WO2014024779A1

WO2014024779A1 - Seat slide device for vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2014024779A1
Application number: PCT/JP2013/070930
Authority: WO
Inventors: 基裕小久保; 賢志増田; 恒雄仰木; 大智曽我本
Original assignee: アイシン精機株式会社
Priority date: 2012-08-09
Filing date: 2013-08-01
Publication date: 2014-02-13
Also published as: IN2015DN00834A; BR112015001403B1; BR112015001403A2; CN104507742B; CN104507742A

Abstract

A seat slide device for a vehicle is provided with a lower rail, an upper rail, and a lock mechanism which is capable of restricting the relative movement of the upper rail. The upper rail has a pair of side wall sections facing each other in the widthwise direction. The lock mechanism is provided with a lock lever having a pivot axis intersecting both the side wall sections and supported by the upper rail so as to be capable of swinging. Either the lock lever or the upper rail is provided with a deformation prevention member disposed between both the side wall sections, and this can prevent the deformation of the upper rail, which reduces the gap between both the side wall sections.

Description

Vehicle seat slide device

The present invention relates to a vehicle seat slide device.

Generally, a seat slide device for a vehicle includes an upper rail that supports a seat upward, and a lower rail that supports the upper rail so as to be relatively movable. In many cases, such a seat slide device is provided with a lock mechanism capable of restricting the relative movement of the upper rail with respect to the lower rail.

For example, the seat slide device described in Patent Document 1 includes a lower rail that extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, that is, the longitudinal direction, and an upper rail that can move relative to the lower rail along the longitudinal direction. Further, the upper rail has a pair of side wall portions facing in the width direction. The lock mechanism includes a lock lever that has a rotation shaft that intersects both side walls and is rotatably supported by the upper rail.

Specifically, the lock lever is provided with a plurality of engaging protrusions protruding in the width direction at a position on the rear side of the rotation shaft. Further, a plurality of insertion holes through which the engaging protrusions are inserted so as to be movable up and down are formed in the side wall portion of the upper rail. The lower rail is provided with a plurality of engaged portions each having an upper opening that allows the engaging protrusions to be engaged and disengaged by vertical movement based on the rotation of the lock lever.

That is, the lock mechanism is in a locked state in which the relative movement of the upper rail is restricted by the engagement protrusion moving downward by the rotation of the lock lever and engaging the engaged portion of the lower rail. The engaging projection of the lock lever moves upward and is detached from the engaged portion of the lower rail, so that the unlocked state is allowed to allow relative movement of the upper rail.

In this prior art lock lever, one end on the side where the engagement protrusion is provided is urged by the elastic member in the direction of moving downward. The other end of the lock lever is connected to an operation lever for moving the engagement protrusion upward against the biasing force (elastic force).

That is, in the seat slide device, the relative position (slide position) of the upper rail with respect to the lower rail is regulated during normal times when the operation lever is not operated. Then, the slide position can be adjusted by operating the operation lever to bring the lock mechanism into the unlocked state.

Also, when the vehicle collides forward, inertia force is applied to the seat. As a result, the seat tries to move forward. However, the forward movement of the upper rail that supports the seat is restricted by the lock mechanism. Further, in many cases, one end (seat belt anchor) of the seat belt is also fixed to the upper rail. The seat slide device supports these seat loads and seat belt loads, thereby ensuring high safety.

Japanese Patent No. 4013591

However, the seat load and the seat belt load caused by the inertial force toward the front side of the vehicle are a force to lift the upper rail upward from the rear end side, and consequently, the upper rail tries to be peeled off from the lower rail. Acts as a force. For this reason, in the configuration in which the engaging protrusion of the lock lever is engaged with and disengaged from the engaged portion of the lower rail through the insertion hole formed in the side wall portion of the upper rail as described above, the upper rail is deformed thereby, There is a risk that the smooth engagement / disengagement of the engaging protrusion with respect to the engaged portion may be hindered. And, for example, when the shaft runout occurs around the rotation shaft, the normal shift of the lock lever may prevent smooth engagement / disengagement of the engagement protrusion with the engaged portion. There is still room for improvement in this regard.

Furthermore, a conventional seat slide device having the configuration shown in FIG. 29 is known. In this configuration, the stopper portion 172 is formed by extending a part of the side wall portion 171 downward to limit the range of relative movement of the upper rail with respect to the lower rail. However, there is a problem that the strength of the upper rail decreases due to the formation of the stopper portion. That is, in many cases, the upper rail is formed by bending a plate material. For this reason, in order to form the above stopper part 172, it is necessary to cut up a part of the overhang | projection part turned up in the flange shape toward the width direction outer side from the lower end of the side wall part 171. FIG. That is, it is necessary to bend the overhanging portion while leaving the stopper portion 172. The strength of the upper rail is reduced by the hole 173 generated thereby. As a result, there is a problem that the deformation of the upper rail is likely to occur as described above. In this respect, there is still room for improvement.

An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat slide device capable of suppressing deformation of the upper rail and ensuring higher reliability.

To achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lower rail extending along a longitudinal direction of a vehicle, and an upper rail configured to support a seat above and to be relatively movable on the lower rail. And a vehicle seat slide device comprising a lock mechanism capable of restricting relative movement of the upper rail. The upper rail has a pair of side wall portions opposed to each other in the width direction of the upper rail, and the lock mechanism has a pivot shaft that intersects the both side wall portions and is rotatably supported by the upper rail. Provide a lever. The lock lever has an engaging protrusion that protrudes in the width direction at a position rearward of the rotation shaft. At least one side wall portion of the pair of side wall portions intersecting with the engaging protrusion has an insertion hole through which the engaging protrusion is inserted so as to be vertically movable. The lower rail has a plurality of engaged portions that open upward so that the engaging protrusions can be engaged and disengaged by the vertical movement based on the rotation of the lock lever. Either the lock lever or the upper rail includes a deformation suppressing member capable of suppressing the deformation of the upper rail such that the space between the both side wall portions is narrowed by being interposed between the both side wall portions.

According to the above configuration, even when a force that peels the upper rail from the lower rail is applied by a seat load or a seat belt load based on inertia, the deformation suppressing member provided on either the lock lever or the upper rail is The deformation of the upper rail can be suppressed such that the space between the side wall portions is narrowed by being interposed between the side wall portions. As a result, the engaging protrusion of the lock lever can be engaged and disengaged more smoothly from the engaged portion.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a seat slide device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. The exploded perspective view of an upper rail. (A) is a top view of a seat slide device, (b) is a side view of a seat slide device. (A) is a top view of a lock lever, (b) is a side view of a lock lever. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. (A) is a top view of the lock lever of another example, (b) is a side view of the lock lever of another example. Sectional drawing of the seat slide apparatus of another example (cross section along line 6-6 in FIG.4 (b)). The disassembled perspective view of the upper rail of 2nd Embodiment. (A) is a top view of a seat slide device, (b) is a side view of a seat slide device. (A) is a top view of a lock lever, (b) is a side view of a lock lever. The perspective view of a reinforcement bracket. The side view of the part by which the reinforcement bracket in the seat slide apparatus is arrange | positioned. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 14-14 of FIG. The bottom view of a lower rail. The side view of the reinforcement bracket of another example. The disassembled perspective view of the upper rail of 3rd Embodiment. (A) is a top view of a seat slide device, (b) is a side view of a seat slide device. The side view of the seat slide apparatus in the insertion hole vicinity. Explanatory drawing of the notch formed in the rear inner wall surface of the insertion hole. (A) And (b) is a schematic diagram which shows the notch shape of another example. FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view of the seat slide device according to the fourth embodiment (a cross-sectional view taken along line 22-22 in FIG. 24A). The exploded perspective view of an upper rail. (A) is a top view of a seat slide device, (b) is a side view of a seat slide device. (A) is a top view of a lock lever, (b) is a side view of a lock lever. FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 26-26 in FIG. The top view of the lock lever of another example. Sectional drawing of the seat slide apparatus of another example (26-26 line cross section). The perspective view which shows the conventional stopper part provided in the upper rail.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a vehicle seat slide device according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle seat 1 is provided on a seat cushion 2, a seat back 3 provided to be tiltable with respect to a rear end portion of the seat cushion 2, and an upper end of the seat back 3. The headrest 4 is provided.

The floor F of the vehicle is provided with a pair of lower rails 5 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, that is, in the longitudinal direction, and upper rails 6 that move relative to the lower rails 5 are mounted on the lower rails 5. ing. The seat cushion 2 of the seat 1 is supported on these upper rails 6.

