JP5476453B2 - Power sliding device for vehicle seat - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a power slide device for a vehicle seat.

As a prior art of a power slide device for a vehicle seat, for example, there is one disclosed in Patent Document 1.
The power slide device disclosed in Patent Document 1 supports a pair of left and right lower rails 3 and 4 fixed to a vehicle floor surface, which extends in the front-rear direction and is inclined in such a manner that its front end portion is located above the rear end portion. A pair of left and right upper rails 5 and 6 slidable in the front-rear direction with respect to the lower rails 3 and 4 and female screws 11a and 12a (through female screw holes) extending in the front-rear direction and fixed to the left and right upper rails 5 and 6, respectively. The metal nut bodies 11 and 12 and the left and right upper rails 5 and 6 are respectively screwed into the female threads 11a and 12a of the nut bodies 11 and 12 provided so as not to be relatively movable in the front-rear direction and to be rotatable around its own axis. A pair of left and right metal lead screws 7, 8 having male screws 7b, 8b, and the left and right lead screws 7, 8 rotate through a gear mechanism. And it includes a seat motor 2, the imparting.
Accordingly, when the lead screws 7 and 8 are rotated by operating the seat motor 2, the nut bodies 11 and 12 integrated with the upper rails 5 and 6, respectively, move relative to the lower rails 3 and 4 in the axial direction thereof. To do. Therefore, the seat integrated with the upper rails 5 and 6 slides relative to the lower rails 3 and 4 forward or backward.

Further, in this power slide device, the shapes of the male screws 7b and 8b of the lead screws 7 and 8 and the female screws 11a and 12a of the nut bodies 11 and 12 are devised.
That is, in this power slide device, the front end portions of the lower rails 3 and 4 and the upper rails 5 and 6 are positioned above (inclined) from the rear end portions, and the seat motor 2 rotates according to the seat slide direction. The power cannot be adjusted. Therefore, when no special device is applied, the sliding speed when the seat slides rearward and downward is faster than the sliding speed when the seat slides forward and upward. Then, since a loud rubbing sound is generated when sliding rearward and downward from between the lead screws 7 and 8 and the nut bodies 11 and 12 when sliding forward and upward, the driver and passengers feel uncomfortable. It will be.
Therefore, in this power slide device, the flank angle α1 of the front flank 7b1 of the male screws 7b, 8b is made extremely smaller than the flank angle α2 of the rear flank 7b2, and the female screws 11a, 12a have a corresponding shape. Yes.
When the male screws 7b and 8b and the female screws 11a and 12a are formed in such a shape, the power transmission efficiency from the lead screws 7 and 8 to the nut bodies 11 and 12 when the seat slides rearward and downward is such that the seat is frontward and upward. Since the power transmission efficiency from the lead screws 7 and 8 to the nut bodies 11 and 12 when sliding toward the lower side is lower, the difference between the rearward downward sliding speed and the forward upward sliding speed is reduced. . Therefore, the difference between the level of the rubbing sound generated between the lead screws 7 and 8 and the nut bodies 11 and 12 when sliding rearward and downward and the level of the rubbing sound generated when sliding forward and upward is reduced.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-309963

Generally, the inclination angles of the lower rails 3 and 4 and the upper rails 5 and 6 differ depending on the vehicle type. However, when the inclination angles of the lower rails 3 and 4 and the upper rails 5 and 6 are changed, the lead screws 7 and 8 and the nut body 11 are changed. 12 must be changed to another one in which the inclination angles of the male screws 7b and 8b and the female screws 11a and 12a are different.
Therefore, in order to deal with a plurality of vehicle types, a plurality of types of lead screws 7 and 8 and nut bodies 11 and 12 must be prepared, resulting in an increase in manufacturing cost.

  An object of the present invention is that the frictional noise generated between two members that are in contact with each other while rotating relative to each other when the slide rail is inclined has the same magnitude when sliding backward and downward and when sliding forward and upward. Another object of the present invention is to provide a power slide device for a vehicle seat that can be adapted to a plurality of types of vehicles at low cost.

  A power slide device for a vehicle seat according to the present invention includes a lower rail, which is fixed to a floor surface in a vehicle, extends in the front-rear direction, and inclines in a mode in which a front end side is positioned higher than a rear end side, and a seat An upper rail that supports and is slidable in the longitudinal direction of the lower rail with respect to the lower rail, a nut member that is fixed to one of the lower rail and the upper rail, and has a female screw hole including a through hole, and the female screw hole of the nut member A screw rod that slides in the axial direction while rotating about its own axis parallel to the lower rail by the power of the driving means, and a pair of front and rear that move relative to the nut member together with the screw rod The pressing surface is opposed to the front and rear pressing surfaces that move together with the other of the lower rail and the upper rail. A pair of front and rear pressed surfaces that are pressed in the sliding direction of the screw rod from any of the pressing surfaces when the screw rod slides, and between the front pressing surface and the front pressed surface; and One of the pressing surfaces when the screw rod slides forward and the one pressed forward by the pressing surface between at least one of the rear pressing surface and the rear pressed surface. Friction force during forward movement, which is a friction force between pressed surfaces, and friction force during backward movement, which is a friction force between the other pressed surface and the other pressed surface when the screw rod slides backward Friction changing means is provided for reducing the difference between the frictional force during forward movement and the frictional force during backward movement by changing at least one of the above.

Since the front end side of the lower rail and the upper rail is located above the rear end side, the seat and the upper rail try to move backward (rear and lower) by their own weight. When the sheet slides forward, the frictional force generated between the rear pressing surface and the pressed surface is larger than the frictional force generated between the front pressing surface and the pressed surface when the seat slides backward.
However, if configured as in the first aspect of the invention, the difference in both frictional forces is reduced by the friction changing means.
Therefore, the level of rubbing sound generated between the rear pressing surface and the pressed surface when sliding forward and upward, and the level of rubbing sound generated between the front pressing surface and the pressed surface when sliding backward and downward. The difference in height is reduced.
And since it is not necessary to give a special process to a screw rod and a nut member, when applying to the power slide apparatus of a some vehicle type, it is not necessary to change a screw rod and a nut member. Therefore, it can respond to a plurality of types of vehicles at a low cost.

