Seat sliding device

Abstract

To provide a seat slide device which suppresses collision noise generated by collision of a lock member while securing lock strength by the lock member.SOLUTION: A seat slide device 1 includes a lower rail 2, an upper rail 3, a lock member 4, a lever 5, and a damper 6. The lock member 4 includes a lock piece 41 which is movable between a lock position and a lock release position. The damper 6 includes a first damper part 61, and a second damper part 62. The first damper part 61 is brought into contact with the lock piece 41 in front of the lock position, and lowers moving speed of the lock piece 41, but does not stop the lock piece 41 before reaching the lock position. The second damper part 62 has a larger spring constant than that of the first damper part 61, and the lock piece 41 is brought into contact therewith through the first damper part 61, which lowers the moving speed of the lock piece 41.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] A seat slide device for adjusting the front - rear position of a vehicle seat is known. Such a seat slide device is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1.

[0003] When adjusting the front - rear position of the seat, first, the occupant lifts the operation part of the lever and moves the lock member to the unlock position. When the lock member moves to the unlock position, the lower rail and the upper rail become slidable in the front - rear direction, and the adjustment of the front - rear position of the seat becomes possible.

[0004] After adjusting the front - rear position of the seat, when the occupant releases the lever, the lock member returns to the lock position and locks the lower rail and the upper rail again. If the moving speed of the lock member when returning to the lock position is high, the lock member may collide with the lower rail and / or the upper rail, and a collision sound may occur. When the collision sound is loud, the occupant may feel discomfort.

[0005] Some conventional seat slide devices further include a damper for reducing the moving speed of the lock member. Here, referring to FIGS. 9A to 9C, the conventional damper D will be briefly described. The conventional damper D is composed of one elastically deformable plate - shaped member and is attached to the upper rail. The damper D is in contact with the lock member L and biases the lock member L downward. When the lock member L returns from the unlock position (FIG. 9B) to the lock position (FIG. 9C), the lock member L moves against the biasing force of the damper D. Therefore, the moving speed of the lock member L can be reduced by the damper D.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-037307 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Conventional dampers are composed of a single component, and therefore have a constant spring constant. If the damper's spring constant is large, it can significantly reduce the movement speed of the locking member, but there is a risk that the locking member will not return completely to the locked position. If the locking member does not return completely to the locked position, the necessary locking strength cannot be ensured. Conversely, if the spring constant is small, the movement speed of the locking member cannot be sufficiently reduced, and there is a risk that the collision noise cannot be adequately suppressed.

[0008] Thus, conventional dampers sometimes struggled to achieve both sufficient locking strength through the locking member and adequate suppression of collision noise.

[0009] The present invention aims to provide a seat sliding device that ensures locking strength with a locking member while suppressing collision noise caused by the collision of the locking member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present invention provides inventions in the following embodiments. (Item 1) A seat sliding device for adjusting the front-to-back position of a vehicle seat, A lower rail that can be fixed to the vehicle body, An upper rail that can be fixed to the aforementioned seat, The lower rail and the upper rail have a locking portion that releasably locks them, and the locking portion has a locking member that is movable between a locked position in which the lower rail and the upper rail are locked so that they cannot move relative to each other, and an unlocked position in which the lower rail and the upper rail can move relative to each other. A lever for switching between the locked position and the unlocked position of the locking part, A damper that reduces the movement speed of the locking part when the locking part moves from the unlocked position to the locked position, Equipped with, The aforementioned damper, A first damper unit that contacts the locking unit before the locking position to reduce the movement speed of the locking unit, and prevents the locking unit from stopping before it reaches the locking position, A second damper section has a larger spring constant than the first damper section, and the locking section contacts the first damper section via it, thereby reducing the movement speed of the locking section. Equipped with 、 The first damper section and the second damper section are integrally molded products made of polymer material. The first damper section is plate-shaped, and the second damper section is a triangular cantilevered beam structure with a hollow interior. Seat sliding device.

[0011] (Item 2) One end of the first damper portion is fixed, and the other end of the first damper portion is movable in the vertical direction of the vehicle. The seat sliding device described in item 1.

