Seat slide device

• US 7,556,234 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2006
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Sakai, Makoto, Tsuji, Eiichiro, Ito, Sadao
• Primary Examiner(s): STERLING, AMY JO
• Application Number:
  US11/598,772
• Publication Number:
  US 20070108360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 248/424, 248/429, 297/330, 297/311
• US Class Current: 248/429
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02253 characterised by the transmission between the electric motor and the seat or seat parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/067 by linear actuators, e.g. linear screw mechanisms

Abstract

A seat slide device for a vehicle seat includes a lower rail fixed to a vehicle floor, a support bracket for supporting the vehicle seat, an upper rail fixed to the support bracket and slidably supported on the lower rail relative to the lower rail, a nut member fixed to the lower rail, a screw shaft engageable with the nut member and rotatably supported on the upper rail and a gear device supported on one end of the upper rail through a holdong bracket to transmit a rotational force from a power source to the screw shaft. The upper rail is movable relative to the lower rail in a front and backward direction relative to the seat by the engagement of the screw shaft with the nut member. The holding bracket is fixed to the upper rail and the support bracket for supporting a gear case of the gear device over a circumferential area of the gear case on front, rear, upper and lower surfaces in cooperation with the first support bracket.

Claims

1. A seat slide device comprising a lower rail fixed to a floor, a support bracket for supporting a seat, an upper rail fixed to the support bracket and slidably supported on the lower rail relative to the lower rail, a nut member fixed to the lower rail, a screw shaft engageable with the nut member and rotatably supported on the upper rail and a gear device supported on one end of the upper rail through a holding bracket to transmit a rotational force from a power source to the screw shaft, the upper rail being movable relative to the lower rail in a front and backward direction relative to the seat by the engagement of the screw shaft with the nut member, wherein the holding bracket is fixed to the upper rail and the support bracket for supporting a gear case of the gear device over a circumferential area of the gear case on front, rear, upper and lower surfaces in cooperation with the support bracket;

wherein the gear case is provided with a first engaging portion which is formed on at least one of the upper surface projecting upwardly from the upper surface and the lower surface projecting downwardly from the lower surface and at least one of the support bracket and the holding bracket is provided with a second engaging portion to be engaged with the first engaging portion provided on the gear case to define a position of the gear case in width direction relative to the seat; and

wherein the first engaging portion is provided both on the upper surface projecting upwardly from the upper surface and on the lower surface projecting downwardly from the lower surface and the second engaging portion is a slit hole provided both at the first and the second support brackets to be engaged with the first engaging portion on the gear case to define the position of the gear case in width direction relative to the seat.

3. The seat slide device according to claim 1, wherein the gear case is provided with a first case and a second case separated at the center of the gear case and a ring member is provided to inseparably assemble the first and the second cases.

8. The seat slide device according to claim 1, wherein the holding bracket supports the gear case of the gear device on the front, rear and lower surfaces of the gear case and the support bracket supports the gear case on the upper surface of the gear case.

2. A seat slide device comprising a lower rail fixed to a floor, a support bracket for supporting a seat, an upper rail fixed to the support bracket and slidably supported on the lower rail relative to the lower rail, a nut member fixed to the lower rail, a screw shaft engageable with the nut member and rotatably supported on the upper rail and a gear device supported on one end of the upper rail through a holding bracket to transmit a rotational force from a power source to the screw shaft, the upper rail being movable relative to the lower rail in a front and backward direction relative to the seat by the engagement of the screw shaft with the nut member, wherein the holding bracket is fixed to the upper rail and the support bracket for supporting a gear case of the gear device over a circumferential area of the gear case on front, rear, upper and lower surfaces in cooperation with the support bracket;

wherein the gear case is provided with a first case and a second case separated at the center of the gear case and a ring member is provided to inseparably assemble the first and the second cases.

4. A seat slide device comprising a lower rail fixed to a floor, a support bracket for supporting a seat, an upper rail fixed to the support bracket and slidably supported on the lower rail relative to the lower rail, a nut member fixed to the lower rail, a screw shaft engageable with the nut member and rotatably supported on the upper rail and a gear device supported on one end of the upper rail through a holding bracket to transmit a rotational force from a power source to the screw shaft, the upper rail being movable relative to the lower rail in a front and backward direction relative to the seat by the engagement of the screw shaft with the nut member, wherein the holding bracket is fixed to the upper rail and the support bracket for supporting a gear case of the gear device over a circumferential area of the gear case on front, rear, upper and lower surfaces in cooperation with the support bracket;

wherein the holding bracket and the support bracket partially overlap and are fixed to each other; and

wherein the gear case is provided with a first engaging portion which is formed on at least one of the upper surface projecting upwardly from the upper surface and the lower surface projecting downwardly from the lower surface and at least one of the support bracket and the holding bracket is provided with a second engaging portion to be engaged with the first engaging portion provided on the gear case to define a position of the gear case in width direction relative to the seat.

5. The seat slide device according to claim 4, wherein the first engaging portion is provided both on the upper surface projecting upwardly from the upper surface and on the lower surface projecting downwardly from the lower surface and the second engaging portion is a slit hole provided both at the first and the second support brackets to be engaged with the first engaging portion on the gear case to define the position of the gear case in width direction relative to the seat.

6. The seat slide device according to claim 5, wherein the gear case is provided with a first case and a second case separated at the center of the gear case and a ring member is provided to inseparably assemble the first and the second cases.

7. The seat slide device according to claim 5, wherein the holding bracket supports the gear case of the gear device on the front, rear and lower surfaces of the gear case and the support bracket supports the gear case on the upper surface of the gear case.