Seat sliding device

Abstract

To provide a seat slide device which can move a seat smoothly while absorbing variation of a rail member.SOLUTION: A rear side lower rail 30R is provided with first sliders 38aR, 38bR which are mounted to an edge side part of a pair of rail top walls 34, respectively and restrict longitudinal movement of the rear side upper rail 50R by coming into connect to the rear side upper rail 50R. A front side lower rail 30F is provided with a clearance part which allows the longitudinal movement of the front side upper rail 50F between the edge side part of one rail top wall 34F and the front side upper rail 50F.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a seat slide device including a lower rail and an upper rail that moves along the lower rail. In recent years, a seat slide device that moves a vehicle seat in the left - right direction by arranging a lower rail and an upper rail extending in the left - right direction at a distance from each other in the front - rear direction is known.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, due to variations in the dimensions and parallelism of the front and rear lower rails and upper rails, the sliding position of the lower rail with respect to the upper rail may shift on one or both of the front side and the rear side. Although variations can be absorbed by the shift of the sliding position, if the rails interfere with each other and the sliding performance deteriorates, the seat may not be able to move smoothly.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its object is to provide a seat slide device that can smoothly move the seat while absorbing variations in the rail members.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The seat slide device of the first aspect of this embodiment includes a seat on which an occupant sits, and a lateral slide mechanism for sliding the seat in the left-right direction. The lateral slide mechanism includes front and rear lower rails, which are spaced apart in the front-rear direction and have rail grooves extending in the left-right direction, and front and rear upper rails, which are spaced apart in the front-rear direction corresponding to the front and rear lower rails and whose movement in the left-right direction is guided by the front and rear lower rails. Each of the front and rear lower rails includes a pair of rail top walls that extend in the front-rear direction and face each other across the rail groove. The rear lower rail is equipped with a first slider attached to the edges of the pair of rail top walls, which contacts the rear upper rail and restricts the front-rear movement of the rear upper rail. The front lower rail is equipped with a gap between the edges of the pair of rail top walls and the front upper rail that allows the front upper rail to move back and forth. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the sheet can be moved smoothly while absorbing variations in the flail members. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a vehicle seat to which a seat sliding device is applied. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the lateral sliding mechanism and the cushion side member. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a side view showing the front and rear lateral sliding mechanism. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a magnified side view showing the main part of the rear lateral sliding mechanism. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a magnified side view showing the waist portion of the front lateral sliding mechanism. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following description of a vehicle seat slide device according to an embodiment will be given with reference to the drawings. In this specification, the left-right direction, the front-rear direction, and the up-down direction in the seat slide device are defined based on the left-right direction, the front-rear direction, and the up-down direction in the vehicle. The left-right direction and the front-rear direction correspond to two orthogonal directions in the horizontal plane, and the up-down direction corresponds to the vertical direction.

[0010] In Figure 1, the seat slide device 1 is a device for moving a vehicle seat on the vehicle floor. This seat slide device 1 is applied to the second row of seats 100 in a vehicle (an example of a car) arranged in the front-to-rear direction, for example, in a three-row configuration.

[0011] Seat 100 is a single-seat seat. Although only one seat 100 is shown in Figure 1, the vehicle has a pair of seats 100 arranged at a predetermined distance apart in the left-right direction. A seat sliding device 1 is provided for each seat 100.

[0012] The seat 100 includes a seat cushion 110, a seat back 120, and a headrest 130. The seat cushion 110 supports the seated occupant from the buttocks downward, and the seat back 120 supports the seated occupant's waist and back. The headrest 130 is attached to the top of the seat back 120 and supports the seated occupant's head.

[0013] The seat sliding device 1 includes a vertical sliding mechanism 2 for moving the seat 100 in the front-to-back direction.

[0014] The vertical sliding mechanism 2 includes left and right lower rails 20Lt and 20Rt, and left and right upper rails (not shown) provided corresponding to the left and right lower rails 20Lt and 20Rt.

