Slide rail for vehicle seat and seat comprising such a slide rail

• US 6,227,596 B1
• Filed: 03/22/1999
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bertrand Faure Equipements SA
• Original Assignee: Bertrand Faure Equipements SA
• Inventors: Calor, Herve, Foucault, Laurent
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan, D. Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): GUTMAN, HILARY L
• Application Number:
  US09/273,435
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 296/65.13, 296/65.14, 296/65.16, 296/65.01, 297/341, 248/429, 248/430
• US Class Current: 296/65.13
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/123 and provided with memory locks

Abstract

A slide rail for a vehicle seat, comprising a fixed section, a mobile section, a memory retaining runner sliding along the fixed section and defining a memorized position of the mobile section, a runner catch, a first control to simultaneously unlock the slide rail and clip the runner to the mobile section, and a second control to only unlock the slide rail. The runner catch is brought resiliently to its unlocked position, and it is moved into its locked position by engagement with a cam surface integral with the mobile section, only when this mobile section leaves its memorized position or returns into said memorized position.

Claims

1. A slide rail for a vehicle seat, comprising:

a fixed section intended to be fixed to the vehicle,

a mobile section which is slidingly mounted along the fixed section and which is intended to be fixed to the seat to allow movement of this seat in a so-called longitudinal direction, forwards and backwards, the mobile section delimiting with the fixed section a hollow inner space in the slide rail,

a slide rail catch which is mounted on the mobile section and which is movable between, on the one hand, a locked position wherein said slide rail catch engages with the fixed section to lock the mobile section, and on the other hand, an unlocked position wherein said slide rail catch does not engage with the fixed section and allows said mobile section to slide, the slide rail catch being resiliently biased to its locked position,

a memory retaining runner which is slidingly mounted relative to the fixed section parallel to the longitudinal direction, this memory retaining runner being placed in the inner space of the slide rail and defining a memorized position of the mobile section,

a runner catch which is carried by the memory retaining runner and which is movable between, on the one hand, a locked position wherein said runner catch engages with notches integral with the fixed section so as to immobilize the memory retaining runner relative to the fixed section, and on the other hand, an unlocked position wherein said runner catch does not immobilize the memory retaining runner,

a runner lock-on device which is mounted on the mobile section and which is movable between, on the one hand, an attached position wherein said lock-on device fixes the memory retaining runner to the mobile section, and on the other hand, an unattached position wherein said lock-on device does not fix the memory retaining runner to the mobile section,

first control means the slide rail in a first unlocked state wherein the slide rail catch is in its unlocked position and the lock-on device is in its attached position, so as to allow simultaneous sliding of the mobile section and the memory retaining runner relative to the fixed section, either forwards or backwards, in order to adjust the memorized position of the seat,

and second control means the slide rail in a second unlocked state wherein the slide rail catch is in its unlocked position and the lock-on device is in its unattached position, so as to allow forward sliding of the mobile section without moving the memory retaining runner,

wherein the memory retaining runner engages by friction fitting, with a longitudinal guide integral with the fixed section,

wherein the runner catch is resiliently biased to its unlocked position by a spring mounted on the memory retaining runner,

and wherein the mobile section of the slide rail comprises a wedge which projects into the hollow inner space of said slide rail, this wedge having at least a cam surface which is adapted to engage with a support surface belonging to the runner catch, said cam surface being configured so as to leave the runner catch in its unlocked position when the mobile section of the slide rail is in its memorized position, and to move the runner catch into its locked position when the mobile section is not in its memorized position, at least when said mobile section leaves its memorized position or returns to said memorized position, and the friction between the memory retaining runner and said guide being significant enough for the action of the wedge cam surface on the runner catch support surface not to cause any longitudinal sliding of the memory retaining runner.

2. A slide rail according to claim 1, wherein the wedge cam surface is configured so as to move the runner catch into its locked position only when the mobile section of the slide rail is shifted forwards from its memorized position, at a distance from said memorized position less than a pre-specified distance, which pre-specified distance is less than 1 cm, in such a way that the runner catch is in its locked position only when the mobile section has just left its memorized position or is returning to said memorized position.

