Slide device

Abstract

To provide a sliding device enabling the sliding operation thereof to be locked by large holding force and the locking of the sliding operation to be surely released.SOLUTION: A sliding device of the present disclosure comprises a fixed rail, a movable rail slidably connected to the fixed rail, and a lock mechanism. The lock mechanism regulates slide movement of the movable rail, and comprises: a long rod mounted to the fixed rai, a coil-shaped lock member that is mounted to the movable rail, is wound around the rod, and generates a friction force between the coil-shaped lock member and the rod; and an operation portion that operates the coil-shaped lock member to control a friction force generated between the rod and the coil-shaped lock member. The coil-shaped lock member includes: a first coil spring portion wound in one direction, a second coil spring portion wound in the other direction opposite to the one direction; and a connection portion that connects one end of the first coil spring portion and one end of the second coil spring portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a sliding device. [Background technology]

[0002] A slide device with a locking mechanism has been used to slide a seat, for example, a vehicle seat, in the fore-and-aft direction and stop it at an appropriate position. For example, Patent Document 1 listed below describes a slide device in which the inner diameter of a coil spring wound around a rod-shaped member fixed to the floor of the vehicle and attached to the seat is displaced by rotating the end of the coil spring, thereby realizing sliding movement along the rod-shaped member and locking the sliding movement. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 62-050243 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The sliding device described in Patent Document 1 displaces the inner diameter of the coil spring to generate a frictional force between the coil spring and the rod-shaped member, thereby locking the sliding motion. However, sliding devices applied to vehicle seats are required to have a force (hereinafter referred to as "retention force") that can maintain the locked state even when a large external force is applied, such as during a vehicle collision, and the above-mentioned structure that locks the sliding motion using only frictional force may not have enough retention force.

[0005] On the other hand, in the sliding device described in Patent Document 1, increasing the contact area between the coil spring and the rod-shaped member produces a proportionally larger frictional force, i.e., a holding force for maintaining the locked state. Therefore, for example, increasing the number of turns of the coil spring to increase the contact area between the coil spring and the rod-shaped member can ensure the holding force required for a sliding device for a vehicle seat. However, the sliding device described in Patent Document 1 employs a structure in which the contact between the coil spring and the rod-shaped member is released and the locked state is released by rotating the end of the coil spring. Therefore, if the number of turns of the coil spring is large, it becomes difficult to move the entire coil spring to the unlocked position, which may make it impossible to unlock the device.

[0006] In consideration of the above-mentioned problems, the present disclosure aims to provide a sliding device that can lock sliding motion with a large holding force and can reliably release the lock on sliding motion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a sliding device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes a fixed rail, a movable rail slidably connected to the fixed rail, a long rod attached to the fixed rail, a coil-shaped locking member attached to the movable rail and wound around the rod to generate a frictional force between the rod and the coil-shaped locking member, and a locking mechanism for restricting the sliding movement of the movable rail, the locking mechanism including an operating unit for operating the coil-shaped locking member to control the frictional force generated between the rod and the coil-shaped locking member, wherein the coil-shaped locking member includes a first coil spring portion wound in one direction, a second coil spring portion wound in another direction opposite to the one direction, and a connecting unit connecting one end of the first coil spring portion to one end of the second coil spring portion facing the one end of the first coil spring portion.

[0008] In this type of sliding device, the coil-shaped locking member contacts the rod with two divided coil spring portions, so the coil spring portions can be easily separated from the rod, ensuring reliable unlocking. Also, because the coil spring portions are divided, the number of turns in each coil spring portion can be kept small, so even if a large contact area between the coil spring portions and the rod is ensured, there is no problem with the unlocking operation of the sliding movement.

[0009] A sliding device according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is the sliding device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the operating unit is attached to either the connecting unit or the other end of the first coil spring unit and the other end of the second coil spring unit, and displaces the inner diameter of the first coil spring unit and the inner diameter of the second coil spring unit so as to expand or contract.

[0010] In such a sliding device, the sliding operation can be switched between locked and unlocked states with a simple operation.

