Slide lock structure in slide rail device

Abstract

[Problem] To obtain a definitively locked state exhibiting high mechanical strength by using a simple structure in a slide lock structure of a slide rail device. [Solution] To provide: a casing (50); left and right locking members (56) which are equipped with cam surfaces (66) provided on the left and right outsides thereof and engaging projections (58) projecting outward to the left and to the right, and are provided to the casing (20) so as to be capable of shifting positions in the left-right direction between an engagement position at which the engaging projections (58) enter a slot (40) in a rail (24) and a release position at which the engaging projections (58) withdraw from the slot (40); a compression coil spring (68) which biases the left and right locking members (56) toward the engagement position; and an operation member (86) which is provided to the casing (50) so as to be capable of shifting positions, and is equipped with corresponding cam surfaces (94) which slide on the cam surfaces (66) in order to shift the left and right locking members (56) to the release positions thereof in opposition to the spring force of the compression coil spring (68) by shifting positions in the vertical direction.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a slide lock structure in a slide rail device. [Background technology]

[0002] As a slide lock structure in a slide rail device used in an automobile seat device or the like, there is known a structure in which a locking state is established by engaging a locking claw of a lever rotatably mounted on a slider with a rack tooth or a recess formed on a lower rail (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-75947 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2019-137126 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] With conventional slide lock structures, it is difficult to achieve both a simple structure and a secure locked state with high mechanical strength.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a slide lock structure in a slide rail device that is simple in structure and provides a reliable locked state with high mechanical strength. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The slide lock structure according to the present invention is a slide lock structure (10) for a slide rail device (14) having a linear rail (24) that includes a first side wall (36) and a second side wall (36) that are spaced apart in the left-right direction and opposed to each other, has a groove-shaped cross section, extends in the longitudinal direction, and has a plurality of slots (40) provided in each of the first side wall and the second side wall at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction, and a slider (26) that slidably engages with the rail, the slide lock structure (10) being provided with a casing (50) that is attached to the slider and includes a portion located between the first side wall and the second side wall, and has cam surfaces (66) provided on the left and right outer sides and at least one engagement protrusion (58) that protrudes outward to the left and right, The locking mechanism includes a first locking member (56) and a second locking member (56) provided on the casing so as to be displaceable in the left-right direction between an engagement position where the at least one engagement protrusion protrudes into any of the slots and a release position where the at least one engagement protrusion is disengaged from any of the slots, a first biasing member (68) that biases the first locking member and the second locking member toward the engagement position, and an operating member (86) that is displaceably provided on the casing and has a corresponding cam surface (94) that slides on the cam surface so as to displace each of the first locking member and the second locking member to the release position against the spring force of the first biasing member by being displaced in a predetermined direction.

[0007] According to this configuration, a reliable locked state with high mechanical strength can be obtained with a simple structure. Also, the slide lock structure can be handled as a single cartridge, which improves the ease of assembly of the slide lock structure to the slide rail device.

[0008] The slide lock structure according to this embodiment preferably further includes a second biasing member (92) that biases the operating member upward relative to the casing, and the operating member is displaceable downward against the spring force of the second biasing member, and the cam surface includes at least one inclined outer surface that is inclined outward from the upper side to the lower side, and the corresponding cam surface includes at least one inclined inner surface that is inclined outward from the upper side to the lower side, so that downward movement of the operating member causes each of the first locking member and the second locking member to be displaced to the release position against the spring force of the first biasing member.

[0009] According to this configuration, the first locking member and the second locking member can be reliably displaced to the release position with a simple structure.

[0010] In the slide lock structure according to this embodiment, preferably, the at least one engagement protrusion of the first locking member and the second locking member includes a plurality of engagement protrusions spaced apart in the longitudinal direction at intervals that are an integer multiple of the interval between adjacent slots.

[0011] According to this configuration, the multiple engaging projections project into the corresponding slots, thereby achieving a highly reliable locked state.

[0012] In the slide lock structure according to this embodiment, preferably, the first locking member and the second locking member each have two cam surfaces spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, and the operating member has four corresponding cam surfaces provided in the front / rear, left / right directions to correspond to each cam surface.

[0013] According to this configuration, the first locking member and the second locking member are reliably displaced to the release position by the cam surface and the corresponding cam surface.