3. A slide rail according to claim 1, wherein the slide rail catch is a resilient metal part contained in the hollow inner space of said slide rail.

4. A slide rail according to claim 1, wherein the fixed section comprises a horizontal bottom which carries the memory retaining runner, the mobile section having a horizontal upper web which is integral with said wedge and which carries a slider mounted to slide longitudinally relative to said mobile section between front and rear positions, this slider having a front end and a rear end, and the front end of said slider being pivotally mounted relative to the mobile section around a first horizontal transverse axis, in such a way that this slider is movable between a position parallel to said mobile section and a position inclined towards the hollow inner space of the slide rail, said rear end carrying a clip which is pivotally mounted relative to said slider around a second transverse horizontal axis, between high and low positions, this clip being resiliently biased towards its low position and having a downward pointing tip which is adapted to penetrate in a housing belonging to the memory retaining runner when the slider is in its inclined position relative to the mobile section and when said mobile section is in its memorized position, the slider and its clip thus forming said lock-on device, the slider comprising additionally a cam surface which engages with the slide rail catch to move said slide rail catch from its locked position when the slider moves from its front position to its rear position under the action of the second control means, the slide rail comprising furthermore a support sill which is adapted to act on a complementary support surface belonging to the slider when the slide rail catch is moved into its unlocked position under the action of the first control means, and the slider being pulled resiliently to both its rear position and its horizontal position.

5. A slide rail according to claim 4, wherein the slider is pulled to both its rear position and its horizontal position by the same tension spring which is mounted between on the one hand, a support lug which is integral with the mobile section of the slide rail and which is placed above the level of the pivoting axis of the slider, and on the other hand, an upper head placed towards the front end of said slider.

6. A slide rail according to claim 4, wherein the clip is configured to engage in the housing of the memory retaining runner before the slide rail catch allows the mobile section to slide, when the first control means are activated.

7. A slide rail according to claim 4, wherein the clip is configured to allow the memory retaining runner to be driven forward when said clip is engaged in the corresponding housing of the runner, the memory retaining runner being furthermore in contact with a stop integral with the mobile section when said mobile section is in its memorized position, said stop being placed towards the front of the memory retaining runner and allowing this runner to be driven backwards when the first control means are activated.

8. A slide rail according to claim 4, wherein the clip has a rear end including a clip cam surface which engages with the runner catch when the second control means are activated, to then move the runner catch into its locked position whereas the clip moves into its high position relative to the slider.

9. A slide rail according to claim 8, wherein the cam surface of the clip is configured so that, when the second control means are activated, the runner catch moves into its locked position before the slide rail catch allows the mobile section to slide.

10. A slide rail according to claim 8, wherein the memory retaining runner has a front edge which is configured so that, when the slider is in its inclined position and the clip is in its low position, if the clip is not engaged in the corresponding housing of the memory retaining runner, then the cam surface of said clip is adapted to slide against the inclined front edge of the memory retaining runner when the mobile section is moved backwards, thus lifting the clip until the tip of said clip is engaged in the corresponding housing of the memory retaining runner.

11. A slide rail according to claim 8, wherein the clip is integral with an auxiliary tip which, when the slider is moved into its rear position under the action of the second control means, is above a housing arranged in the upper web of the mobile section, this auxiliary tip being adapted to engage in the corresponding housing when the mobile section leaves its memorized position and the clip cam surface ceases to engage with the memory retaining runner, said auxiliary tip being adapted to then hold the slider in its rear position until the mobile section returns to its memorized position, where the clip cam surface again raises said clip and releases the auxiliary tip from its housing.