That is, in the present embodiment, the seat slide device 10 is configured by the lower rail 5 and the upper rail 6. The vehicle occupant uses the function of the seat slide device 10 to adjust the position of the seat 1 in the vehicle longitudinal direction in which the lower rail 5 and the upper rail 6 extend, that is, the vehicle longitudinal direction (lateral direction in FIG. 1). It can be carried out.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the lower rail 5 includes a flat bottom wall portion 11 that serves as a fixed portion to the vehicle floor F (see FIG. 1). In addition, outer wall portions 12 are erected at both ends in the width direction (lateral direction in FIG. 2) of the bottom wall portion 11, and at the upper ends (upper end portions in FIG. 2) of each outer wall portion 12. The flange-shaped upper wall portion 13 is formed to extend inward in the width direction. An inner wall portion 14 is formed at the tip of each upper wall portion 13 so as to be folded downward.

On the other hand, the upper rail 6 includes a pair of side wall portions 15 (15A, 15B) facing each other in the width direction. Moreover, the upper rail 6 is provided with the plate-shaped upper wall part 16 which connects these both side wall parts 15 (15A, 15B). In the upper rail 6 of this embodiment, the upper rail body 18 having a substantially U-shaped cross section formed by the both side wall portions 15 (15A, 15B) and the upper wall portion 16 is disposed between the inner wall portions 14 of the lower rail 5. As shown, the lower rail 5 is mounted.

As shown in FIG. 3, the upper rail 6 of the present embodiment includes a first member 21 having a flat plate shape constituting one side wall portion 15 </ b> A, and a cross section constituting the other side wall portion 15 </ b> B and the upper wall portion 16. The second member 22 having a crank shape is assembled and configured.

That is, by assembling the first member 21 and the second member 22 so that the

upper end portions

21 a and 22 a are attached to each other, the

lower end portions

21 b and 22 b of both are based on the cross-sectional crank shape of the second member 22. , Are arranged substantially parallel to each other at positions separated from each other. In the present embodiment, the upper rail body 18 as described above is formed by the lower end portion 21b of the first member 21, the lower end portion 22b of the second member 22, and the intermediate portion 22c of the second member 22 disposed above the lower end portion 21b. A substantially U-shaped cross section is formed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the upper rail 6 of the present embodiment includes an overhang portion 23 that is folded back in a flange shape from the lower end of each side wall portion 15 toward the outer side in the width direction, and an upper side from the tip of each overhang portion 23. And a hook portion 24 folded back. The hook portion 24 is disposed in a space surrounded by the outer wall portion 12, the upper wall portion 13, and the inner wall portion 14 constituting the lower rail 5, so that the relative movement in the upward direction and the width direction with respect to the lower rail 5 is achieved. Are now regulated.

Here, in the present embodiment, the plate-like portion 25 formed above the upper rail body 18 by bonding the

upper end portions

21a, 22a of the first member 21 and the second member 22 as described above is the sheet. 1 is a fixed part. Also, as shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b), one end (seat belt anchor) of the seat belt SB is provided at the rear end portion (right end portion in the figure) of the plate-like portion 25. An anchor bracket 26 to which is fixed is provided. And the seat slide apparatus 10 of this embodiment becomes a structure which supports the seat load and seatbelt load by using the plate-shaped part 25 of this upper rail main body 18 as a load support part.

In the present embodiment, as described above, a plurality of rolling elements 27 are interposed between the outer wall portion 12 of the lower rail 5 and the hook portion 24 of the upper rail 6 that face each other in the width direction (see FIG. 2). . Specifically, a plurality of retainers 28 are provided between the lower rail 5 and the upper rail 6 at positions separated in the longitudinal direction (lateral direction in FIG. 4). The retainer 28 is held so as to roll freely. In the present embodiment, these rolling elements 27 roll in sliding contact with the outer wall portion 12 of the lower rail 5 and the hook portion 24 of the upper rail 6, thereby ensuring a smooth relative movement of the upper rail 6 with respect to the lower rail 5. ing.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 4 (a), and 4 (b), the seat slide device 10 of the present embodiment includes a lock mechanism 30 that can restrict the relative movement of the upper rail 6 with respect to the lower rail 5. Yes.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 4 (a) and 4 (b), the lock mechanism 30 of the present embodiment includes a lock lever 31 that is rotatably supported by the upper rail 6. ing. As shown in FIGS. 3, 5 (a), and 4 (b), the lock lever 31 of the present embodiment has a lever main body 32 formed in a long plate shape. In addition, a pair of side plate portions 33 that are opposed to each other in the width direction (vertical direction in FIG. 5A) are provided upright on both

side end portions

32a and 32b of the lever main body 32. Each side plate portion 33 is provided with a pair of support protrusions 34 that protrude outward in the width direction at positions that are coaxial with each other.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, support holes 35 into which the support protrusions 34 are inserted are formed in the side wall portions 15 of the upper rail 6. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the lock lever 31 of the present embodiment is disposed between the side wall portions 15 along the longitudinal direction of the upper rail 6. And it supports by the upper rail 6 so that rotation is possible centering | focusing on the rotating shaft M which both the support protrusions 34 form.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 3, 5 (a), 5 (b), and 6, one end of the lock lever 31 is disposed on the rear side of the vehicle with respect to the rotating shaft M in the state supported by the upper rail 6. A plurality of engaging protrusions 36 projecting outward in the width direction from both

side end portions

32a and 32b of the lever body 32 are provided at the longitudinal end portion (the right end portion and the working end 31a in FIG. 6). It has been. In the present embodiment, three engaging protrusions 36 are provided on the both

side end portions

32a and 32b of the lever main body 32 at positions that are symmetrical to each other. Then, as shown in FIGS. 3, 4 (b), and 6, each side wall portion 15 of the upper rail 6 that intersects each engagement projection 36 is inserted through each engagement projection 36. A hole 37 is formed.

Specifically, a plurality of (three in the present embodiment) insertion holes 37 corresponding to the respective engagement protrusions 36 of the lock lever 31 are formed in each side wall portion 15. Moreover, each insertion hole 37 is extended in the up-down direction in the aspect curved in the circular arc shape centering around the rotating shaft M, respectively. In the present embodiment, this allows the vertical movement of each engagement protrusion 36 based on the rotation of the lock lever 31.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B and 6, the lower rail 5 has a plurality of engagements as engaged portions to which the engagement protrusions 36 of the lock lever 31 can be engaged and disengaged. A joint hole 38 is formed. Specifically, the engagement holes 38 are provided at substantially equal intervals along the longitudinal direction of the lower rail 5. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, each engagement hole 38 is formed by cutting out the upper end of the inner wall portion 14 facing each side wall portion 15 of the upper rail 6 and a part of the upper wall portion 13 connected to the upper end. An upper opening 38 a that opens above the lower rail 5 is provided. In the present embodiment, the engaging protrusions 36 that move up and down by the rotation of the lock lever 31 are thus provided at positions corresponding to the relative position (sliding position) of the upper rail 6 with respect to the lower rail 5. The engagement hole 38 can be engaged and disengaged.

In the present embodiment, the hook portion 24 of the upper rail 6 is formed with a slit 39 that opens upward at a position corresponding to each insertion hole 37. Each engagement protrusion 36 that protrudes outside the upper rail 6 by being inserted into each insertion hole 37 engages with each engagement hole 38 of the lower rail 5 with its tip inserted into the slit 39. It is supposed to be.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, in the lock mechanism 30 of the present embodiment, the engagement protrusions 36 are moved downward by the rotation of the lock lever 31, and are moved to the engagement holes 38 of the lower rail 5. Engagement (the position of the engagement protrusion 36 indicated by a solid line in FIG. 2) results in a locked state that restricts relative movement of the upper rail 6. Then, by rotating the lock lever 31, each engagement protrusion 36 moves upward and is detached from the corresponding engagement hole 38 of the lower rail 5 (the engagement indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2). The position of the protrusion 36) is configured to be in an unlocked state that allows relative movement of the upper rail 6.

More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, in this embodiment, the upper wall portion 16 of the upper rail 6 has a plate extending in the longitudinal direction (lateral direction in the figure). A spring 41 is provided. The action end 31a of the lock lever 31 is urged in the direction in which each engaging protrusion 36 moves downward by being pressed by the first spring portion 42 of the leaf spring 41.

Further, an operation lever 43 is connected to the operation end 31b of the lock lever 31 disposed on the opposite side of the operation end 31a with the rotation axis M interposed therebetween. The lock mechanism 30 of the present embodiment can rotate the lock lever 31 in the direction in which the engagement protrusion 36 moves upward based on the operation on the operation lever 43.

