Seat sliding mechanism

• US 10,384,630 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2016
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TS Tech Company Limited
• Original Assignee: TS Tech Company Limited
• Inventors: Tsukamoto, Masaru
• Primary Examiner(s): McNichols, Eret C
• Application Number:
  US15/283,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20170096081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0272 using sensors or detectors for detecting the position of seat parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/07 Slide construction
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0702 characterised by its cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0705 omega-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0715 C or U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/072 Complex cross-section, e.g. obtained by extrusion
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01554 Seat position sensors

Abstract

A seat sliding mechanism includes a lower rail, an upper rail, a position sensor and a sensor bracket. The lower rail is provided on a side of a vehicle floor. The upper rail is provided at a lower part of a seat body and is slidably supported by the lower rail along front and rear directions. The position sensor is provided on the upper rail and detects a position along front and rear directions. The sensor bracket is provided on the lower rail and its proximity state to the position sensor is to be detected. The sensor bracket includes a base, a detected portion and a supporting portion. The base is fixed to a bottom of the lower rail. The detected portion is detected by the position sensor. The supporting portion supports the detected portion.

Claims

1. A seat sliding mechanism comprising:

a lower rail which is provided on a side of a vehicle floor;

an upper rail which is provided at a lower part of a seat body and which is slidably supported by the lower rail along front and rear directions;

a position sensor which is provided at the upper rail and which detects a position along the front and rear directions; and

a sensor bracket which is provided at the lower rail and whose proximity state to the position sensor is to be detected,

wherein the sensor bracket includes;

a base which is fixed to a bottom of the lower rail;

a detected portion which is detected by the position sensor; and

a supporting portion which extends between the base and the detected portion such that, along the front and rear directions, a rearmost end of the detected portion is forward of a rearmost end of the base, and

wherein the sensor bracket is provided at the lower rail such that the detected portion is higher than the lower rail.

2. The seat sliding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein

the position sensor includes a detection portion which detects the detected portion of the sensor bracket which is to be positioned below the detection portion, and

the supporting portion has a downward cut out at a part nearer to the base from an end of the detected portion nearer to the base.

3. The seat sliding mechanism according to claim 2, wherein

the cut out extends vertically downward with respect to the detected portion from the end of the detected portion nearer to the base.

4. The seat sliding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein

a bead is formed on the supporting portion.

5. The seat sliding mechanism according to claim 4, wherein

the bead is formed so as to extend from the base along a direction toward the detected portion.

6. The seat sliding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein

the base includes a flange formed at a front end or a rear end thereof.

7. The seat sliding mechanism according to claim 6, wherein

the base has a fixing hole for being fixed to the lower rail, and

the flange is formed on at least a portion of the front end or the rear end of the base that is at a position corresponding to a part of the fixing hole which, when seen along the front or the rear direction, is on a side of the supporting portion.

8. The seat sliding mechanism according to claim 6, wherein

a bead formed on the supporting portion and the flange formed on the base overlap with each other when seen along the front or the rear direction.

9. The seat sliding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein a frontmost end of the detected portion is forward of a frontmost end of the base.

10. The seat sliding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the position sensor includes a detection portion that detects the detected portion of the sensor bracket and that is wider than the detected portion in left and right directions.

11. A seat sliding mechanism comprising:

a lower rail which is provided on a side of a vehicle floor;

an upper rail which is provided at a lower part of a seat body and which is slidably supported by the lower rail along front and rear directions;

a position sensor which is provided at the upper rail and which detects a position along the front and rear directions; and

a sensor bracket which is provided at the lower rail and whose proximity state to the position sensor is to be detected,

wherein the sensor bracket includes;

a base which is fixed to a bottom of the lower rail;

a detected portion which is detected by the position sensor; and

a supporting portion which extends between the base and the detected portion such that, along the front and rear directions, a rearmost end of the detected portion is forward of a rearmost end of the base, and

wherein a frontmost end of the detected portion is forward of a frontmost end of the base.

12. The seat sliding mechanism according to claim 11, wherein

the position sensor includes a detection portion which detects the detected portion of the sensor bracket which is to be positioned below the detection portion, and

the supporting portion has a downward cut out at a part nearer to the base from an end of the detected portion nearer to the base.

13. The seat sliding mechanism according to claim 11, wherein

a bead is formed on the supporting portion.

14. The seat sliding mechanism according to claim 11, wherein

the base includes a flange formed at a front end or a rear end thereof.

15. The seat sliding mechanism according to claim 11, wherein the position sensor includes a detection portion that detects the detected portion of the sensor bracket and that is wider than the detected portion in left and right directions.