[0014] In the slide lock structure of this embodiment, preferably, the cam surfaces of the first locking member and the second locking member are provided on the bottom surfaces of two groove portions (64) formed between adjacent engaging protrusions, and the corresponding cam surfaces are provided on the inner end surfaces of two plate-like portions (88) that fit into each groove so as to be able to move up and down.

[0015] According to this configuration, the attitude of the plate-shaped portion, and therefore the attitude of the corresponding cam surface, is stable, and the displacement of the first locking member and the second locking member to the release position by the cam surface and the corresponding cam surface is reliably performed.

[0016] In the slide lock structure according to the present embodiment, preferably, the first locking member and the second locking member have inner surfaces (56A) facing each other in the left-right direction, and the first biasing member includes a compression coil spring (68) arranged adjacent to each plate-shaped portion between the inner surfaces of the first locking member and the second locking member from the outer side or the inner side in the front-rear direction.

[0017] According to this configuration, the spring bias of the compression coil spring to the first locking member and the second locking member is stable, and therefore the attitude of the plate-shaped portion is stable.

[0018] In the slide lock structure according to this embodiment, the operating member preferably includes a rod-shaped portion (96) that protrudes from the longitudinal intermediate portion between the two plate-shaped portions so as to be pressed from the outside.

[0019] According to this configuration, the application of an unbalanced load in the longitudinal direction of the operating member when pressed is suppressed, and the operating member can be moved smoothly in the vertical direction.

[0020] In the slide lock structure according to this embodiment, the second biasing member preferably includes a compression coil spring (92) provided between the casing and the middle portion of the operating member.

[0021] According to this configuration, the spring force of the compression coil spring is prevented from acting as an unbalanced load in the longitudinal direction of the operating member, and the operating member can be moved smoothly in the vertical direction.

[0022] The slide lock structure according to the present embodiment preferably further comprises a protrusion (61) formed on the bottom of the first locking member and the second locking member, and Casing and a recess (62) into which the protrusion is fitted so as to be slidable in the left-right direction and which guides linear movement of the first locking member and the second locking member in the left-right direction.

[0023] According to this configuration, the reliability of the linear movement of the first locking member and the second locking member in the left-right direction is improved.

[0024] The slide lock structure according to the present embodiment preferably further includes restricting portions (72, 74) that restrict outward movement of the first locking member and the second locking member relative to the casing in the left-right direction.

[0025] According to this configuration, the first locking member, the second locking member, and the compression coil spring can be assembled as one sub-assembly to the casing with good workability.

[0026] The slide lock structure according to the present embodiment preferably includes a pair of regulating plates (74) held releasably on the casing at front and rear positions of the first locking member and the second locking member, a long hole (72) that is long in the left-right direction provided in each regulating plate, and four protrusions (72) that protrude in the longitudinal direction from the longitudinal end faces of the first locking member and the second locking member and are received in the corresponding long holes.

[0027] According to this configuration, the restricting portion is formed with a small number of parts, and the first locking member, the second locking member and the compression coil spring, including the restricting plate, can be assembled to the casing as a single sub-assembly with good workability.

[0028] In the slide lock structure according to the present embodiment, preferably, the slot forms a part of a screw groove, and the engaging protrusion forms a part of a male screw that can engage with the screw groove.

[0029] According to this configuration, the rail can also be used as a rail for an electric slide rail device that uses a motor-driven male screw member or worm that engages with the slit. Effect of the Invention

[0030] According to the slide lock structure of the present invention, a reliable locked state with high mechanical strength can be obtained with a simple structure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing an embodiment in which the slide lock structure according to the present invention is applied to a slide rail device of a seat device of an automobile. [Diagram 2] 1 is a perspective view of a slide rail device including a slide lock structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a plan view of the slide lock structure according to the present embodiment with the upper cover removed; [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the slide lock structure according to the present embodiment (corresponding to a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3). [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a slide lock structure according to the present embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a slide lock structure according to an embodiment of the present invention with an upper cover removed; [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of the slide lock structure according to the embodiment; [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a locking member used in the slide lock structure according to the present embodiment; [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the material and press working process of the rail of the slide rail device according to the embodiment; [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a rail finishing machine according to the present embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a front view of a rail finishing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 12] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a cutting tool for finishing rails according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the grinding tool. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the rail processing device according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0032] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] FIG. 1 shows an example in which a slide lock structure 10 according to this embodiment is applied to a slide rail device 14 for sliding a seat device 12 for the front and rear of an automobile.

