Seat rail for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11639119-B2
Application number	US-202117338899-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2021
Priority date	Nov 4, 2020
Publication date	May 2, 2023
Grant date	May 2, 2023

Abstract

A seat rail for a vehicle includes: a rail gap cover combined with a moving rail, and a slit cover combined with the rail gap cover to close the gap between a fixed rail and the moving rail regardless of movement of the moving rail, whereby it is possible to prevent foreign substances from entering into the fixed rail.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seat rail for a vehicle, comprising:
a fixed rail having a rail slit elongated along a longitudinal direction of the fixed rail;
a moving rail having a lower end configured to insert in the fixed rail through the rail slit, the moving rail configured to move forward and backward along the rail slit;
a guide bracket coupled to the fixed rail to cover the fixed rail and having a bracket slit elongated along a longitudinal direction of the guide bracket and connected to the rail slit;
a rail gap cover combined with the moving rail, fitted in the rail slit and the bracket slit, and configured to move with the moving rail; and
a slit cover combined with the rail gap cover, configured to move with the moving rail and the rail gap cover, and supported by the guide bracket to keep closing the bracket slit when moving,
wherein a guide groove having an elliptical track shape along the guide bracket is formed in the guide bracket, and
the rail gap cover and the slit cover are inserted in the guide groove and configured to move along the guide groove.

2. The seat rail of claim 1 , wherein the guide bracket includes a left bracket and a right bracket combined to cover an outer side of the fixed rail, and
the bracket slit is open upward and formed by assembly of the left bracket and the right bracket.

3. The seat rail of claim 1 , wherein a first plurality of inwardly protruding bracket bosses and a second plurality of inwardly protruding bracket bosses are formed at a front end of the guide bracket and a rear end of the guide bracket, respectively, and
the first plurality of inwardly protruding bracket bosses and the second plurality of inwardly protruding bracket bosses are in contact with a front end of the fixed rail positioned inside the guide bracket and a rear end of the fixed rail positioned inside the guide bracket, respectively, thereby fixing a position of the fixed rail in a front-rear direction of the vehicle.

4. The seat rail of claim 1 , wherein:
the guide groove includes:
an upper groove straightly elongated along the longitudinal direction of the guide bracket and formed at an upper portion of the guide bracket where the bracket slit is formed,
a lower groove formed in parallel with the upper groove under the upper groove, and
connection grooves formed in arc shapes,

the connection grooves include:
a front connection groove connecting a front end of the upper groove and a front end of the lower groove, and
a rear connection groove connecting a rear end of the upper groove and a rear end of the lower groove.

5. The seat rail of claim 4 , wherein the rail gap cover is disposed in the upper groove, such that the rail gap cover is movable forward and backward along only the upper groove.

6. The seat rail of claim 4 , wherein the slit cover is disposed in all of the upper groove, the lower groove, and the connection grooves to be guided, such that the slit cover is movable along the guide groove.

7. The seat rail of claim 1 , wherein:
a first plurality of flange holes are formed through a left side of the guide bracket and spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the guide bracket,
a second plurality of flange holes are formed through a right side of the guide bracket and spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the guide bracket, and
a first plurality of rail flanges of the fixed rail and a second plurality of rail flanges of the fixed rail are respectively positioned outside through the first plurality of flange holes and the second plurality of flange holes.

8. The seat rail of claim 1 , wherein the rail gap cover includes a left cover and a right cover that are combined with each other to cover a lower portion of the moving rail.

9. The seat rail of claim 1 , wherein:
the rail gap cover includes a first guide protrusion and a second guide protrusion,
the first and second guide protrusions are both inserted in the guide groove and configured to move along the guide groove, and
the first and second guide protrusions laterally protrude from a left side of the rail gap cover and a right side of the rail gap cover, respectively.

10. The seat rail of claim 1 , wherein:
cover flanges are formed at a lower end of the rail gap cover, and
the cover flanges are in contact with a bottom of the rail slit and restrict an upward movement of the rail gap cover.

11. The seat rail of claim 1 , wherein:
a first end of the slit cover is fixed to a first coupling portion protruding from a front part of the rail gap cover, and
a second end of the slit cover is fixed to a second coupling portion protruding from a rear part of the rail gap cover,
whereby the rail gap cover and the slit cover are connected in an elliptical track shape.

12. The seat rail of claim 1 , wherein a wiring hole is formed at the rail gap cover to pass a wiring that is connected to electric parts of a seat.

13. The seat rail of claim 1 , wherein the slit cover includes:
upper covers composed of a plurality of pieces, the plurality of pieces defining a curve, disposed in series, exposed through the bracket slit, and covering the bracket slit,
cover rubbers coupled to rear sides of the upper covers and connecting the upper covers, and
cover hinges coupled to the cover rubbers and protruding left and right,
wherein a first end of the upper covers and a second end of the upper covers are respectively coupled to a front end of the rail gap cover and a rear end of the rail gap cover, whereby the rail gap cover and the slit cover are connected in an elliptical track shape.

14. The seat rail of claim 13 , wherein a left end of the cover hinges and a right end of the cover hinges are inserted in the guide groove and are movable along the guide groove.

15. The seat rail of claim 13 , wherein the upper covers are made of a hard injection-molded material.

16. The seat rail of claim 1 , wherein the rail gap cover is configured to cover a left gap between the moving rail and the bracket slit and a right gap between the moving rail and the bracket slit, and
the slit cover is configured to cover the fixed rail and the bracket slit.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp
• Nifco Korea Inc
• Hyundai Transys Inc

Inventors

• Kim Eun Sue
• Han Seung Sik
• Lee Hong Heui
• Kim Myung Hoe
• Kim Jin
• Kim Gyong Min
• Baek In Gul
• Chae Soo Young
• Jeong Hoe Won
• Choi Jin Wook

Classifications

• B60N2/0702 Primary

  characterised by its cross-section · CPC title

• B60N2/075

  roller-less · CPC title

• B60N2/0155

  with the locking mechanism on the vehicle floor or rail · CPC title

• B60N2/0735

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

• B60N2/072

  Complex cross-section, e.g. obtained by extrusion · CPC title