Vehicle seat track system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11077772-B2
Application number	US-201715447938-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2017
Priority date	Mar 2, 2017
Publication date	Aug 3, 2021
Grant date	Aug 3, 2021

Abstract

A track system for a vehicle seat includes a lower track with a slide block with lateral slide bar extending along an upper surface of the lower track. The slide block includes a cross web system connecting the first slide bars with a central cross web portion, a forward cross web portion and a rearward cross web portion. A lower track to slide block fastening system includes a central fastener fixing the central cross web portion to the lower track in lateral and longitudinal directions and allowing movement in a direction away from the lower track, a forward fastener fixing the forward cross web portion in the direction away from the lower track and allowing movement in longitudinal directions and a rearward fastener fixing the rearward cross web portion in the direction away from the lower track and allowing movement in the longitudinal directions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A track system for a vehicle seat, the track system comprising:
a lower track having a track profile comprising a lower track central portion and lower track side profile portions connected together by the lower track central portion, the lower track central portion including a lower vehicle attachment surface and an upper surface, the lower track extending in longitudinal axial directions between a lower track forward end and a lower track rearward end and the lower track extending in lateral directions between a lateral extent of a first one of the lower track side profile portions and a lateral extent of a second one of the lower track side profile portions;
a slide block comprising a first slide bar extending along the upper surface at a first lower track lateral side, a second slide bar extending along the upper surface at a second lower track lateral side, and a cross web system connecting the first slide bar to the second slide bar and extending across the upper surface of the lower track in the lateral directions between the lower track side profile portions, the cross web system comprising a central cross web portion, a forward cross web portion positioned with respect to the longitudinal axial directions between the lower track forward end and the central cross web portion, and a rearward cross web portion positioned with respect to the longitudinal axial directions between the lower track rearward end and the central cross web portion;
a lower track to slide block fastening system comprising a central fastener configured to limit movement of the central cross web portion relative to the lower track at least in the lateral directions and in the longitudinal axial directions and to allow movement of the central cross web portion relative to the lower track in a direction toward the lower track and in a direction away from the lower track, a forward fastener configured to limit movement of the forward cross web portion relative to the lower track in the direction away from the lower track and to allow movement of the forward cross web portion relative to the lower track in the longitudinal axial directions, and a rearward fastener configured to limit movement of the rearward cross web portion relative to the lower track in the direction away from the lower track and to allow movement of the rearward cross web portion relative to the lower track at least in the longitudinal axial directions, wherein the rearward fastener comprises a rearward fastener portion connected to the rearward cross web portion, wherein the rearward fastener portion has a through portion extending through a rearward opening formed in the lower track from an upper surface side of the lower track to a lower vehicle attachment surface side of the lower track, wherein the rearward opening is positioned relative to the central fastener and is sized relative to the through portion of the rearward fastener portion for movement of the rearward fastener portion within the rearward opening in the longitudinal axial directions to allow for a deflection of the slide block relative to the lower track and wherein the slide block has end stops;
an upper track having a first lower surface engaging and slidable along the first slide bar and a second lower surface engaging and slidable along the second slide bar for moving relative to the lower track; and
a first rolling bearing cage connected to the upper track and configured to position rolling bearings between the upper track and the lower track, wherein the slide block is configured to support the movement of the upper track and the end stops of the slide block are configured to limit movement of the first rolling bearing cage.

2. A track system according to claim 1 , wherein the central fastener comprises:
a central fastener portion connected to the central cross web portion, the central fastener portion extending through a central opening formed in the lower track and configured to engage at least portions of an inner peripheral edge of the central opening, whereby movement of the central fastener portion relative to the lower track is restricted by the inner peripheral edge in all radial directions of the central fastener portion relative to the central opening.

3. A track system according to claim 2 , wherein the central fastener portion has a fastener profile extending through and substantially coaxial with the central opening to allow the movement of the central cross web portion relative to the lower track in the direction toward the lower track and in the direction away from the lower track.

4. A track system according to claim 1 , wherein the forward fastener comprises:
a forward fastener portion connected to the forward cross web portion, the forward fastener portion having a through portion extending through a forward opening formed in the lower track from the upper surface side of the lower track to the lower vehicle attachment surface side of the lower track and the forward fastener portion including an axial extension extending axially beyond an inner peripheral edge of the forward opening and the axial extension of the forward fastener portion including an axially extending surface to engage the lower vehicle attachment surface and limit movement of the forward cross web portion relative to the lower track in a vertical direction away from the lower track.

5. A track system according to claim 4 , wherein the forward opening formed in the lower track is sized relative to the through portion of the forward fastener portion to allow movement of the forward fastener portion relative to the lower track in the longitudinal axial directions.

6. A track system according to claim 1 , wherein the rearward fastener portion includes an axial extension extending axially beyond an inner peripheral edge of the rearward opening and the axial extension of the rearward fastener portion includes an axially extending surface to engage the lower vehicle attachment surface and limit movement of the rearward cross web portion relative to the lower track in a vertical direction away from the lower track.

7. A track system according to claim 1 , wherein the slide block is a single integral plastic part including the central fastener, the forward fastener, and the rearward fastener.

8. A track system according to claim 1 , wherein the first slide bar and the second slide bar are parallel slide block brackets.

9. A track system according to claim 8 , wherein the end stops of the slide block comprise two first slide bar end stops extending outwards from the first slide bar and two second slide bar end stops extending outwards from the second slide bar.

10. A track system according to claim 8 , further comprising a second rolling bearing cage, wherein the first and second rolling bearing cages are arranged on opposite sides of the upper track.

11. A track system according to claim 10 , wherein:
each of the first and second rolling bearing cages has a contact portion at each of two longitudinal ends, each of the contact portions of the first rolling bearing cage being complementary to a respective one of the first slide bar end stops, each of the contact portions of the second rolling bearing cage being complementary to a respective one of the second slide bar end stops, whereby with respect to the longitudinal axial directions, the first slide bar end stops and the second slide bar end stops are configured to limit a travel of the first rolling bearing cage and a travel of the second rolling bearing cage, respectively; and
each of the contact portions of each of the first and second rolling bearing cages is formed of an elastically deformable material, whereby each of the contact por

Assignees

• Adient Eng & Ip Gmbh
• Keiper Seating Mechanisms Co Ltd

Inventors

• Brewer William Shawn
• Nae Vasile

Classifications

• B60N2/682 Primary

  Joining means · CPC title

• B60N2/0722 Primary

  Constructive details · CPC title

• B60N2/0705

  omega-shaped · CPC title

• B60N2/07

  Slide construction · CPC title

• B60N2/0715

  C or U-shaped · CPC title