[0012] (Item 3) The first damper portion is made of a material that is more flexible than the locking portion. A seat slide device as described in item 1 or 2.

[0013] (Item 4) The first damper section and / or the second damper section are made of polymer material. A seat slide device as described in any one of items 1 to 3. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] The damper of the seat slide device of the present invention includes a first damper portion and a second damper portion. When the lock portion returns from the unlocked position to the locked position, first, the moving speed of the lock portion is decreased by the first damper portion, and then, the moving speed of the lock portion is further decreased by the second damper portion to return the lock portion to the locked position. Thereby, while suppressing the collision sound of the lock member, the locking strength by the lock member can be ensured.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015] [Figure 1] It is a schematic side view of a seat and a seat slide device. [Figure 2] It is an exploded perspective view of the seat slide device. [Figure 3] It is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] It is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the assembled seat slide device. [Figure 5A] It is a perspective view of the lock member. [Figure 5B] It is a side view of the lock member. [Figure 6A] It is a cross-sectional view of the seat slide device when the lock piece (an example of the lock portion) is in the locked position (that is, when the lever is not operated). [Figure 6B] It is a cross-sectional view of the seat slide device when the lock piece is in the unlocked position (that is, when the lever is unlocked). [Figure 7A] It is a partial cross-sectional view of the seat slide device when the lock piece returns from the unlocked position to the locked position. [Figure 7B] It is a partial cross-sectional view of the seat slide device in a state where the lock piece has returned to the locked position. [Figure 8] It is a perspective view showing a modified example of the lock member. [Figure 9A] It is a perspective view showing a conventional damper. [Figure 9B] It is a cross-sectional view showing the operating mechanism of the conventional damper. [Figure 9C] It is a cross-sectional view showing the operating mechanism of the conventional damper. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] The seat slide device 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, "vehicle vertical direction," "vehicle longitudinal direction," and "vehicle left-right direction (vehicle width direction)" will be simply referred to as "vertical direction," "longitudinal direction," and "left-right direction," respectively.

[0017] The seat slide device 1 is a device for adjusting the fore-aft position of the vehicle's seat S. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the seat slide device 1 mainly comprises a lower rail 2, an upper rail 3, a locking member 4, a lever 5, and a damper 6. The lower rail 2, upper rail 3, locking member 4, and damper 6 are provided in pairs (i.e., on the inner and outer sides) for a single seat S. Figures 1 and 2 show only one of each component in the left-right pair.

[0018] The lower rail 2 is fixed to the vehicle floor via bracket B. The upper rail 3 is fixed to the seat S and is also assembled to the lower rail 2. When the occupant is not operating lever 5, the upper rail 3 is locked to the lower rail 2 by locking member 4, preventing it from moving in the forward and backward directions relative to the lower rail 2. When the occupant lifts lever 5, the lock by locking member 4 is released, and the upper rail 3 becomes movable in the forward and backward directions relative to the lower rail 2. In this way, the occupant can adjust the forward and backward position of the seat S.

[0019] The following provides a detailed explanation of each component.

[0020] <1-1 Lower rail and upper rail> The lower rail 2 will be explained primarily with reference to Figure 2.

[0021] The lower rail 2 consists of a long member extending in the front-rear direction. The lower rail 2 comprises a bottom wall 21, side walls 22, an upper wall 23, and a flange portion 24. The side walls 22, upper wall 23, and flange portion 24 are each provided in pairs. The lower rail 2 is made of metal, for example, and is integrally formed by press working.

[0022] The bottom wall 21 is a roughly flat plate extending in the front-rear direction. The side walls 22 extend upward from both the left and right ends of the bottom wall 21, forming a nearly right angle with the bottom wall 21. The top wall 23 extends from the upper end of the side wall 22 toward the opposite side wall 22. The flange portion 24 extends downward from the end of the top wall 23, roughly parallel to the side wall 22.