[0034] The seat device 12 is disposed on a floor panel 16 of the automobile. The seat device 12 includes a base member 18, a seat cushion 20 that is attached to the base member 18 and supports the buttocks of an occupant, and a seat back 22 that extends upward from the rear of the seat cushion 20 and supports the back of the occupant.

[0035] Two slide rail devices 14 are provided parallel to each other at corresponding positions on both the left and right sides of the seat device 12. Each slide rail device 14 has a linear rail 24 fixed to the underside of the floor panel 16 and extending in the front-to-rear direction, and a slider 26 engaged with the rail 24 so as to be slidable in the front-to-rear direction.

[0036] Each slider 26 is fixed to the bottom of the base member 18. This allows the seat device 12 to move in the front-rear direction by the slide rail device 14.

[0037] 2, the rail 24 includes a bottom wall 30, left and right outer walls 32 standing from the left and right edges of the bottom wall 30, left and right upper walls 34 extending from the upper ends of the outer walls 32 in directions approaching each other, and left and right inner walls (first side wall and second side wall) 36 hanging down from the inner ends of the upper walls 34, and extends linearly in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) with a groove-shaped cross section with an upward opening. The opening 39 defined by the left and right inner walls 36 is vertically aligned with the slit 17 formed in the floor panel 16, as shown in FIG.

[0038] The left and right inner walls 36 are spaced apart in the left-right direction and form a first side wall and a second side wall facing each other. Each inner wall 36 has a protruding portion 38 that protrudes toward each other. A plurality of slots 40 are formed in each protruding portion 38 at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction, in other words, at a predetermined pitch P. Each slot 40 has a vertically elongated shape and extends in the up-down direction while inclining at a predetermined inclination angle that forms a lead angle α (see FIG. 9). As a result, the group of slots 40 forms part of the female thread groove, in other words, a series of teeth of the worm wheel developed in a plane.

[0039] The slide lock structure 10 releasably locks the slider 26 to the rail 24 at any position in the front-rear direction. In other words, the slide lock structure 10 fixes the seat device 12, which is the object to be slide locked, on the floor panel 16 at any position in the front-rear direction.

[0040] Next, the details of the slide lock structure 10 will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 8. The slide lock structure 10 has a casing 50 in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped that is long in the front-rear direction and includes a lower case 52 and an upper case 54. The casing 50 is fixed to the slider 26 (see Figure 1), and most of its vertical length is located between the left and right inner walls 36.

[0041] The casing 50 receives a pair of left and right locking members (first and second locking members) 56 so that they can be displaced only in the left-right direction but cannot be displaced in the front-rear and up-down directions.

[0042] Each locking member 56 has a plurality of engagement protrusions 58 protruding outwardly to the left and right on its outer wall in the left-right direction. The engagement protrusions 58 are provided in the front-rear direction (longitudinal direction) at intervals equal to the interval (pitch P) between adjacent slots 40 or an integer multiple of this interval, and extend in the up-down direction at an angle equal to the lead angle α. Each engagement protrusion 58 can protrude outward to the left and right from openings 51 (see FIG. 5) formed on the left and right side walls of the casing 50. Each locking member 56 can be displaced between an engagement position where the engagement protrusion 58 protrudes into one of the corresponding slots 40 and a release position where the engagement protrusion 58 is disengaged from any of the slots 40.

[0043] Each locking member 56 has a rectangular projection 61 (see FIG. 8) that projects downward from the middle (1 / 2 position) in the front-rear direction of the bottom wall. The lower case 52 has a recess 62 (see FIG. 7) on the bottom that receives the corresponding projection 61 so that it can slide in the left-right direction. The slidable engagement between the projection 61 and the recess 62 linearly guides the left-right displacement of each locking member 56 between the engaged position and the released position. This improves the reliability of the linear movement of the left and right locking members 56 in the left-right direction.

