Slide rail for motor-vehicle seat

• US 20040084926A1
• Filed: 10/21/2003
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Westfalia Profiltechnik GmbH and Co KG (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Westfalia Profiltechnik GmbH and Co KG (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Thomas, Rudiger, Muller, Torsten
• Granted Patent: US 6,860,538 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/65.14
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0705 omega-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0715 C or U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/075 roller-less

Abstract

A rail assembly has an elongated upwardly open and elongated metal rail fixed to a car-body support and two confronting and inwardly concave flanges forming transversely inwardly directed faces and an elongated metal rail fixed to a motor-vehicle seat, captured between the flanges, and having two transversely outwardly directed faces generally complementary to and bearing with prestress outwardly on the inwardly directed faces. Respective friction-reducing layers on the faces allow the seat rail to slide smoothly in the body rail.

Claims

1. In combination with a motor-vehicle seat and a car-body support, an assembly comprising:

an elongated upwardly open and elongated metal rail fixed to the support and two confronting and inwardly concave flanges forming transversely inwardly directed faces;

an elongated metal rail fixed to the seat, captured between the flanges, and having two transversely outwardly a directed faces generally complementary to and bearing with prestress outwardly on the inwardly directed faces; and

respective friction-reducing layers on the faces.

2. The car-seat rail assembly defined in claim 1 wherein each of the faces has a pair of planar portions extending at an angle of less than 180°

to each other and meeting at a corner.

3. The car-seat rail assembly defined in claim 2 wherein the upwardly open rail has an integral and horizontal floor web bridging the flanges and the upper rail has downwardly extending L-shaped lips riding on the floor web.

4. The car-seat rail assembly defined in claim 2 wherein the rail fixed to the seat has a downwardly open U-section central web having lower edges and respective outwardly convex outer flanges projecting upward from the lower edges and forming the respective faces.

5. The car-seat rail assembly defined in claim 2 wherein the rail fixed to the seat has a downwardly open U-section central web having lower edges and respective C-section outer flanges projecting upward from the lower edges, forming the respective faces, and having rounded upper and lower lips, the inwardly concave flanges being of C-section and complementary to the C-section outer flanges of the rail fixed to the seat.

6. The car-seat rail assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the layers are polytetrafluoroethylene.

7. The car-seat rail assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the layers are nitriding.