[0011] A slide device according to a third aspect of the present disclosure is the slide device according to the second aspect of the present disclosure, further including a holder that restricts rotation of the other end of the first coil spring portion and the other end of the second coil spring portion, and the operating portion includes an operating arm having one end that surrounds the connecting portion and a portion of the rod adjacent to the connecting portion and has an engaging portion that engages with the connecting portion, and an operating cable that is connected to the other end of the operating arm and rotates the operating arm together with the connecting portion.

[0012] In such a sliding device, the inner diameters of the two coil spring portions can be displaced simultaneously, improving operability.

[0013] A slide device according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure is a slide device according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present disclosure, wherein an interlocking groove is formed on the surface of the rod, in which a portion of the first coil spring portion and a portion of the second coil spring portion interlock with each other.

[0014] In such a sliding device, the locked state of the sliding operation can be firmly maintained. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the sliding device of the present disclosure, it is possible to lock the sliding movement with a large holding force and to reliably release the lock on the sliding movement. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating an example of a sliding device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the slide device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 3 is an exploded perspective view of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 2, partially disassembled, as viewed from one direction. FIG. [Figure 4] 3 is an exploded perspective view of the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 2, partially exploded, as viewed from another direction. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing the relationship between a rod-shaped member and a coil spring in a locked state and an unlocked state of a sliding operation in a conventional sliding device. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating a relationship between a rod and a coil-shaped locking member in a locked state and an unlocked state of a sliding operation in a sliding device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 2A and 2B are schematic cross-sectional views showing a locked state and an unlocked state of the sliding operation of the sliding device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating a relationship between a rod and a coil-shaped locking member in a locked state and an unlocked state of a sliding operation of a sliding device according to a modified example of an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following will show a schematic view of the scope necessary for the explanation to achieve the object of the present disclosure, and will mainly explain the scope necessary for explaining the relevant parts of the present disclosure, and the parts for which explanation is omitted will be referred to as publicly known techniques. Furthermore, when a drawing includes multiple identical or equivalent components, only some of them may be designated by reference numerals to make the drawing easier to understand.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a sliding device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view in which the sliding device shown in FIG. 1 is partially disassembled. The sliding device 1 according to this embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be applied to a seat, for example, a seat mounted in a vehicle, and may slide the seat in one direction relative to the floor surface of the vehicle. In the following description, the X direction shown in FIG. 1 is provisionally defined as the left-right direction, the Y direction as the front-rear direction, and the Z direction as the up-down direction.

[0019] 1 and 2, the slide device 1 includes at least a fixed rail 10 attached to the vehicle, a movable rail 20 attached to the seat and slidably connected to the fixed rail 10, and a locking mechanism 30 disposed between the fixed rail 10 and the movable rail 20. The slide device 1 can also be applied to seats other than vehicle seats. Therefore, the object to which the fixed rail 10 and movable rail 20 are attached can be changed as appropriate depending on the type of seat to which it is applied.

[0020] The fixed rail 10 may be a so-called lower rail that is fixed to the floor surface of the vehicle and is long in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The fixed rail 10 may be composed of a bottom wall 11 that at least partially abuts the floor surface of the vehicle, outer walls 12 that stand upright from both lateral ends of the bottom wall 11, and an upper wall 13 that bends inward from the upper end of the outer wall 12 in a hook-like shape.

[0021] The movable rail 20 may be configured as a so-called upper rail attached to the seat. The movable rail 20 may be configured with a top wall 21 attached to a part of the seat, for example, the rear surface of a seatback frame; side walls 22 hanging downward from both lateral ends of the top wall 21; and folded portions 23 folded back from the lower ends of each side wall 22 outward in the lateral direction. When the slide device 1 is assembled, the folded portions 23 are disposed within a space surrounded by the outer wall 12 and upper wall 13 of the fixed rail 10. A ball-shaped rolling element 24 (see FIG. 7 ) may be disposed around the folded portion 23 of the assembled slide device 1. The rolling element 24 rolls in sliding contact with the outer wall 12 of the fixed rail 10 and the folded portion 23 of the movable rail 20, thereby guiding the sliding movement of the movable rail 20.

