Slide rail for removable vehicle seat

• US 6,267,430 B1
• Filed: 02/10/2000
• Issued: 07/31/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bertrand Faure Equipements SA
• Original Assignee: Bertrand Faure Equipements SA
• Inventors: Cresseaux, Gilles
• Primary Examiner(s): Pape, Joseph D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Kiran B.
• Application Number:
  US09/501,915
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 296/65.13, 296/65.01, 296/65.02, 296/65.14, 297/250.1, 297/344.13, 297/477
• US Class Current: 296/65.13
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0224 Non-manual adjustments, e.g. with electrical operation
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0264 characterised by the type of electrical connection, e.g. wiring, plugs or USB
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0715 C or U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0732 Attachment of seat frame to the slide, e.g. eyelets
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 11/02 using take-up reel or drum

Abstract

A slide rail for a removable vehicle seat comprises a fixed section and a shuttle sliding on this section. The shuttle carries a connector connected to the seat, and this connector is connected to an electrical circuit belonging to the vehicle floor by means of a flexible electrical cabling which is arranged under a flange of the fixed section and which is held taut by a resilient return drum.

Claims

1. A removable vehicle seat slide rail comprising:

a fixed section intended to be fixed with the vehicle floor and along which the seat can slide, this fixed section comprising first and second longitudinal ends and having at least one flange under which a free space is delimited, said flange extending from the first end to near the second end of the fixed section,

and at least one shuttle sliding mounted relative to the fixed section and adapted to be connected to the vehicle seat so as to follow the movement of the seat along said fixed section, wherein the shuttle carries an electrical connection device intended to be connected to the seat, and in that the electrical connection device carried by said shuttle is itself connected to an electrical circuit integral with the vehicle floor at the first longitudinal end of the fixed section, by means of a flexible electrical cabling which is arranged under the flange of the fixed section and which is held taut by a resilient return drum.

2. A slide rail according to claim 1, in which, the flexible cabling is constituted by a layer of cables in the shape of a ribbon.

3. A slide rail according to claim 1, in which the resilient return drum comprises:

an inner fixed drum, fixed with the fixed section so as not to be able to rotate,

a hollow movable drum which surrounds the fixed drum and which is mounted to rotate relative to said fixed drum,

resilient means acting on the movable drum in a first angular direction, the flexible cabling having a first fixing point fixed with the movable drum, and said flexible cabling being subdivided into;

a first cabling section which extends around the fixed drum in a second angular direction opposite to the first angular direction from said first fixing point,

and a second cabling section which extends around the movable drum in the second angular direction from said first fixing point.

4. A slide rail according to claim 3, in which the first cabling section extends to a second fixing point which is fixed with the fixed drum.

5. A slide rail according to claim 3, in which the movable drum is surrounded by a casing integral with the fixed drum.

6. A slide rail according to claim 1, in which the resilient return drum is fixed with the vehicle floor.

7. A slide rail according to claim 1, in which the resilient return drum is fixed with the shuttle.

8. A slide rail according to claim 1, in which the fixed section of the slide rail has an approximately U-shaped section open upwards, with two approximately vertical lateral flanges each extended inwards by an approximately horizontal flap, one of these flaps constituting the flange under which the flexible cabling is housed.