Slide rail

• US 4,811,925 A
• Filed: 03/07/1986
• Issued: 03/14/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tachi-S Company Limited A Corporation Japan
• Original Assignee: Tachi-S Company Limited
• Inventors: Fujita, Yasuyuki, Nishino, Takaichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pedder, Dennis H.
• Application Number:
  US06/881,842
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 296/65 R, 248/393, 248/429, 248/430, 384/19, 384/20, 384/34, 384/37, 384/38, 384/42
• US Class Current: 248/430
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0707 J-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0715 C or U-shaped

Abstract

A slide rail is shown for adjusting the longitudinal position of a seat used in connection with a vehicle, such as an automobile. The slide rail comprises a moveable rail having a U-shaped lower section, and adapted for connection to the seat; upper and lower sliders, respectively disposed on the top and bottom surfaces of a flange forming part of the lower portion of the moveable rail; and a square fixed rail adapted for connection to the floor of the vehicle. The upper slider, which is formed from a desirably elastic material, has a number of vertically alternating projections on its top and bottom surfaces; lateral projections on its side surfaces; and slits disposed inwardly of the lateral projections. The flange is positioned in the fixed rail, together with the upper and lower sliders, so that the moveable rail can be slideably moved back and forth, providing the adjustment described.

Claims

1. A slide rail comprising a movable rail adapted for connection to a seat, said movable rail including a U-shaped lower portion;

upper and lower sliders disposed on the top and bottom surfaces, respectively, of a lower flange forming part of the lower portion of said movable rail; and

a substantially square shaped fixed rail adapted for fastening to the floor of a vehicle, said lower flange being positioned in said fixed rail, together with said upper and lower sliders, in such a way that said movable rail can be slidingly moved back and forth, wherein said upper slider, which is formed of a material having a desired elasticity, is provided on its top and bottom surfaces with a number of vertically alternating projections, together with projections on its two side surfaces, and said upper slider is also provided with slits extending from said top to said bottom surface and respectively disposed inwardly of said projections on said side surfaces.

2. A slide rail as defined in claim 1, wherein said upper slider includes two support surface sections respectively in the front and rear portions thereof and a connecting arm section disposed between said two support surface sections for interconnecting said two sections, said connecting arm section being narrower in width than said two support surface sections, and wherein said projections provided on said top and bottom surfaces as well as on said two side surfaces and said slits are all located in said support surface sections.

3. A slide rail as defined in claim 1, wherein said lower flange of said movable rail includes two embossments respectively formed in the front and rear ends thereof, and the bottom surface of said fixed rail is provided in the rear end thereof with an upwardly projecting embossment and is formed in the front end thereof with a through-bore.

4. A slide rail as defined in claim 1, wherein said projections provided on said top and bottom surfaces of said upper slider are respectively formed in a substantially hemispherical shape and said projections on said two side surfaces of said upper slider are respectively formed in an arcuate shape.

5. A slide rail as defined in claim 1, wherein said projections on said top and bottom surfaces of said upper slider are arranged such that they alternate with one another in the horizontal direction across its height.

6. A slide rail as defined in claim 2, wherein the front and rear support surface sections of said upper slider are respectively provided in the inner end portions thereof with raised portions projecting slightly upwardly.

7. A slide rail as defined in claim 1, wherein a vertical thickness of said upper slider including said projections provided thereon is slightly greater than a height of the space between said lower flange of said movable rail and a top surface of said fixed rail.

8. A slide rail as defined in claim 2, wherein a width of each of said support surface sections of said upper slider including said projections on said two side surfaces thereof is slightly greater than a corresponding width of the space between said movable and fixed rails.

9. A slide rail as defined in claim 1, wherein said lower slider is foremd in the front and rear end portions thereof with elongated bores extending transversely, and rollers having a diameter greater than the thickness of said lower slider are respectively fitted into said elongated bores in a rotatable manner.

10. A slide rail as defined in claim 1, wherein said lower slider includes a raised edge in the inner edge portion thereof and a projected edge in the outer edge portion thereof.

11. A slide rail as defined in claim 2, wherein the front and rear support surface sections of said upper slider are respectively provided in the outer edge lower surfaces thereof with projections and said lower slider is formed in a projected edge thereof with recesses respectively corresponding to said projections in said outer edge lower surfaces of upper slider, so that said upper and lower sliders can be engaged with each other in the longitudinal direction thereof.