JP3495298B2 - Lock mechanism for seat slide device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a lock mechanism provided in a seat slide device, and more particularly to a seat slide device provided in a rail body formed by a combination of a pair of runners and guide rails formed by extrusion of a specific material. Regarding lock mechanism.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, a structure in which a seat slide device is attached to a multi-row rear seat such as a second seat or a third seat arranged behind a front seat to make a slide seat slidable in the front-rear direction is a minivan or a 1BOX.
It is widely used in multipurpose vehicles such as cars and other RV vehicles.

In such a seat slide device mounted on the rear seat, for example, a runner (also referred to as an upper rail) on which a seat is placed and fixed on a guide rail (also referred to as a lower rail) fixed to a vehicle floor or the like.
A general configuration in which the is slidably assembled via a slider made of synthetic resin or the like is usually adopted.

As a seat slide device suitable for mounting on such a rear seat, there is provided a so-called long rail type device capable of ensuring a long slide range by using a long guide rail. Has been done.

[0005]

Generally, the guide rail and the runner, which form the rail body of the seat slide device, are formed into a corresponding shape by pressing iron material or the like. However, since iron materials and the like that are generally used as these materials have a large specific gravity, it is inevitable to make the entire rail body heavy, especially when the guide rail is a long rail.

Therefore, in the long rail type rail body (seat slide device), molding of the guide rail and the runner from, for example, an aluminum material having a low specific gravity has been under way in recent years. From, etc., under the so-called extrusion forming by rolling,
The forming, that is, the forming of the guide rail and the runner is performed.

In such roll forming by extrusion of an aluminum material or the like, since it is required that the cross-sectional shapes be substantially constant, particularly when the runner is roll formed by extrusion, an iron material or the like is used. A large shape change from the conventional runner shape consisting of is required.

Here, in the seat slide device,
Usually, a lock mechanism for restricting the slide of the runner with respect to the guide rail is provided on the rail body. However, since the configuration of the known lock mechanism is based on the premise that it is attached to a runner having a non-uniform cross-sectional shape, it is not easy to apply it to a rail body formed by extrusion.

An object of the present invention is to provide a lock mechanism of a seat slide device applicable to a rail body formed by extrusion processing.

[0010]

In order to achieve this object, according to the present invention, a lock claw capable of being inserted into and engaged with a series of lock holes formed in a side wall of a guide rail is provided at the tip thereof.
A lock plate that is integrated at the end is slidable in the direction orthogonal to the rolling direction of the runner , and outside the runner side wall.
The lock plate is disposed and supported by the runner so that the rear end of the lock plate can not be projected, and the lock plate is biased in the lock-on direction with respect to the lock hole under the biasing force of the lock spring. A lock-off plate with a guide hole, through which an integral connecting pin protruding from the lock plate is inserted and engaged, is interposed between a pair of side walls of the runner so as to be slidable along the rolling direction of the runner. , The guide hole of the lock-off plate is provided with a linear lock part extending along the rolling direction of the runner, and a lock extending obliquely forcibly moving the lock plate in the lock-off direction. It is formed as a combination with the off portion.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in a lock mechanism 10 for a seat slide device according to the present invention, a pair of runners 12 and a guide rail 14 forming a rail body 11 are long and have a constant cross-sectional shape. As a body, a specific material with a low specific gravity,
For example, the lock mechanism is formed as a form suitable for installation on the rail body by being roll-molded by extruding an aluminum material.

The runner (also referred to as upper rail) 12 is formed, for example, in a substantially U-shaped cross section in which side walls 12b are erected in parallel with each side of the bottom wall 12a. Then, the rail body 11 is formed by slidably inserting the runner 12 through a predetermined slider 16 inside the guide rail (also referred to as a lower rail) 14 formed into a hollow cross-section. As shown in FIG. 3, a seat slide device 20 that slidably supports the seat 18 in the front-rear direction by arranging the rail bodies on the inner side (closer to the center) and the outer side (closer to the outside) of the vehicle so as to be spaced apart from each other. Is configured.

Reference numerals 21 in FIGS. 1 and 2 indicate engagement of a mounting bracket 22 (see FIG. 3) provided on the seat side.
These are strikers to be connected, and these strikers are normally fixed to the front and rear positions of the runner 12 by crimping the fixing pins 24 or the like. And the mounting bracket 22 is
It is inserted into the guide rail through the opening 14a on the upper surface of the guide rail 14, and is connected and fixed to the striker 21 under the engagement of, for example, its own latch (not shown).