[0015] The left and right lower rails 20Lt and 20Rt are attached to the vehicle floor surface in a state of being separated from each other by a predetermined distance in the left-right direction. The left and right lower rails 20Lt and 20Rt extend in the front-rear direction and are arranged in parallel.

[0016] The cross-sectional shape of the lower rails 20Lt and 20Rt has a rectangular frame shape. On the upper surfaces of the lower rails 20Lt and 20Rt, rail grooves 21Lt and 21Rt extending along the front-rear direction are provided. The lower rails 20Lt and 20Rt are formed by extrusion molding using a metal material such as aluminum.

[0017] The upper rail is slidably attached to the lower rails 20Lt and 20Rt. The upper rail moves in the front-rear direction by being guided by the lower rails 20Lt and 20Rt. The upper rail is formed by extrusion molding using a metal material such as aluminum.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the seat slide device 1 includes a lateral slide mechanism 3 for moving the seat 100 in the left-right direction. The lateral slide mechanism 3 is connected to the left and right upper rails in the vertical slide mechanism 2 and can move in the front-rear direction in conjunction with the front-rear movement of the left and right upper rails.

[0019] The lateral slide mechanism 3 has front and rear lower rails 30F and 30R and front and rear upper rails 50F and 50R provided corresponding to the front and rear lower rails 30F and 30R.

[0020] The front and rear lower rails 30F and 30R are arranged at a predetermined distance apart in the front-rear direction. The front and rear lower rails 30F and 30R extend in the left-right direction and are arranged in parallel. Each of the lower rails 30F and 30R is fixed to the left and right upper rails so as to straddle the left and right upper rails in the vertical slide mechanism 2.

[0021] On the upper surfaces of the lower rails 30F and 30R, rail grooves 36F and 36R extending in the left-right direction are provided. The lower rails 30F and 30R are formed by extrusion using a metal material such as aluminum.

[0022] The front and rear upper rails 50F and 50R are slidably attached to the front and rear lower rails 30F and 30R. Specifically, the front upper rail 50F is slidably attached to the front lower rail 30F. The front upper rail 50F is guided by the front lower rail 30F and moves in the left-right direction. The rear upper rail 50R is slidably attached to the rear lower rail 30R. The rear upper rail 50R is guided by the rear lower rail 30R and moves in the left-right direction.

[0023] Inside the seat cushion 110, left and right cushion side members 111Lt and 111Rt spaced apart in the left-right direction are provided. The left and right cushion side members 111Lt and 111Rt are connected to a front frame 112 extending left and right at the front of the seat cushion 110 and extend from the front to the rear. The front and rear upper rails 50F and 50R extend in the left-right direction from the left cushion side member 111Lt to the right cushion side member 111Rt and are connected to the left and right cushion side members 111Lt and 111Rt by fasteners (not shown) such as bolts and nuts.

[0024] In this manner, the upper rails 50F and 50R extend in the left-right direction and are connected to the left and right cushion side members 111Lt and 111Rt, respectively. The left and right cushion side members 111Lt and 111Rt are connected by the upper rails 50F and 50R, thereby providing rigidity to the seat cushion 110 and, consequently, the seat 100. The upper rails 50F and 50R also support the cushion side members 111Lt and 111Rt from below. The front and rear upper rails 50F and 50R are formed by extrusion molding using a metal material such as aluminum.

[0025] The detailed structure of the rear lower rail 30R and rear upper rail 50R will be described below with reference to Figures 3 and 4. The rear lower rail 30R and rear upper rail 50R are positioned below or near the center of gravity of the seat 100 and the occupant seated in the seat 100 (for example, an occupant with a standard build). In other words, the rear lower rail 30R and rear upper rail 50R are positioned to be closer to the center of gravity than the front lower rail 30F and front upper rail 50F.