Specifically, the operation lever 43 of the present embodiment extends along the operation portion 44 (see FIG. 1) disposed in front of the seat 1 and the left and right upper rails 6 along the width direction of the seat 1. It has a well-known configuration including a pair of lever portions 45. In the present embodiment, the operation lever 43 is formed by bending a pipe (pipe) into a substantially U shape. The operation lever 43 is attached to the front opening end 6a of each upper rail 6 in a state where the tip 45a of the lever portion 45 is inserted into the upper rail body 18 (see FIG. 2) having a U-shaped cross section. Yes.

Further, in the present embodiment, the second spring portion 46 of the leaf spring 41 fixed to the upper wall portion 16 of the upper rail 6 as described above is arranged so that the tip 46a is disposed in the vicinity of the front opening end 6a. It extends toward the front side of the vehicle (left direction in the figure). The lever portion 45 of the operation lever 43 inserted into the upper rail body 18 as described above has the tip 45a disposed above the operation end 31b of the lock lever 31 and the lower end thereof is the second spring. It is supported by the tip 46a of the portion 46.

In other words, the lock mechanism 30 of the present embodiment is configured so that each engagement protrusion of the lock lever 31 is based on the elastic force of the first spring portion 42 of the leaf spring 41 during normal operation when the operation lever 43 is not operated. 36 is in a state of being engaged with a corresponding engagement hole 38 of the lower rail 5, that is, in a locked state.

On the other hand, by operating the operation portion 44 of the operation lever 43 to be lifted upward, the lever portion 45 of the operation lever 43 has a portion supported by the tip 46a of the second spring portion 46 of the leaf spring 41 as a fulcrum. The tip 45a operates so as to push down the operation end 31b of the lock lever 31. Then, in the lock mechanism 30 of the present embodiment, the lock lever 31 rotates against the elastic force of the leaf spring 41, and each engagement protrusion 36 provided on the action end 31a moves upward. Thus, the lock state is released by releasing from the corresponding engagement hole 38 of the lower rail 5, that is, the unlock state is established.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 5A, 5B and 6, the lock lever 31 of the present embodiment protrudes in the width direction (vertical direction in FIG. 6), and each side wall portion of the upper rail 6 15 is provided. That is, the lock lever 31 includes an overhanging portion 50 as a deformation suppressing member capable of suppressing the deformation of the upper rail 6 such that the space W0 between the both side wall portions 15 is narrowed by being interposed between the both side wall portions 15.

More specifically, in the present embodiment, the working end 31a of the lock lever 31 provided with the respective engaging protrusions 36 is provided with a connecting portion 51 narrower than the lever main body 32, and the overhanging portion 50 is provided. Is provided at the tip of the connecting portion 51. In the overhang portion 50, both

end portions

50 a and 50 b face the corresponding side wall portions 15, and the left and right sides of the upper rail 6 in the width direction, specifically in the direction substantially orthogonal to the both side wall portions 15. It extends evenly.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, in the lock lever 31 of the present embodiment, the width W1 of the lever body 32 is set to be narrower than the interval W0 between the side wall portions 15 of the upper rail 6. Further, the width W2 of the projecting portion 50 is set to be wider than the width W1 of the lever main body 32 and narrower than the interval W0 between the side wall portions 15 of the upper rail 6. In the present embodiment, the both

end portions

50a and 50b of the projecting portion 50 thus protrude outward in the width direction from the both

end portions

32a and 32b of the lever main body 32, respectively, and the both side wall portions 15 of the upper rail 6 are thereby projected. It is comprised so that it may oppose.

Next, the operation of the overhanging portion 50 configured as described above will be described.

As described above, for example, when the seat 1 is about to move forward due to a frontal collision or inertial force of the vehicle, the seat load and the seatbelt load supported by the seat slide device 10 are determined by the rear rail side of the upper rail 6. Acting as a force to lift upward from the upper rail 6, and as a force to peel the upper rail 6 from the lower rail 5. As a result, the upper rail 6 may be deformed based on the positional relationship between the lower rail 5 and the both inner wall portions 14. Specifically, there is a possibility that the U-shaped section of the upper rail body 18 is deformed in such a manner that the lower end sides of the opposite side wall portions 15 facing each other with a predetermined interval W0 in the width direction are narrowed.

However, as described above, it is possible to suppress such deformation of the upper rail 6 by providing the overhanging portion 50 on the lock lever 31 disposed between the side wall portions 15 thereof. That is, the projecting portion 50 functions as a support member when both

end portions

50a and 50b of the projecting portion 50 projecting outward in the width direction and facing the side wall portion 15 abut against the facing side wall portion 15 respectively. That is, the projecting portion 50 functions as a deformation suppressing member that can suppress the deformation of the upper rail 6 such that the space W0 between the side wall portions 15 is narrowed by being interposed between the side wall portions 15. And by this, the movement of each side wall part 15 which goes to the direction where the space | interval W0 between the side wall parts 15 narrows is controlled, The cross-sectional U-shape of the upper rail main body 18 is hold | maintained. As a result, even after such a force that causes deformation of the upper rail 6 is applied, the lock lever 31 is smoothly engaged and disengaged, that is, each of the engaging protrusions 36 corresponds to the lower rail 5 as the engaged portion. The state in which the engaging hole 38 can be smoothly engaged and disengaged is maintained.

Furthermore, since the overhanging portion 50 functions as a restricting member that suppresses the displacement of the lock lever 31, the displacement in the width direction of the lock lever 31 and the shaft runout around the rotation axis M can be suppressed. In the present embodiment, this makes it possible to more smoothly engage and disengage each engagement protrusion 36 of the lock lever 31 with the corresponding engagement hole 38 of the lower rail 5.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, the projecting portion 50 of the present embodiment has a shape in which a cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the extending direction (width direction) is curved in a substantially arc shape. And in this embodiment, the high rigidity (support rigidity) in the width direction is ensured by this bent shape.

Note that the lock lever 31 of the present embodiment is formed by bending a plate material including the bent shape of the protruding portion 50. Then, by bending the connecting portion 51 between the protruding portion 50 and the lever main body 32 downward (see FIG. 5B, the lower side in the figure), the protruding portion 50 is rotated when the lock lever 31 is rotated. Is configured not to interfere with the upper wall portion 16 of the upper rail 6.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) The lock lever 31 includes a protruding portion 50 that protrudes in the width direction and faces each side wall portion 15 of the upper rail 6.

According to the above configuration, both ends of the overhang portion 50 provided on the lock lever 31 are applied even when a force that peels the upper rail 6 from the lower rail 5 is applied by a seat load or a seat belt load based on inertia. The overhanging portion 50 functions as a support member by the

portions

50a and 50b coming into contact with the respective side wall portions 15 of the opposed upper rail 6 respectively. That is, the projecting portion 50 functions as a deformation suppressing member that can suppress the deformation of the upper rail 6 such that the space W0 between the side wall portions 15 is narrowed by being interposed between the side wall portions 15. And thereby, the deformation | transformation of the upper rail 6 that the space | interval W0 of the both-sides wall part 15 becomes narrow can be prevented. Furthermore, since the overhanging portion 50 functions as a restricting member that suppresses the displacement of the lock lever, displacement in the width direction of the lock lever 31 and shaft runout around the rotation axis M can be suppressed. As a result, each engagement protrusion 36 of the lock lever 31 can be engaged and disengaged with each engagement hole 38 of the lower rail 5 more smoothly.

(2) The lock lever 31 includes an overhang 50 provided at the tip of the working end 31 a via the connection 51.

That is, by providing the overhanging portions 50 at positions away from the respective engaging protrusions 36 with respect to the rotation axis M in this way, the overhanging portions 50 are arranged along the both side wall portions 15 of the upper rail 6 with respect to the vehicle. In the longitudinal direction of the lock lever 31 extending along the longitudinal direction, the lock lever 31 is disposed at a position different from each engagement protrusion 36 and on the rear side of the engagement protrusion 36. And it can avoid that the said protrusion part 50 inhibits engagement / disengagement of each engagement protrusion 36 by this. Further, the deformation of the upper rail 6 caused by the seat load or the seat belt load based on inertia proceeds from the rear end side. Therefore, according to the above configuration, when the upper rail 6 is deformed, the protruding portion 50 can be brought into contact with the side wall portions 15 more quickly. And thereby, the deformation | transformation of the upper rail 6 can be prevented effectively. As a result, each engagement protrusion 36 of the lock lever 31 can be engaged and disengaged with each engagement hole 38 of the lower rail 5 more smoothly.

