Vehicle seat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10343564-B2
Application number	US-201715723519-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2017
Priority date	Nov 9, 2016
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

In a vehicle seat including an upper rail, a lower rails, a lock mechanism for normally locking the upper rail relative to the lower rail, and a lock release member for selectively unlocking the upper rail relative to the lower rail, a deformation restraining member is fixedly attached to the lower rail, and extends toward a part of the lower rail so as to define a small gap relative to the lower rail.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle seat, including:
a lower rail fixedly secured to a floor of a vehicle;
an upper rail engaged by the lower rail so as to be slidable along a lengthwise direction;
a seat cushion fixedly secured to the upper rail;
a seat back connected to a rear end part of the seat cushion;
a lock mechanism for normally locking the upper rail relative to the lower rail;
a lock release member associated with the lock mechanism for selectively unlocking the upper rail relative to the lower rail; and
a deformation restraining member fixedly attached to the lower rail or a frame of the seat cushion, and extending toward a part of the lower rail or the upper rail so as to define a small gap relative to the lower rail or the upper rail,
wherein the deformation restraining member includes an upper section fixedly attached to the frame of the seat cushion, and a lower section opposing an upper side of the lower rail, and
wherein the lower section of the deformation restraining member opposes the lock release member in such a manner that the lower section prevents a lock releasing movement of the lock release member when the lower rail is deformed under a load of a vehicle crash.

2. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 , wherein the deformation restraining member is formed by bending a metallic rod, and the upper section is formed by two terminal ends of the metallic rod while the lower section is formed by a semi-circular section of the metallic rod.

3. The vehicle seat according to claim 1 , further comprising an auxiliary deformation restraining member, the auxiliary deformation restraining member including a lower part fixedly attached to the lower rail, and an upper part opposing an intermediate section of the deformation restraining member from below.

4. The vehicle seat according to claim 3 , wherein the auxiliary deformation restraining member is made of stamp formed sheet metal, and
wherein the lower part of the auxiliary deformation restraining member includes a lower horizontal piece fixedly attached to a lower side of the lower rail, and the upper part of the auxiliary deformation restraining member includes an upper horizontal piece, the auxiliary deformation restraining member further including an intermediate part extending along a lateral side of the lower rail.

5. The vehicle seat according to claim 3 , wherein an intermediate section of the deformation restraining member is bent in a shape of letter U turned sideways in front view, and the upper horizontal piece of the auxiliary deformation restraining member opposes a lower side of the intermediate section of the deformation restraining member.

6. A vehicle seat, comprising:
a lower rail having an end fixedly secured to a bracket fixed to a floor of a vehicle;
an upper rail movably engaged by the lower rail;
a seat cushion connected to the upper rail;
a seat back connected to the seat cushion;
a lock mechanism including an engaging member provided on a side of the lower rail and an engaged member provided on a side of the upper rail, such that the lock mechanism locks the upper rail relative to the lower rail at a desired movement position by releasably engaging the engaging member with the engaged member;
a lock release member connected to the engaged member for unlocking operation to release the engaged member from engagement with the engaging member; and
a deformation restraining member provided so as to be capable of abutting the lower rail such that the deformation restraining member restrains downward deformation of the lower rail by abutting the lower rail,
wherein the deformation restraining member is arranged to overlap with the lock release member as viewed in a vertical direction, and
wherein the deformation restraining member is fixedly attached to the lower rail and extends obliquely upward toward a part of the lower rail so as to define a small gap relative to a lower surface of the lower rail.

7. The vehicle seat according to claim 6 , further comprising:
an unlock preventing member including an upper section fixedly attached to the frame of the seat cushion, and a lower section opposing an upper side of the lower rail, wherein the lower section of the unlock preventing member opposes the lock release member in such a manner that the lower section prevents a lock releasing movement of the lock release member when the lower rail is deformed under a load of a vehicle crash; and
an auxiliary deformation restraining member, the auxiliary deformation restraining member including a lower part fixedly attached to the lower rail, and an upper part opposing an intermediate section of the unlock preventing member from below.

8. The vehicle seat according to claim 7 , wherein the auxiliary deformation restraining member is made of stamp formed sheet metal, and
wherein the lower part of the auxiliary deformation restraining member includes a lower horizontal piece fixedly attached to a lower side of the lower rail, and the upper part of the auxiliary deformation restraining member includes an upper horizontal piece, the auxiliary deformation restraining member further including an intermediate part extending along a lateral side of the lower rail.

9. The vehicle seat according to claim 7 , wherein an intermediate section of the unlock preventing member is bent in a shape of letter U turned sideways in front view, and the upper horizontal piece of the auxiliary deformation restraining member opposes a lower side of the intermediate section of the unlock preventing member.

10. A vehicle seat, including:
a lower rail fixedly secured to a floor of a vehicle;
an upper rail engaged by the lower rail so as to be slidable along a lengthwise direction;
a seat cushion fixedly secured to the upper rail;
a seat back connected to a rear end part of the seat cushion;
a lock mechanism for normally locking the upper rail relative to the lower rail;
a lock release member associated with the lock mechanism for selectively unlocking the upper rail relative to the lower rail; and
a deformation restraining member formed by bending a metallic rod and fixedly attached to the lower rail or a frame of the seat cushion, and extending toward a part of the lower rail or the upper rail so as to define a small gap relative to the lower rail or the upper rail.

11. The vehicle seat according to claim 10 , wherein the lower rail is fixedly attached to the floor via a bracket, and the deformation restraining member includes a first part fixedly connected to the bracket, and a second part opposing a lower side of the lower rail.

12. The vehicle seat according to claim 11 , wherein the first part includes a pair of fore and aft pieces extending in a fore and aft direction and fixedly secured to the bracket at one ends thereof while the second part includes a lateral piece extending between other ends of the fore and aft pieces, the lateral piece being positioned adjacent to the lower side of the lower rail so as to define the small gap relative to the lower rail.

13. The vehicle seat according to claim 10 , wherein the deformation restraining member includes an upper section fixedly attached to the frame of the seat cushion, and a lower section opposing an upper side of the lower rail.

14. The vehicle seat according to claim 13 , wherein the upper section is formed by two terminal ends of the metallic rod while the lower section is formed by a semi-circular section of the metallic rod.

15. The vehicle seat according to claim 13 , further comprising an auxiliary deformation restraining member, the auxiliary deformation restraining member

Assignees

• Ts Tech Co Ltd
• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yamada Takuro
• Tachibana Yushiro

Classifications

• B60N2/42709 Primary

  involving residual deformation or fracture of the structure · CPC title

• B60N2/08 Primary

  characterised by the locking device · CPC title

• B60N2/43

  Safety locks (for back-rests B60N2/433) · CPC title