[0022] An insertion hole 25 through which a part of a locking mechanism 30 (described later) is inserted may be provided in the middle of the top wall 21 of the movable rail 20 in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, a mounting plate 26 for mounting an operation cable 54 (described later) may be disposed around the insertion hole 25.

[0023] 2, the locking mechanism 30 may be a member disposed between the fixed rail 10 and the movable rail 20 for permitting or restricting sliding movement of the movable rail 20 relative to the fixed rail 10. This locking mechanism 30 includes a long rod 31 attached to the fixed rail 10, and a coil-shaped locking member 32 attached to the movable rail 20 and wound around the rod 31 to generate a frictional force between the rod 31 and the coil-shaped locking member 32, thereby restricting sliding movement of the movable rail 20.

[0024] 3 is an exploded perspective view of a partially disassembled locking mechanism shown in FIG. 2, viewed from one direction (the right direction in FIG. 2). FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a partially disassembled locking mechanism shown in FIG. 2, viewed from another direction (the left direction in FIG. 2). As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the rod 31 may be a columnar member extending in the fixed rail 10 in the same front-to-rear direction as the extension direction of the fixed rail 10. Rod fixing metal fittings 33 may be attached to both ends of the rod 31, and the rod fixing metal fittings 33 may be fixed to the bottom wall 11 of the fixed rail 10, thereby fixing the rod 31 and the fixed rail 10. The rod 31 according to this embodiment may be a cylindrical body with substantially no irregularities on its surface.

[0025] The coiled locking member 32 may be formed by processing, for example, a single rod-shaped member thinner than the rod 31, for example, a rod made of a metal such as stainless steel. A specific method for forming the coiled locking member 32 may be, for example, a well-known method for forming a coil spring, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the coiled locking member 32 includes a first coil spring portion 41 wound in one direction (for example, clockwise), a second coil spring portion 42 wound in the other direction opposite to the winding direction of the first coil spring portion 41 (for example, counterclockwise), and a connecting portion 43 connecting one end of the first coil spring portion 41 to one end of the second coil spring portion 42 opposite to the one end of the first coil spring portion 41.

[0026] The first coil spring portion 41 can be configured, for example, by a right-handed coil spring whose inner diameter is adjusted to be slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the rod 31. One end of the first coil spring portion 41 is integrally connected to the connecting portion 43, and the other end of the first coil spring portion 41 is formed with a fixed end portion 44 for fixing to the movable rail 20 via a holder 60 or the like, which will be described later.

[0027] The second coil spring portion 42 can be configured with a coil spring having the same shape as the first coil spring portion 41, except for the winding direction. One end of the second coil spring portion 42 is integrally connected to the connecting portion 43, and the other end of the second coil spring portion 42 is formed with a fixed end portion 45 for fixing to the movable rail 20 via a holder 60 or the like (described later). The central axes of the first coil spring portion 41 and the second coil spring portion 42 are substantially aligned.

[0028] The connecting portion 43 connects the first coil spring portion 41 and the second coil spring portion 42 and can be formed of a member extending linearly in a direction along the central axes of the first coil spring portion 41 and the second coil spring portion 42. The first coil spring portion 41 and the second coil spring portion 42 connected by the connecting portion 43 have opposite winding directions. As a result, the connecting portion 43 and one end of the first coil spring portion 41 and one end of the second coil spring portion 42 connected to the connecting portion 43 form a substantially U-shape in plan view. The length of the connecting portion 43 is not particularly limited.

[0029] As described above, the locking mechanism 30 according to this embodiment is configured such that the inner diameters of the first and second coil spring portions 41, 42 of the coiled locking member 32 wound around the rod 31 are adjusted to be slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the rod 31, thereby enabling the locking of the sliding movement by the frictional force generated by contact between the outer surface of the rod 31 and the inner surface of the coiled locking member 32. The locking mechanism 30 according to this embodiment may further include an operating unit 50 to expand or contract the inner diameters of the first and second coil spring portions 41, 42 of the coiled locking member 32.

