Supports – Stand – Horizontally movable support surface
Patent
1983-01-20
1989-04-04
Foss, J. Franklin
Supports
Stand
Horizontally movable support surface
297346, F16M 1300
Patent
active
048179043
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a seat position adjusting mechanism for a vehicle, and more particularly to a vehicular seat slide movement mechanism which is formed in a thin shape in order to minimize the space between the seat and a floor panel of the vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As a means of increasing the interior space of the passenger compartment of a vehicle, it is well known to lower the installation position of the seats of the vehicle as much as possible in order to increase head clearance. In order to lower the seat position, it is necessary to decrease the height of the seat with respect to the floor of the vehicle, i.e., the clearance between the seat and the floor should be minimized. However, a seat position adjusting mechanism for moving the seat forwards or backwards and fixing the seat in the desired position must be provided within the clearance between the seat and the floor.
A typical conventional seat position adjusting mechanism for a vehicle comprises a lower rail secured to the vehicle floor, an upper rail secured to the seat and slidably engaging the lower rail, a plurality of position adjusting holes formed in either the lower rail or the upper rail, a latch member on the other rail for engaging the hole, and a coil spring wound around the latch member so that the latch member is urged to engage the hole. Since the coil spring has a cylindrical shape as seen in elevation, the clearance required between the seat and the vehicle floor is limited by the diameter of this coil spring. There are limits to how much the winding diameter of the coil spring and the dimensions of the latch member can be decreased since they are required to hold the seat in the fixed position even against the forces due to collisions. Therefore, it is difficult to decrease the clearance between the seat and the vehicle floor on account of the existance of this seat position adjusting mechanism.
Furthermore, the latch member ordinarily has a laterally wide, rectangular cross-section so that a gap is formed in the vertical direction between the latch member and the coil spring even if the latch member engages with the coil spring in the horizontal direction. This can cause unpleasant frictional noises, buckling, or even failure of the connection between the coil spring and the latch member.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a seat position adjusting mechanism for a vehicle which can overcome these drawbacks of the conventional art and be compact-sized so as to allow reduction of the clearance between the seat and the vehicle floor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, a seat position adjusting mechanism for a vehicle according to the present invention has a coil spring wound around a latch member and formed as a flattened coil spring so as to reduce the unused space between the coil spring and the flat latch member, thereby resulting in a reduction of the overall height of the seat position adjusting mechanism and preventing buckling and unpleasant frictional noises.
The seat position adjusting mechanism for a vehicle according to the present invention comprises a lower rail secured to a vehicle body and one side surface of which is formed with a plurality of engaging holes in the longitudinal direction; an upper rail secured to a seat and slidably engaging the lower rail; a latch member including a flat member having a substantially level surface which is movably supported by the upper rail so as to engage the engaging hole of the lower rail laterally, and a flattened coil spring wound around the flat member so as to urge the flat member in the engaging direction toward the engaging hole; and an operation handle pivotably secured to the upper rail, the top end of which is connected to the latch member and the other end of which is provided with a grip.
In addition, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the latch member and the operation handle are supported by a bracket fixed to the upper rail and this bracket
REFERENCES:
patent: 1349079 (1920-08-01), Markham
patent: 2134135 (1938-10-01), Lefevre
patent: 3930632 (1976-01-01), Shigeta
patent: 3957312 (1976-05-01), Bonnaud
Munakata Kiyohiko
Nishimura Shin'ichi
Foss J. Franklin
Nissan Motor Company Limited
Ohi Seisakusho Co. Ltd.
Olson Robert A.
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