It is the disassembled perspective view seen from the front of the power slide apparatus of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a vertical side view of a right lower rail, an upper rail, and these peripheral members. It is an expansion vertical side view of a support bracket and its peripheral member. It is an expansion vertical side view similar to FIG. 3 of the modification of 1st Embodiment. It is the disassembled perspective view seen from the front of the principal part of the power slide apparatus of a reference example. It is a vertical side view of a left lower rail, an upper rail, and peripheral members thereof. It is an expansion perspective view of a buckling direction control member. It is a cross-sectional top view when a gear box is cut | disconnected along the plane in which the central axis of a worm wheel is located. It is a cross-sectional top view when a gear box is cut | disconnected along the plane in which the central axis of a worm is located. It is an expanded vertical side view of the principal part of a power slide apparatus when another vehicle backsits into the vehicle to which the power slide apparatus of the reference example is applied.

Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. In addition, the front-back direction and the left-right direction in the following description are based on the arrow direction described in the drawing.
A pair of a front bracket 11 and a rear bracket 12 are fixed side by side on a floor surface (not shown) in the vehicle, and lower rails 13 are respectively mounted on the upper surfaces of the left and right front brackets 11 and the rear bracket 12. The front end portion and the rear end portion of the lower surface are fixed by rivets R1 and rivets R2.
As shown in FIG. 1, the lower rail 13 is a metal channel material extending linearly in the front-rear direction, and the lower rail 13 has a front end portion located above the rear end portion with respect to the vehicle floor (horizontal plane). Inclined. Further, a horizontal upper piece 14 protrudes inward from the upper ends of the left and right side walls of the lower rail 13, and hanging pieces 15 protrude downward from opposite edges of the left and right upper pieces 14.
The left and right lower rails 13 are slidably fitted with a pair of left and right upper rails 17 which are metal channel members linearly extending in the front-rear direction. Like the lower rail 13, the left and right upper rails 17 have their front ends positioned above the rear end (inclined at the same angle as the lower rail 13 with respect to the horizontal plane). The upper rail 17 has a main body 18 having a U-shaped cross section and a upward fitting piece 19 that extends outward from the left and right sides of the main body 18 and then extends upward. The upper rail 17 has a left and right upward fitting piece 19 located in a space between the side wall of the lower rail 13 and the hanging piece 15, and a main body 18 located between the left and right hanging pieces 15 of the lower rail 13. Are slidably fitted to the corresponding lower rails 13. Further, a left seat bracket 20 and a right seat bracket 21 are fixed to the upper surfaces of the left and right upper rails 17 by a plurality of bolts B1 and nuts N1, respectively. The left side and the right side of the lower surface of the sheet are omitted.

  As shown in the drawing, a nut unit 25 is fixed to the front portion of the bottom portion of the left and right lower rails 13 by a pair of front and rear bolts B2. The nut unit 25 has a block shape, and a metal case 26 in which a pair of front and rear bolts B2 penetrating the bottom of the lower rail 13 are respectively screwed into a pair of front and rear female screw holes 31 formed on the lower surface of the nut unit 25; A resin nut 32 in which the inner peripheral surface is a female screw hole 34, which is outsert-molded (integrated) on the inner peripheral surface of a through hole having a substantially circular cross section that penetrates the case 26 in the front-rear direction. .

A horizontal fitting piece 38 of a metal support bracket 37 that is L-shaped in a side view is inserted in a front end portion of the main body portion 18 of the left and right upper rails 17 so as to be in contact with the ceiling surface of the main body portion 18. The horizontal width of the horizontal fitting piece 38 is equal to the distance between the opposing surfaces of the left and right side walls of the main body 18, and a projection 39 protruding from the upper surface of the horizontal fitting piece 38 is formed in the ceiling of the main body 18. Since it fits into the joint hole 22, the rotation (around the vertical axis) of the horizontal fitting piece 38 (support bracket 37) relative to the main body 18 (upper rail 17) is restricted.
Further, a metal load transmission member (pressed member) 45 is integrally provided on the horizontal fitting piece 38 of the support bracket 37. The load transmitting member 45 includes a threaded portion 46 extending upward, a horizontal abutting piece 47 connected to the lower end of the threaded portion 46, a lower side from the lower surface of the horizontal abutting piece 47, and both front and rear surfaces covered. And a downward projecting portion 48 constituting the pressing surfaces 48a, 48b. The lower projecting portion 48 is provided with a screw rod insertion hole 49 penetrating the lower projecting portion 48 in the front-rear direction. The threaded portion 46 of the load transmitting member 45 passes through the circular hole 23 formed in the ceiling portion of the main body 18 of the upper rail 17 and the through hole formed in the left seat bracket 20 from below to above. The contact piece 47 is in contact with the lower surface of the horizontal fitting piece 38. A nut N2 is screwed into a portion of the screw portion 46 of the left load transmitting member 45 protruding upward from the left seat bracket 20 and the nut N2 is in contact with the upper surface of the left seat bracket 20. Therefore, the left load transmission member 45 is integrated with the left support bracket 37, the left upper rail 17 and the left seat bracket 20. Further, a nut N2 is screwed into a portion of the screw portion 46 of the right load transmitting member 45 protruding above the right seat bracket 21 and the nut N2 is in contact with the upper surface of the right seat bracket 21. Therefore, the right load transmission member 45 is integrated with the right support bracket 37, the right upper rail 17, and the right seat bracket 21.

A metal gear box 50 is located immediately before the vertical piece 41 of the left and right support brackets 37. The gear box 50 has a through hole 51 concentric with the screw hole 42 formed in the vertical piece 41.
Further, immediately before the left and right gear boxes 50, metal connection brackets 60 are disposed such that the front surfaces of the left and right sides thereof are in contact with the front surfaces of the left and right gear boxes 50, respectively. The bolt B3 penetrating the left side of the connecting bracket 60 passes through the through hole 51 of the left gear box 50 and is screwed into the screw hole 42 of the vertical piece 41, whereby the left support bracket 37 (vertical piece 41), The left end of the left gear box 50 and the connecting bracket 60 are fixed to each other. On the other hand, the right end portion of the connecting bracket 60 has a channel shape, and the right end rear wall 61 and the right end front wall 62 are in contact with the front and rear surfaces of the right gear box 50 as shown in FIG. The rear surface of the rear wall 61 is in contact with the front surface of the vertical piece 41 of the right support bracket 37. And the bolt B3 which penetrates the through hole of the right end front wall 62, the through hole 51 of the right gear box 50, and the through hole of the right end rear wall 61 from the front is attached to the right support bracket 37 (vertical piece 41). By screwing into the screw holes 42, the right support bracket 37 (vertical piece 41), the right gear box 50, and the right end portions of the connection bracket 60 are fixed to each other. In this way, the connection bracket 60 connects the left and right gear boxes 50 and the upper rail 17 to each other.
The left and right gear boxes 50 include a worm wheel storage hole 52 that passes through each gear box 50 in the front-rear direction below the through-hole 51, and a worm that passes through each gear box 50 in the left-right direction above the worm wheel storage hole 52. A storage hole 53 is formed, and the worm wheel storage hole 52 and the worm storage hole 53 communicate with each other inside each gear box 50.

