JPH0330181Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] "Field of industrial application" The invention consists of a rail on the vehicle body side and a rail on the seat side that is movably fitted to the rail on the vehicle body side and supports the seat. The present invention relates to a power seat slide device, which has a rail unit consisting of a rail unit, and is adapted to move the rail on the seat side with respect to the rail on the vehicle body side using power.

"Prior Art" Recently, a power seat slide device for moving a seat using power has been proposed, and one such device is, for example, Utility Application No. 118-195 filed by the present applicant earlier.
This is as shown in Figure 8, which was proposed in the issue.

That is, a reinforcing plate 3 is provided on the lower rail 2 of the rail unit 1, a long groove 4 in the longitudinal direction is bored in the reinforcing plate 3, a rack 5 is carved in one edge of the reinforcing plate 3, and a pinion connected to a drive source is formed. 6 is supported on an upper rail 7 and meshed with the rack 5.

``Problems to be Solved by the Invention'' However, in such a power seat slide device, the rack 5 is carved only on one side of the long groove 4 of the lower rail 2, and the other edge is a simple piece. If the rigidity is low, the pinion 6 will easily come off from the rack 5 in critical situations such as when an impact load is applied, and it will be necessary to improve the material quality by increasing the thickness of the member, increasing the module size, or heat treatment. However, there were problems in that it became an obstacle to miniaturization and weight reduction, and inhibited cost reduction.

The present invention was made by focusing on the problems of the previous technology, and provides a power seat slide device that solves the above problems by preventing the pinion from coming off the rack even under critical conditions. The purpose is to

``Means for Solving the Problems'' The gist of the present invention for achieving the above purpose is to provide a rail on the vehicle body and a seat that is movably fitted to the rail on the vehicle body. A power seat slide device comprising a rail unit comprising a supported seat-side rail, the seat-side rail being moved by power relative to the vehicle body-side rail, wherein the vehicle body-side rail and the seat are moved by power. One of the side rails is inserted into the other, one has a fitting flange facing in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the side rail, and a reinforcing plate is installed between both fitting flanges, and the other side has a fitting flange facing in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the side rail. It has a holding groove that slidably fits into the mating flange and the side edge of the reinforcing plate, a long groove is bored in the longitudinal direction in the reinforcing plate of one of the rails to be inserted, and the inner side of one side of the long groove is provided. A rack is formed on the edge, and an engaging notch is connected to the other side, and the other rail that is fitted on the outside is equipped with a drive unit having a pinion that engages with the rack, and the rack and the engaging notch of the one rail are connected to each other. When the pinion is normally and easily engaged, the pinion can pass through the gap between the racks, and when the pinion is deviated in the direction of detaching from the rack, it is able to engage the engagement notch without completely disengaging. The power seat slide device is characterized in that the power seat slide device is set to such an extent that the

``Function'' However, in normal use, the pinion meshes only with the rack and does not interfere with the mesh notch, but when the pinion is rotated by the drive shaft, the rack moves, and the rail on the car body side and the rail on the seat side move. are moved relative to each other, and the seat is moved by power.

When the pinion shifts from the rack due to an impact load, etc., the pinion moves to a position where it interferes with the engagement notch and engages, and the pinion is supported on both sides, making it much easier to operate than when only the rack is used. It is held by strength.

“Embodiment” An embodiment of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

Each figure shows one embodiment of the present invention.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, the power seat slide device 10 has rail units 20, 20 arranged parallel to each other between the lower surface of the seat and the floor in accordance with the width of the seat, and both rail units 20, 20 that extend across the seat. An electric motor 11 serving as a drive source is connected to the lower front portion of the seat cushion. A flexible cable 12 for transmitting rotational driving force from the electric motor 11 extends to both rail units 20, 20.

Since the rail units 20 and 20 have symmetrical and identical structures, only one will be explained below and the other will be omitted.

The rail unit 20 includes a rail 30 on the vehicle body side fixed to the floor and a rail 4 on the seat side supporting the seat fixed to the lower part of the seat cushion of the seat.
0 are fitted to be movable relative to each other.

