Seat sliding device

Abstract

To provide a seat slide device which can achieve required seat strength while planning weight saving.SOLUTION: Upper rails 50F, 50R comprise: upper rail body parts 51F, 51R formed in vertical wall shape which extend from a lower end part stored within lower rails 30F, 30R via rail grooves 36F, 36R to an upward direction; and member support parts 55F, 55R integrally formed on an upper end part of the upper rail body parts 51F, 51R. The member support parts 55F, 55R extend from a left cushion side member 111Lt to a right cushion side member 111Rt in a longitudinal direction and are connected to the respective left and right cushion side members 111Lt, 111Rt.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a seat slide device for moving a vehicle seat in the left - right direction is known. Patent Document 1 discloses a lateral slide mechanism having a lower rail extending in the left - right direction and an upper rail to which the seat is attached and which moves along the lower rail. Also, Patent Document 2 discloses a similar mechanism.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, according to the conventional mechanism, in order to obtain the strength of the seat, it is necessary to provide a reinforcing member for the seat, which has the disadvantage of increasing the seat weight.

[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 obtain the necessary seat strength while achieving weight reduction.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The seat slide device according to the first aspect of this embodiment comprises 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 comprises 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. The seat comprises a seat cushion with left and right cushion side members spaced apart in the left-right direction. Each of the front and rear upper rails comprises an upper rail body portion formed in the shape of a vertical wall extending upward from a lower end housed within the lower rail via a rail groove, and a member support portion integrally molded at the upper end of the upper rail body portion. The member support portion extends in the left-right direction from the left cushion side member to the right cushion side member and is connected to the left and right cushion side members, respectively. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain the necessary sheet strength while reducing weight. [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 movement of the left and right upper rails in the front - rear direction.

[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 molding 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 - 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 portion B1 of the front end portion B of the cushion side members 111Lt and 111Rt, and is formed in a surface shape that follows the lower edge portion B1. The second support surface 55bF is the part that supports the leading edge portion B2 of the front end portion B of the cushion side members 111Lt and 111Rt, and is formed in a sloping surface shape that rises along the incline of the leading edge portion 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, each of the upper rails 50F and 50R includes an upper rail body portion 51F and 51R formed in the shape of a vertical wall that extends upward from the lower end portions 52F and 52R housed within the lower rails 30F and 30R via rail grooves 36F and 36R, and a member support portion 55F and 55R integrally molded to the upper end portions of the upper rail body portions 51F and 51R. The member support portions 55F and 55R 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, respectively.

[0060] In this configuration, the member support sections 55F and 55R are connected so as to span the left and right cushion side members 111Lt and 111Rt, so that the rigidity of the seat cushion 110 can be supplemented by the member support sections 55F and 55R. Since the member support sections 55F and 55R are part of the lower rails 30F and 30R which are integrated with the upper rail main body sections 51F and 51R, the lower rails 30F and 30R can be reused as reinforcing members to supplement the rigidity of the seat cushion 110. Since there is no need to provide a separate reinforcing member to supplement the rigidity of the seat cushion 110, the increase in seat weight can be suppressed. In addition, since the member support sections 55F and 55R are integrated with the upper rail main body sections 51F and 51R, the number of parts of the lower rails 30F and 30R is not increased. As a result, the necessary seat strength can be obtained while reducing weight.

[0061] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the member support portions 55F and 55R include first support surfaces 55aF and 55aR formed to conform to the shape of the lower edges E1 and B1 at the front and rear ends B and E of the cushion side members 111Lt and 111Rt, and second support surfaces 55bF and 55bR formed to rise along the front and rear edges B2 and E2 of the front and rear ends B and E of the cushion side members 111Lt and 111Rt.

[0062] In this configuration, the member support portions 55F and 55R are formed along the shapes of the front and rear ends B and E of the cushion side members 111Lt and 111Rt. This ensures that the member support portions 55F and 55R provide rigidity at the lower edges E1 and B1 and the front and rear edges E2 and B2 of the cushion side members 111Lt and 111Rt, respectively. Furthermore, since the member support portions 55F and 55R are connected at the lower edges E1 and B1 and the front and rear edges E2 and B2 of the cushion side members 111Lt and 111Rt, the rigidity of the seat cushion 110 can be improved. In addition, because they are bent along the shapes of the front and rear ends B and E of the cushion side members 111Lt and 111Rt, high rigidity can be obtained for the member support portions 55F and 55R. This improves the rigidity of the seat cushion 110.

[0063] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the member support sections 55F and 55R are highly rigid members and can therefore be used as fixing sections for attaching seat belt anchors. This allows for reliable fixing of seat belt anchors, which are subjected to heavy loads.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the rear lower rail 30R and upper rail 50R are positioned below the center of gravity of the seat 100 and the occupant seated in the seat 100. This allows the weight of the seat 100 and the occupant seated in the seat 100 to be supported by the highly rigid parts of the seat cushion 110.

[0065] 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 may be applied not only to single-seat seats but also to multi-seat seats. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0066] 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, The aforementioned sheet is The seat cushion is equipped with left and right cushion side members that are spaced apart in the left-right direction. Each of the aforementioned front and rear upper rails is, An upper rail body portion formed in the shape of a vertical wall extending upward from the lower end portion housed within the lower rail via the rail groove, The upper rail body comprises a member support portion integrally molded at the upper end portion, The member support portion is, It extends in the left-right direction from the left cushion side member to the right cushion side member, and is connected to the left and right cushion side members, respectively. The member support portion is, A first support surface formed to conform to the shape of the lower edge portion at the front and rear ends of the cushion side member, The cushion side member comprises a second support surface formed to rise along the front and rear edges of the front and rear ends of the cushion side member. Seat sliding device.

2. The member support portion is, This is the mounting point to which the seat belt anchor is attached. The sheet sliding device according to claim 1.

3. 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 sheet sliding device according to claim 1.

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