Inside the worm wheel storage holes 52 of the left and right gear boxes 50, a resin worm wheel 65 having an axis extending in the front-rear direction is stored so as to be rotatable around the axis and not slidable.
On the other hand, inside the worm storage hole 53, a resin worm 66 having an axis extending in the left-right direction is stored so as to be rotatable about the axis and not to be slidable relative to the axis. The worm wheel 65 and the worm 66 mesh with each other inside the gear box 50.
The left end of the flexible shaft FS1 made of a flexible metal material is coaxially fixed to the worm 66 housed in the left gear box 50, and the worm 66 housed in the right gear box 50 is the same as the flexible shaft FS1. The right end portion of the flexible shaft FS2 made of a metal material and longer than the flexible shaft FS1 is coaxially fixed. The right end portion of the flexible shaft FS1 and the left end portion of the flexible shaft FS2 are coaxially inserted into a motor (driving means) 70 fixed to the connection bracket 60, and the left and right sides built in the motor 70 inside the motor 70. It is coaxially fixed to an output rotating shaft (not shown) that rotates around the direction axis. Further, around the flexible shaft FS2, a pipe-shaped cover member 67 made of a flexible material having its left end fixed to the right end surface of the motor 70 and its right end fixed to the left side of the right gear box 50 is provided. positioned.
The worm wheels 65 incorporated in the left and right gear boxes 50 are recessed portions with serration grooves formed by arranging a large number of serration grooves extending in the front-rear direction on the peripheral surface of the worm wheels 65 from the rear surface to the front. 68 is formed.

A metal screw rod 75 extending in the front-rear direction and having a circular cross section is inserted into the female screw hole 34 of the resin nut 32 fixed to the left and right lower rails 13. The rear end bearing portion 76 that forms the rear end portion of the screw rod 75, the small-diameter male screw portion 77 that forms the vicinity of the front end portion of the screw rod 75, and the front end serration portion 78 that forms the front end portion of the screw rod 75 are compared to the other portions. Small diameter. A portion located between the rear end bearing portion 76 and the small diameter male screw portion 77 is a male screw portion 79 for screwing into the female screw hole 34 of the resin nut 32, and between the small diameter male screw portion 77 and the front end serration portion 78. The portion located is an intermediate large-diameter male screw portion 80 that penetrates the screw rod insertion hole 49 of the load transmission member 45 so as to be relatively rotatable.
The front end serrations 78 of the left and right screw rods 75 are inserted into the recesses 68 with serration grooves of the left and right worm wheels 65, and the serration grooves formed side by side in the circumferential direction on the peripheral surface of the front end serrations 78 have corresponding serration grooves. The serration groove is engaged with the serration groove of the recess 68. That is, the front end portions of the left and right screw rods 75 are supported by the left and right recessed portions 68 with serration grooves so that they cannot be rotated relative to each other and can be slid relative to each other. On the other hand, the rear end bearing portions 76 of the left and right screw rods 75 are supported so as to be relatively rotatable and relatively slidable by a bearing recess 86 of a rear end bearing member 85 fixed to the rear end portions of the left and right upper rails 17.

As shown in the drawing, a metal nut (pressing member) N3 and a nut (pressing member) N4 are screwed into the middle large-diameter male screw portion 80 of the left and right screw rods 75 so as to sandwich the load transmitting member 45 from the front and rear. It is. The nut N3 and the nut N4 are fixed to the intermediate large-diameter male screw portion 80 by caulking, and the rear surface of the nut N3 and the front surface of the nut N4 constitute pressing surfaces N3a and N4a, respectively.
Further, the intermediate large-diameter male screw portion 80 includes a metal washer (friction changing means) (first washer) W1 positioned between the downward projecting portion 48 of the load transmitting member 45 and the nut N4, a downward projecting portion 48, and A metal washer (second washer) W2 located between the nuts N3 is mounted. The front shapes of the washer W1 and the washer W2 are both substantially circular, and the washer W1 has a larger diameter than the washer W2, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, both front and rear surfaces of the washer W1 are in contact with the front surface of the nut N4 and the rear surface of the downward projecting portion 48 so as to be rotatable, and both front and rear surfaces of the washer W2 are rear surfaces of the nut N3 and the front surface of the lower projecting portion 48. Therefore, the relative sliding of the load transmitting member 45 with respect to the screw rod 75 is restricted. That is, the nut N3, the nut N4, the washer W1, and the washer W2 sandwich the load transmitting member 45 from the front and the back, so that the screw rod 75 and the upper rail 17 move together in the front and rear direction.
Further, a nut NS positioned behind the nut unit 25 is screwed into the nut screwing male screw portion 79 of the left and right screw rods 75, and the nut NS is fixed to the nut screwing male screw portion 79 by caulking the nut NS. doing.

