Vehicle seat sliding device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10220731-B2
Application number	US-201715714369-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2017
Priority date	Sep 27, 2016
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

A vehicle seat sliding device for sliding a seat includes a fixed rail, a movable rail, a rolling element, and at least one rolling element holder. The fixed rail is for a floor of a vehicle. The movable rail is slidably engaged with the fixed rail and is mounted to the seat. The rolling element includes an outer circumferential surface for abutting an abutment surface of the fixed rail. The at least one rolling element holder is mounted to the movable rail and holds the rolling element so as to be rotatable and slidable along a longitudinal direction of the movable rail. The at least one rolling element holder is configured such that a distance between a rotation axis of the rolling element and the abutment surface becomes smaller as the rolling element slides toward one side in the longitudinal direction of the movable rail.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle seat sliding device for sliding a seat, comprising:
a fixed rail for a floor of a vehicle;
a movable rail slidably engaged with the fixed rail to be mounted to the seat;
a rolling element comprising an outer circumferential surface for abutting an abutment surface of the fixed rail; and
at least one rolling element holder mounted to the movable rail and holding the rolling element so as to be rotatable and slidable along a longitudinal direction of the movable rail,
wherein the at least one rolling element holder is configured such that a distance between a rotation axis of the rolling element and the abutment surface becomes smaller as the rolling element slides toward one side in the longitudinal direction of the movable rail.

2. The vehicle seat sliding device according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one rolling element holder comprises a contact portion to contact the rolling element, the contact portion being configured with an elastic element.

3. The vehicle seat sliding device according to claim 1 , wherein
the rolling element comprises a shaft portion projecting toward both sides in an axial direction of the rolling element, and
the at least one rolling element holder supports the shaft portion at the both sides in the axial direction of the rolling element.

4. The vehicle seat sliding device according to claim 1 , wherein
the rolling element comprises:
a main body portion comprising the outer circumferential surface; and
a shaft portion, and

the main body portion is configured to be relatively rotatable with respect to the shaft portion.

5. The vehicle seat sliding device according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one rolling element holder comprises a plurality of the rolling element holders, the plurality of the rolling element holders being arranged at different positions in the longitudinal direction of the movable rail.

6. A sliding device comprising:
a lower rail comprising an overhang portion, the overhang portion including an abutment surface, and
an upper rail comprising:
a holder including an inner cover and an outer cover,
a shaft pin, and
a roller mounted on the shaft pin and having an upper end for abutting against the abutment surface, wherein

the inner cover is approximately U-shaped and has a first bottom surface tilted slightly downward towards a front end of the sliding device, and
the outer cover is approximately U-shaped and has a second bottom surface tilted slightly downward towards the front end of the sliding device.

7. The sliding device of claim 6 , wherein
the shaft pin includes an inner small diameter portion and an outer small diameter portion,
the inner small diameter portion is supported by the inner cover, and
the outer small diameter portion is supported by the outer cover.

8. The sliding device of claim 7 , wherein
the roller, the shaft pin, and the covers are sized such that if the upper rail slides forward, then the shaft pin: slides backwards along the first bottom surface, slides backwards along the second bottom surface, and decreases a distance between an axis of the shaft pin and the abutment surface, and
the decreased distance causes strong braking of the upper rail relative to the lower rail.

9. The sliding device of claim 8 , wherein
the roller, the shaft pin, and the covers are additionally sized such that if the upper rail slides backward, then the shaft pin: slides forward along the first bottom surface, slides forwards along the second bottom surface, and increases the distance between the axis of the shaft pin and the abutment surface, and
the increased distance causes weak braking or no braking of the upper rail relative to the lower rail.

10. The sliding device of claim 7 , wherein
the shaft pin and the roller are an integrally formed unit.

11. The sliding device of claim 7 , wherein
the inner cover is located on a recessed portion of a folded wall portion of the upper rail, and
the outer cover is located on a recessed portion of a bracket of the upper rail.

12. The sliding device of claim 7 , wherein
the holder comprises:
a bracket,
the inner cover, and
the outer cover.

13. The sliding device of claim 12 , wherein the bracket comprises:
a main body panel including a first recessed portion shaped to receive the outer cover,
a forward side panel including a first protrusion shaped for insertion into a front groove in a folded wall portion of the upper rail, and
a rearward side panel including a second protrusion shaped for insertion into a rear groove in the folded wall portion of the upper rail.

14. The sliding device of claim 13 , wherein
the folded wall portion of the upper rail includes a second recessed portion shaped to receive the inner cover.

Assignees

• Toyota Boshoku Kk

Inventors

• Kume Sho

Classifications

• B60N2/071

  T-shaped · CPC title

• B60N2/0735

  Position and orientation of the slide as a whole · CPC title

• B60N2/0715

  C or U-shaped · CPC title

• B60N2/0707

  J-shaped · CPC title

• B60N2/0722 Primary

  Constructive details · CPC title