Seat guide for mounting a longitudinally adjustable car seat

• US 6,488,250 B1
• Filed: 05/11/2000
• Issued: 12/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Munch, Ingo
• Primary Examiner(s): BARFIELD, ANTHONY DERRELL
• Application Number:
  US09/486,836
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 248/429, 248/430, 297/344.1, 297/216.1, 297/216.18
• US Class Current: 248/430
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0715 C or U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/073 Reinforcement members preventing slide dislocation
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0747 the opening of the cross section being oriented in a direction different from the vertical, e.g. transversal

Abstract

A seat guide for mounting a car seat and to its positional adjustment in a direction of an axis of displacement. The seat guide has two guide rails installed parallel to the axis of displacement and support rollers which cooperate with and move relative to the guide rails to support a vertical load. Lateral guide devices are provided for lateral support in a direction of a lateral axis running essentially perpendicular to both the axis of displacement and the guide rails. The relative motion of the lateral guide devices cooperates with the guide rails overcoming any conditions of elastic rolling friction.

Claims

1. A seat guide for positional adjustment of a vehicle seat in a direction of an axis of displacement and for attachment to the vehicle seat, said seat guide comprising:

two guide rails installable parallel to an axis of displacement and spaced apart along a lateral axis;

two support units attachable to the vehicle seat;

a plurality of support pieces attached to said two support units;

a plurality of support rollers in operable cooperation with and moveable relative to said guide rails, said plurality of support rollers being provided to support a vertical load, said plurality of support rollers being mounted on said two support units;

a plurality of lateral guide devices in operable cooperation with and moveable relative to said guide rails, said plurality of lateral guide devices being provided for lateral support in a direction along said lateral axis and operably positioned substantially perpendicular to said axis of displacement and said two guide rails, said plurality of lateral guide devices having a plurality of guide rollers in operable cooperation with and moveable relative to said guide rails, at least one of said plurality of guide rollers being attached to at least one of said plurality of support pieces, whereby one of said two support units and said plurality of support pieces is elastically deformable to compensate for lateral dimensional tolerances between said guide rails.

2. The seat guide as recited in claim 1, wherein at least two guide rollers are assigned to each of said two guide rails and separated in the direction of said axis of displacement.

3. The seat guide as recited in claim 2, wherein each guide roller is mounted so that it can rotate around a rotational axis approximately perpendicular to said axis of displacement and said lateral axis.

4. The seat guide as recited in claim 1, wherein said guide rails have a substantially rectangular profile, substantially C-shaped in cross section with at least a portion of each of said guide rails being open on sides facing the other of said guide rail.

5. The seat guide as recited in claim 4, wherein each guide rail includes a first lateral guide surface on a side opposite said open side arid a second lateral guide surface positioned adjacent said open side, said second lateral guide surface being formed by a bar section.

6. The seat guide as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of guide rollers are guided in said guide rails with a lateral playing distance.

7. The seat guide as recited in claim 6, wherein each of said plurality of guide rollers are rollers having a raceway made of an elastic material.

8. The seat guide as recited in claim 7, wherein each of said plurality of guide rollers have a slightly ball-shaped bearing face.

9. The seat guide as recited in claim 1, wherein said guide rails are provided for stationary attachment to the vehicle and said plurality of support rollers and said plurality of guide rollers can be fastened to the vehicle seat.

10. The seat guide as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said guide rails have an inside running tread upon which said plurality of support rollers are positioned.

11. The seat guide as recited in claim 1, wherein at least two of said plurality of support rollers are spaced apart in the direction of said axis of displacement and assigned to each of said two guide rails and are operable to rotate around rotational axes perpendicular to said axis of displacement.

12. The seat guide as recited in claim 1, further comprising a compensating means operable to provide support of the seat relative to said support rollers.

13. The seat guide as recited in claim 12, wherein said compensating means includes at least one compensating roller operatively associated with a supporting surface of said guide rails, said supporting surface of said guide rails being positioned opposite a running tread of said guide rails.

14. The seat guide as recited in claim 13, wherein said at least one compensating roller is mountable for rotation about a rotational axis substantially parallel to said lateral axis.

15. The seat guide as recited in claim 14, wherein said at least one compensating roller is designed as a roller having an elastic material raceway.

16. The seat guide as recited in claim 15, wherein said at least one compensating roller is mounted on one of said two support units.

17. The seat guide as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said two guide rails is attached to a mounting rail, said mounting rail being mountable to the vehicle.

18. The seat guide as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said two guide rails includes at least one latch hole, said latch hole operable to interact with a locking device.

19. A seat guide for positional adjustment of a vehicle seat along an axis of displacement, said seat guide comprising:

a first guide rail positioned substantially parallel to the axis of displacement;

a second guide rail spaced apart from said first guide rail along a lateral axis and positioned substantially parallel to the axis of displacement;

a plurality of support rollers operably associated with and moveable relative to said first guide rail and said second guide rail;

a plurality of lateral guide devices operably associated with and moveable relative to said first guide rail and said second guide rail, at least a portion of said lateral guide devices being moveable about an axis substantially perpendicular to the axis of displacement, wherein each of said plurality of lateral guide devices are spaced apart from the other of said plurality of lateral guide devices along the axis of displacement; and

a plurality of compensating rollers operatively associated with and movable relative to said first guide rail and said second guide rail, wherein at least one of said plurality of compensating rollers has an elastic material raceway.

20. The seat guide as recited in claim 19, wherein said plurality of lateral guide devices include a plurality of guide rollers operably associated with and movable relative to said first guide rail and said second guide rail.

21. The seat guide as recited in claim 19, wherein at least one of said plurality of guide rollers is moveably attached to at least one of a plurality of support pieces.

22. A seat guide for positional adjustment of a vehicle seat along an axis of displacement, said seat guide comprising:

a first guide rail positioned substantially parallel to the axis of displacement;

a second guide rail spaced apart from said first guide rail along a lateral axis and positioned substantially parallel to the axis of displacement;

at least one support roller operably associated with and movable relative to said first guide rail and said second guide rail;

at least one lateral guide device having at least one guide roller operably associated with and movable relative to said first guide rail and said second guide rail, at least a portion of said at least one lateral guide device being movable about an axis substantially perpendicular to the axis of displacement;

the at least one guide roller being movably attached to at least one support piece, and the at least one support piece being attached to at least one support unit;

wherein one of said at least one support piece and said at least one support unit is elastically deformable to compensate for lateral dimensional tolerances between said first guide rail and said second guide rail.

23. The seat guide as recited in claim 22, further comprising at least one compensating roller operatively associated with and movable relative to said first guide rail and said second guide rail.