[0030] The operating unit 50 is a member capable of controlling the frictional force generated by contact between the outer surface of the rod 31 and the inner surface of the coiled locking member 32. Specifically, the operating unit 50 may be attached to the connecting portion 43 of the coiled locking member 32, and the inner diameters of the first and second coil spring portions 41, 42 may be expanded or contracted by rotating the connecting portion 43 about the rod 31. Note that, although the present embodiment illustrates a case in which the operating unit 50 is attached to the connecting portion 43, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Specifically, the operating unit 50 may be attached to the fixed ends 44, 45 of the first and second coil spring portions 41, 42, and the fixed ends 44, 45 may be rotated about the rod 31. Note that in this case, the connecting portion 43 may be attached to the movable rail 20.

[0031] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 to 4, the operating unit 50 can include an operating arm 51 attached to the connecting unit 43, and an operating cable 54 connected to the operating arm 51 and rotating the operating arm 51 together with the connecting unit 43.

[0032] The operating arm 51 may be composed of a pair of brackets 52, 53 that surround at least the connecting portion 43 and the rod 31 adjacent to the connecting portion 43 and have an engaging recess 55, an example of an engaging portion, formed on their inner surfaces to engage with the connecting portion 43. Of the pair of brackets, the first bracket 52 may include a first locking member cover portion 52A that surrounds approximately half of the outer periphery of the coil-shaped locking member 32 and a first L-shaped arm portion 52B that extends from one end of the first locking member cover portion 52A and has a tip that is bent into an approximately L-shape. The inner surface of the first locking member cover portion 52A of the first bracket 52 is formed with an engaging recess 55 that can partially accommodate the connecting portion 43. Note that the engaging portion formed on the operating arm 51 is not limited to the engaging recess 55 described above. For example, a slit-like shape into which the connecting portion 43 fits may also be used as the engaging portion.

[0033] The second bracket 53 of the pair of brackets described above may include a second locking member cover portion 53A that surrounds the half of the outer periphery of the coil-shaped locking member 32 that is not surrounded by the first locking member cover portion 52A, and a second L-shaped arm portion 53B that extends from one end of the second locking member cover portion 53A and has a tip that is bent into a generally L-shape similar to the first L-shaped arm portion 52B. The first bracket 52 and the second bracket 53 may be fixed to each other so that the first L-shaped arm portion 52B and the second L-shaped arm portion 53B overlap. Furthermore, the first and second L-shaped arm portions 52B and 53B may be provided with a cable insertion slit 56 into which a portion of the operation cable 54 is inserted and secured.

[0034] The operation cable 54 may be a long cable having one end attached to the mounting plate 26 and the other end connected to a slide lever 2 disposed on the side of the seat or the like and operable by a seat user or the like. A wire 54W that advances and retreats along its length in response to operation of the slide lever 2 may be inserted into this operation cable 54, and a substantially cylindrical hook end 54A that is inserted into the cable insertion slit 56 and hooked onto the operation arm 51 may be provided at the end of the wire 54W on the movable rail 20 side.

[0035] In addition to the above-described configuration, the slide device 1 according to this embodiment may further include a holder 60 and a mounting bracket 61 for attaching the coiled locking member 32 to the movable rail 20. The holder 60 may be a member that is roughly U-shaped in plan view and that can hold the coiled locking member 32 housed therein. A through-hole 60H into which the rod 31 can be inserted may be provided in the side wall portion of the holder 60, and restricting protrusions 62 for restricting rotation of the fixed ends 44, 45 of the first coil spring portion 41 and the second coil spring portion 42 may be formed on the side wall portion around this through-hole 60H.

[0036] The restricting protrusion 62 is intended to restrict the fixed ends 44, 45 from rotating together when the coiled locking member 32 is rotated by operating the operating arm 51 engaged with the connecting portion 43. Note that the restricting protrusion 62 does not fix the fixed ends 44, 45 to the holder 60. Since the fixed ends 44, 45 are not fixed to the holder 60, the inner diameters of the first and second coil spring portions 41, 42 adjacent to the fixed ends 44, 45 can be smoothly expanded when the coiled locking member 32 is set to the unlocked state.