12. A vehicle seat comprising a seat part longitudinally slidingly mounted by means of at least a first slide rail for a vehicle seat, comprising:

a fixed section which is fixed to the vehicle,

a mobile section which is slidingly mounted along the fixed section and which is fixed to the seat part to allow movement of this seat part in a so-called longitudinal direction, forwards and backwards, the mobile section delimiting with the fixed section a hollow inner space in the slide rail,

a slide rail catch which is mounted on the mobile section and which is movable between, on the one hand, a locked position wherein said slide rail catch engages with the fixed section to lock the mobile section, and on the other hand, an unlocked position wherein said slide rail catch does not engage with the fixed section and allows said mobile section to slide, the slide rail catch being resiliently biased to its locked position,

a memory retaining runner which is slidingly mounted relative to the fixed section parallel to the longitudinal direction, this memory retaining runner being placed in the inner space of the slide rail defining in this way a memorized position of the mobile section,

a runner catch which is carried by the memory retaining runner and which is movable between, on the one hand, a locked position wherein said runner catch engages with notches integral with the fixed section so as to immobilize the memory retaining runner relative to the fixed section, and on the other hand, an unlocked position wherein said runner catch does not immobilize the memory retaining runner,

a runner lock-on device which is mounted on the mobile section and which is movable between, on the one hand, an attached position wherein said lock-on device fixes the memory retaining runner to the mobile section, and on the other hand, an unattached position wherein said lock-on device does not fix the memory retaining runner to the mobile section,

first control means adapted to put the first slide rail in a first unlocked state wherein the slide rail catch is in its unlocked position and the lock-on device in its attached position, so as to allow simultaneous sliding of the mobile section and the memory retaining runner relative to the fixed section, either forwards or backwards, in order to adjust the memorized position of the seat,

and second control means adapted to put the first slide rail in a second unlocked state wherein the slide rail catch is in its unlocked position and the lock-on device is in its unattached position, so as to allow forward sliding of the mobile section without moving the memory retaining runner,

wherein the memory retaining runner engages by friction fitting, with a longitudinal guide integral with the fixed section,

wherein the runner catch is resiliently biased to its unlocked position by a spring mounted on the memory retaining runner,

and wherein the mobile section of the slide rail comprises a wedge which projects into the hollow inner space of said slide rail, this wedge having at least a cam surface which is adapted to engage with a support surface belonging to the runner catch, said cam surface being configured so as to leave the runner catch in its unlocked position when the mobile section of the first slide rail is in its memorized position, and to move the runner catch into its locked position when the mobile section is not in its memorized position, at least when said mobile section leaves its memorized position or returns to said memorized position, and the friction between the memory retaining runner and said guide being significant enough for the action of the wedge cam surface on the runner catch support surface not to cause any longitudinal sliding of the memory retaining runner.

13. A vehicle seat according to claim 12, wherein the fixed section comprises a horizontal bottom which carries the memory retaining runner, the mobile section having a horizontal upper web which is integral with said wedge and which carries a slider mounted to slide longitudinally relative to said mobile section between front and rear positions, this slider having a front end and a rear end, and the front end of said slider pivotally mounted relative to the mobile section around a first horizontal transverse axis, in such a way that this slider is movable between a position parallel to said mobile section and a position inclined towards the hollow inner space of the first slide rail, said rear end carrying a clip which is pivotally mounted relative to said slider around a second transverse horizontal axis, between high and low positions, this clip being resiliently biased towards its low position and having a downward pointing tip which is adapted to penetrate in a housing belonging to the memory retaining runner when the slider is in its inclined position relative to the mobile section and when said mobile section is in its memorized position, the slider and its clip thus forming said lock-on device, the slider comprising additionally a cam surface which engages with the slide rail catch to move said slide rail catch from its locked position to its unlocked position when the slider moves from its front position to its rear position under the action of the second control means, the first slide rail comprising furthermore a support sill which is adapted to act on a complementary support surface belonging to the slider when the slide rail catch is moved into its unlocked position under the action of the first control means, and the slider being pulled resiliently to both its rear position and its horizontal position,

the seat further comprising a second slide rail also including a fixed section which is fixed to the vehicle, a mobile section which is fixed to the seat part, and a slide rail catch movable between locked and unlocked positions, the slider of the first slide rail being connected by means of a link, to a transverse connection bar which is pivotally mounted on the mobile sections of the two slide rails and which comprises a support sill engaging with the slide rail catch of the second slide rail to move said second slide rail catch into its unlocked position when the second control means are activated.