Seat position detecting apparatus, a rail position detecting apparatus and a movable body detecting apparatus

• US 7,564,234 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Takashi, Tamura, Hiroshi, Hasegawa, Yasunori, Kojima, Yasuhiro, Koga, Yoshitaka, Ohchi, Masato, Endoh, Hirofumi, Tagawa, Satoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Whittington; Kenneth J
• Application Number:
  US10/742,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20050057065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,037 Days
• Field of Search: 324/207.2, 324/207.21, 324/207.24, 324/207.22, 324/251, 324/252, 280/735, 296/65.13, 296/65.01, 296/68.1, 248/429
• US Class Current: 324/207.24
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/02246 Electric motors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0272 using sensors or detectors for detecting the position of seat parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/07 Slide construction

Abstract

A seat position detecting apparatus includes a fixed rail fixed on a vehicle floor, a movable rail at which a vehicle seat is supported for sliding on the fixed rail, and a position detecting mechanism directly mounted at one of either the fixed rail or the movable rail for detecting a relative position between the fixed rail and the movable rail by detecting the other of either the fixed rail or the movable rail, wherein a first engaging mechanism is provided at either the fixed rail or the movable rail at which the position detecting mechanism is mounted, and a second engaging mechanism provided complementarily to the first engaging mechanism engages with the first engaging mechanism through the position detecting mechanism.

Claims

1. A seat position detecting apparatus comprising:

a fixed rail adapted to be fixed on a vehicle floor, the fixed rail including an upwardly extending portion, a downwardly extending potion, and a laterally extending upper portion connecting upper ends of the respective upwardly extending portion and downwardly extending portion;

a movable rail adapted to support a vehicle seat and slidably engaged with the fixed rail;

a position detecting device directly mounted on the movable rail for detecting a relative position between the fixed rail and the movable rail by detecting the fixed rail;

the position detecting device comprising a holder portion and a mounting portion, the holder portion housing a magnetic force detecting portion opposed to the laterally extending upper portion of the fixed rail to detect the position of the laterally extending upper portion, the magnetic force detecting portion issuing a magnetic flux circulating in a plane perpendicular to the laterally extending upper portion of the fixed rail so that a portion of the magnetic flux passes through the laterally extending upper portion of the fixed rail along its lengthwise direction, the mounting portion providing a connection between the holder portion and the movable rail; and

a position defining device provided on the holder portion of the position detecting device and the movable rail for positioning the position detecting device relative to the movable rail prior to fixing the position detecting device to the movable rail through the mounting portion.

2. A seat position detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the mounting portion includes an approximately flat-circular hole, and further comprising:

first engaging means provided at the movable rail at which the position detecting device is mounted, and

second engaging means provided complementarily to the first engaging means and engaging the first engaging means through the approximately flat-circular hole of the position detecting device, and wherein

the position defining device comprises a first position defining device formed in the movable rail at which the position detecting device is mounted, and a second position defining device integrally formed at the position detecting device for engaging with the first position defining device.

3. A seat position detecting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first engaging means is a nut, and the second engaging means is a bolt screwed into the nut through the position detecting device.

4. A seat position detecting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second engaging means is a nut, and the first engaging means is a bolt screwed into the nut through the position detecting device.

5. A seat position detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the upwardly extending portion and the downwardly extending portion are first and second vertical walls, respectively, and the laterally extending upper portion is a horizontal wall.

6. A seat position detecting apparatus comprising:

a fixed rail adapted to be fixed on a vehicle floor, the fixed rail including an upwardly extending portion, a downwardly extending potion, and a laterally extending upper portion connecting an upper end of the upwardly extending portion and an upper end of the downwardly extending portion;

a movable rail adapted to support a vehicle seat and slidably engaged with the fixed rail, the movable rail including an upstanding wall extending above the laterally extending upper portion of the fixed rail;

a position detecting device directly mounted on the upstanding wall of the movable rail for detecting a relative position between the fixed rail and the movable rail through detection of the fixed rail;

the position detecting device comprising a holder portion and a mounting portion, the holder portion housing a magnetic force detecting portion positioned above and in overlying opposing relation to the laterally extending upper portion of the fixed rail to detect the position of the laterally extending upper portion of the fixed rail, the magnetic force detecting portion issuing a magnetic flux circulating in a plane perpendicular to the laterally extending upper portion of the fixed rail so that a portion of the magnetic flux passes through the laterally extending upper portion of the fixed along its lengthwise direction, the mounting portion providing a connection between the holder portion and the upstanding wall of the movable rail; and

a position defining device provided on the holder portion of the position detecting device and the movable rail for positioning the position detecting device relative to the movable rail prior to fixing the position detecting device to the upstanding wall of the movable rail through the mounting portion.

7. A seat position detecting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the mounting portion includes an approximately flat-circular hole, and further comprising:

first engaging means provided at the movable rail at which the position detecting device is mounted, and

second engaging means provided complementarily to the first engaging means and engaging the first engaging means through the approximately flat-circular hole of the position detecting device, and wherein

the position defining device comprises a first position defining device formed in the movable rail at which the position detecting device is mounted, and a second position defining device integrally formed at the position detecting device for engaging with the first position defining device.

8. A seat position detecting apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first engaging means is a nut, and the second engaging means is a bolt screwed into the nut through the position detecting device.

9. A seat position detecting apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the second engaging means is a nut, and the first engaging means is a bolt screwed into the nut through the position detecting device.

10. A seat position detecting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the upwardly extending portion and the downwardly extending portion are first and second vertical walls, respectively, and the laterally extending upper portion is a horizontal wall.