(3) The projecting portion 50 has a curved shape in which a cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the extending direction is curved in a substantially arc shape. By setting it as such a structure, the rigidity of the width direction can be strengthened. As a result, the deformation of the upper rail 6 can be prevented more effectively.

Note that the first embodiment may be modified as follows.

In the first embodiment, the lock lever 31 is provided with the three engaging protrusions 36 at both end portions of the tip portion thereof. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of the engaging protrusions 36 may be arbitrarily changed. The position is not necessarily the tip portion as long as it is on the rear side of the rotation axis M.

In the first embodiment, a plurality of (three) insertion holes 37 corresponding to the respective engagement protrusions of the lock lever 31 are formed in each side wall portion 15. However, the configuration is not limited thereto, and a configuration in which a plurality of engaging protrusions 36 are inserted into one insertion hole 37 may be employed.

In the first embodiment, the protruding portion 50 of the lock lever 31 is provided at a position farther from the engaging protrusion 36 with respect to the rotation axis M. Specifically, the projecting portion 50 provided at the tip of the working end 31 a via the connection portion 51 is provided. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the overhanging portion may be provided at a position closer to each engaging protrusion 36 with respect to the rotation axis M.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 8, both

side end portions

32a and 32b of the lever main body 32 are positioned closer to the engaging protrusion 36 with respect to the rotation axis M. Thus, an overhang portion 60 that protrudes outward in the width direction and faces each side wall portion 15 of the upper rail 6 is provided. Specifically, these projecting portions 60 are provided in the vicinity of the engaging projections 36 so as to be symmetrical. The width W3 of the portion where the projecting portion 60 is provided is set to be wider than the width W1 of the lever main body 32 and narrower than the interval W0 between the side wall portions 15 of the upper rail 6.

Even if configured as described above, it is possible to prevent the upper rail 6 from being deformed by a seat load or a seat belt load based on inertia, as in the first embodiment. Further, the displacement in the width direction of the lock lever 31 and the axial deflection around the rotation axis M can be suppressed. And each overhang | projection part 60 is arrange | positioned in the position different from each engagement protrusion 36 in the longitudinal direction of the lock lever 31 extended along the longitudinal direction of a vehicle along the both-sides wall part 15 of the upper rail 6, It can avoid that the said protrusion part 60 inhibits engagement / disengagement of each engagement protrusion 36. FIG. Furthermore, by providing the overhanging portion 60 at a position closer to the rotation axis M, a so-called “play” can be set for the lock lever 31. That is, slight movement in the width direction and tilting are allowed. As a result, each engagement protrusion 36 of the lock lever 31 can be engaged and disengaged with each engagement hole 38 of the lower rail 5 more smoothly.

In addition, by not providing the overhanging portion 50 that is disposed on the rear side of each engagement projection 36, each engagement projection is utilized by utilizing the deformation of the upper rail 6 as described above when the vehicle collides forward. 36 can be restrained. And thereby, high safety | security can be ensured by hold | maintaining the locking mechanism 30 in a locked state.

Furthermore, the lock lever 31 is positioned closer to the projecting portion 36 with respect to the rotational axis M, and a position closer to the projecting portion 36 with respect to the rotational axis M. It is good also as a structure provided with both each overhang | projection part 60 provided in this. Thereby, the deformation | transformation of the upper rail 6 by the seat load based on the inertia and the seat belt load, and the position shift of the lock lever 31 can be prevented more effectively. As a result, each engagement protrusion 36 of the lock lever 31 can be engaged and disengaged with each engagement hole 38 of the lower rail 5 more smoothly.

In addition, an overhang | projection part may be formed not only on the action | operation end 31a side in which each engagement protrusion 36 was provided but on the operation end 31b side on the opposite side on both sides of the rotating shaft M. However, from the viewpoint of ensuring smooth engagement / disengagement of the lock lever 31, it is desirable to form an overhanging portion on the side of the working end 31 a where each engagement protrusion 36 is provided.

In the first embodiment, the projecting portion 50 has a curved shape in which a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the extending direction (width direction) is curved in a substantially arc shape. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the shape of each of the overhang portions 60 of the other examples may be arbitrarily changed. However, in consideration of the function as a support member that supports each side wall 15 to be deformed, it is desirable to have a bent shape capable of enhancing the rigidity in the width direction, which is the support direction. The bent shape is not limited to the curved shape as described above, but may be, for example, an acute bent shape.

In the first embodiment, the lock lever 31 is formed by bending a plate material. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be formed by, for example, casting, forging, cutting, injection molding, or other processing methods. In consideration of conditions such as weight reduction and manufacturing cost, the bending process as in the above embodiment is advantageous. And in that case, the rigidity in the width direction can be strengthened easily by forming the bending shape of the up-down direction.

In the first embodiment, the plate-like portion 25 serving as the load support portion has a flat plate shape, but the shape thereof may be arbitrarily changed.

(Second Embodiment)
Hereinafter, a vehicle seat slide device according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The same members as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 9, 11A, and 11B, the overhanging portion 50 of the first embodiment is omitted from the lock lever 31 of the second embodiment.

Instead, as shown in FIGS. 12 to 14, the upper rail 6 according to the second embodiment is interposed between the side wall portions 15 (15A, 15B), thereby forming the side wall portions 15 (15A, 15B). A reinforcing bracket 150 is provided as a deformation suppressing member capable of suppressing the deformation of the upper rail 6 so that the interval W0 is narrowed. Regarding other configurations, the second embodiment has the same configuration as the first embodiment.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, in this embodiment, the reinforcing bracket 150 is provided on the rear end side of the upper rail 6 and in the vicinity of the rear opening end 6b thereof. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the reinforcing bracket 150 has a positional relationship that intersects the side wall portions 15, specifically, a positional relationship that is substantially orthogonal to the side wall portions 15, and the longitudinal direction of the upper rail 6. A plate-like portion 151 extending in the direction, that is, the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (see FIG. 13, lateral direction) is provided. And the plate-shaped part 151 is arrange | positioned between the both-side wall parts 15 so that relative movement is impossible by fixing to the upper wall part 16 of the upper rail 6. FIG.

More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 12 to 14, the plate-like portion 151 has a plurality of (two in the present embodiment) penetrating the plate-like portion 151 in the thickness direction (see FIG. 13, vertical direction). ) Through-hole 152 is formed. A plurality of through holes 153 corresponding to the respective through holes 152 are formed in the upper wall portion 16 of the upper rail 6. And the reinforcement bracket 150 of this embodiment is being fixed to the upper wall part 16 using the rivet 154 by utilizing these through-

holes

152 and 153. FIG.

Further, the reinforcing bracket 150 of the present embodiment is formed by bending a plate material (metal plate). The plate-like portion 151 is bent downward from a direction intersecting with the longitudinal direction of the upper rail 6, that is, from the first and

second fixing portions

155a and 155b fixed to the upper wall portion 16 of the upper rail 6. A bent portion 156 is provided.

Specifically, the reinforcing bracket 150 of the present embodiment includes first and second

bent portions

156a and 156b formed by bending both ends in the longitudinal direction. In addition, the 1st bending part 156a is formed wide according to the stopper part 160 mentioned later. The reinforcing bracket 150 further includes a third bent portion 156c formed by bending the first fixed portion 155a and the second fixed portion 155b into a substantially U shape.

That is, the reinforcing bracket 150 as a deformation suppressing member, that is, a reinforcing member, supports the both side wall portions 15 that are in contact with both side end portions in the width direction, so that the interval W0 between the both side wall portions 15 is reduced. Suppress deformation. Then, by forming the bent portions 156 (156a to 156c) as described above, the rigidity in the width direction (support rigidity) is increased.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 13 to 15, a protrusion 157 protruding inward is formed near the end of the lower rail 5 by cutting and raising the bottom wall 11 thereof. 13 and 15 show the vicinity of the rear end portion of the lower rail 5, but a similar protrusion 157 is also formed in the vicinity of the front end portion of the lower rail 5 (not shown). The reinforcing bracket 150 according to the present embodiment is provided with a stopper portion 160 that can limit the relative movement range by abutting against the protrusion 157 based on the relative movement of the upper rail 6 with respect to the lower rail 5.

More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 12 to 14, the stopper portion 160 of the present embodiment is formed so as to protrude below the upper rail 6 by bending both side portions of the plate-like portion 151 in the width direction. Specifically, in the reinforcing bracket 150 of the present embodiment, both side portions of the first fixing portion 155a arranged on the front side of the vehicle by being fixed to the upper rail 6 are bent downward. And thereby, a pair of stopper part 160 which sandwiches the plate-shaped part 151 in the width direction is formed.