[0026] As shown in Figure 3, the rear lower rail 30R comprises a lower rail body 31R and a base 40R.

[0027] As shown in Figure 4, the lower rail body 31R forms a space SR for guiding the movement of the rear upper rail 50R. The lower rail body 31R is mainly composed of a rail bottom wall 32R, a pair of rail side walls 33R, and a pair of rail top walls 34R. The rail bottom wall 32R, the pair of rail side walls 33R, and the pair of rail top walls 34R are formed integrally.

[0028] The rail bottom wall 32R is fixed to the upper end 40aR of the base 40R. The rail bottom wall 32R has front and rear inclined surfaces 32aR and 32bR that slope downward toward the center in the front-rear direction.

[0029] The bottom wall 32R of the rail is provided with a roller mechanism 35R for the rear upper rail 50R to move. The roller mechanism 35R consists of a front roller 35aR that is rotatably positioned on the front inclined surface 32aR and a rear roller 35bR that is rotatably positioned on the rear inclined surface 32bR. The front and rear rollers 35aR and 35bR are made of, for example, polyacetal resin.

[0030] The upper ends of the front and rear rollers 35aR and 35bR protrude into the space SR through openings provided in the front and rear inclined surfaces 32aR and 32bR. The upper rail 50R in the space SR is supported by the upper ends of the front and rear rollers 35aR and 35bR. The rotation axes CaR and CbR of the front and rear rollers 35aR and 35bR are arranged along the inclination of the front and rear inclined surfaces 32aR and 32bR. As a result, the front and rear rollers 35aR and 35bR are arranged in an inclined state such that the upper ends of the rollers supporting the lower rail 30R are closer to each other.

[0031] A pair of rail side walls 33R rise vertically upward from the front and rear edges of the rail bottom wall 32R. One rail side wall 33R is located at the front edge of the rail bottom wall 32R, and the other rail side wall 33R is located at the rear edge of the rail bottom wall 32R.

[0032] A pair of rail top walls 34R are provided on the upper edges of a pair of rail side walls 33R and extend in the front-rear direction so as to face each other. A certain gap is provided between the edges 34aR and 34bR of each rail top wall 34R, and this gap forms a rail groove 36R. The width of the rail groove 36R in the front-rear direction is set to be greater than the thickness of the upper rail 50R.

[0033] The base portion 40R supports the lower rail main body portion 31R. The base portion 40F is a plate-shaped member for fixing the lower rail 30R to the vertical sliding mechanism 2.

[0034] As shown in Figure 3, the rear upper rail 50R comprises an upper rail body portion 51R and a member support portion 55R integrally molded at the upper end of the upper rail body portion 51R.

[0035] As shown in Figure 4, the upper rail body 51R is formed as a vertical wall that extends upward through the rail groove 36R of the lower rail 30R. The lower end portion 52R of the upper rail body 51R is housed within the space SR of the lower rail body 31R.

[0036] The lower end portion 52R of the upper rail body 51R has front and rear receiving surfaces 52aR and 52bR formed thereon for the upper ends of the front and rear rollers 35aR and 35bR to contact. The front and rear receiving surfaces 52aR and 52bR are formed in a sloping shape that slopes downward toward the center in the front-rear direction.

[0037] As shown in Figure 3, the member support portion 55R supports the left and right cushion side members 111Lt and 111Rt. The member support portion 55R is composed of a first support surface 55aR located on the front side and a second support surface 55bR located on the rear side. The first support surface 55aR is the part that supports the lower edge E1 at the rear end E of the cushion side members 111Lt and 111Rt, and is formed in a surface shape that follows the lower edge E1. The second support surface 55bR is the part that supports the rear edge E2 at the rear end E of the cushion side members 111Lt and 111Rt, and is formed in a sloping surface shape that rises along the incline of the rear edge E2.