The rail 30 on the vehicle body side constitutes the lower part of the rail unit 20, and extends from the mounting face plate 31 to the side wall 32,
32 stands up, and fitting flanges 33, 33 are folded toward the outside at the tips of the side walls 32, 32, and mounting legs 34, 35 are fixed to the floor at both ends of the mounting face plate 31 with bolts or the like. is permanently installed.

Further, a reinforcing plate 36 is horizontally fixed to the fitting flanges 33, 33 and extends in the longitudinal direction, and a long groove 37 is formed in the reinforcing plate 36 to extend in the longitudinal direction. A rack 38 and an engaging notch 39 are connected to one and the other of the inner edges on both sides of the long groove 37. Here, the engagement recess 39 is designed identically to the rack 38.

The rail 40 on the seat side has side walls 42, 42 falling down from a horizontal main surface plate 41 with a width wider than between the tips of the fitting flanges 33, 33 of the rail 30 on the vehicle body side.
Holding flanges 43, 43 are folded inwards facing inward, and a holding groove 40a is formed between the holding flange 43 and the horizontal main surface plate 41.

A resin slider 21 is interposed between the fitting flange 33 of the rail 30 on the vehicle body side and the side edge of the reinforcing plate 36 and the holding groove 40a formed by the holding flange 43 of the rail 40 on the seat side. As a result, the rail 30 on the vehicle body side and the rail 40 on the seat side are slidably fitted together so as to be relatively movable.

A drive unit base 45 is fastened and fixed from above to the horizontal main surface plate 41 of the rail 40 on the seat side with screws 45a, 45a, and a base wall 45b of the drive unit base 45 is fixed.
A drive shaft 46 extends vertically between the support hub 45c and the support hub 45c.
is rotatably supported.

A through hole facing the long groove 37 of the rail 30 on the vehicle body side is bored in the horizontal main surface plate 41 of the rail 40 on the seat side, and the tip of the vertical drive shaft 46 and the support hub 45c are inserted through the through hole. It extends into the space between the rail 30 on the vehicle body side and the rail 40 on the seat side, and beyond that there is a rack 38 of the rail 30 on the vehicle body side.
A pinion 47 that meshes with is fixedly installed.

The gap between the rack 38 formed at the edge of the long groove 37 of the reinforcing plate 36 of the rail 30 on the vehicle body side and the engagement notch 39 is such that when the pinion 47 is normally engaged with the rack 38, the pinion 47 is 39
The pinion 47 can pass through the long groove 37 without interfering with the rack 38, and when the pinion 47 is displaced from the rack 38, the setting is such that the pinion 47 engages with the engagement notch 39 without completely coming off. ing.

An elastic stopper 39a that comes into contact with the support hub 45c and restricts the forward and backward stroke is provided on the mounting face plate 31 and fits into a cut-out.

A worm wheel 48 is fixed to the base of the vertical drive shaft 46 . A worm 49 that meshes with a worm wheel 48 is rotatably supported on the side of the drive unit base 45 via a horizontal axis 49a extending in the longitudinal direction of the rail 40 on the seat side.

One end of the horizontal shaft 49a forms a connecting end 49b having a connecting groove, and a flexible cable 12 extending from the electric motor 11 is connected to the connecting end 49b.
The ends are connected.

Next, the action will be explained.

Under normal load conditions, the pinion 47 meshes with the rack 38 and does not interfere with the mesh notch 39, and when the electric motor 11 is stopped, the worm wheel 48 is restrained by the worm 49 and rotates. vertical drive shaft 46
The rail 30 on the vehicle body side and the rail 40 on the seat side are restrained from moving relative to each other, and the seat does not move.

When the electric motor 11 is started, the horizontal shaft 49a and the worm 49 are connected via the flexible cable 12.
is rotated, thereby rotating the worm wheel 48 at a large reduction ratio, and the pinion 47 is rotationally driven via the vertical drive shaft 46 to which the worm wheel 48 is fixed.