The operation of the power slide device 10 configured as described above is as follows.
In a vehicle interior (for example, a side surface of a seat to be slid), a slide switch (movable from an OFF position (neutral position) to a first ON position (forward slide position) and a second ON position (rear slide position)) For example, when the slide switch is moved from the OFF position to the first ON position side, a current flows from a battery (not shown) to the motor 70 and the motor 70 rotates in the normal direction. Then, the flexible shaft FS1 and the flexible shaft FS2 integrated with the rotation output shaft of the motor 70 rotate in the clockwise direction in FIG. Then, the worm 66 rotates in the same direction in the left and right gear boxes 50, and the worm wheel 65 and the screw rod 75 meshing with the worm 66 rotate counterclockwise as viewed from the front. When the screw rod 75 rotates in this manner, the screw rod 75 moves forward while rotating with respect to the nut unit 25 (resin nut 32), so that the nut N4 integrated with the screw rod 75 is passed through the washer W1. By pressing the load transmitting member 45 (downward projecting portion 48) forward, the left and right upper rails 17 and the seat move forward with respect to the left and right lower rails 13 (vehicle floor). The upper rail 17 and the seat can slide forward with respect to the lower rail 13 until the nut NS comes into contact with the rear end surface of the metal case 26. If the slide switch is returned from the first ON position to the OFF position, the supply of current from the battery to the motor 70 is interrupted, so the sliding operation of the upper rail 17 and the seat stops.
On the other hand, when the slide switch is moved to the second ON position side, a current flows from the battery to the motor 70 and the motor 70 reverses, so that the worm wheel 65 and the screw rod 75 rotate clockwise as viewed from the front. Then, the screw rod 75 moves rearward while rotating with respect to the nut unit 25 (resin nut 32), so that the nut N3 integrated with the screw rod 75 is connected to the load transmission member 45 (protruding downward) via the washer W2. By pressing the portion 48) rearward, the left and right upper rails 17 and the seat move rearward with respect to the left and right lower rails 13 (vehicle floor surface). The upper rail 17 and the seat can slide rearward with respect to the lower rail 13 until the nut N4 contacts the front surface of the metal case 26. If the slide switch is returned from the second ON position to the OFF position, the supply of current from the battery to the motor 70 is interrupted, and the upper rail 17 and the seat slide operation are stopped.

The power slide device 10 of the present embodiment described above has the following advantages.
That is, in this embodiment, the front end portions of the lower rail 13 and the upper rail 17 are positioned above the rear end portion in order to improve the passenger's comfort, so the seat and the upper rail 17 are always rearward and lower due to their own weight. The force to move the slide is applied. Therefore, if the lower protrusion 48 is directly sandwiched between the nut N3 and the nut N4 without the washer W1 and the washer W2 interposed, when the seat slides forward, between the nut N4 and the rear surface of the lower protrusion 48. The generated frictional force is greater than the frictional force generated between the nut N3 and the front surface of the downward protrusion 48 when the seat slides backward, and as a result, the nut N4 and the downward protrusion 48 when the seat slides forward. When the seat slides backward, the sliding noise generated between the rear surfaces becomes larger than the sliding noise generated between the nut N3 and the front surface of the downward projecting portion 48.
However, by making the washer W1 inserted between the nut N4 and the rear surface of the downward projecting portion 48 larger than the washer W2 inserted between the nut N3 and the front surface of the downward projecting portion 48 as in the present embodiment, the washer W1 When the contact area between the nut N4 and the lower protrusion 48 is larger than the contact area between the nut N3 and the lower protrusion 48 of the washer W2, the space between the rear surface of the lower protrusion 48 and the nut N4 that occurs when the seat slides forward. Friction force between the nut N3 and the front surface of the downward projecting portion 48 (front friction force, friction force during rearward movement) generated when the seat slides backward. The frictional force between the rear surface of the downward projecting portion 48 and the nut N4 generated when the seat slides forward and the seat slides backward. Frictional force between the front surface of the nut N3 and lower projection 48, which occurs when the (almost) the same size (or the difference between the frictional force is reduced).
Therefore, the magnitude of the rubbing sound generated between the nut N4 and the rear surface of the lower protrusion 48 when sliding forward and upward, and the rubbing sound generated between the nut N3 and the front surface of the lower protrusion 48 when sliding rearward and downward. The size of the vehicle is (almost) the same (or the difference in size is small), so that the driver and passengers do not feel uncomfortable.
In addition, since the washer W2 is mounted as well as the washer W1, not only the sliding noise between the nut N4 and the downward projecting portion 48 is reduced when sliding forward and upward, but also when sliding backward and downward. The sliding noise between the nut N3 and the downward projecting portion 48 is also reduced. Therefore, the driver and passengers are less likely to feel discomfort.

In addition, since the entire inner peripheral surface of the through hole 27 of the metal case 26 is covered with the resin nut 32, it can be seen from between the screw rod 75 and the resin nut 32 when the sheet slides forward or backward. No rubbing sound is generated.
Furthermore, since the inclination angles of the lower rail 13 and the upper rail 17 differ depending on the vehicle type, it is necessary to change the shape of the washer W1 and the washer W2 depending on the vehicle type, but it is not necessary to perform any processing on the nut unit 25 and the screw rod 75. . Therefore, when the power slide device 10 of this embodiment is applied to a plurality of vehicle types, it is not necessary to change the design of the nut unit 25 and the screw rod 75 (the manufacturing cost is higher than that of the washer W1 and the washer W2). Therefore, the power slide apparatus 10 of this embodiment can respond to a plurality of types of vehicles at a low cost.

FIG. 4 shows a modification of the present embodiment.
The integrated washer (friction changing means) W3 of this modified example includes a large-diameter washer portion W3a corresponding to the washer W1 and a small-diameter washer portion W3b (smaller diameter than the large-diameter washer portion W3a) corresponding to the washer W2. The large-diameter washer portion W3a and the washer W2 are integrated by connecting with each other.
Further, in this modification, a resin collar member 90 is rotatably provided between the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical connecting portion W3c and the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate large-diameter male screw portion 80.
Even in such a modified example, the magnitude of the rubbing sound generated between the nut N4 and the rear surface of the downward projecting portion 48 when sliding forward and upward and the space between the nut N3 and the front surface of the downward projecting portion 48 when sliding rearward and downward. It is possible to make the level of the rubbing sound generated from (similarly) the same (or reduce the difference in magnitude).