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the embodiment of the present invention, the slider 16 is formed of a synthetic resin material or the like as a substantially rod-shaped body, and, for example, a side wall of a runner.
A guide groove 26 having a substantially U-shaped cross section, which is fitted to a corresponding portion of the linear protrusion 12c of the guide rail 12b and is formed on the side wall 14b of the guide rail.
It is slidably installed inside. In such a configuration,
When the slider 16 slides in the guide groove 26, the runner
12 is slid with respect to the guide rail 14 in the rolling direction, that is, the longitudinal direction.

In this embodiment, the slider 16 is embodied as a form that can be fitted into the linear projection 12c of the runner side wall 12b, but the slider is provided between the runner 12 and the guide rail 14. Since it is sufficient that the slider is slidably interposed, the present invention is not limited to this, and the slider may be formed as another configuration.

By the way, the rail body 11, which is a combination of the runner 12 and the guide rail 14, usually has a lock mechanism 10 for restricting the slide of the runner with respect to the guide rail.
Is provided. As can be seen from FIG. 4 in addition to FIGS. 1 and 2, in the present invention, the locking mechanism 10
Is a combination of a lock plate 28 slidably arranged in the rolling direction of the runner 12, that is, a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and a lock-off plate 30 slidably arranged along the longitudinal direction of the runner. Is formed.

The lock plate 28 is a side wall of the guide rail.
Inserted into a series of lock holes 32 bored in 14b, formed integrally with a lock claw 28a that can be engaged at the tip, for example, insertion into a sliding recess 34 provided at the lower end of the runner, Arrangement and pair of resin plates 36 made of synthetic resin or the like
The runner 12 is supported slidably in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction (rolling direction) and is not detachable.

The lock plate 28 integrally has a connecting pin 38 protruding upward. Then, a substantially arcuate lock spring 40 capable of imparting a biasing force to the lock plate 28 in the lock-on direction, that is, a direction in which the lock claw 28a is inserted and engaged in the lock hole 32 is engaged with the side wall 12b of the runner. It is interposed and stretched between the mating groove 42 and the connecting pin 38.

That is, the lock plate 28 is a lock spring.
Under the biasing force of 40, the lock plate is biased in the lock-on direction, and under the sliding of the lock plate against the biasing force of the lock spring, the lock claw 28a is separated from the lock hole 32, that is, the lock plate is locked. Off is possible.

The lock-off plate 30 can control the sliding position of the lock plate 28 by inserting and engaging the connecting pin 38 of the lock plate and moving the connecting pin along the peripheral edge thereof, that is, The runner is formed with a guide hole 44 for forcibly sliding the lock plate in the lock-off direction, and is inserted between the pair of side walls 12b of the runner, for example, between the side wall guide grooves 46. It is arranged so as to be slidable along the longitudinal direction of 12.

The lock-off plate 30 is integrally formed with a lock-off bracket 48 protruding upward. Then, the lock-off lever 50 on the seat 18 side
(See FIG. 3) is interlockingly engaged with and connected to the lock-off bracket 48, so that the operation of the lock-off lever, that is, the sliding of the lock-off plate 30 in association with the lock-off operation is ensured. ing.

Here, as can be seen from FIG. 4,
In the present invention, the guide hole 44 of the lock-off plate is formed in the diagonal direction in which the linear lock portion 44a extending along the longitudinal direction of the runner 12 and the lock plate 28 are forcibly slid in the lock-off direction. It is formed in a substantially doglegged shape by continuously combining the extended lock-off portion 44b.

In the embodiment of the present invention,
The guide hole 44 is formed in such a manner that the lock-off portion 44b is continuous with each end of the lock portion 44a.

For example, assume that the state in which the connecting pin 38 is located at the alignment position of the guide hole with the lock portion 44a shown in FIG. 4 is the initial state of the lock mechanism 10. In this initial state, the lock plate 28 is biased and held in the lock-on direction under the biasing force of the lock spring 40,
When the lock claw 28a is inserted into and engaged with the lock hole 32, that is, when the lock plate is locked on, the runner 12 slides with respect to the guide rail 14 in the front-back direction according to the position of the lock hole in which the lock claw is inserted. Regulated by position.

Then, when the lock-off plate 30 is slid in a predetermined direction under the operation of the lock-off lever 50, for example, to the left in the drawing, the periphery of the lock-off portion 44b on the corresponding side of the guide hole 44 is connected. The locking plate 28 is engaged by the movement of the connecting pin along its periphery which is engaged with the pin 38.
5 is forcibly slid and held in the lock-off direction against the biasing force of the lock spring 40, as shown in FIG.

At the lock-off position of the lock plate 28, the lock claw 28a of the lock plate is locked by the lock hole 3
Since it is separated from 2, the slide restriction of the runner 12 with respect to the guide rail 14 is released, and the slide of the runner is guaranteed.