[0023] Each flange portion 24 has multiple notches 24a formed at intervals in the front-rear direction. By providing multiple notches 24a, multiple locking teeth 24b are formed at the lower end of each flange portion 24. When the lower rail 2 and the upper rail 3 are locked by the locking member 4, the locking teeth 24b are positioned within the through hole 41a (see Figure 5A) of the locking member 4.

[0024] Next, the upper rail 3 will be described, mainly with reference to Figures 2 and 3.

[0025] The upper rail 3 consists of a long member extending in the front-rear direction. The upper rail 3 comprises an upper wall 31, a side wall 32, a bottom wall 33, and a flange portion 34. The side wall 32, bottom wall 33, and flange portion 34 are each provided in pairs. The upper rail 3 is made of metal, for example, and is integrally formed by press working.

[0026] The upper wall 31 is a roughly flat plate extending in the front-rear direction. The side walls 32 extend downward from both the left and right ends of the upper wall 31 at roughly right angles to the upper wall 31. The bottom wall 33 extends diagonally upward from the side walls 32, moving away from them. The flange portion 34 extends diagonally upward from the bottom wall 33, approaching the side walls 32.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, a notch 31a is provided at the corner between the upper wall 31 and the side wall 32. As shown in Figure 4, an elastic member 7 is locked into the notch 31a.

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, each side wall 32 has multiple notches 32a formed in the front-rear direction at the same intervals as the notches 24a of the lower rail 2. By providing multiple notches 32a, multiple locking teeth 32b are formed on each side wall 32. When the lower rail 2 and the upper rail 3 are locked by the locking member 4, the locking teeth 32b are positioned within the through-hole 41a (see Figure 5A) of the locking member 4.

[0029] Each side wall 32 is provided with a notch 32c that extends in the vertical direction. The protrusion 44b (see Figure 5A) of the locking member 4 is press-fitted into the notch 32c.

[0030] The upper rail 3 is assembled to the lower rail 2 such that both side walls 32 of the upper rail 3 are positioned between the pair of flange portions 24 of the lower rail 2, and the flange portion 34 of the upper rail 3 is positioned between the side walls 22 and the flange portion 24 of the lower rail 2.

[0031] A rolling member 9, such as a ball as shown in Figure 2, is positioned between the corner portion between the bottom wall 21 and the side wall 22 of the lower rail 2 and the bottom wall 33 of the upper rail 3. Additionally, a rolling member 9 is positioned between the upper end of the side wall 22 of the lower rail 2 and the upper end of the flange portion 34 of the upper rail 3. These rolling members 9 allow the lower rail 2 and the upper rail 3 to slide smoothly in the front-rear direction.

[0032] <1-2 Locking Member> The locking member 4 will be described primarily with reference to Figures 4, 5A, and 5B.

[0033] As shown in Figure 5A, the locking member 4 comprises a locking piece 41 (an example of a locking portion), a pressed portion 42, an extended portion 43, a rising portion 44, a mounting portion 45, and a hanging portion 46. The locking member 4 is manufactured, for example, by press-forming a single sheet of elastically deformable material such as spring steel.

[0034] As shown in Figure 5A, the locking piece 41 is provided with a plurality of through holes 41a. The portion of the locking piece 41 adjacent to the plurality of through holes 41a in the front-rear direction functions as locking teeth 41b. When the locking teeth 24b of the lower rail 2 and the locking teeth 32b of the upper rail 3 are inserted into the through holes 41a, and the locking teeth 41b of the locking member 4 are inserted into the notches 24a of the lower rail 2 and the notches 32a of the upper rail 3, the lower rail 2 and the upper rail 3 become unable to slide back and forth.

[0035] The pressed portion 42 is located in front of the locking piece 41. The pressing portion 53 of the lever 5 is positioned on the pressed portion 42 (see Figure 4). When the operating portion 51 of the lever 5 is lifted (i.e., when the lock release operation is performed), the pressed portion 42 is pressed downward by the pressing portion 53 of the lever 5.