Next, a reference example will be described with reference to FIGS. The same members as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.
The connection bracket 105 of the power slide device 100 of the present reference example has a vertical piece 106 at both left and right end portions and a horizontal piece 107 extending horizontally from the upper end of the vertical piece 106. A motor 70 is screwed to the left vertical piece 106. Furthermore, cylindrical protrusions 108 that are open at both ends project from the outer surfaces of the left and right vertical pieces 106, and the flexible shaft FS1 and the flexible shaft FS2 penetrate the left and right cylindrical protrusions 108, respectively. Further, the left and right horizontal pieces 107 are formed with notches 109 and circular through holes 110.
Metal support brackets 112 are positioned below the left and right horizontal pieces 107 of the connection bracket 105, respectively. Each of the left and right support brackets 112 includes a vertical piece 113, a horizontal piece 114 extending forward from the upper end of the vertical piece 113, and a pair of side hanging pieces 115 hanging downward from both side portions of the horizontal piece 114. Have. With the horizontal piece 114 in contact with the lower surface of the horizontal piece 107 of the connecting bracket 105, the bolt B4 is passed through the through hole (not shown) of the horizontal piece 114 and the notch 109 of the horizontal piece 107, and further positioned above the horizontal piece 107. The nut N5 to be screwed is screwed into the bolt B4. Further, the left and right support brackets 112 are connected to the left and right horizontal pieces 107 of the connecting bracket 105 by fitting the fitting protrusions 116 protruding from the upper surface of the horizontal piece 114 into the circular through holes 110 formed in the horizontal piece 107. Each is fixed.
A metal gear box 117 is located immediately before the support bracket 112 (just below the horizontal piece 114). The gear box 117 has a worm wheel storage hole 52. Further, a worm storage recess 118 linearly extending to the left is provided in the right side of the left gear box 117, and a worm storage recess 118 (linearly extending to the right is provided on the left side of the right gear box 117. (Not shown) is recessed. In the worm wheel storage hole 52 and the worm storage recess 118, the worm wheel 65 and the worm 66 are stored such that they can rotate relative to each other but cannot slide relative to each other.
As shown in FIG. 8, a rotation support shaft 65 a and a rotation support shaft 65 b that are coaxial with each other and project substantially in the shape of a column projecting from the front and rear of the worm wheel 65 are rotatably supported in the recesses of the gear box 117. . Further, the front end surface of the worm wheel 65 faces the front inner wall surface 117a of the gear box 117, and the rear end surface of the worm wheel 65 is in contact with the rear inner wall surface 117b of the gear box 117 so as to be rotatable. Furthermore, a washer (friction changing means) W4 that rotatably contacts the front end surface of the worm wheel 65 and the front inner wall surface 117a is attached to the base end portion of the rotation support shaft 65a.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9, the first rotating shaft 66c and the second rotating shaft 66d, which are smaller than the worm 66 protruding coaxially on both the left and right side surfaces of the worm 66, are recessed in the gear box 117. The recess 117c and the second bearing recess 117d are rotatably supported. As shown in the drawing, the end surface and outer peripheral surface of the first rotating shaft 66c are in contact with the end surface and inner peripheral surface of the first bearing recess 117c, and the end surface and outer peripheral surface of the second rotating shaft 66d are in contact with the second bearing recess 117d. It is in contact with the end surface and the inner peripheral surface.

Then, a connecting pin P extending in the left-right direction with both ends fixed to the pair of left and right side hanging pieces 115 of the left and right support brackets 112 is a rear end portion of the gear box 117 positioned between the left and right side hanging pieces 115. And the left and right gear boxes 117 are supported by the left and right support brackets 112, respectively. Further, the left end portion of the flexible shaft FS1 and the right end portion of the flexible shaft FS2 are coaxially fixed to the worm 66 housed in the gear box 117, respectively.
The worm wheel 65 housed in the left and right gear boxes 117 is integrally formed (insert molding) with a metal screw rod 120 having a circular cross section. The worm wheel 65 is integrated with the front end portion 121 of the screw rod 120. Yes. A portion of the screw rod 120 located behind the front end portion 121 is a male screw portion 122 for nut screwing having a larger diameter than the front end portion 121. Further, the rear end portion of the screw rod 120 not shown is a rear end bearing portion having a smaller diameter than the male thread portion 122 for screwing the nut, which is rotatably supported by the bearing recess 86 of the rear end bearing member 85. .
Furthermore, a pair of front and rear nuts N6 and N7 are screwed together in the front end portion and the vicinity of the front end portion of the male screw portion 122 for screwing the nut of the screw rod 120. The nut N6 and the nut N7 are fixed to the nut screwing male screw portion 122 by caulking. Further, a nut NS positioned behind the nut unit 135 is fixed to the male screw portion 122 for screwing the nut.
Further, a front end portion of a metal buckling direction regulating member 125 is fixed to the vertical piece 113 of the support bracket 112. The buckling direction restricting member 125 extends from the rear end of the bottom plate portion 126 to the front obliquely upward from the rear end of the bottom plate portion 126 and the front from the upper end of the inclined rear wall portion 127. And a ceiling portion 128. A screw rod insertion hole 129 through which the screw rod 120 passes is formed in the inclined rear wall portion 127, and a bolt insertion notch 130 is formed in the right edge portion of the ceiling portion 128.
And the through-hole which formed the volt | bolt B5 which penetrates the notch 130 for bolt insertion of the left side buckling direction control member 125 toward upper direction from the downward | lower direction in the circular hole 23 of the left and right upper rails 17 and the baseplate part of the bracket 20 for left seats. The left buckling direction regulating member 125, the left upper rail 17 and the left seat bracket 20 are connected to each other by screwing a nut N8 located above the bottom plate portion of the left seat bracket 20 into the bolt B5. It is fixed. Similarly, the right buckling direction regulating member 125, the right upper rail 17 and the right seat bracket 21 (not shown) are fixed to each other by the bolt B5.
Thus, the front-rear length of the buckling direction regulating member 125 integrated with the upper rail 17 (the front-rear length of the bottom plate portion 126) is shorter than the front-rear distance between the nut N6 and the nut N7 as shown in FIG.

The nut unit 135 fixed to the bottom surface of the lower rail 13 is composed of a block-shaped metal case 136 and a resin nut 140.
A through hole 137 having a substantially circular cross section that penetrates the metal case 136 in the front-rear direction is formed in the upper part of the metal case 136. The resin nut 140 is a cylindrical member integrally formed on the front half of the through hole 137 of the metal case 136 by outsert molding. The inner peripheral surface of the resin nut 140 is formed by the male screw portion 122 for screwing the nut of the screw rod 120. A female screw hole 141 to be screwed is formed.
The nut unit 135 having such a structure is fixed to the bottom surface of the lower rail 13 by screwing a pair of front and rear bolts B2 penetrating through a hole formed in the bottom surface of the lower rail 13 into the female screw hole 31 of the metal case 136. .