[0044] Each locking member 56 has grooves 64 that are open outwardly to the left and right, at two locations on the outer wall in the left-right direction, spaced apart in the front-rear direction, between adjacent engagement protrusions 58. The bottom surface of each groove 64 is a cam surface 66 (see FIG. 4). In other words, two cam surfaces 66 are provided on each of the left and right locking members 56, spaced apart in the longitudinal direction. More specifically, each cam surface 66 is provided on the bottom surface of two grooves 64 formed between adjacent engagement protrusions 58, and includes at least one inclined outer surface that is inclined outwardly from the top to the bottom. The two cam surfaces 66 at the front and back of each locking member 56 form a symmetrical pair.

[0045] The left and right locking members 56 have inner surfaces 56A that face each other in the left-right direction. Compression coil springs 68 forming first biasing members are provided at two locations, front and rear, between the left and right inner surfaces 56A. Each compression coil spring 68 is adjacent to the corresponding groove portion 60 from the outside in the front-rear direction, in other words, adjacent to a plate-like member 88 (described below) that fits into the corresponding groove portion 60 from the outside in the front-rear direction and is located in the vicinity of the front and rear ends of the locking member 56, and biases the left and right locking members 56 toward the engagement position.

[0046] Since each compression coil spring 68 is disposed adjacent to each plate-like member 88, the spring force applied to the lock member 56 by the compression coil springs 68 is stable, and therefore the attitude of the plate-like members 88 is stable.

[0047] Each lock member 56 has a retainer recess 57 (see FIG. 8) that opens to an inner surface 56A and receives an end of each compression coil spring 68. The lower case 52 has a spring support 70 (see FIG. 7) at the bottom, the spring support 70 including an arc-shaped upper surface that supports an intermediate portion of each compression coil spring 68.

[0048] Each locking member 56 has a protrusion 72 that protrudes outward in the front-rear direction from its front-rear end face. A pair of front and rear restriction plates 74 are disposed in the front and rear positions of the left and right locking members 56. Each restriction plate 74 has a long hole 76 that is long in the left-right direction. Each long hole 76 receives a corresponding protrusion 72 so that it can slide in the left-right direction. Each restriction plate 74 has a tongue portion 78 that protrudes downward. Each tongue portion 78 is inserted into an engagement groove 80 formed in the bottom of the lower case 52 so as to be freely inserted and removed in the up-down direction.

[0049] As a result, the restricting plate 74 is held releasably relative to the casing 50 and constitutes a restricting portion that cooperates with the protrusion 72 to restrict the outward and inward movement of the left and right locking members 56 relative to the casing 50. The restriction of the left and right movement of the left and right locking members 56 by this restricting portion defines the engaged position and the released position of each locking member 56.

[0050] The restricting plate 74 connects the left and right locking members 56, which are biased in directions away from each other by the compression coil spring 68, and acts to allow the left and right locking members 56 and the compression coil spring 68 to be easily handled as a single assembly. In other words, the left and right locking members 56, the compression coil spring 68 and the restricting plate 74 can be assembled to the lower case 52 as a single sub-assembly with good workability.

[0051] An operating member 86 is provided in the casing 50 so as to be displaceable in the up-down direction. The operating member 86 is composed of an assembly of two plate-like members 88 arranged in parallel to each other and spaced apart in the front-rear direction, and an intermediate connecting member 90 connecting the two plate-like members 88 to each other.

[0052] A compression coil spring 92 (see FIG. 5) forming a second biasing member is provided between the center of the intermediate connecting member 90 forming the intermediate portion of the operating member 86 and the retainer recess 82 provided in the bottom portion of the lower case 52. The compression coil spring 92 biases the operating member 86 upward relative to the casing 50. According to this spring arrangement, the spring force of the compression coil spring 92 acts on the intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction of the intermediate connecting member 90, so that the spring force of the compression coil spring 92 is prevented from acting as an unbalanced load in the longitudinal direction of the operating member 86, and the operating member 86 can be moved smoothly in the vertical direction.

[0053] Each plate-like member 88 has a left-right symmetrical shape and includes a connecting portion 88A with intermediate connecting member 90 provided at the center in the left-right direction, arm portions 88B extending outwardly to the left and right from connecting portion 88A, and hanging portions 88C extending downward from the free ends of each arm portion 88B. The left and right arm portions 88B and hanging portions 88C fit into corresponding groove portions 64 of the left and right locking members 56 so as to be slidable in the up-down direction.