Then, after the runner 12, that is, the front and rear position of the seat 18 is arbitrarily set under the slide with respect to the guide rail 14, if the operation of the lock-off lever 50 is released, the lock-off plate 30 slides accordingly. Under this condition, the connecting pin 38 moves along the peripheral edge of the lock-off portion 44b of the guide hole, and the sliding accompanying this causes the lock plate 28 to move to the initial state under the biasing force of the lock spring 40. It is biased and held at the same lock-on position.

As described above, in the lock mechanism 10 of the seat slide device of the present invention, the lock plate 28 having the lock claw 28a that can be inserted into and engaged with the lock hole 32 of the guide rail is provided in the longitudinal direction of the runner 12. A lock-off plate 30 which is slidably arranged in the orthogonal direction and whose sliding position is slidable along the longitudinal direction of the runner.
Are controlled by. In other words, since it suffices to dispose the lock plate 28 and the lock-off plate 30 slidably in the respective directions with respect to the runner 12, the lock mechanism 10 applicable to the runner formed by extrusion has a complicated structure. It can be easily secured without accompanying.

Further, in the present invention, the guide hole 44 of the lock-off plate is a combination of the linear lock portion 44a extending along the longitudinal direction of the runner 12 and the lock-off portion 44b extending obliquely. In the locked position of the lock plate 28, the connecting pin 38 of the lock plate is engaged with the peripheral edge of the linear lock portion along the longitudinal direction, so that the lock plate receives an external force in the lock-off direction. Even when the action is performed, the lock plate is reliably prevented from sliding in the lock-off direction under the engagement between the connecting pin and the peripheral edge of the lock portion.

Therefore, according to the lock mechanism 10, the lock-on state can be easily maintained without being affected by the external force, whereby the secure lock-on can be properly ensured.

In the embodiment of the present invention,
Although the guide hole 44 is formed as a form in which the lock-off portion 44b is continuous with each end of the lock portion 44a, the present invention is not limited to this, and, for example, a configuration in which the lock-off portion is provided only at one end of the lock portion. May be

However, as in this embodiment,
If the lock-off portion 44b is continuous with each end of the lock portion 44a of the guide hole, the lock-off of the lock plate 28 can be achieved even if the lock-off plate 30 is slid in any direction. The operability of 50 is improved, and the operation direction of the lock-off lever can be arbitrarily selected according to the seat 18 to be mounted, so that the highly flexible lock mechanism 10 can be easily secured.

Here, in the embodiment of the present invention, the lock plate disposed in the sliding recess 34 of the runner 12 is arranged.
28 is supported by the resin plate 36, the lock plate need not be slidably arranged in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the runner, and is not limited thereto. The lock plate may be loosely inserted into and arranged in a correspondingly formed through hole provided in the direction.

However, since the lock plate 28 is usually formed from an iron material or the like, sliding of the lock plate 28 with respect to the runner 12 is caused by high frictional resistance generated by contact between the iron material or the like and an aluminum material or the like. There is no denying the possibility of being hindered. Therefore, as in this embodiment, the lock plate
If 28 is supported by the resin plate 36, friction resistance between the lock plate and the resin plate 36 is sufficiently suppressed even if the lock plate 28 is molded from an iron material or the like, so that the lock plate can slide smoothly. Can be secured.

By the way, this kind of rail body 11 is usually
Since it is buried in the floor of the vehicle, as shown in FIG.
A pair of elastic lips that prevent foreign matter from entering through the opening 14a on the upper surface of the guide rail and improve the appearance quality.
Numerals 52 are arranged on each side of the opening along the rolling direction of the guide rail 14 so that the upper surface of the opening can be covered (see FIG. 4).

Here, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the lock-off bracket 48, that is, the engaging piece 48a with which the lock-off lever 50 is strong, is usually the opening 1 of the guide rail.
Since it projects above the elastic lip 52, the runner 12 slides in the front-back corresponding direction while the elastic lip is rolled up by the engaging piece. Therefore, in this configuration, it is preferable that the engagement piece 48a of the lock-off bracket is formed in a shape having a planar substantially V-shaped guide portion with a protruding central portion.

It is sufficient that the guide portion of the engaging piece 48a is formed at least in a predetermined range in the vertical direction including the position aligned with the elastic lip 52.

According to this structure, the engaging piece 48a of the lock-off bracket comes into contact with the elastic lip 52 along with the runner 12 or in conjunction with the operation of the lock-off lever 50, and guides this elastic lip. Since it is rolled up along the surface of the portion, it is possible to easily ensure smooth rolling up of the elastic lip (see FIG. 5). And the engagement piece of the lock-off bracket
Since 48a contacts the elastic lip 52, the elastic lip is not damaged or damaged, and the safety of the elastic lip can be easily ensured.