The operation of the power slide device 100 configured as described above is as follows.
For example, when the slide switch located at the OFF position is moved to the first ON position (forward slide position), a current flows from the battery to the motor 70 and the motor 70 rotates in the forward direction. Therefore, the power of the first embodiment Similar to the slide device 10, the rotational force of the motor 70 is transmitted from the flexible shaft FS1 and the flexible shaft FS2 to the screw rod 120 via the worm 66 and the worm wheel 65, and the screw rod 120 rotates counterclockwise as viewed from the front. When the screw rod 120 rotates, the screw rod 120 moves forward with respect to the nut unit 135 and the lower rail 13, and the worm wheel 65, gear box 117, support bracket 112, buckling direction regulating member 125, and upper rail 17 are screw rod 120. Slide forward with. The upper rail 17 and the seat of this reference example are slidable forward with respect to the lower rail 13 until the nut NS comes into contact with the rear end surface of the metal case 136.
On the other hand, when the slide switch is moved to the second ON position side, a current flows from the battery to the motor 70 and the motor 70 reverses, so that the worm wheel 65 and the screw rod 120 rotate clockwise as viewed from the front. Then, the screw rod 120 moves backward while rotating with respect to the metal case 136 and the resin nut 140, and the worm wheel 65, the gear box 117, the support bracket 112, the buckling direction regulating member 125, and the upper rail 17 are screwed. Slide backward with rod 120. The upper rail 17 and the seat of the present reference example can slide rearward with respect to the lower rail 13 until the nut N7 contacts the front surface of the metal case 136.

The power slide device 100 of the reference example described above has the following advantages.
That is, when the seat slides backward, the gear box 117 slides backward with respect to the nut unit 135 together with the screw rod 120, so that the rear inner wall surface 117b of the gear box 117 and the rear end face of the worm wheel 65 are separated. Force is generated between them. On the other hand, since the gear box 117 slides forward together with the screw rod 120 when the seat slides forward, a force is generated between the front inner wall surface 117a of the gear box 117 and the front end face of the worm wheel 65.
Since the front end portions of the lower rail 13 and the upper rail 17 are located above the rear end portion, the gear box 117 integrated with the upper rail 17 is always subjected to a force to slide rearward and downward with respect to the lower rail 13. Yes. For this reason, if the washer W4 is not interposed, the frictional force generated between the front surface of the worm wheel 65 and the front inner wall surface 117a when the seat slides forward causes the rear and rear surfaces of the worm wheel 65 when the seat slides backward. When the seat slides backward as a result, the frictional force generated between the side inner wall surface 117b becomes larger and, as a result, the sliding sound generated between the front surface of the worm wheel 65 and the front inner wall surface 117a when the seat slides forward. In addition, the sliding noise generated between the rear surface of the worm wheel 65 and the rear inner wall surface 117b becomes larger.
However, when the washer W4 is inserted between the front surface of the worm wheel 65 and the front inner wall surface 117a as in this reference example, the frictional force between the front surface of the worm wheel 65 and the front inner wall surface 117a when the seat slides forward. Since (front friction force) is reduced, this front friction force is a friction force (rear friction force) between the rear surface of the worm wheel 65 and the rear inner wall surface 117b when the seat slides backward (approximately ) It becomes the same size (or the difference in frictional force becomes smaller).
For this reason, the level of rubbing noise generated between the front surface of the worm wheel 65 and the front inner wall surface 117a when sliding forward and upward, and between the rear surface of the worm wheel 65 and the rear inner wall surface 117b when sliding backward and downward. Since the level of the rubbing sound is almost the same (or the difference in magnitude is small), the driver and passengers do not feel uncomfortable.

Further, the same device is applied to the worm 66.
That is, when the seat slides backward, the worm 66 meshing with the worm wheel 65 receives a reaction force from the worm wheel 65 in the direction of arrow F1 (inner side of the vehicle) in FIG. A force is applied to the bearing recess 117d. On the other hand, when the seat slides forward, the worm 66 receives a reaction force from the worm wheel 65 in the direction of arrow F2 in FIG. 9 (the vehicle outer side), so that a force is applied from the first rotation shaft 66c to the first bearing recess 117c. Since the seat always has a force to slide backward and downward, the reaction force that the worm 66 receives from the worm wheel 65 when the seat is slid forward is when the seat is slid backward. The reaction force that the worm 66 receives from the worm wheel 65 becomes larger. Therefore, when the seat slides forward, the force from the first rotation shaft 66c to the first bearing recess 117c is larger than the force from the second rotation shaft 66d to the second bearing recess 117d when the seat slides backward. Become.
Therefore, if the contact area of the first rotation shaft 66c and the first bearing recess 117c is the same as the contact area of the second rotation shaft 66d and the second bearing recess 117d, the first rotation shaft 66c when the seat slides forward. And the first bearing recess 117c are larger than the friction force generated between the second rotating shaft 66d and the second bearing recess 117d when the seat slides backward, so that the seat moves forward. The sliding noise generated between the first rotating shaft 66c and the first bearing recess 117c when sliding is caused by the sliding noise generated between the second rotating shaft 66d and the second bearing recess 117d when the sheet slides backward. It gets bigger.
However, if the contact area between the first rotation shaft 66c and the first bearing recess 117c is larger than the contact area between the second rotation shaft 66d and the second bearing recess 117d as in the present reference example, the first sliding shaft slides forward. The frictional force between the first rotation shaft 66c and the first bearing recess 117c is obtained when the contact area between the first rotation shaft 66c and the first bearing recess 117c is the same as the contact area between the second rotation shaft 66d and the second bearing recess 117d. It is reduced compared. Therefore, the frictional force between the first rotation shaft 66c and the first bearing recess 117c when the seat slides forward is the friction between the second rotation shaft 66d and the second bearing recess 117d when the seat slides backward. It becomes (almost) the same magnitude as the force (or the difference in frictional force is small).
Accordingly, the amount of rubbing sound generated between the first rotating shaft 66c and the first bearing recess 117c when sliding forward and upward is determined between the second rotating shaft 66d and the second bearing recess 117d when sliding rearward and downward. Since the magnitude of the generated rubbing sound is (almost) the same (or the difference in magnitude is small), the driver and passengers do not feel uncomfortable.