[0054] Each hanging portion 88C has, on its inner end surface, a corresponding cam surface 94 that corresponds to each cam surface 66. Four corresponding cam surfaces 94 are provided on each operating member 86, arranged front to back, left to right, to correspond to each cam surface 66. Each corresponding cam surface 94 is inclined outwardly from top to bottom, includes at least one inclined inner surface that can come into sliding contact with the corresponding cam surface 66, and is symmetrical in a left-right pair.

[0055] As the operating member 86 moves downward against the compression coil spring 92, each corresponding cam surface 94 comes into contact with the corresponding cam surface 66 and is slidably displaced downward relative to the corresponding cam surface 66, thereby converting the vertical displacement into left-right displacement and simultaneously displacing the left and right locking members 56 to the release position against the spring forces of the compression coil springs 68, respectively.

[0056] As described above, each plate-like member 88 slidably fits into the corresponding groove 64, and its vertical movement relative to the locking member 56 is guided by the wall surfaces that define the groove 64, so that it is prevented from wobbling relative to the locking member 56 and its attitude relative to the locking member 56 is stabilized. This stabilizes the attitude of the corresponding cam surface 94, and the cam surface 66 and the corresponding cam surface 94 can smoothly and reliably displace the locking member 56 to the release position.

[0057] Furthermore, the left and right locking members 56 each have two cam surfaces 66 spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, and the operating member 86 has four corresponding cam surfaces 94 provided in the front, back, left and right directions to correspond to each cam surface 66, which also ensures that the locking members 56 can be smoothly and reliably displaced to the release position.

[0058] 4, the operating member 86 has its raised position determined by a spring bias, whereby inclined upper surfaces 88D provided at the bases of the arms 88B of each plate-like member 88 abut against inclined lower surfaces 54C of upper case 54 located at the ends of slits 54A formed in upper case 54 corresponding to each plate-like member 88. Incidentally, a portion of each arm 88B and each hanging portion 88C enters the corresponding slit 54A when operating member 86 is in the raised position.

[0059] The operating member 86 has a rod-shaped portion 96 that protrudes from the longitudinal intermediate portion between the two plate-shaped members 88, i.e., the center portion of the intermediate connecting member 90. The rod-shaped portion 96 passes through a through-hole 54B formed in the upper case 54 and protrudes above the casing 50, so that it can be pressed downward from the outside.

[0060] The slide lock structure 10 configured as described above is handled as one cartridge, improving the ease of assembly of the slide lock structure to the slide rail device. In other words, one of the items that makes the slide lock structure 10 unique from conventional products is that all geometry is packaged to be disposed within the rail 24, and is not disposed on the rail 24. Also, the slide lock structure 10 can obtain a locked state by sliding the left and right lock members 56 laterally, and operates without requiring a pivot to rotate to obtain a locked state. As a result, the slide lock structure 10 has a simple structure and is compact, and is encapsulated under the seat device 12.

[0061] 1, an end of an operating lever 28 that is rotatably attached to the base member 18 by a horizontal pivot 27 abuts against the upper surface of the rod-shaped portion 96. When the operating lever 28 rotates clockwise about the horizontal pivot 27, the rod-shaped portion 96 is pressed downward.

[0062] In a steady state where the rod-shaped portion 96 is not pressed downward, as shown in FIG. 4, the operating member 86 is in a raised position due to the spring force of the compression coil spring 92, and the left and right corresponding cam surfaces 94 are spaced upward from the corresponding cam surfaces 66 of the left and right locking members 56.

[0063] Therefore, the left and right locking members 56 are positioned at the engaged position by the spring force of the compression coil spring 68. As a result, all of the engaging projections 58 of the left and right locking members 56 protrude into the corresponding left and right slots 40, and a locked state is established in which the slider 26 together with the casing 50 is prevented from moving in the longitudinal direction of the rail 24. As a result, the seat device 12 is fixed at any position in the fore-aft direction on the floor panel 16.