[0036] The two extensions 43 are spaced apart in the left-right direction and extend in the front-rear direction. The two rising sections 44 rise from the front ends of the two extensions 43, sloping slightly backward. The two rising sections 44 are connected to each other at their upper parts. An opening 44a is formed between the two rising sections 44, with the top closed. The arm portion 52 of the lever 5 is inserted into the opening 44a (see Figure 4).

[0037] As shown in Figures 5A and 5B, each rising section 44 is provided with a projection 44b that protrudes outward. The projection 44b is inserted into the notch 32c of the upper rail 3. As described above, since the rising section 44 rises while inclined backward, the projection 44b is also inclined backward. The width W of the projection 44b in the front-rear direction (i.e., the distance between the upper rear end and the lower front end of the projection 44b) is greater than the width of the notch 32c of the upper rail 3. Therefore, when the projection 44b is inserted into the notch 32c, the projection 44b is press-fitted into the notch 32c. When the projection 44b is press-fitted into the notch 32c, the upper rear end of the projection 44b contacts the rear inner surface of the notch 32c, and the lower front end of the projection 44b contacts the front inner surface of the notch 32c. The protrusion 44b then elastically deforms upon contact with the front and rear inner surfaces of the notch 32c, generating a holding load in the front-rear direction. The protrusion 44b is fixed within the notch 32c by this holding load. Therefore, the locking member 4 does not wobble back and forth even when a load is applied.

[0038] The mounting portion 45 is the part for fixing the locking member 4 to the upper rail 3 by the fixing member 8. As shown in Figure 4, the locking member 4 is fixed to the upper rail 3 by attaching the mounting portion 45 to the upper rail 3 by the fixing member 8 and crimping the fixing member 8.

[0039] As shown in Figure 5A, the hanging portion 46 extends downward from the front end of the mounting portion 45. The hanging portion 46 has an opening 46a. As shown in Figure 4, the arm portion 52 of the lever 5 is inserted into the opening 46a.

[0040] <1-3 Lever and Elastic Member> The lever 5 and the elastic member 7 will be described primarily with reference to Figures 2 and 4.

[0041] As shown in Figure 2, the lever 5 comprises an operating section 51, a pair of left and right arm sections 52, and pressing sections 53 provided at the rear end of each arm section 52 (the left side of the lever 5 is omitted in Figure 2). The lever 5 is integrally formed, for example, by press-forming a single pipe. The pair of arm sections 52 are integrally connected via the operating section 51. A notch 52a is provided on the lower surface of each arm section 52.

[0042] The elastic member 7 biases the lever 5 upward. The elastic member 7 is constructed, for example, by bending a single linear spring. The elastic member 7 is engaged with the notch 31a in the upper rail 3 and the notch 52a in the lever 5.

[0043] As shown in Figure 4, the arm portion 52 is inserted into the openings 46a and 44a of the locking member 4. The hanging portion 46 functions as a marker for inserting the arm portion 52 and as a guide for inserting the arm portion 52 straight. The pressing portion 53 is positioned on the pressed portion 42 of the locking member 4.

[0044] The elastic member 7, which is locked to the lever 5, will bear the weight of the lever 5 (i.e., the downward load), but the upward biasing force of the elastic member 7 is greater than this downward load. In other words, the lever 5 is biased upward by the elastic member 7. Therefore, the arm portion 52 is in contact with the upper edge of the opening 44a. As will be described later, when the operating portion 51 of the lever 5 is lifted (i.e., when the unlocking operation is performed), the lever 5 rotates around the contact point P1 between the arm portion 52 and the upper edge of the opening 44a.

[0045] <1-4 Damper> The damper 6 will be described primarily with reference to Figures 2, 6A, and 6B.

[0046] The damper 6 reduces the speed at which the locking piece 41 moves from the unlocked position to the locked position. This reduces the collision noise when the locking member 4 collides with the lower rail 2 and / or upper rail 3.

[0047] The damper 6 comprises a first damper section 61, a second damper section 62, a connecting section 63, and a fixing section 64. The damper 6 is fixed to the upper rail 3 by the fixing section 64. The first damper section 61 and the second damper section 62 are connected by the connecting section 63.