In the present embodiment, the width W1 of the plate-like portion 151 is such that the stopper portion is formed by bending both side portions except for the first bent portion 156a that is formed wide in accordance with the stopper portion 160 as described above. The outer side surfaces of 160 are set so as to contact the inner wall surface of the side wall portion 15 of the opposed upper rail 6. And the flange part 161 extended in a radial direction outer side is formed in the front-end | tip of each stopper part 160 which protrudes from the lower end of the upper rail 6, respectively.

Next, the operation of the reinforcing bracket 150 configured as described above will be described.

As described above, for example, when the seat 1 is about to move due to inertia such as a frontal collision of a vehicle, the seat load and the seat belt load supported by the seat slide device 10 lift the upper rail 6 upward from the rear end side. It acts as a force to try and to pull off the upper rail 6 from the lower rail 5. As a result, the upper rail 6 may be deformed based on the positional relationship between the lower rail 5 and the both inner wall portions 14. Specifically, there is a possibility that the U-shaped section of the upper rail body 18 is deformed in such a manner that the lower end sides of the opposite side wall portions 15 facing each other with a predetermined interval W0 in the width direction are narrowed.

However, it is possible to suppress such deformation of the upper rail 6 by interposing the reinforcing bracket 150 between the side wall portions 15 as described above. That is, the reinforcement bracket 150 supports the side wall portions 15 that are in contact with both side end portions in the width direction, thereby restricting the movement of the side wall portions 15 toward the direction in which the interval W0 is narrowed. Thus, the U-shaped cross section of the upper rail body 18 is maintained, so that the lock lever 31 can be smoothly engaged and disengaged even after a force that deforms the upper rail 6 is applied. The state in which each engagement protrusion 36 can be smoothly engaged with and disengaged from each engagement hole 38 of the lower rail 5 as the engaged portion is maintained.

Also, the stopper 160 provided on the reinforcing bracket 150 abuts on the protrusion 157 of the lower rail 5 based on the relative movement of the upper rail 6, so that the relative movement of the upper rail 6 in the relative movement direction is restricted. Thereby, the relative movement range of the upper rail 6 can be limited.

(1) The upper rail 6 includes a reinforcing bracket 150 that can suppress deformation of the upper rail 6 such that the space W0 between the side wall portions 15 is narrowed by being interposed between the side wall portions 15 (15A, 15B). The reinforcing bracket 150 is provided with a stopper portion 160 that can limit the relative movement range by abutting against a protrusion 157 provided on the lower rail 5 based on the relative movement of the upper rail 6.

According to the above configuration, both side walls of the upper rail 6 can be used even when a force that peels the upper rail 6 from the lower rail 5 is applied by a seat load or a seat belt load caused by the inertial force toward the front side of the vehicle. Reinforcing brackets 150 interposed between the portions 15 support the side wall portions 15 that come into contact with both side end portions in the width direction. And thereby, the deformation | transformation of the upper rail 6 that the space | interval W0 of the both-sides wall part 15 becomes narrow can be prevented.

Further, by providing the stopper portion 160 on the reinforcing bracket 150, the relative movement range of the upper rail 6 can be limited without processing the upper rail 6 itself, for example, by cutting up a part thereof. Thereby, it is possible to avoid a decrease in strength of the upper rail 6 due to the formation of the stopper portion 160. As a result, the deformation of the upper rail 6 can be suppressed more effectively.

Further, by setting the width of the reinforcing bracket 150 (see FIG. 14, the width W1 of the plate-like portion 151 + the plate thickness of the stopper portion 160) wider than the interval W0 between the side wall portions 15, the upper rail 6 (upper rail body 18) is set. Can be spread. And thereby, the operational feeling of the seat slide device 10 can be improved by adjusting the sliding resistance with the lower rail 5.

(2) The reinforcing bracket 150 is provided on the rear end side of the upper rail 6 (in the vicinity of the rear opening end 6b). That is, the deformation of the upper rail 6 caused by the seat load or the seat belt load caused by the inertial force toward the front side of the vehicle proceeds from the rear end side. Therefore, according to the said structure, a deformation | transformation of the upper rail 6 can be prevented more effectively.

(3) The reinforcing bracket 150 includes a plate-like portion 151 that has a positional relationship intersecting the both side wall portions 15 and extends in the longitudinal direction of the upper rail 6. The plate-like portion 151 includes bent portions 156 (156a to 156c) that are bent in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the upper rail 6.

According to the above configuration, the reinforcing bracket 150 having a simple configuration and high rigidity in the width direction can be easily formed.

(4) The stopper portion 160 is formed so as to protrude below the upper rail 6 by bending both side portions in the width direction of the plate-like portion 151. Thereby, the stopper part 160 can be easily formed with a simple configuration.

(5) The reinforcing bracket 150 includes stopper portions 160 provided on both sides of a portion (first fixing portion 155a) disposed on the front side of the vehicle by being fixed to the upper rail 6.

That is, by providing the stopper portion 160 on the front side of the reinforcing bracket 150, the stopper portion 160 is hardly affected by the deformation of the upper rail 6 that proceeds from the rear end side as described above. As a result, the function of the stopper 160 can be ensured regardless of the seat load or seat belt load caused by the inertial force toward the front side of the vehicle. In particular, the presence of the bent portion 156 (156b, 156c) having high rigidity in the width direction on the rear side of the stopper portion 160 can provide a more remarkable effect.

(6) A flange portion 161 extending outward in the width direction is formed at the tip of the stopper portion 160. Thereby, the relative movement range of the upper rail 6 can be more reliably limited.

Note that the second embodiment may be modified as follows.

In the second embodiment, the lock lever 31 is provided with three engagement protrusions 36 on both sides of the tip portion thereof. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of the engaging protrusions 36 may be arbitrarily changed. The position is not necessarily the tip portion as long as it is on the rear side of the rotation axis M.

In the second embodiment, a plurality (three) of insertion holes 37 corresponding to the engagement protrusions of the lock lever 31 are formed in each side wall portion 15. However, the configuration is not limited thereto, and a configuration in which a plurality of engaging protrusions 36 are inserted into one insertion hole 37 may be employed.

In the second embodiment, the reinforcing bracket 150 includes the plate-like portion 151 that has a positional relationship intersecting the both side wall portions 15 and extends in the longitudinal direction of the upper rail 6. The reinforcing bracket 150 is formed by bending a plate material (metal plate). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the shape of the reinforcing bracket 150 may not necessarily include the plate-like portion 151. In other words, the deformation of the upper rail 6 such that the interval W0 between the side wall portions 15 is narrowed by being interposed between the both side wall portions 15 can be suppressed, and the lower rail 5 side contact with the projection 157 on the lower rail 5 side due to the relative movement of the upper rail 6. What is necessary is just to provide the stopper part 160 which can restrict | limit the relative movement range by contacting. Further, the method of forming the reinforcing bracket 150 is not limited to the bending process, and other methods such as forging and casting may be used.

In the second embodiment, the protrusion 157 of the lower rail 5 is formed by cutting and raising the bottom wall 11. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the protrusion 157 may be formed by attaching an additional such as a bolt or a screw to the lower rail 5.

In the second embodiment, the outer surface of each stopper portion 160 is set so as to come into contact with the inner wall surface of the side wall portion 15 of the opposing upper rail 6, but corresponds to each stopper portion 160. The side wall portions 15 that do not need to contact each other.

In the second embodiment, the flange portion 161 extending outward in the width direction is formed at the tip of the stopper portion 160. However, the flange portion 161 may be omitted.

In the second embodiment, the stopper portion 160 is formed by bending both side portions of the first fixing portion 155a downward. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the position where the stopper portion 160 is formed may be arbitrarily changed. For example, the structure which forms the stopper part 160 in the other part in the side part of the plate-shaped part 151 including the 3rd bending part 156c bent by the substantially U shape may be sufficient. And the structure which forms the stopper part 160 in the longitudinal direction edge part of the plate-shaped part 151 in which the 1st and

2nd bending parts

156a and 156b were formed may be employ | adopted.

Further, the shape of the third bent portion 156c does not necessarily have to be substantially U-shaped. The bending angles of the first and second

bent portions

156a and 156b may be arbitrarily changed.