The engaging piece 48a of the lock-off bracket
The guide portion of is only required to have a planar shape or a cross-sectional shape that enables the elastic lip 52 to be smoothly rolled up, and is therefore not limited to the substantially V shape as shown in FIG. You may form a guide part in a shape etc.

In the embodiment of the present invention,
An aluminum material is illustrated as a material for the runner 12 and the guide rail 14. However, as long as the material has a relatively low specific gravity and a material that can be extruded, the material is not limited to aluminum, and for example, stainless steel can be used for runners.
The guide rails 14 and 14 may be molded.

Further, although the rail body structure of the seat slide device of the present invention is effective for application to a seat slide device for a rear seat which is a long rail, it is not limited to this, and the seat slide for a front seat is not limited to this. It goes without saying that the present invention may be applied to a device.

The present invention is not limited to seats for automobiles and the like, and the present invention may be applied to seat slide devices mounted on seats for trains, airplanes, ships, etc., for example.

The above-described embodiment is for explaining the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way, and all modifications and alterations made within the technical scope of the present invention are also included in this embodiment. Needless to say, it is included in the invention.

[0045]

As described above, according to the lock mechanism of the seat slide device of the present invention, it is sufficient to dispose the lock plate and the lock-off plate slidably in the respective directions with respect to the runner. The lock mechanism applicable to the extruded runner can be easily secured without complicating the configuration.

In addition, the guide hole of the lock-off plate is
A linear lock portion extending along the rolling direction of the runner,
It is formed as a combination with the lock-off portion that extends in the diagonal direction, and at the lock position of the lock plate,
Since the connecting pin of the lock plate is engaged with the peripheral edge of the linear lock portion along the rolling direction, even if an external force acts on the lock plate in the lock-off direction, the engagement between the connecting pin and the peripheral edge of the lock portion. In this case, the lock plate is reliably prevented from sliding in the lock-off direction.

Therefore, according to this lock mechanism, the lock-on state can be easily maintained without being affected by the external force, whereby the secure lock-on can be properly ensured.

[0048]

Further, if the engaging piece of the lock-off bracket provided on the lock-off plate is formed in a shape having a guide portion projecting in the central portion, the surface of the guide portion of this engaging piece becomes an elastic lip. In order to touch it and roll it up,
The elastic lip can be easily rolled up easily, and the elastic lip can be prevented from being broken or damaged, whereby the safety of the elastic lip can be easily ensured.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of a rail body showing a lock mechanism of a seat slide device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a rail body of the seat slide device and a cross-sectional view of a lock mechanism portion.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a seat slide device.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a rail body showing a lock mechanism of the seat slide device in a lock-on state.

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a rail body showing a lock mechanism of the seat slide device in a lock-off state.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Seat slide lock mechanism 11 Rail body 12 runners 14 Guide rail 16 slider 28 Lock plate 30 lock-off plate 32 Lock hole 34 Sliding recess 36 resin plate 38 Connecting pin 40 lock spring 44 Guide hole 48 lock-off bracket 48a engagement piece 52 elastic lip

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A guide rail having a hollow cross-section having an opening on its upper surface, and a runner having a substantially U-shaped cross-section having a pair of side walls are roll-formed by extrusion of a specific material and provided on the runner side. Is a lock mechanism of the seat slide device in which the runner is slidably assembled to the guide rail by inserting the runner into the guide rail through a slider, and a series of lock holes formed in the side wall of the guide rail. The lock plate , which has a lock pawl that can be inserted and engaged in the end of the runner , is slidable in the direction orthogonal to the rolling direction of the runner, and the rear end of the runner protrudes outside the side wall of the runner.
The lock plate is irreversibly disposed and supported by the runner, and the lock plate is biased in the lock-on direction with respect to the lock hole under the biasing force of the lock spring. Insertion of
A lock-off plate with a guide hole to be engaged is slidably disposed along a rolling direction of the runner, interposed and arranged between a pair of side walls of the runner, and the guide hole of the lock-off plate is used for rolling the runner. A locking mechanism for a seat slide device, which is formed as a combination of a linear lock portion extending along the direction; and a lockoff portion extending obliquely for forcibly moving the lock plate in the lockoff direction. 2. A lock-off bracket to which a lock-off lever on the seat side is connected is integrally projectingly provided above the lock-off plate , and a pair of elastic lips form an opening on the upper surface of the guide rail. The lock-off bracket engaging pieces, which are mounted on the sides of this opening along the rolling direction of the guide rails, are engaged with the lock-off lever. The locking mechanism for the seat slide device according to claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism is formed to have a shaped guide portion at least at a position aligned with the elastic lip.