Sliding device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11325505-B2
Application number	US-201916667162-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2019
Priority date	Nov 2, 2018
Publication date	May 10, 2022
Grant date	May 10, 2022

Abstract

A sliding device includes a fixed rail, a movable rail, a shutter to close an opening of the fixed rail, an engaging body including a pressed portion, an engaged portion, a resilient element, and a pressing portion provided to the movable rail or the shutter. The shutter is slidable relative to the fixed rail by receiving a force from the movable rail. The engaging body is provided to one of the shutter and the fixed rail, and the engaged portion is provided to the other. The engaging body is displaceable between an engaged position where it is engageable with the engaged portion and a disengaged position displaced from the engaged position. The resilient element produces a resilient force maintaining the engaging body in the engaged position. The pressing portion contacts with the pressed portion when the movable rail slides, thus displacing the engaging body to the disengaged position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sliding device configured to support a seat body of a vehicle seat in a slidable manner, the sliding device comprising:
a fixed rail configured to be fixed to a vehicle, the fixed rail comprising an opening opened upward, the opening being arranged in a longitudinal direction of the fixed rail;
a movable rail to which the seat body is configured to be fixed, the movable rail being slidable with respect to the fixed rail;
a shutter configured to close the opening, the shutter being slidable with respect to the fixed rail by receiving a force from the movable rail;
an engagement mechanism comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being provided to either one of the shutter and the fixed rail, the second portion being provided to other of the shutter and the fixed rail, the first portion being displaceable between an engaged position, in which the first portion is engageable with the second portion, and a disengaged position, in which the first portion is displaced from the engaged position and disengaged from the second portion;
a resilient element configured to produce a resilient force maintaining the first portion in the engaged position; and
a pressing portion provided to the movable rail or the shutter, the pressing portion contacting with a pressed portion provided to the first portion when the movable rail slides, to thereby displace the first portion to the disengaged position,
wherein the first portion is displaced rotationally about a rotational axis substantially perpendicular to a sliding direction of the movable rail.

2. The sliding device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first portion is provided to the shutter,
the second portion is provided to the fixed rail, and
the pressing portion is provided to the movable rail.

3. The sliding device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the resilient element is configured with a coil spring,
wherein a first end of the resilient element is coupled to the shutter,
wherein a second end of the resilient element is coupled to the first portion on an opposite side of the first end across a rotation center of the first portion, and
wherein, assuming that an imaginary line passing through the first end and the rotation center is a neutral line, that a position of the second end in the engaged position is a first position, and that a position of the second end in the disengaged position is a second position, the first position is on an opposite side of the second position across the neutral line.

4. The sliding device according to claim 3 ,
wherein the second portion has a columnar or cylindrical shape having a center axis substantially parallel to the rotational axis, and
wherein the first portion comprises a hook surrounding the second portion from three directions in the engaged position.

5. The sliding device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the rotational axis is substantially parallel to a width direction of the seat body, and
wherein, in the engaged position, the hook and the second portion are positioned below the rotational axis.

Assignees

• Toyota Boshoku Kk
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kato Haruo
• Tsuji Eiichiro
• Suzuki Hiromitsu
• Nakamura Masaharu
• Fukuoka Masanori
• Takeuchi Tomoya

Classifications

• B60N2/0725

  Closing members for covering the slide · CPC title

• B60N2/0722 Primary

  Constructive details · CPC title

• B60N2/085 Primary

  about a transversal axis · CPC title

• B60N2/0705 Primary

  omega-shaped · CPC title

• B60N2/075

  roller-less · CPC title