The pinion 47 is engaged with the rack 38.
As a result of the relative movement, the rail 40 on the seat side moves, and the seat supported by the rail 40 on the seat side moves either forward or backward depending on the rotational direction of the electric motor 11.

If the electric motor 11 is stopped at a desired location,
As mentioned above, the seat side rail 40 is restrained in that position.

As shown in FIG. 6, the rack 38 and pinion 4
7 means that when a load is applied in the front-rear direction that tends to cause relative movement due to the tooth profile, a force that tends to move the pinion 47 in the lateral direction is generated.

When a load is applied in the longitudinal direction that tends to disengage the pinion 47 and the rack 38 due to a collision, etc., as shown in FIG. 8, in a critical situation, the pinion 4
7 tends to shift laterally and come off the rack 38. When the pinion 47 is laterally displaced away from the rack 38, it comes relatively close to the engagement notch 39,
Eventually, the pinion 47 meshes with the mesh notch 39.

When the pinion 47 meshes with the mesh notch 39,
Since the pinion 47 is set so as not to come off the rack 38, the pinion 47 is held at both ends by the teeth of the rack 38 and the engagement notch 39. In this state, the holding strength is significantly increased compared to when the pinion 47 is engaged only with the rack 38, and the pinion 47 is strongly supported so as not to come off from the reinforcing plate 36.

Therefore, even if a strong longitudinal load is applied in the event of a collision, the seat restraints will not come off, ensuring maximum safety. If it is within the elastic limit, it will return to its original normal state when the strong load is removed.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiment is merely an example;
For example, the rail 30 on the vehicle body side and the rail 40 on the seat side
The fitting relationship may be reversed, and they may be fitted not only from above and below but also from the sides. Also, the engagement notch does not need to be easy.

"Effect of the invention" According to the power seat slide device according to the invention, an engagement notch is provided in a row on the opposite side of the rack with which the pinion engages in the driving part, and when the pinion is displaced and is about to come off the rack, the engagement notch is Since the pinion is meshed with the notch and supported on both sides, the holding strength can be significantly increased in proportion to the size of the member, and the pinion and rack can be meshed with a small module, which allows heat treatment, etc. This also makes it possible to make the entire structure smaller and lighter, as well as to reduce costs.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1 to 7 show an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 is a plan view of the main parts of the power seat slide device, Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the line of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a power seat sliding device. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the reinforcing plate, FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line of FIG. 1, FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the normal meshing state of the pinion and rack, The same figure is an explanatory view when a strong load is applied, and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a previously proposed power seat slide device. 10...Power seat slide device, 20...
Rail unit, 30...Rail on the vehicle body side, 33
...Fitting flange, 36...Reinforcement plate, 37...Long groove, 38...Rack, 39...Matching notch, 40...
...Seat side rail, 43...Holding flange, 47
...Pinion.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] A rail unit comprising a rail on the vehicle body side and a rail on the seat side that is movably fitted to the rail on the vehicle body side and supports a seat, In a power seat slide device in which a rail on the seat side is moved by power with respect to the rail on the vehicle body side, one of the rail on the vehicle body side and the rail on the seat side is inserted into the other, and the one is It has a fitting flange facing perpendicular to the direction, a reinforcing plate is installed between both the fitting flanges, and the other has a fitting flange that is slidably fitted to the fitting flange and the side edge of the reinforcing plate. having a retaining groove, a long groove is bored in the longitudinal direction in the reinforcing plate of one of the rails to be inserted, a rack is formed on the inner edge of one side of the long groove, and an engaging notch is continuously provided on the other side, A drive unit having a pinion that meshes with the rack is mounted on the other rail that is fitted externally, and the gap between the rack and the mesh notch of the one rail is filled when the pinion is properly meshed with the rack. The power seat slide device is configured such that the pinion can pass therethrough and that when the pinion is displaced from the rack, it engages with the meshing notch without completely coming off.