[0037] The mounting bracket 61 may be a member for attaching the holder 60 and the coiled locking member 32 housed in the holder 60 to the movable rail 20. The mounting bracket 61 may have a shape that extends along the outer circumferential surface of the holder 60, and may include a through-hole 61H that communicates with the through-hole 60H of the holder 60. The coiled locking member 32 is attached to the movable rail 20 by fixing the mounting bracket 61 to the movable rail 20 using well-known fixing means, for example, a bolt.

[0038] A method for sliding a seat or locking the sliding movement using the slide device 1 having the above-described series of configurations will be briefly described below in comparison with the prior art.

[0039] 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing the relationship between a rod-shaped member and a coil spring in a conventional sliding device in a locked and unlocked state of sliding operation, with FIG. 5A showing the locked state and FIG. 5B showing the unlocked state. The coil spring 132 (corresponding to the coil-shaped locking member 32 in this embodiment) shown in FIG. 5 has a relatively large number of turns (eight) to improve the holding force in the locked state. In the conventional sliding device described above, when the sliding operation is locked, as shown in FIG. 5A, substantially the entire inner surface of the coil spring 132 contacts the outer surface of the rod-shaped member 131 (corresponding to the rod 31 in this embodiment). Since the contact area is relatively large, the frictional force generated at the contact point allows the device to exert a high holding force.

[0040] Here, when unlocking the sliding movement of the sliding device shown in Fig. 5(A), the inner diameter of the coil spring 132 is expanded by rotating both ends of the coil spring 132. However, due to its structure, the expansion of the coil spring 132 by this rotation cannot be uniform, and as shown in Fig. 5(B), the expansion tends to be drum-shaped when viewed from the front. Therefore, when attempting to unlock the sliding movement of a conventional sliding device, if the number of turns of the coil spring 132 is relatively large as shown in Fig. 5, the expansion of the diameter of the central portion of the coil spring 132 in the axial direction (the portion indicated by arrow P in Fig. 5(B)) may be insufficient, making it impossible to unlock the device.

[0041] In contrast to this, the sliding device 1 according to this embodiment uses a coil-shaped locking member 32 having two separate coil spring portions 41, 42, thereby attempting to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems.

[0042] 6A and 6B are schematic diagrams illustrating the relationship between the rod and the coil-shaped locking member in a sliding device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure in a locked and unlocked state of sliding operation, with FIG. 6A illustrating the locked state and FIG. 6B illustrating the unlocked state. In the sliding device 1 according to this embodiment, when the sliding operation is locked, as shown in FIG. 6A, substantially the entire inner surface of the first and second coil spring portions 41 and 42 contacts the outer surface of the rod 31, ensuring a relatively large contact area. This allows for a high holding force due to the frictional force generated at the contact points. As can be seen from FIG. 6, the first and second coil spring portions 41 and 42 of the sliding device 1 according to this embodiment each have four turns. Therefore, the total number of turns of each coil spring portion is the same as that of the coil spring 132 shown in FIG. 5A, and therefore, it can be said that the holding force is approximately the same as that of the coil spring 132.

[0043] 7A and 7B are schematic cross-sectional views showing locked and unlocked states of the sliding operation of the sliding device shown in FIG. 1 , with FIG. 7A showing the locked state and FIG. 7B showing the state after the unlocking operation has been performed. In the sliding device 1 according to this embodiment, to unlock the sliding operation from the locked state shown in FIG. 7A, the user simply operates the slide lever 2. When the user operates the slide lever 2, the operation moves the wire 54W in the operation cable 54 in the direction of arrow A, as shown in FIG. 7B. As the wire 54W moves, the operating arm 51, to which the hook end 54A at the tip of the wire 54W is hooked, rotates about the rod 31. When the operating arm 51 rotates, the connecting portion 43, which is engaged with the engaging recess 55 formed in the first bracket 52 constituting a part of the operating arm 51, rotates together with the operating arm 51.