  Further, in this reference example, since it is not necessary to perform any processing on the nut unit 25 and the screw rod 75, when the power slide device 100 of this reference example is applied to a plurality of vehicle types, (worm wheel 65, worm 66). There is no need to change the design of the nut unit 25 and the screw rod 75 (the manufacturing cost is higher than that of the gear box 117). Therefore, the power slide device 100 of the present reference example can cope with a plurality of types of vehicles at a low cost.

In addition, the power slide device 100 of the present reference example exhibits a special function described below when another vehicle collides with the rear portion of the vehicle on which the power slide device 100 is mounted from behind.
That is, when the motor 70 is stopped and the nut N7 is sufficiently far away from the nut unit 135 and another vehicle collides from the rear (rear impact) with the power slide device 100 mounted, the impact causes the seat and the left and right The upper rail 17 generates a force to slide backward with respect to the left and right lower rails 13. Then, since the connecting pin P rotates in the clockwise direction of FIG. 6 with respect to the gear box 117 and the left and right side hanging pieces 115 are deformed, the right and left buckling direction regulating members integrated with the left and right upper rails 17 are formed. 125 slides backward with respect to the screw rod 120, and the inclined rear wall portion 127 of the left and right buckling direction regulating members 125 collides with the left and right nuts N7 integrated with the left and right screw rods 120.
As shown in FIG. 10, the rearward and upward force F applied to the nut N7 from the inclined rear wall 127 of the buckling direction regulating member 125 at this time is the first partial load that is the axially rearward compressive load of the screw rod 120. Since the force F3 and the upward second component force F4 are included, when the first component force F3 exceeds the buckling load of the screw rod 120, the screw rod 120 is moved upward by the action of the second component force F4. Buckling. When the screw rod 120 buckles upward as described above, the screw rod 120 comes into contact with the lower surface of the main body portion 18 of the upper rail 17, and further buckling of the screw rod 120 is regulated by the contact. In this reference example, the distance from the upper surface of the screw rod 120 to the lower surface of the main body 18 is short (shorter than the distance from the lower surface of the screw rod 120 to the bottom surface of the lower rail 13). It is possible to keep the amount of buckling of the material small.

As described above, the present invention has been described using the first embodiment and the reference example, but the present invention can also be implemented in modes other than the first embodiment and the reference example.
For example, in the reference example, a washer having a smaller diameter than the washer W4 is attached to the rotation support shaft 65b so as to be rotatable in contact with the rear surface and the rear inner wall surface 117b of the worm wheel 65, and the worm wheel 65 is slid when sliding forward and upward. The level of the rubbing sound generated between the front surface of the worm wheel and the front inner wall surface 117a and the level of the rubbing sound generated between the rear surface of the worm wheel 65 and the rear inner wall surface 117b when sliding rearward and downward are substantially the same. The rubbing noise generated between the rear surface of the worm wheel 65 and the rear inner wall surface 117b when sliding rearward and downward may be reduced.
Further, in the first embodiment, the washer W2 is omitted, and the size of the rubbing sound generated between the nut N4 and the rear surface of the lower protrusion 48 when sliding forward and upward and the nut N3 when sliding backward and downward are omitted. The size of the rubbing sound generated between the front surfaces of the downward projecting portion 48 may be (substantially) the same (or the difference in size is small).
Further, in the reference example, the first rotating shaft 66c is rotatably contacted with the opposing surface (inner wall surface) between the end surface (first end surface) of the worm 66 on the first rotating shaft 66c side and the first end surface of the worm storage recess 118. A washer may be inserted. Alternatively, the first rotating shaft 66c is inserted with a first washer that is rotatably contacted with an opposing surface (inner wall surface) of the first end surface of the worm 66 and the first end surface of the worm storage recess 118, and the second rotation. The shaft 66d has a smaller diameter than the first washer that is rotatably contacted with the opposite surface (inner wall surface) of the end surface (second end surface) of the worm 66 on the second rotating shaft 66d side and the second end surface of the worm storage recess 118. Two washers may be inserted. Further, when the washer is provided in this way, the contact area between the first rotation shaft 66c and the first bearing recess 117c may be the same as the contact area between the second rotation shaft 66d and the second bearing recess 117d.

Further, instead of omitting the washer W1 and the washer W2 in the first embodiment, at least one of the opposing surfaces of the nut N4 and the downward projecting portion 48 has a function of reducing the frictional resistance similarly to the washer W1 and the washer W2. Friction processing (for example, fluorine processing) may be performed. Further, at least one of the opposing surfaces of the nut N4 and the downward projecting portion 48 is subjected to the first low friction processing, and at least one of the opposing surfaces of the nut N3 and the downward projecting portion 48 has an area larger than that of the first low friction processing. A second low-friction process with a small size may be applied.
Further, instead of omitting the washer W4 in the reference example, low friction processing may be performed on at least one of the opposing surfaces of the worm wheel 65 and the front inner wall surface 117a. Further, at least one of the opposing surfaces of the worm wheel 65 and the front inner wall surface 117a is subjected to the first low friction processing, and at least one of the opposing surfaces of the worm wheel 65 and the rear inner wall surface 117b is subjected to the first low friction. You may give the 2nd low friction process whose area is smaller than a process.
In the reference example, low friction processing may be performed on at least one of the opposing surfaces (inner wall surfaces) of the first end surface of the worm 66 and the first end surface of the worm storage recess 118. Alternatively, at least one of the opposing surfaces (inner wall surfaces) of the first end surface of the worm 66 and the first end surface of the worm storage recess 118 is subjected to a first low-friction process, and the second end surface of the worm 66 and the worm storage recess 118 A second low-friction process having a smaller area than that of the first low-friction process may be applied to at least one of the opposed surface (inner wall surface) to the second end surface. Furthermore, when performing low friction processing in this way, the contact area between the first rotating shaft 66c and the first bearing recess 117c may be the same as the contact area between the second rotating shaft 66d and the second bearing recess 117d.

Further, the washer W4 of the reference example is applied to the storage portion of the worm wheel 65 in the gear box 50 of the first embodiment, or low friction processing is applied to the inner surface of the storage portion of the gear box 50 and the opposing surface of the worm wheel 65. It may be carried out.
Furthermore, the gear box 50 of the first embodiment is provided with a worm 66 having recesses corresponding to the first bearing recess 117c and the second bearing recess 117d, and having the first rotation shaft 66c and the second rotation shaft 66d. The first bearing recess 117c and the second bearing recess 117d may be rotatably supported.