For example, as shown in FIG. 16, the bending angle is set so that the first bent portion 156a is disposed between both stopper portions 160 extending downward from both side portions of the first fixed portion 155a. May be. By setting it as such a structure, the 1st bending part 156a supports the both stopper parts 160 contact | abutted to the width direction both ends. As a result, the both side wall portions 15 can be supported by the both stopper portions 160. As a result, it is possible to more effectively suppress deformation of the upper rail 6 such that the interval W0 between the side wall portions 15 is narrowed.

In the second embodiment, the plate-like portion 25 serving as the load support portion is a flat plate shape, but the shape may be arbitrarily changed.

(Third embodiment)
A vehicle seat slide device according to a third embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The same members as those in the first and second embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 19, the vehicle seat slide device of the third embodiment is different from the first and second embodiments with respect to the shape of the insertion hole 37. In the third embodiment, any configuration of the first and second embodiments may be adopted for the configuration excluding the shape of the insertion hole 37. That is, as shown in FIG. 17, the lock lever 31 of the third embodiment may or may not have the protruding portion 50 indicated by a two-dot chain line.

The shape of the insertion hole 37, which is a feature of the third embodiment, will be described. As shown in FIG. 19, only the insertion hole 37a located on the rearmost side (right side in the figure) among the insertion holes 37a to 37c arranged in parallel in the side wall portions 15 of the upper rail 6 is provided with the rear inner wall surface 251. A notch 252 is formed in the.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 20, the notch 252 of this embodiment is formed by notching the rear inner wall surface 251 in a substantially rectangular shape on the rear side so as to be continuous with the bottom inner wall surface 253 of the insertion hole 37a. It is formed. Specifically, the notch 252 is formed on a lower side (lower side in the figure) than an intermediate position in the vertical direction of the rear inner wall surface 251 (a position indicated by a one-dot chain line N in the figure). Yes. The notch 252 is set such that the notch width (first width) Wy along the vertical direction is longer than the notch width (second width) Wx along the front-rear direction.

Next, the operation of the notch 252 formed in the rear inner wall surface 251 of the insertion hole 37a in this way will be described.

As described above, a force that peels the upper rail 6 from the lower rail 5 acts on the upper rail 6 at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle. Then, due to the deformation of the upper rail 6, there is a possibility that the lock lever 31 operates in a direction in which each engagement protrusion 36 is detached from each engagement hole 38 of the lower rail 5.

However, by forming the notch 252 in the rear inner wall surface 251 of the insertion hole 37a as described above, the upper rail 6 is deformed so that the periphery of the insertion hole 37a in which the notch 252 is formed is bent at the time of forward collision. To do. As a result, the rear inner wall surface 251 of the insertion hole 37a tilts forward (see FIG. 20, the position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 20), and the engagement protrusion inserted through the insertion hole 37a. The upward movement of the portion 36a is restricted.

In this embodiment, the convex shape 255 formed at the upper end portion of the notch 252 by notching the rear inner wall surface 251 is inserted into the insertion hole 37a by the tilt of the rear inner wall surface 251. It is arranged above the protrusion 36a. This makes it possible to more effectively suppress the detaching operation of the lock lever 31 due to the forward collision.

(1) As described in the first and second embodiments, when the upper rail 6 or the lock lever 31 includes a deformation suppressing member that suppresses deformation of the upper rail 6, Deformation is suppressed. However, even in that case, the upper rail 6 may be deformed depending on the condition at the time of collision (for example, the magnitude of impact). In this embodiment, since the notch 252 is formed in the rear inner wall surface 251 of the insertion hole 37a, the deformation of the upper rail 6 causes the rear inner wall surface 251 of the upper rail 6 to tilt forward. Thus, the upward movement of the engaging protrusion 36a inserted through the insertion hole 37a is restricted. As a result, the detachment operation of the lock lever 31 can be effectively suppressed with a simple configuration.

(2) The notch 252 is continuously formed on the bottom inner wall surface 253 of the insertion hole 37a. By setting it as such a structure, the rear part inner wall surface 251 can be tilted from the position of a lower side. As a result, the upward movement of the engagement protrusion 36a can be restricted at a lower position. As a result, the detachment operation of the lock lever 31 can be suppressed more reliably.

(3) In the notch 252, the convex shape 255 formed on the rear inner wall surface 251 by cutting the rear inner wall surface 251 is arranged above the engaging protrusion 36 a due to the tilt of the rear inner wall surface 251. Designed to. By setting it as such a structure, the upward movement of the engaging protrusion 36a can be controlled more reliably. As a result, the detachment operation of the lock lever 31 can be suppressed more reliably.

(4) The notch 252 is formed in the rear inner wall surface 251 of the insertion hole 37a located on the most rear side. With such a configuration, the rear inner wall surface 251 can be more greatly cut out without interfering with the adjacent insertion hole 37. Thereby, the rear inner wall surface 251 can be reliably tilted forward. And the removal | release operation | movement of the lock lever 31 can be suppressed more reliably by suppressing the site | part close | similar to a front-end | tip.

Note that the third embodiment may be modified as follows.

In the third embodiment, the lock lever 31 is provided with the three engaging protrusions 36 (36a to 36b) at both end portions of the tip portion (the working end 31a). . However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of the engaging protrusions 36 may be arbitrarily changed. The position is not necessarily the tip portion as long as it is on the rear side of the rotation axis M.

In the third embodiment, each side wall 15 is formed with three insertion holes 37 (37a to 37c) corresponding to the engagement protrusions 36a to 36c of the lock lever 31. . However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention may be applied to a configuration in which a plurality of engaging protrusions 36 are inserted into one insertion hole 37.

Further, in the third embodiment, the notch 252 is formed on the rear inner wall surface 251 of the insertion hole 37a located on the rearmost side. However, the configuration is not limited thereto, and a notch may be formed in the inner wall surface of the rear portion of the other insertion hole 37 (37b, 37b). And about the some penetration hole 37, the structure which forms a notch in the rear part inner wall surface may be sufficient.

In the third embodiment, the notch 252 is formed by notching the rear inner wall surface 251 to the rear side in a substantially rectangular shape so as to be continuous with the bottom inner wall surface 253 of the insertion hole 37a. . However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the shape of the notch 252 may be arbitrarily changed. For example, the structure which forms the substantially triangular notch 252 as shown to Fig.21 (a) may be sufficient. Moreover, as shown in FIG.21 (b), the structure which forms the notch 252 which has a part arrange | positioned rather than the convex shape 255 formed in the rear part inner wall surface 251 may be sufficient. And the notch 252 may not continue to the bottom inner wall surface 253 of the insertion hole 37a.

In the third embodiment, the convex shape 255 formed on the rear inner wall surface 251 by notching the rear inner wall surface 251 is disposed above the engaging protrusion 36 a due to the tilt of the rear inner wall surface 251. It was decided to be done. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and the convex shape 255 may not be disposed above the engagement protrusion 36a.

In addition, in the third embodiment, the notch 252 is formed below the intermediate position in the vertical direction of the rear inner wall surface 251, but extends upward from the intermediate position. May be. Further, the notch 252 is set such that the notch width Wy in the vertical direction is longer than the notch width Wx in the front-rear direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the notch width Wx in the front-rear direction may be longer than the notch width Wy in the up-down direction.

In the third embodiment, the plate-like portion 25 serving as the load support portion is a flat plate shape, but the shape may be arbitrarily changed.

(Fourth embodiment)
Hereinafter, a vehicle seat slide device according to a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The same members as those in the above embodiments are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 25 (a), the vehicle seat slide device of the fourth embodiment is characterized in that the engagement protrusion 36 of the lock lever 31 is provided only on one side end 32b.

As shown in FIG. 24A, the upper rail 6 of the present embodiment is formed such that the plate-like portion 25 is disposed on the outer side in the width direction of the seat 1 (outer side of the seat, upper side in the figure). . That is, the upper rail 6 shown in FIGS. 23, 24A, and 24B is a right upper rail that supports the right side of the seat 1 in a vehicle-mounted state. In the case of a left upper rail (not shown), the positional relationship between the plate-like portion 25 and the left and right

side wall portions

15A and 15B is reversed.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 23, 25 (a), 25 (b), and 26, one end of the lock lever 31 is disposed on the rear side of the vehicle with respect to the rotating shaft M in a state of being supported by the upper rail 6. A plurality of (four in the present embodiment) engaging projections 36 projecting in the width direction are provided at the longitudinal end portion (the right end portion in FIG. 26, the working end 31a). .