[0044] As described above, the connecting portion 43 of the coil-shaped locking member 32 connects the ends of the first coil spring portion 41 and the second coil spring portion 42, which have opposite winding directions. Therefore, when the connecting portion 43 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the operating arm 51, the ends of the first and second coil spring portions 41, 42 connected to the connecting portion 43 rotate so as to be pushed in along their winding directions. As a result, when the connecting portion 43 is rotated, the first coil spring portion 41 and the second coil spring portion 42 start to expand in diameter independently of each other.

[0045] FIG. 6(B) shows the state in which the inner diameters of the first coil spring portion 41 and the second coil spring portion 42 are expanded due to the rotation of the connecting portion 43. As can be seen from FIG. 6(B), the first coil spring portion 41 and the second coil spring portion 42 expand in diameter to form a drum-like shape when viewed from the front, similar to the conventional coil spring 132 described above. However, as described above, the first coil spring portion 41 and the second coil spring portion 42 expand in diameter independently of each other, so each expands in diameter to form a drum-like shape. Here, the first coil spring portion 41 and the second coil spring portion 42, when viewed individually, have half the number of turns of the conventional coil spring 132 described above. Therefore, the portions located at the center of the axial direction of the first coil spring portion 41 and the second coil spring portion 42 (hereinafter referred to as the "center portions" of the coil spring portions) can both be sufficiently expanded in diameter, unlike the center portion P of the conventional coil spring 132. This ensures a radial gap of a predetermined distance D1 between the center of each coil spring portion and the rod 31, significantly reducing or eliminating the frictional force between the rod 31 and the coil-shaped locking member 32, ensuring reliable release of the lock.

[0046] Once the sliding lock is released, the user can slide the seat to the desired position. After moving the seat to the desired position, the sliding lock can be re-enabled by returning the slide lever 2 to its pre-operation position. When the slide lever 2 is returned, the operating arm 51 returns to its pre-rotation position (i.e., the position shown in FIG. 7(A)) due to the biasing force of the coil-shaped locking member 32. At this time, the connecting portion 43 also returns to its pre-rotation position, reducing the inner diameters of the first and second coil spring portions 41, 42 and restoring them to the state shown in FIG. 6(A) where substantially the entire periphery of the inner surfaces of the first and second coil spring portions 41, 42 are in contact with the outer surface of the rod 31, thereby maintaining the locked state with a high holding force.

[0047] In the above-described embodiment, the number of turns of the first coil spring portion 41 and the second coil spring portion 42 are both set to four, but the number of turns of each can be changed independently, taking into consideration the frictional force required for locking, etc. The rotation angle of the operating arm 51 can also be changed as appropriate within a range in which the lock on the sliding operation can be released.

[0048] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a sliding device 1 that can smoothly unlock the sliding operation while ensuring a contact area between the rod 31 and the coiled locking member 32 that is necessary to obtain the necessary holding force. Furthermore, because the diameter of the coiled locking member 32 can be expanded simply by rotating the connecting portion 43 via the operating arm 51, it is possible to provide a sliding device 1 with an easy-to-operate locking mechanism.

[0049] <Modification> In the sliding device 1 according to the embodiment described above, a cylindrical member having substantially no irregularities on its surface is used as the rod 31, but the surface shape of the rod is not limited to this. Therefore, below, a sliding device according to a modification of this embodiment will be briefly described, in which a rod 31A having a modified surface shape is used. Note that the sliding device according to this modification may have the same configuration as the sliding device 1 according to the embodiment described above, except for the surface shape of the rod. Therefore, below, only the configuration that differs from the sliding device 1 according to the embodiment described above will be described, and the same structures as the sliding device 1 according to the embodiment described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described again.

[0050] 8A and 8B are schematic diagrams illustrating the relationship between a rod and a coil-shaped locking member in a locked state and an unlocked state of a sliding operation of a sliding device according to a modified embodiment of the present disclosure, where FIG. 8A illustrates the locked state and FIG. 8B illustrates the unlocked state. As shown in FIG. 8 , the rod 31A of the sliding device according to this modified embodiment may have an interlocking groove 34 formed on its surface, with which a portion of the first coil spring portion 41 and the second coil spring portion 42, particularly a portion of the inner surface, interlocks. The interlocking groove 34 may be configured as a semicircular groove in cross section to match the shape of the inner surface of the first coil spring portion 41 and the second coil spring portion 42. Furthermore, the interlocking groove 34 may be a spiral groove, similar to the first coil spring portion 41 and the second coil spring portion 42.

