Vehicle seat slide mechanism

• US 5,020,853 A
• Filed: 07/30/1990
• Issued: 06/04/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Dunlop Cox Ltd. (Lear Corporation)
• Inventors: Babbs, Frederick W.
• Primary Examiner(s): ASCHENBRENNER, PETER
• Application Number:
  US07/559,069
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: 297/341, 248/393, 248/419, 248/424, 248/430
• US Class Current: 297/341
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0705 omega-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0715 C or U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0825 outside the rail
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0843 about a longitudinal axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/123 and provided with memory locks

Abstract

A vehicle seat slide mechanism comprises a fixed slide and a movable slide allowing fore-and-aft adjustment of the vehicle seat position. The mechanism includes a memory mounted on the fixed slide which enables the seat to be returned to its original position. Preferably this is actuated by tilting the squab of the seat and is particularly suitable for two-door cars wherein the front seat has to be slid forwards to allow access to the rear.

Claims

1. A vehicle seat slide mechanism comprising:

two seat slide pairs, each comprising a first elongate slide member adapted to be connected to the floor of the vehicle and a second elongate slide member adapted to be connected to the body of the vehicle seat and in sliding relationship with the first member;

a trigger member mounted on each said second slide member and normally urged by a spring into a locked position where it is in engagement with at least one of a series of apertures or notches in the first slide member to prevent relative sliding movement of the two slide members;

a release member co-operating with each of the two trigger members and arranged to move each of the two trigger members from the locked position to an unlocked position where each is out of engagement with the at least one aperture or notch in the first slide member;

a memory member carried by the first slide member and moveable parallel thereto;

first and second engagement members carried by the second slide member and engageable with the memory member to effect movement thereof parallel to the first slide member;

a coupling member linked to the release member;

a forwardly tiltable lever to which the coupling member is linked and which, when tilted forwardly operates the release members through the coupling members to move the trigger members to the unlocked position;

an actuator associated with the coupling member which co-operates with the first engagement member on said forward tilting of the lever to move the first engagement member out of engagement with the memory member which thus remains stationary as the seat is moved forwardly; and

a locking member which co-operates with the memory member and is so constructed and arranged that when the seat is moved forwardly and the memory member remains stationary, the locking member moves to a position where it co-operates with the actuator whereby when the lever is returned to its untilted position the coupling member is prevented from returning to a position in which each trigger member may return to the locked position, but when the seat is moved rearwardly the locking member engages the memory member and returns to its original position thereby permitting the coupling member to return to its original position whereafter each trigger member returns to the locked position thus locking the seat in its original position.

2. A vehicle seat slide mechanism according to claim 1 wherein when the lever is returned to its untilted position and the seat is moved rearwardly the second engagement member also returns to its original position in engagement with the memory member.

3. A vehicle seat slide mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the lever comprises the seat squab.

4. A vehicle seat slide mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said memory member comprises a block frictionally engaged with a rail arranged parallel to the first slide member.

5. A vehicle seat slide mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the coupling member comprises a flexible cable having one end attached to the tiltable lever.

6. A vehicle seat slide mechanism according to claim 5 wherein the cable passes round a pulley connected to the release member and has its other end attached to the second slide member.

7. A vehicle seat slide mechanism according to claim 5 wherein the actuator comprises a ball or other projection connected to the cable.

8. A vehicle seat slide mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the release member co-operates with the trigger member via an intermediate member.