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 26, the lock lever 31 of the present embodiment has a side end portion 32b of the lever main body 32 on the inner side in the width direction of the seat 1 (the seat inner side, Side). The engaging protrusions 36 are provided only on one side end 32 b of the lever main body 32.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 23, 24 (b) and 26, a plurality of engaging protrusions 36 are inserted into the side wall 15B of the upper rail 6 intersecting with the engaging protrusions 36 (this embodiment). Then, four) insertion holes 37 are formed.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 25A, 25B, and 26, the lock lever 31 of the present embodiment protrudes in the width direction (vertical direction in FIG. 26) and each side wall portion of the upper rail 6 15 is provided with an overhanging portion (50, 52) opposite to 15. That is, the lock lever 31 includes an overhanging portion (50, 52) as a deformation suppressing member capable of suppressing the deformation of the upper rail 6 such that the space between the side wall portions 15 is narrowed by being interposed between the side wall portions 15.

More specifically, in the present embodiment, a connecting portion 51 that is narrower than the lever body 32 is provided at the working end 31a of the lock lever 31 provided with each of the engaging protrusions 36. The lock lever 31 according to the present embodiment includes an overhang portion 50 provided at the tip of the connection portion 51.

Specifically, the projecting portion 50 is configured in such a manner that both

end portions

50a and 50b face the side wall portions 15, and is substantially left and right in the width direction of the upper rail 6, specifically in a direction substantially orthogonal to the both side wall portions 15. It is extended evenly. Further, the width W2 of the projecting portion 50 is set to be wider than the width W1 of the lever main body 32 and narrower than the interval W0 between the side wall portions 15 of the upper rail 6. The width W1 of the lever body 32 is set to be narrower than the interval W0 between the side wall portions 15 of the upper rail 6. In the present embodiment, the both

end portions

Further, the lock lever 31 of the present embodiment includes an overhanging portion 52 that protrudes outward in the width direction from both

side end portions

32 a and 32 b of the lever main body 32 and faces each side wall portion 15 of the upper rail 6. Specifically, these overhang portions 52 are provided so as to be symmetric with respect to the rotation axis M at a position closer to the engagement protrusion 36, specifically, in the vicinity of each engagement protrusion 36. . The width W3 of the portion where the overhanging portion 52 is provided is wider than the width W1 of the lever main body 32 and the interval W0 between the side wall portions 15 of the upper rail 6 in the same manner as the width W2 of the overhanging portion 50. Is set too narrow.

Next, the operation of the

overhang portions

50 and 52 configured as described above is the same as that of the first embodiment.

(1) The lock lever 31 is disposed so that the side end portion 32b of the lever main body 32 faces the inner side in the width direction of the seat 1 in a vehicle-mounted state. Each engagement protrusion 36 is provided only on one side end 32 b of the lever main body 32.

According to the above configuration, in comparison with the configuration in which the engaging protrusion protrudes on both sides in the width direction of the lock lever, interference with the insertion hole 37 due to the manufacturing or assembly error is less likely to occur. Thus, each engagement protrusion 36 of the lock lever 31 can be engaged and disengaged more smoothly with the engagement hole 38 as the engaged portion without requiring strict tolerance management.

Further, the number of man-hours can be reduced by forming the insertion hole 37 only in the side wall portion 15B intersecting with each engagement protrusion 36. And thereby, manufacturing cost can be reduced. Moreover, the strength reduction of the upper rail 6 accompanying the formation of the insertion hole 37 can be suppressed. As a result, high safety can be ensured and, at the same time, smooth operation of the lock lever 31 can be ensured.

(2) Furthermore, the upper rail 6 has a plate-like portion 25 that supports a seat load and a seat belt load as a load support portion above the side wall portion 15A arranged on the outer side in the width direction of the seat 1. Each engagement protrusion 36 is provided so as to protrude inward in the width direction of the sheet 1.

That is, for example, when the vehicle collides forward, the upper rail 6 tends to pull up the upper rail 6 due to inertia, more specifically, the plate-like portion 25 as its load support portion. Force acts. Here, the plate-like portion 25 is formed above the side wall portion 15 </ b> A disposed outside the sheet 1 in the width direction. For this reason, the force that pulls up the plate-like portion 25 also acts as a force that tilts the upper rail 6 inward in the width direction of the seat 1.

However, each engagement protrusion 36 is provided so as to protrude inward in the width direction of the sheet 1 as described above. In other words, by providing each engagement protrusion 36 so as to protrude toward the side wall portion 15B that does not have a load support portion above, the lock lever 31 is tilted integrally with the upper rail 6 due to the seat load and the seat belt load. Even in this case, it is possible to prevent the engagement protrusions 36 from being detached from the engagement holes 38 of the lower rail 5.

That is, as the lock lever 31 tilts inward in the width direction of the seat 1, each engagement protrusion 36 moves downward in the engagement hole 38. As a result, the engagement protrusions 36 and the engagement holes 38 are strongly engaged, and the locked state is maintained. Therefore, according to the above configuration, it is possible to reliably support the seat load and the seat belt load based on the inertia even at the time of a forward collision. As a result, higher safety can be ensured.

(3) Further, since the insertion hole 37 is not formed in the side wall portion 15A disposed on the outer side in the width direction of the seat 1, each engagement protrusion 36 that moves up and down in the insertion hole 37 is difficult to pinch foreign matter. Thus, each engagement protrusion 36 of the lock lever 31 can be engaged and disengaged with the engagement hole 38 of the lower rail 5 more smoothly. In addition, the designability (appearance) can be improved.

(4) The lock lever 31 includes projecting

portions

50 and 52 that protrude in the width direction and face the side wall portions 15 of the upper rail 6.

According to the above configuration, both ends of the overhang portion 50 provided on the lock lever 31 even when a force that peels the upper rail 6 from the lower rail 5 is exerted by a seat load or a seat belt load based on inertia. 50a, 50b and each overhang | projection part 52 function as a supporting member by contact | abutting to each side wall part 15 of the upper rail 6 which opposes. And thereby, the deformation | transformation of the upper rail 6 that the space | interval W0 of the both-sides wall part 15 becomes narrow can be prevented. Furthermore, since each overhang |

projection part

50 and 52 functions as a control member which suppresses the position shift of a lock lever, the displacement in the width direction of the lock lever 31 and the axial run-out around the rotating shaft M can be suppressed. As a result, each engagement protrusion 36 of the lock lever 31 can be engaged and disengaged with each engagement hole 38 of the lower rail 5 more smoothly.

In particular, when the engagement protrusion 36 is provided only on one side in the width direction as described above, the lock lever 31 tends to be inclined due to the asymmetry of the shape. Therefore, by providing

such overhang portions

50 and 52, a more remarkable effect can be obtained.

(5) The lock lever 31 includes an overhang 50 provided at the tip of the working end 31a via the connection 51. Therefore, the same effect as the effect (2) of the first embodiment can be obtained.

(6) The lock lever 31 includes an overhanging portion 52 provided at a position closer to the engaging protrusion 36 with respect to the rotation axis M. Therefore, it is possible to obtain the same effect as the overhanging portion 52 of another example shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B of the first embodiment.

(7) The projecting portion 50 has a curved shape in which a cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the extending direction is curved in a substantially arc shape. Therefore, the same effect as the effect (3) of the first embodiment can be obtained.

Note that the fourth embodiment may be modified as follows.

In the fourth embodiment, the lock lever 31 is provided with the four engaging protrusions 36 at both end portions of the tip portion thereof. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of the engaging protrusions 36 may be arbitrarily changed. The position is not necessarily the tip portion as long as it is on the rear side of the rotation axis M.

In the fourth embodiment, a plurality of (four) insertion holes 37 corresponding to the engaging protrusions of the lock lever 31 are formed in each side wall 15. However, the configuration is not limited thereto, and a configuration in which a plurality of engaging protrusions 36 are inserted into one insertion hole 37 may be employed.

In the fourth embodiment, each engaging protrusion 36 is provided at the side end 32b of the lever main body 32 so as to protrude inward in the width direction of the seat 1 in the on-vehicle state. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any configuration may be employed as long as the engagement protrusions 36 are provided only on one side in the width direction of the lock lever 31, and each engagement protrusion 36 may protrude outward in the width direction of the seat 1. .

For example, at the time of a vehicle collision, a configuration in which the upper rail 6 tilts outward in the width direction of the seat 1 due to a seat load and a seat belt load based on inertia, that is, a plate-like portion 25 serving as a load support portion is disposed on the inner side in the width direction. In the configuration, from the viewpoint of preventing the detachment of the engaging protrusions 36 due to the tilting, it is preferable that the engaging protrusions 36 protrude outward in the width direction of the seat 1. And if importance is attached to the reduction of foreign object pinching by not forming the insertion hole 37 in the side wall portion 15A on the outer side in the width direction and its design (appearance), the tilt direction of the upper rail 6 is not affected. It is preferable that each engaging protrusion 36 protrudes outward in the width direction of the sheet 1.