[0064] In this way, the locked state is achieved by the left and right multiple engagement protrusions 58 protruding into the corresponding left and right slots 40, so compared to the case where the locked state is achieved by the latch claw engaging with one of the teeth of the rack, this provides a secure lock with a simple structure and high mechanical strength without causing deformation of the components.

[0065] This locked state is released when the rod-shaped portion 96 is pressed downward against the spring force of the compression coil spring 92. When the rod-shaped portion 96 is pressed downward, the operating member 86 is displaced downward. As a result, the four corresponding cam surfaces 94 on the front, rear, left and right of the operating member 86 come into contact with the corresponding cam surfaces 66 at the same time and slide downward relative to the cam surfaces 66, causing the left and right locking members 56 to displace to the release position at the same time, that is, in a symmetrical state, against the spring force of the compression coil spring 68. This ensures that the left and right locking members 56 are reliably displaced to the release position with a simple structure.

[0066] When both the left and right locking members 56 are in the release position, all the left and right engaging protrusions 58 are reliably disengaged from the corresponding slots 40, and the locked state is reliably released. In the unlocked state, the slider 26 together with the casing 50 can freely move in the longitudinal direction of the rail 24, and the position of the seat device 12 in the front-rear direction can be changed.

[0067] Since the group of slots formed by the multiple slots 40 of the rail 24 forms part of a screw groove, in other words, a series of teeth of a worm wheel, the rail 24 can be used in combination as a rail for an electric slide rail device that uses a motor-driven male screw member or worm that engages with the slots 40, and can be applied to a slide rail device in which both electric and manual types are used on a single rail.

[0068] Next, a method for manufacturing the rail 24 having the slot 40 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0069] As shown in Fig. 9(A), first, a steel strip 100 is prepared as the material for the rail 24, and as shown in Fig. 9(B), slits (pre-holes) 40 are punched out at a predetermined pitch P along both side edges of the strip 100 using a punching press (not shown). Each slot 40 is punched out at an angle of a predetermined lead angle α in the pitch direction. Each slot 40 may be formed in two hits, every other slot, to reduce the press load.

[0070] Next, the belt-like flat plate 100 is bent by a bending machine (not shown) to form the rail 24 in a bent shape as shown in FIG. 9(C).

[0071] Next, the rail 24 is finish-machined using a finish machine 110 shown in Figures 10 and 11. The finish machining of the rail 24 includes pitch correction and lead angle correction of each slot 40.

[0072] The finishing machine 110 has a base 111, a linear transport guide rail 112 provided on the base 111, a workpiece transport table 114 slidably engaged with the transport guide rail 112 in its longitudinal direction, and a processing head 118 positioned on the base 111 by a gate frame 116.

[0073] The workpiece conveying table 114 has the rail 24 positioned thereon by means of positioning pins 115 at its upper portion.

[0074] The processing head 118 has a substrate 120, four horizontal alignment rollers 122 (front, rear, left, and right) rotatably supported on the substrate 120, four rows of vertical alignment rollers 124 (front, rear, left, and right) rotatably supported on the substrate 120, and two finishing cutting tools 126 (front and rear) rotatably supported on the substrate 120.

[0075] The horizontal alignment rollers 122 rollably contact the outer surfaces of the left and right outer walls 32 of the rail 24 transported by the workpiece transport platform 114, and position the rail 24 in the left and right direction relative to the finishing cutting tool 126. The vertical alignment rollers 124 rollably contact the upper surfaces of the left and right upper walls 34 of the rail 24, and position the rail 24 in the up and down direction relative to the finishing cutting tool 126 (to prevent it from floating up).

[0076] Each finishing cutting tool 126 is supported rotatably about a horizontal axis extending in the front-rear direction by a bearing mount 128 attached to the underside of the base plate 120. The front finishing cutting tool 126 and the rear finishing cutting tool 126 are arranged offset from each other in the left-right direction, with the front finishing cutting tool 126 performing finish cutting of the right slot 40 of the rail 24, and the rear finishing cutting tool 126 performing finish cutting of the left slot 40.

[0077] Each finishing cutting tool 126 has an integral gear 132, which will be described later. Each gear 132 individually meshes with two intermediate gears 136, one in the front and one in the rear, which are rotatably attached to the base plate 120 by bearing mounts 134. Each intermediate gear 136 individually meshes with two drive gears 140, one in the front and one in the rear, which are attached to a common drive shaft 138 extending in the front-rear direction. The drive shaft 138 is connected to an electric motor (not shown) mounted on the base plate 120, and is rotated by the electric motor.