Further, in the embodiment (reference example) and the modified example, the frictional force between the rear surface of the lower protruding portion 48 and the nut N4, the front surface of the worm wheel 65, and the front inner wall surface is achieved by a washer or low friction processing which is a friction reducing means. The frictional force between the first end surface of the worm 66 and the opposing surface of the first end surface of the worm storage recess 118 is reduced.
However, the frictional force between the front surface of the lower protrusion 48 and the nut N3, the frictional force between the rear surface of the worm wheel 65 and the rear inner wall surface 117b, and the second end surface of the worm 66 and the second end surface of the worm storage recess 118 By providing the friction increasing means (friction changing means) for increasing the frictional force between the opposing surfaces of these, the frictional force, the frictional force between the rear surface of the lower protrusion 48 and the nut N4, and the front surface of the worm wheel 65 are provided. The difference between the frictional force between the front end inner wall surface 117a and the frictional force between the first end surface of the worm 66 and the opposing surface of the first end surface of the worm storage recess 118 is (substantially) equal, or The difference may be reduced. Such friction increasing means includes, for example, at least one of the front surface of the lower protrusion 48 and the rear surface of the nut N3, at least one between the rear surface of the worm wheel 65 and the rear inner wall surface 117b, and the second end surface of the worm 66. This can be realized by a rough surface that is provided on at least one of the surfaces facing the second end surface of the worm storage recess 118 and rotatably contacts the facing surface.
Further, the frictional force between the front surface of the lower protrusion 48 and the nut N3, the frictional force between the rear surface of the worm wheel 65 and the rear inner wall surface 117b, and the second end surface of the worm 66 and the second end surface of the worm storage recess 118 And the friction force between the rear surface of the downward projecting portion 48 and the nut N4, between the front surface of the worm wheel 65 and the front inner wall surface 117a. And the frictional force between the first end surface of the worm 66 and the opposing surface of the first end surface of the worm storage recess 118 is increased by a second friction increasing means in a smaller range than the first friction increasing means. Thus, the difference between the two frictional forces may be (almost) the same magnitude, or the difference may be reduced.

  Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the nut unit 25 may be provided on the upper rail 17 side, and the load transmission member 45, the gear box 50, and the screw rod 75 may be provided on the lower rail 13 side.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Power slide apparatus 11 Front bracket 12 Rear bracket 13 Lower rail 14 Upper piece 15 Hanging piece 17 Upper rail 18 Main body part 19 Upward fitting piece 20 Left seat bracket 21 Right seat bracket 22 Fitting hole 23 Circular hole 25 Nut unit 26 Metal case 27 Through-hole 31 Female screw hole 32 Resin nut 34 Female screw hole 37 Support bracket 38 Horizontal fitting piece 39 Projection 41 Vertical piece 42 Screw hole 45 Load transmitting member (member to be pressed)
46 Screw part 47 Horizontal contact piece 48 Lower protrusion part 49 Screw rod insertion hole 50 Gear box 51 Through hole 52 Warm wheel storage hole 53 Warm storage hole 60 Connecting bracket 61 Right end front wall 62 Left end rear wall 65 Warm wheel 65a 65b Rotation support shaft 66 Worm 66c First rotation shaft 66d Second rotation shaft 67 Pipe-shaped cover member 68 Recess 70 with serration groove Motor (driving means)
75 Screw rod 76 Rear end bearing portion 77 Small-diameter male screw portion 78 Front end serration portion 79 Male screw portion 80 for nut screwing Intermediate large-diameter male screw portion 85 Rear end bearing member 86 Bearing concave portion 90 Color member 100 Power slide device 105 Connection bracket 106 Vertical piece 107 horizontal piece 108 cylindrical protrusion 109 notch 110 circular through hole 112 support bracket 113 vertical piece 114 horizontal piece 115 side hanging piece 116 fitting protrusion 117 gear box 117a front inner wall surface 117b rear inner wall surface 117c first bearing recess 117d 2nd bearing recessed part 118 Worm accommodation recessed part 120 Screw rod 121 Front end part 122 Male screw part 125 for screwing nut Buckling direction regulating member 126 Bottom plate part 127 Inclined rear wall part 128 Ceiling part 129 Screw rod insertion hole 130 Bolt insertion notch 135 N Unit 136 metal case 137 through hole 140 resin nut 141 female screw hole B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 bolt FS1 FS2 flexible shaft N1 N2 N5 N6 N7 N8 NS nut N3 N4 nut (pressing member)
P connecting pin R1 R2 rivet W1 washer (friction changing means) (first washer)
W2 washer (second washer)
W4 washer (friction changing means)
W3 integrated washer (friction changing means)
W3a Large diameter washer part W3b Small diameter washer part W3c Cylindrical connecting part

Claims (1)

A lower rail that is fixed to a floor surface in the vehicle and that extends in the front-rear direction and inclines in a manner in which the front end side is located above the rear end side;
An upper rail that supports the seat and is slidable in the longitudinal direction of the lower rail with respect to the lower rail;
A nut member having a female screw hole made of a through hole, fixed to one of the lower rail and the upper rail;
A screw rod that is screwed into the female screw hole of the nut member and slides in the axial direction while rotating around its own axis parallel to the lower rail by the power of the driving means;
A pair of front and rear pressing surfaces that move relative to the nut member together with the screw rod;
A pair of front and rear covers that are moved together with the other of the lower rail and the upper rail to face the front and rear pressing surfaces and are pressed in the sliding direction of the screw rod from any of the pressing surfaces when the screw rod slides. A pressing surface;
With
When the screw rod slides forward between at least one of the front-side pressing surface and the front-side pressed surface and between the rear-side pressing surface and the rear-side pressed surface. Friction force during forward movement, which is a friction force between the pressing surface and one of the pressed surfaces pressed forward by the pressing surface, and the other pressing surface and the other when the screw rod slides backward Friction changing means is provided to reduce the difference between the frictional force during forward movement and the frictional force during backward movement by changing at least one of the frictional force during backward movement, which is a frictional force between the pressed surfaces. A vehicle seat power slide device.

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