[0038] The first support surface 55aR is fastened to the lower edge E1 of the cushion side members 111Lt and 111Rt. The second support surface 55bR is fastened to the rear edge E2 of the cushion side members 111Lt and 111Rt. The first support surface 55aR is also used as a fixing point to which a seat belt anchor is attached.

[0039] As shown in Figure 2, the upper rail 50R is provided with a locking mechanism 57R that locks the lateral movement of the upper rail 50R. The locking mechanism 57R is fixed to the upper rail 50R via a steel base plate (not shown).

[0040] The locking mechanism 57R comprises a rotatably supported shaft 58R and an engaging claw 59R attached to the shaft 58R. The movement of the upper rail 50R is locked when the engaging claw 59R enters an engaging hole 37R provided in the lower rail 30R. The shaft 58R rotates in response to the operation of a lever that can be operated by the occupant. When the shaft 58R rotates, the engaging claw 59R also rotates, and the engaging claw 59R disengages from the engaging hole 37R in the lower rail 30R. This allows the upper rail 50R to move laterally.

[0041] As shown in Figure 4, first sliders 38aR and 38bR are provided on the edges 34aR and 34bR of the rail top walls 34R facing each other across the rail groove 36R. The first sliders 38aR and 38bR are formed of, for example, polyacetal resin.

[0042] The first sliders 38aR and 38bR are provided so as to cover the edges 34aR and 34bR, and the outer circumferences of the first sliders 38aR and 38bR are in contact with the upper rail body 51R. Each slider 38aR and 38bR is interposed to fill the gap between the upper rail body 51R and the edges 34aR and 34bR, thereby restricting the forward and backward movement of the upper rail 50R.

[0043] Next, with reference to Figures 3 and 5, the detailed structure of the front lower rail 30F and the front upper rail 50F will be described. As shown in Figure 3, the front lower rail 30F comprises a lower rail body 31F and a base 40F.

[0044] As shown in Figure 5, the lower rail body 31F forms a space SF for guiding the movement of the front upper rail 50F. The lower rail body 31F is mainly composed of a rail bottom wall 32F, a pair of rail side walls 33F, and a pair of rail top walls 34F. The rail bottom wall 32R, the pair of rail side walls 33R, and the pair of rail top walls 34R are formed integrally.

[0045] The rail bottom wall 32F is fixed to the upper end portion 40aF of the base portion 40F. The rail bottom wall 32R has a planar shape that follows the horizontal.

[0046] A roller mechanism 35F is provided on the rail bottom wall 32R for the movement of the front upper rail 50F. The roller mechanism 35F consists of rotatably arranged rollers 35aF. The rollers 35aF are made of, for example, polyacetal resin. The upper end of the rollers 35aF protrudes into the space SF through an opening provided in the rail bottom wall 32F. The upper end of the rollers 35aF supports the upper rail 50F in the space SF. The rotation axis CaF of the rollers 35aF is positioned horizontally. As a result, the rollers 35aF are positioned in a vertically upright position.

[0047] A pair of rail side walls 33F rise upward from the front and rear edges of the rail bottom wall 32F. One rail side wall 33F is located at the front edge of the rail bottom wall 32F, and the other rail side wall 33F is located at the rear edge of the rail bottom wall 32F.

[0048] A pair of rail top walls 34F are provided on the upper edges of a pair of rail side walls 33F and extend in the front-rear direction so as to face each other. A certain gap is provided between the edges 34aF and 34bF of each rail top wall 34F, and this gap forms a rail groove 36F. The width of the rail groove 36F in the front-rear direction is set to be greater than the thickness of the upper rail 50F.

[0049] The base portion 40F supports the lower rail main body portion 31F. The base portion 40F is a plate-shaped member for fixing the lower rail 30F to the vertical sliding mechanism 2.

[0050] As shown in Figure 3, the front upper rail 50F comprises an upper rail body 51F and a member support portion 55F integrally molded at the upper end of the upper rail body 51F.