[0078] The two finishing cutting tools 126, one at the front and one at the rear, are rotated in synchronization with each other by the above-mentioned gear example.

[0079] As shown in Figure 12 (A), each finishing cutting tool 126 has a holder 142 in a male thread shape (worm shape) with a pit the same as the pitch P and a lead angle the same as the lead angle α, a central shaft portion 143 integrally formed at the front and rear ends of the holder 142, and the aforementioned gear 132 integrally formed on the outer periphery of one of the central shaft portions 143.

[0080] Two axially extending grooves 146 are formed on the outer periphery of the holder 142, which are rotated 180 degrees from each other around the central axis. A cutting blade 148 made of a flat plate having a comb-tooth shape with the same pitch as pitch P is replaceably attached to each groove 146. A fixed position in the axial direction of each cutting blade 148 relative to the holder 142 is determined so that the pitch of the comb-tooth shape matches the pitch of the holder 142 in the corresponding groove 144.

[0081] With the two front and rear finishing cutting tools 126 rotated, the workpiece transport table 114 transports the rail 24 toward the machining head 118 at a predetermined speed, whereby the cutting blades 148 of each finishing cutting tool 126 perform finish cutting of the slots 40.

[0082] As another embodiment, a grinding tool 150 shown in Fig. 12(B) may be attached to the processing head 118 instead of the finishing cutting tool 126, and the slot 40 may be finished by grinding. The grinding tool 150 is fired into a male screw shape (worm shape) with a pit the same as the pitch P and a lead angle the same as the lead angle α.

[0083] In another embodiment, the slots 40 may be punched out using a roller-type punch die 162 having multiple punches 160 on its outer periphery and a roller-type die die 166 having multiple dies 164 on its outer periphery, as shown in FIG. 13.

[0084] The present invention has been described above with reference to its preferred embodiments. However, as will be easily understood by those skilled in the art, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0085] For example, the left and right engaging protrusions 58 may be one, or a number other than four. The compression coil spring 68 may be disposed adjacent to the plate-shaped member 88 from the inside in the front-rear direction.

[0086] The slide lock structure 10 according to the present invention is not limited to application to the slide rail device 14 for the seat device 12, but can be applied to slide rail devices 14 for various devices.

[0087] Furthermore, not all of the components shown in the above embodiment are necessarily essential, and they can be appropriately selected without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 10: Slide lock structure 12: Seat device 14: Slide rail device 16: Floor panel 17: Slit 18: Base material 20: Seat cushion 22: Seat back 24: Rail 26: Slider 27: Horizontal axis 28: Operating lever 30: Bottom wall 32:Outer wall 34: Upper wall 36: Inner wall (first side wall, second side wall) 38: Protrusion 39:Aperture 40: Slot 50: Casing 51 :Aperture 52: Lower case 54: Upper case 54A: Slit 54B: Through hole 54C: Slanted bottom surface 56: Locking member (first locking member, second locking member) 56A :Inner surface 57: Retainer recess 58: Engagement protrusion 60: Groove 61: Protrusion 62: Recess 64: Groove 66: Cam surface 68: Compression coil spring 70: Spring support 72: Protrusion 74: Restriction board 76: Long hole 78: Tongue piece 80: Engagement groove 82: Retainer recess 86: Operating member 88: Plate-shaped member (plate-shaped part) 88A: Connection part 88B: Arm 88C: hanging part 88D: Inclined top surface 90: Intermediate connecting member 92: Compression coil spring 94: Corresponding cam surface 96: Rod-shaped part 100: Strip-shaped flat plate 110: Finishing machine 111: Foundation 112: Transport guide rail 114: Workpiece conveyance platform 115: Positioning pin 116: Gate stand 118: Processing head 120: Substrate 122: Horizontal alignment roller 124: Vertical alignment roller 126: Finishing cutting tools 128: Bearing mount 132: Gears 134: Bearing mount 136: Intermediate gear 138: Drive shaft 140: Drive gear 142: Holder 143: Central shaft part 144: Groove 148: Cutting blade 150: Grinding tools 160: Punch 162: Punch mold 164: Die 166: Die mould