In the fourth embodiment, the plate-like portion 25 serving as the load support portion is formed in a flat plate shape, but the shape thereof may be arbitrarily changed.

In the fourth embodiment, the lock lever 31 includes the overhang 50 provided at a position farther from the engagement protrusion 36 with respect to the rotation axis M, and the engagement protrusion with respect to the rotation axis M. The projecting portion 52 provided at a position closer to the portion 36 is provided. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and only one of these

overhang portions

50 and 52 may be provided.

Particularly, by using only the overhanging portion 52 provided at a position closer to the rotation axis M, so-called “play” can be set for the lock lever 31. That is, slight movement in the width direction and tilting are allowed. As a result, each engagement protrusion 36 of the lock lever 31 can be engaged and disengaged with each engagement hole 38 of the lower rail 5 more smoothly. In addition, by not providing the overhanging portion 50 that is disposed on the rear side of each engagement projection 36, each engagement projection is utilized by utilizing the deformation of the upper rail 6 as described above when the vehicle collides forward. 36 can be restrained. And thereby, high safety | security can be ensured by hold | maintaining the locking mechanism 30 in a locked state.

Further, an overhanging portion may be formed not only on the operation end 31a side where each engagement protrusion 36 is provided, but also on the operation end 31b side opposite to the rotation axis M. However, from the viewpoint of ensuring smooth engagement / disengagement of the lock lever 31, it is desirable to form an overhanging portion on the side of the working end 31 a where each engagement protrusion 36 is provided.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the overhanging portion 50 (both

end portions

50a and 50b thereof) and the overhanging portion 52 protrude outward in the width direction from both

side end portions

32a and 32b of the lever body 32, respectively. The both side wall portions 15 are opposed to each other. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration in which an overhanging portion that protrudes in the opposite direction to the direction in which each engaging protrusion 36 protrudes and faces the side wall portion 15 is provided in the lock lever 31 may be employed.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 27 and 28, the upper rail protrudes outward in the width direction from the side end 32 a to the side end 32 a opposite to the side end 32 b provided with each engagement protrusion 36. 6 is provided with an overhanging portion 55 facing the side wall portion 15A. In this example, the projecting portion 55 is provided at a position corresponding to each engagement protrusion 36 in the longitudinal direction of the lock lever 31.

Even with such a configuration, it is possible to suppress the inclination of the lock lever 31 due to the asymmetric shape in which the engagement protrusions 36 are provided only on one side in the width direction. In addition, since the overhang portion 55 is provided on the back side of each engagement protrusion 36 in the lock lever 31, it can be avoided that the overhang portion 55 inhibits the engagement / disengagement of each engagement protrusion 36. As a result, each engagement protrusion 36 of the lock lever 31 can be engaged and disengaged with each engagement hole 38 of the lower rail 5 more smoothly.

In the above embodiment, the projecting portion 50 has a curved shape in which a cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the extending direction (width direction) is curved in a substantially arc shape. However, the shape is not limited to this, and the shape including the protruding portion 52 may be arbitrarily changed. However, in consideration of the function as a support member that supports each side wall portion 15 to be deformed, it is desirable to have a bent shape capable of enhancing the rigidity in the width direction as the support direction. The bent shape is not limited to the curved shape as described above, but may be, for example, an acute bent shape.

In the fourth embodiment, the lock lever 31 is formed by bending a plate material. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be formed by other processing methods such as casting, forging, cutting or injection molding. In view of weight reduction, manufacturing cost, etc., the bending process as in the above embodiment is advantageous. And in that case, the rigidity in the width direction can be strengthened easily by forming the bending shape of the up-down direction.

Claims

A vehicle seat slide device,
A lower rail extending along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle;
An upper rail configured to support the seat upward and provided on the lower rail so as to be relatively movable;
A lock mechanism capable of restricting relative movement of the upper rail,
The upper rail has a pair of side wall portions opposed to each other in the width direction of the upper rail, and the lock mechanism has a pivot shaft that intersects the both side wall portions and is rotatably supported by the upper rail. With a lever,
The lock lever has an engagement protrusion that protrudes in the width direction at a position on the rear side of the rotation shaft, and at least one of the pair of side walls that intersect the engagement protrusion. The side wall portion has at least one insertion hole through which the engagement protrusion is inserted so that the engagement protrusion is vertically movable. The lower rail is engaged with the engagement protrusion by the vertical movement based on the rotation of the lock lever. It has a plurality of engaged parts that open upward to be removable,
Either the lock lever or the upper rail includes a deformation restraining member capable of restraining the deformation of the upper rail so that the space between the both side walls is narrowed by being interposed between the both side walls. apparatus.
The vehicle seat slide device according to claim 1,
The vehicle seat slide device, wherein the deformation suppressing member is an overhanging portion provided in the lock lever and protruding in the width direction so as to face the side wall portion.
The vehicle seat slide device according to claim 2,
The vehicular seat slide device, wherein the overhanging portion is provided at a position away from the engaging protrusion with respect to the rotation axis.
The vehicle seat slide device according to claim 2,
The overhanging portion is a vehicle seat slide device provided at a position closer to the engaging protrusion than the rotation axis.
The vehicle seat slide device according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
The vehicular seat slide device, wherein the projecting portion has a bent shape capable of enhancing the rigidity of the projecting portion in the width direction.
The vehicle seat slide device according to claim 1,
The lower rail is provided with a protrusion,
The deformation suppressing member is a reinforcing member provided on the upper rail,
The vehicle seat slide device, wherein the reinforcing member has a stopper portion that can limit a relative movement range of the upper rail by abutting against the protrusion of the lower rail based on the relative movement of the upper rail.
The vehicle seat slide device according to claim 6,
The vehicle seat slide device, wherein the reinforcing member extends along a longitudinal direction of the upper rail, and the stopper portion is provided in a front portion of the reinforcing member.
The vehicle seat slide device according to claim 6 or 7,
The reinforcing member includes a plate-like portion disposed so as to intersect with the both side wall portions, and the plate-like portion includes a bent portion bent in a direction intersecting with a longitudinal direction of the upper rail. A vehicle seat slide device.
The vehicle seat slide device according to claim 8,
The vehicle seat slide device, wherein the bent portion is provided at a position rearward of the stopper portion.
The vehicle seat slide device according to claim 8 or 9,
The stopper part is a vehicle seat slide device that is bent at both sides in the width direction of the plate-like part and protrudes downward from the upper rail.
The vehicle seat slide device according to any one of claims 8 to 10,
The said stopper part has a flange part extended in the width direction outer side, and is provided in the side part of the said plate-shaped part, The vehicle seat slide apparatus.
The vehicle seat slide device according to claim 8,
The vehicle seat slide device, wherein the stopper portion is provided on both sides of the plate-like portion, and the bent portion of the plate-like portion is disposed between the stopper portions.
The vehicle seat slide device according to any one of claims 6 to 12,
The vehicle seat slide device, wherein the reinforcing member is provided on a rear end side of the upper rail.
The vehicle seat slide device according to any one of claims 1 to 13,
The insertion hole has a rear inner wall surface,
A notch is formed in the rear inner wall surface so that the rear inner wall surface of the insertion hole tilts forward due to the deformation of the upper rail and restricts the upward movement of the engaging projection during a vehicle front collision. A vehicle seat slide device.
The vehicle seat slide device according to claim 14,
The insertion hole has a bottom inner wall surface,
The vehicle seat slide device, wherein the notch is formed continuously on the bottom inner wall surface of the insertion hole.
The vehicle seat slide device according to claim 14 or 15,
A vehicular seat slide device in which a convex shape is formed on the rear inner wall surface by cutting out the rear inner wall surface, and the convex shape is disposed above the engaging protrusion by tilting of the rear inner wall surface.
The vehicle seat slide device according to any one of claims 14 to 16,
The insertion hole includes a plurality of insertion holes arranged in parallel along the longitudinal direction of the lower rail, and the notch is formed only on the rear inner wall surface of the insertion hole located on the rearmost side among the plurality of insertion holes. A formed vehicle seat slide device.
The vehicle seat slide device according to any one of claims 15 to 17,
The vehicle seat slide device, wherein the notch is formed below an intermediate position in the vertical direction of the bottom inner wall surface.
The vehicle seat slide device according to any one of claims 14 to 18,
The notch has a first width along the vertical direction and a second width along the front-rear direction, and the first width is set to be longer than the second width. apparatus.