spring sections into an L-shape, the complex bending process of the past is eliminated, making the manufacturing process easier.

[0074] More preferably, the pair of locking portions are formed to protrude inward from the respective side walls of the upper rail and have an inclined surface that rises vertically from the base end to the tip, and the pair of restricting portions are formed to protrude inward from the respective side walls of the upper rail and have an inclined surface that rises vertically from the base end to the tip.

[0075] According to this embodiment of the invention, if there are dimensional variations in the outer diameter of the multiple manufactured spring members, the locking position is displaced by the inclined surfaces of each locking part, that is, the dimensional variations are absorbed by the inclined surfaces. On the other hand, if there are dimensional variations in the total length of the multiple manufactured spring members, the restricting position is displaced by the inclined surfaces of each restricting part, that is, the dimensional variations in the longitudinal direction are absorbed by the inclined surfaces.

[0076] This prevents the spring member from shifting position in the longitudinal direction, ensuring it is stably supported in the correct position, and also allows the locking member to be held in the correct and stable position.

[0077] More preferably, the spring member is formed in a point-symmetric shape with respect to a central point in the longitudinal direction.

[0078] According to this embodiment of the invention, since the spring member is formed in a point-symmetric shape in the front-rear direction, the front-rear assembly direction to the upper rail is the same, which improves the ease of assembly and makes management easier. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1...Seat slide device, 3...Lower rail, 4...Upper rail, 8...Spring member, 16...Upper rail top wall, 17a...One side wall, 17b...Other side wall, 19...Upper rail bent wall, 19a...Lower wall, 19b...Upper wall, 26...Mounting part (Mounting part), 27...First spring part, 27a...Tip part, 28...Second spring part, 28a...Tip part, 29...First tip contact part, 30...Second tip contact part, 31...Operating pin, 33...First locking part, 34...Second locking part, 35...First restricting part, 36...Second restricting part.

Claims

1. A lower rail is positioned and fixed on the floor of the vehicle along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, An upper rail is slidably mounted to the lower rail along the longitudinal direction of the lower rail, and a seat is attached to it. A locking member that moves in a vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the upper rail, and is movable between a locking position that locks the sliding movement of the upper rail relative to the lower rail and an unlocking position that allows the sliding movement of the upper rail relative to the lower rail, A rod-shaped spring member is disposed inside the opposing side walls of the upper rail, extending along the longitudinal direction of the upper rail, and biasing the locking member toward the locked position. A seat slide device equipped with, The spring member has a mounting portion provided at the center of the longitudinal direction for locking and fixing the locking member, a first spring portion located on one side in the longitudinal direction and extending along the inner surface of one side wall of the upper rail, and a second spring portion located on the other side in the longitudinal direction and extending along the inner surface of the other side wall of the upper rail. A pair of locking parts are provided at the front and rear positions in the longitudinal direction of the opposing side walls of the upper rail, and the respective ends of the first spring part and the second spring part engage from above and below, thereby applying a biasing force to the locking member in the direction of the locked position. A pair of restricting parts are provided near the respective locking parts on the opposing side walls of the upper rail, and the tip edges of the respective ends of the first spring part and the second spring part abut from the longitudinal direction to restrict the longitudinal movement of the spring member, A seat slide device characterized by having the following features.

2. A seat slide device according to claim 1, The seat slide device is characterized in that the ends of the first spring portion and the second spring portion each have a tip contact portion that is bent in a substantially L-shape along the vertical direction, and each of these tip contact portions contacts the regulating portion from the longitudinal direction, and one side edge of each tip contact portion contacts the inner surface of one side wall of the upper rail.

3. A seat slide device according to claim 1, The pair of locking portions are formed to protrude inward from the respective side walls of the upper rail and have an inclined surface that rises vertically from the base end to the tip end. The seat slide device is characterized in that the pair of restricting portions protrude inward from the respective side walls of the upper rail and have an inclined surface that rises and slopes in the front-rear direction from the base end to the tip end.

4. A seat slide device according to claim 2, The aforementioned spring member is formed in a point-symmetric shape with respect to a central point in the longitudinal direction, characterized in that it is a seat slide device.

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