[0051] In the sliding device including the rod 31A including the above-described spiral interlocking groove 34, when the sliding operation is locked, as shown in Fig. 8(A), the surface area of ​​the rod 31A is increased by the formation of the interlocking groove 34, so that the contact area between the inner surfaces of the first and second coil spring portions 41, 42 and the outer surface of the rod 31A can be ensured to be even larger than that shown in Fig. 6. In addition, because a portion of the inner surfaces of the first coil spring portion 41 and the second coil spring portion 42 interlocks with the interlocking groove 34, the holding force against an external force in the front-rear direction can be further improved. Therefore, even if a large external force acts on the sliding device, such as during a vehicle collision, the locked state can be almost never inadvertently released.

[0052] When the rod 31A according to the above-described modified example is employed, the presence of the meshing groove 34 increases the amount of radial expansion of the first and second coil spring portions 41, 42 that is required to unlock the sliding movement. This is because, in order to form a predetermined radial gap between the rod 31A and the first and second coil spring portions 41, 42, the first coil spring portion 41 and the second coil spring portion 42 must be radially expanded by a predetermined distance D2 to release the meshing between the inner surfaces of the first coil spring portion 41 and the second coil spring portion 42 and the meshing groove 34, and then the first coil spring portion 41 and the second coil spring portion 42 must be further radially expanded by a predetermined distance D3.

[0053] However, in the sliding device of the present disclosure, as described above, the portion that contacts the rod 31A is divided into two, the first coil spring portion 41 and the second coil spring portion 42, and a structure is adopted in which each is expanded in diameter, so that the number of turns of the first coil spring portion 41 and the second coil spring portion 42 can be kept small, making it easy to ensure a large radial movement distance when expanded in diameter. Therefore, with the sliding device of the present disclosure, even if the interlocking groove 34 is formed on the surface of the rod 31A, the operation of unlocking the sliding operation can be performed smoothly.

[0054] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, all of which are included in the technical concept of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 1 Slide device 2 Slide lever 10 Fixed rail 20 Movable rail 30 Locking mechanism 31, 31A Rod 32 Coil locking member 34 Engagement groove 41 First coil spring part 42 Second coil spring part 43 Connecting part 44 Fixed end of first coil spring portion 45 Fixed end of second coil spring part 50 Control section 51 Operating arm 54 Control cable 55 Engagement recess (an example of an engagement portion) 60 Holder 61 Mounting bracket

Claims

1. Fixed rails and a movable rail slidably connected to the fixed rail; a locking mechanism for restricting sliding movement of the movable rail, the locking mechanism including: a long rod attached to the fixed rail; a coiled locking member attached to the movable rail and wound around the rod to generate a frictional force between the rod and the coiled locking member; and an operating unit for operating the coiled locking member to control the frictional force generated between the rod and the coiled locking member, The coil-shaped locking member is formed by processing a single rod-shaped member, a first coil spring portion wound in one direction; a second coil spring portion wound in a direction opposite to the one direction; a connecting portion that connects one end of the first coil spring portion and one end of the second coil spring portion that faces the one end of the first coil spring portion, the operating portion is attached to the connecting portion and displaces the first coil spring portion and the second coil spring portion so that the inner diameters of the first coil spring portion and the second coil spring portion are increased or decreased; a holder that restricts rotation of the other end of the first coil spring portion and the other end of the second coil spring portion; The operating unit includes an operating arm having one end including a pair of brackets surrounding the connecting portion and a portion of the rod adjacent to the connecting portion and having an engaging portion formed thereon to engage with the connecting portion, and an operating cable connected to the other end of the operating arm to rotate the operating arm together with the connecting portion. Slide device.

2. an engaging groove is formed on a surface of the rod, with which a portion of the first coil spring portion and a portion of the second coil spring portion engage; The sliding device according to claim 1 .

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