[0048] The first damper portion 61 and / or the second damper portion 62 are preferably made from a material that is more flexible than the locking member 4 (locking piece 41). The first damper portion 61 and / or the second damper portion 62 are preferably made from an elastically deformable material. The first damper portion 61 and / or the second damper portion 62 are made from polymer materials such as resin or rubber. The damper 6 is preferably a single molded product, and the entire damper 6 is made from the above material.

[0049] When the locking piece 41 collides with the first damper section 61, it elastically deforms, reducing the upward movement speed of the locking piece 41. The spring constant of the first damper section 61 is large enough to reduce the upward movement speed of the locking piece 41, but not large enough to stop the locking piece 41 before it reaches the locked position.

[0050] In one embodiment, the first damper section 61 is plate-shaped with a predetermined thickness. One end of the first damper section 61 is connected to a connecting section 63, and the other end of the first damper section 61 is a free end. Thus, the first damper section 61 has a cantilever structure. The first damper section 61 is vertically movable around one of its ends.

[0051] The first damper portion 61 is positioned above the locking piece 41. As shown in Figure 6A, when the locking piece 41 is in the locked position, the first damper portion 61 is in contact with the locking piece 41 and the second damper portion 62.

[0052] As shown in Figure 6B, when the locking piece 41 is in the unlocked position, the first damper portion 61 is separated from the locking piece 41. The lower end of the other end of the first damper portion 61 is located below the upper edges of the notches 24a and 32a when the locking piece 41 is not in contact with it. More specifically, the lower end of the other end of the first damper portion 61 is positioned slightly above the lower ends of the locking teeth 24b and 32b. As a result, the locking piece 41 comes into contact with the first damper portion 61 at the moment the locking teeth 41b of the locking member 4 are inserted into the notches 24a and 32a.

[0053] When the first damper section 61 collides with the second damper section 62, it elastically deforms, reducing the upward movement speed of the locking piece 41 and the first damper section 61, and stopping the locking piece 41 in the locked position.

[0054] In one embodiment, the second damper section 62 is a triangular cantilevered beam structure with a hollow interior. This structure allows the spring constant of the second damper section 62 to be greater than that of the first damper section 61.

[0055] The second damper section 62 is positioned above the first damper section 61. As shown in Figure 6A, when the locking piece 41 is in the locked position, the second damper section 62 is in contact with the first damper section 61. As shown in Figure 6B, when the locking piece 41 is in the unlocked position, the second damper section 62 is not in contact with the first damper section 61 and is separated from it.

[0056] <2. Unlock and Lock Operations> The unlocking and locking operations will be explained with reference to Figures 6A to 7B.

[0057] When the rider lifts the operating part 51 of the lever 5 from the state where the locking piece 41 is in the locked position (see Figure 6A), the lever 5 rotates around the contact point P1 between the arm portion 52 and the upper edge of the opening 44a. That is, the lever 5 rotates such that the portion in front of the contact point P1 moves upward, and the portion behind the contact point P1 moves downward.

[0058] As shown in Figure 6B, the rotation of the lever 5 causes the pressing portion 53 of the lever 5 to press the pressed portion 42 of the locking member 4 downward. When the pressed portion 42 is pressed by the pressing portion 53, the extension portion 43 mainly undergoes elastic deformation, and the locking piece 41 moves downward. As the locking piece 41 moves downward, the locking teeth 41b disengage from the notch 24a of the lower rail 2 and the notch 32a of the upper rail 3. In this way, the locking piece 41 moves to the unlocked position, and the lock between the lower rail 2 and the upper rail 3 is released. With the lock released, the upper rail 3 can slide in the front-rear direction relative to the lower rail 2, so that the occupant can adjust the front-rear position of the seat S.

[0059] After adjusting the fore-aft position of the seat S, when the passenger releases their hand from the operating part 51 of the lever 5, the lever 5 rotates in the reverse direction due to its own weight and the elastic force (restoring force) of the locking member 4, so that the operating part 51 moves downward and the pressing part 53 moves upward. Also, the locking piece 41 attempts to return from the unlocked position to the locked position due to the elastic force of the locking member 4.

