SEAT SLIDING APPARATUS FOR VEHICLE

• US 20080238168A1
• Filed: 03/25/2008
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Nihonmatsu, Hideo, Nagura, Mikihito, KOJIMA, Yasuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,594,635 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/344.11
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0722 Constructive details

Abstract

A seat sliding apparatus for a vehicle includes a lower rail, an upper rail, a block, and a raised portion. The lower rail is adapted to be fixed to a vehicle floor. The lower rail with a U-shaped cross section has an end and a bottom wall. The upper rail is adapted to be fixed to a seat and supported in the lower rail to be movable relative to the lower rail. The block is fixed to the lower rail and includes an inclined face extending away from the bottom wall of the lower rail as the inclined face approaches the end of the lower rail. The raised portion is formed by cutting the bottom wall of the lower rail and folding the cut wall inward the lower rail to fix the block to the lower rail. Accordingly, a foreign object within the lower rail can be removed without blocking the movement of the upper rail relative to the lower rail.

Claims

1. A seat sliding apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a lower rail adapted to be fixed to a vehicle floor, wherein the lower rail with a U-shaped cross-section includes an end and a bottom wall;

an upper rail adapted to be fixed to a seat and supported in the lower rail to be movable relative to the lower rail;

a block fixed to the lower rail, wherein the block includes an inclined face extending away from the bottom wall of the lower rail as the inclined face approaches the end of the lower rail; and

a raised portion formed by cutting the bottom wall of the lower rail and folding the cut wall inward the lower rail to fix the block to the lower rail.

2. The seat sliding apparatus of claim 1, wherein the raised portion serves as a stopper for limiting the movement of the upper rail relative to the lower rail, and the raised portion is located closer to the end of the lower rail than at least a part of the inclined face.

3. The seat sliding apparatus of claim 2, wherein the inclined face extends longer than the raised portion in a direction perpendicular to the bottom wall of the lower rail, and a clearance for avoiding interference with the block is provided in the upper rail.

4. The seat sliding apparatus of claim 1, wherein the upper rail includes a longitudinal end, and a cover member is provided in the longitudinal end and includes a concave portion for avoiding interference with the block when the upper rail moves toward the end of the lower rail.

5. The seat sliding apparatus of claim 1, wherein a cutout for forming the raised portion is provided in the bottom wall of the lower rail, and a fitting portion for fitting in the cutout protrudes from the block.

6. The seat sliding apparatus of claim 5, wherein a protruding length of the fitting portion is set so that the fitting portion does not run out of the lower rail in a state where the fitting portion is fitted in the cutout.

7. The seat sliding apparatus of claim 1, wherein the raised portion is a pair of the raised portions arranged in a width direction of the lower rail, and the block is sandwiched between the pair of the raised portions.

8. The seat sliding apparatus of claim 7, wherein the pair of the raised portions are shaped so that the distance between the pair of the raised portions in the width direction becomes shorter as the raised portions extend in a direction perpendicular to and away from a bottom face of the lower rail, the block includes side walls each inclined along corresponding one of the raised portions, and the block is sandwiched between the raised portions at the side walls.

9. The seat sliding apparatus of claim 8, wherein a thin flange is provided on each of the side walls, and the thin flange is adapted to be compressed by the raised portion to prevent wobble of the block relative to the lower rail.

10. The seat sliding apparatus of claim 8, wherein a cutout for forming the raised portion is provided in the bottom wall of the lower rail, and a fitting portion for fitting in the cutout protrudes from the block,

wherein the cutout includes a first side end and second side end arranged in a longitudinal direction of the lower rail, the fitting portion includes a first fitting portion and a second fitting portion fitting in the cutout at the first side end and the second side end, respectively, and the first fitting portion is located closer to the raised portion than the second fitting portion,

wherein the second fitting portion is provided in a support piece to protrude therefrom, and the support piece is cantilevered by the block so as to elastically deform in a direction perpendicular to the bottom face of the lower rail,

wherein, when the block is sandwiched by the raised portions, the first fitting portion is fit into the cutout and the second fitting portion is pressed against a bottom face of the lower rail to elastically deform the support piece so that the second fitting portion is urged in a direction perpendicular to the bottom face, the block is slid in the longitudinal direction of the lower rail, and the urged second fitting portion is caused to fit into the cutout by restoration of the support piece, thereby the block is fixed to the lower rail.

11. The seat sliding apparatus of claim 1, wherein a stopper for limiting the movement of the upper rail relative to the lower rail is provided in the lower rail, and the stopper is located closer to the end of the lower rail than at least a part of the inclined face.

12. The seat sliding apparatus of claim 11, wherein the raised portion includes the stopper.

13. The seat sliding apparatus of claim 1, wherein a contour of the block is formed so that the block does not run out of the lower rail in a state where the block is fixed to the lower rail.

14. The seat sliding apparatus of claim 1, wherein the block removes a foreign object in the lower rail associated with the movement of the upper rail toward the end of the lower rail.

15. A seat sliding apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a lower rail adapted to be fixed to a vehicle floor, wherein the lower rail with a U-shaped cross-section includes an end and a bottom wall;

an upper rail adapted to be fixed to a seat and supported in the lower rail to be movable relative to the lower rail;

a removing member for removing a foreign object, wherein the removing member is fixed to the lower rail and includes an inclined face extending away from the bottom wall of the lower rail as the inclined face approaches the end of the lower rail to remove the foreign object associated with the movement of the upper rail toward the end of the lower rail; and

a stopper for limiting the movement of the upper rail relative to the lower rail, wherein the stopper is located loser to the end of the lower rail than at least a part of the inclined face and operates to fix the removing member to the lower rail.

16. The seat sliding apparatus of claim 15, wherein the lower rail includes a bottom wall, and the stopper includes a raised portion formed by cutting the bottom wall of the lower rail and folding the cut wall inward the lower rail to fix the block to the lower rail.

17. A seat sliding apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a lower rail adapted to be fixed to a vehicle floor, wherein the lower rail with a U-shaped cross-section includes an end and a bottom wall;

an upper rail adapted to be fixed to a seat and supported in the lower rail to be movable relative to the lower rail, wherein the upper rail includes a longitudinal end;

a removing member for removing a foreign object, wherein the removing member is fixed to the lower rail and includes an inclined face extending away from the bottom wall of the lower rail as the inclined face approaches the end of the lower rail to remove the foreign object associated with the movement of the upper rail toward the end of the lower rail; and

a cover member provided at the longitudinal end of the upper rail, wherein the cover member includes a concave portion for avoiding interference with the removing member when the upper rail moves toward the end of the lower rail.

18. The seat sliding apparatus of claim 17, wherein the lower rail includes a bottom wall, and the removing member includes a raised portion formed by cutting the bottom wall of the lower rail and folding the cut wall inward the lower rail to fix the removing member to the lower rail.