Claims

1. A slide lock structure in a slide rail device having a linear rail including a first side wall and a second side wall opposed to each other and spaced apart in the left-right direction, the linear rail having a groove-shaped cross section extending in the longitudinal direction, the first side wall and the second side wall each having a plurality of slots at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction, and a slider slidably engaged with the rail, a casing attached to the slider and including a portion located between the first side wall and the second side wall; a first locking member and a second locking member provided on the casing, the first locking member and the second locking member including cam surfaces provided on the left and right outer sides and at least one engagement protrusion protruding outwardly to the left and right, the first locking member and the second locking member being displaceable in the left and right direction between an engagement position in which the at least one engagement protrusion protrudes into any one of the slots and a release position in which the at least one engagement protrusion is disengaged from any one of the slots; a first biasing member that biases the first locking member and the second locking member toward the engagement position; an operating member that is displaceably provided in the casing, the operating member having a corresponding cam surface that slides on the cam surface so as to displace each of the first locking member and the second locking member to the release position against the spring force of the first biasing member by displacing in a predetermined direction; a second biasing member that biases the operating member upward relative to the casing, The operating member is displaceable downward against the spring force of the second biasing member, the cam surface includes at least one inclined outer surface inclined outwardly from the upper side to the lower side, and the corresponding cam surface includes at least one inclined inner surface inclined outwardly from the upper side to the lower side, so that the first locking member and the second locking member are each displaced to the release position against the spring force of the first biasing member by the downward movement of the operating member, A slide lock structure in which, in a steady state in which the operating member is not pressed downward, the operating member is biased by the second biasing member, and the inclined inner surface of the operating member is spaced upward from the inclined outer surface.

2. 2. The slide lock structure according to claim 1, wherein the at least one engagement protrusion of the first locking member and the second locking member includes a plurality of engagement protrusions provided at intervals in the longitudinal direction that are an integer multiple of the interval between adjacent slots.

3. 3. The slide lock structure according to claim 2, wherein the first locking member and the second locking member each have two cam surfaces spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, and the operating member has four corresponding cam surfaces provided in the front, rear, left and right directions so as to correspond to the respective cam surfaces.

4. 4. The slide lock structure according to claim 3, wherein the cam surfaces of the first locking member and the second locking member are provided on bottom surfaces of two grooves formed between adjacent engaging protrusions, and the corresponding cam surfaces are provided on inner end surfaces of two plate-like portions that fit into the respective grooves so as to be movable in the up-down direction.

5. 5. The slide lock structure according to claim 4, wherein the first locking member and the second locking member have inner surfaces facing each other in the left-right direction, and the first biasing member includes a compression coil spring arranged between the inner surfaces of the first locking member and the second locking member so as to be adjacent to each plate-shaped portion in the front-rear direction.

6. 6. The slide lock structure according to claim 5, wherein said operating member has a rod-like portion protruding from a longitudinal intermediate portion between said two plate-like portions so as to be pressed from the outside.

7. 7. The slide lock structure according to claim 6, wherein the second biasing member includes a compression coil spring provided between the casing and the intermediate portion of the operating member.

8. 2. The slide lock structure according to claim 1, further comprising a restricting portion that restricts outward movement of the first locking member and the second locking member relative to the casing in the left-right direction.

9. 9. The slide lock structure according to claim 8, wherein the regulating portion includes a pair of regulating plates held in a releasable manner on the casing at front and rear positions of the first locking member and the second locking member, a long hole that is long in the left-right direction provided in each regulating plate, and four protrusions that protrude in the longitudinal direction from end faces in the longitudinal direction of the first locking member and the second locking member and are received in the corresponding long holes.

10. 2. The slide lock structure according to claim 1, further comprising: a protrusion formed on a bottom portion of the first locking member and the second locking member; and a recess formed in the casing, into which the protrusion fits so as to be slidable in the left-right direction, and which guides linear movement of the first locking member and the second locking member in the left-right direction.

11. 2. The slide lock structure according to claim 1, wherein the slot is a part of a screw groove, and the engaging protrusion is a part of a male screw that is engageable with the screw groove.

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