[0060] As shown in Figure 7A, at the moment the locking teeth 41b enter the notches 24a of the lower rail 2 and 32a of the upper rail 3, the locking piece 41 collides with the first damper portion 61 of the damper 6. The collision of the locking piece 41 with the first damper portion 61 reduces the upward movement speed of the locking piece 41. The spring constant of the first damper portion 61 is large enough to reduce the upward movement speed of the locking piece 41, but not large enough to stop the locking piece 41 before it reaches the locked position. Therefore, the locking piece 41 moves upward while lifting the first damper portion 61.

[0061] As shown in Figure 7B, as the locking piece 41 rises further, the first damper section 61 collides with the second damper section 62. Upon collision of the first damper section 61 with the second damper section 62, the locking piece 41 is further decelerated by the second damper section 62 and stops in the locked position.

[0062] <3 Features> Because the seat slide device 1 is equipped with a damper 6, the first damper section 61, which has a relatively small spring constant, first reduces the movement speed of the lock piece 41, and then the second damper section 62, which has a larger spring constant than the first damper section 61, further reduces the movement speed of the lock piece 41, allowing the lock piece 41 to stop in the locked position. This suppresses the collision noise when the lock member 4 collides with the lower rail 2 and / or upper rail 3. Furthermore, the spring constant of the first damper section 61 is not large enough to stop the movement of the lock piece 41 before it reaches the locked position. Therefore, the lock piece 41 can be returned to the locked position and stopped, thus ensuring lock strength.

[0063] Since the first damper section 61 is made from a material that is more flexible than the locking piece 41, such as resin or rubber, the collision noise when the locking piece 41 collides with the first damper section 61 can be reduced. Furthermore, the collision noise when the first damper section 61 collides with the second damper section 62 can also be reduced.

[0064] Because the second damper section 62 is made of a polymer material such as resin or rubber, the collision noise when the first damper section 61 collides with the second damper section 62 can be reduced.

[0065] <4 Variations> The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the present invention can be modified to the configuration shown in the following modified examples. The modified examples described below can be combined as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0066] (1) The locking member 4 is not limited to a type in which the locking piece 41 moves up and down, but may also be a type in which the locking member 4 rotates, as shown in Figure 8.

[0067] (2) The damper 6 may further include at least one third damper between the first damper section 61 and the second damper section 62.

[0068] (3) The first damper 61 may be in contact with the locking piece 41 even when the locking piece 41 is in the unlocked position. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1. Seat slide device 2 Lower Rail 3 Upper Rail 4 Locking member 41. Locking piece (locking part) 5 Lever 6 Damper 61 First Damper Section 62 Second Damper Section S Seat

Claims

1. A seat sliding device for adjusting the front-to-back position of a vehicle seat, A lower rail that can be fixed to the vehicle body, An upper rail that can be fixed to the aforementioned seat, The lower rail and the upper rail have a locking portion that releasably locks them, and the locking portion has a locking member that is movable between a locked position in which the lower rail and the upper rail are locked so that they cannot move relative to each other, and an unlocked position in which the lower rail and the upper rail can move relative to each other. A lever for switching between the locked position and the unlocked position of the locking part, A damper that reduces the movement speed of the locking part when the locking part moves from the unlocked position to the locked position, Equipped with, The aforementioned damper, A first damper unit that contacts the locking unit before the locking position to reduce the movement speed of the locking unit, and prevents the locking unit from stopping before it reaches the locking position, A second damper section has a larger spring constant than the first damper section, and the locking section contacts the first damper section via it, thereby reducing the movement speed of the locking section. Equipped with, The first damper section and the second damper section are integrally molded products made of polymer material. The first damper section is plate-shaped, and the second damper section is a triangular cantilevered beam structure with a hollow interior. Seat sliding device.

2. One end of the first damper portion is fixed, and the other end of the first damper portion is movable in the vertical direction of the vehicle. The seat sliding device according to claim 1.

3. The first damper portion is made of a material that is more flexible than the locking portion. The seat slide device according to claim 1 or 2.

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