[0051] As shown in Figure 5, the upper rail body 51F is formed as a vertical wall that extends upward through the rail groove 36F of the lower rail 30F. The lower end portion 52F of the upper rail body 51F is housed within the space SR of the lower rail body 31R.

[0052] The lower end portion 52F of the upper rail body 51F has a receiving surface 52aF that contacts the roller 35aF. The receiving surface 52aF is formed in a planar shape that follows the horizontal.

[0053] As shown in Figure 3, the member support portion 55F supports the left and right cushion side members 111Lt and 111Rt. The member support portion 55F is composed of a first support surface 55aF located on the rear side and a second support surface 55bF located on the front side. The first support surface 55aF is the part that supports the lower edge B1 of the front end B of the cushion side members 111Lt and 111Rt, and is formed in a surface shape that follows the lower edge B1. The second support surface 55bF is the part that supports the leading edge B2 of the front end B of the cushion side members 111Lt and 111Rt, and is formed in a sloped surface shape that rises along the incline of the leading edge B2.

[0054] The first support surface 55aF is fastened to the lower edge B1 of the cushion side members 111Lt and 111Rt. The second support surface 55bF is fastened to the front edge B2 of the cushion side members 111Lt and 111Rt.

[0055] The upper rail 50F is provided with a locking mechanism 57R that locks the lateral movement of the upper rail 50F. The locking mechanism 57R is fixed to the upper rail 50F via a steel base plate (not shown). The locking mechanism 57F has the same configuration as the locking mechanism 57R and comprises a rotatably supported shaft 58F and an engaging claw 59F attached to the shaft 58F.

[0056] As shown in Figure 5, second sliders 38aF and 38bF are provided on the edges 34aF and 34bF of the rail top walls 34F facing each other across the rail groove 36F. The second sliders 38aF and 38bF are formed of, for example, polyacetal resin.

[0057] The second sliders 38aF and 38bF are provided so as to cover the edges 34aF and 34bF. The outer periphery of the second sliders 38aF and 38bF is separated from the upper rail body 51F. That is, a certain gap Gp is ​​provided between the second sliders 38aF and 38bF, which are provided on the edges 34aF and 34bF, and the upper rail body 51F.

[0058] In this configuration of the lateral sliding mechanism 3, the front and rear upper rails 50F and 50R move while being guided by the front and rear lower rails 30F and 30R, thereby allowing the seat 100 to slide along the left-right direction.

[0059] In the seat slide device 1 of this embodiment, the rear lower rail 30R is equipped with first sliders 38aR and 38bR that are attached to the edges 34aR and 34bR of a pair of rail top walls 34R, respectively, and contact the rear upper rail 50R to restrict the rear upper rail 50R's forward and backward movement. The front lower rail 30F is equipped with a gap Gp between the edges 34aF and 34bF of one rail top wall 34F and the front upper rail 50F, which allows the front upper rail 50F to move forward and backward.

[0060] In this configuration, the first sliders 38aR and 38bR restrict the forward and backward movement of the rear upper rail 50R. This prevents the rear upper rail 50R from shifting position relative to the rear lower rail 30R, even if there are variations in the dimensions and parallelism of the rail members. Since the sliding position of the rear upper rail 50R is maintained in the correct position, interference between the rear upper rail 50R and the lower rail 30R can be prevented. On the other hand, the gap Gp provided in the front lower rail 30F allows the front upper rail 50F to move forward and backward. This absorbs the forward and backward displacement of the front upper rail 50F caused by variations. In this case, even if the sliding position of the front upper rail 50F shifts, the presence of the gap Gp prevents interference between the front upper rail 50F and the lower rail 30F. As a result, the front and rear upper rails 50F and 50R can move smoothly in the lateral direction, allowing the seat 100 to move smoothly.

[0061] In this embodiment, the rear roller mechanism 35R is equipped with a pair of rollers 35aR and 35bR that are positioned front to back with the rear upper rail 50R in between, and are inclined so that their upper ends are close together.

[0062] With this configuration, the pair of rollers 35aR and 35bR are inclined to be closer together, allowing the rear upper rail 50R to be positioned in the center of the pair of rollers 35aR and 35bR. This suppresses the forward and backward movement of the rear upper rail 50R.

[0063] In this embodiment, the front roller mechanism 35F is located below the front upper rail 50F and includes a roller 35aF positioned such that the rotation axis CaF is horizontal.

[0064] This configuration allows for forward and backward movement of the front upper rail 50F. This makes it possible to absorb forward and backward positional displacement of the front upper rail 50F caused by variations.

[0065] The rear lower rail 30R and upper rail 50R are positioned below the seat 100 and the center of gravity of the occupant seated in the seat 100.

[0066] In this configuration, the rear lower rail 30R and upper rail 50R, which are closer to the center of gravity, have their forward and backward movement restricted. This allows for restriction of displacement on the upper rail 50R, which receives a larger load. As a result, the front and rear upper rails 50F and 50R can move smoothly in the left and right directions, allowing the seat 100 to move smoothly.

[0067] In the embodiments described above, the seat sliding device was explained with reference to the second-row seats. However, the seat sliding device may be applied to seats other than the second-row seats. Furthermore, it is not limited to single-seat seats, but may also be applied to multi-seat seats. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0068] 1. Seat slide device 2. Vertical sliding mechanism 20Lt, 20Rt Lower Rail 21Lt, 21Rt rail groove 3. Lateral sliding mechanism 30F, 30R Lower Rail 31F, 31R Lower rail main body 35F, 35R roller mechanism 35aF, 35aR, 35bR rollers 38aF, 38bF Second slider 38aR, 38bR First Slider 40F, 40R base 50F, 50R Upper Rail 51F, 51R Upper rail main body 57F, 57R Locking mechanism 58F, 58R axis 59F, 59R engaging claw 100 sheets 110 Seat Cushion 111Lt, 111Rt Cushion Side Member 112 Front Frame 120 Seatback 130 Headrest Gp gap

Claims

1. The seats where the occupants sit, The aforementioned seat has a lateral sliding mechanism that slides it in the left-right direction, The aforementioned lateral sliding mechanism is The front and rear lower rails are spaced apart in the front-to-back direction and have rail grooves that extend in the left-to-right direction, It has front and rear upper rails that are spaced apart in the front-rear direction corresponding to the front and rear lower rails, and whose movement in the left-right direction is guided by the front and rear lower rails, Each of the aforementioned front and rear lower rails is, It includes a pair of rail top walls that extend in the front-rear direction so as to face each other across the rail groove, The aforementioned rear lower rail is, Each of the pair of rail top walls is equipped with a first slider that is attached to the edge of the rail and contacts the rear upper rail to restrict the rearward movement of the rear upper rail. The aforementioned front lower rail is, A gap is provided between the edges of the top walls of the pair of rails and the front upper rail, allowing the front upper rail to move back and forth. Seat sliding device.

2. The aforementioned rear lower rail is, The rear upper rail is supported from below by a rear roller mechanism that rotates in conjunction with the lateral movement of the rear upper rail. The aforementioned rear roller mechanism is It comprises a pair of rollers positioned front to back, separated by the aforementioned rear upper rail, and arranged at an angle so that the upper ends of the rollers are close together. The sheet sliding device according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned front lower rail is, The front upper rail is supported from below by a front roller mechanism that rotates in conjunction with the lateral movement of the front upper rail. The aforementioned front roller mechanism is It includes a roller positioned below the aforementioned front upper rail, with its rotation axis positioned horizontally. The seat slide device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The aforementioned rear lower rail and rear upper rail are It is positioned below the center of gravity of the seat and the occupant seated in the seat. The seat slide device according to claim 1 or 2.

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