Chairs and seats – Movable bottom – Bottom and back movable as a unit
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-31
2003-12-02
White, Rodney B. (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
Movable bottom
Bottom and back movable as a unit
C296S065130, C248S429000, C248S430000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06655739
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT
The present invention relates to the structure of a seat sliding in the back and forth with respect to the floor surface of a vehicle.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a slide rail structure designed to make a lower rail longer to provide a long traveling distance in the longitudinal direction in the vehicle. This structure is also applicable to a driver's seat, passenger seat and bench-formed seat in addition to a split type rear seat.
To prevent synchronization errors of the slide rails
101
for a normal seat
100
, the sliding rails
101
are mounted on the seat
100
while mounting dimensional accuracy is maintained with a jig, as illustrated in
FIGS. 9
(
a
) and (
b
). Then the seat
100
provided with the sliding rails
101
is brought into the vehicle through the door opening thereof, and the seat
100
is locked on a floor panel
102
through the sliding rail
101
.
Furthermore, the sliding rail
101
is locked in either of the following two ways: it is locked as it is mounted on a carpet
103
covering the floor panel
102
, or it is embedded into a carpet by cutting a notch therein.
According to the conventional mounting structure, the sliding rail
101
and seat
100
are mounted on the vehicle after they have been put together into one piece. Although the sufficient dimensions for mounting sliding rails
101
may be obtained, the sliding rail
101
must have a short enough length which allows the seat
100
to be carried into the vehicle through the door opening thereof since the seat
100
is brought inside through the opening. This imposes a restriction on the length of the sliding rail
101
, so it has been difficult to set a long back and forth traveling distance of the seat
100
according to the conventional method.
Furthermore, the lower rail
104
of the sliding rail
101
is positioned above the floor panel
102
. So when an occupant moves in the vehicle or gets out of it, he or she has to mind the lower rail
104
.
When it is embedded into the carpet
103
, a long notch must be cut toward the forward direction in the carpet
103
to ensure that an upper rail
105
does not interfere with the carpet
103
when it moves forward, as illustrated in FIG.
10
. This is certainly not an eye-pleasing external appearance.
According to some conventional method shown in
FIGS. 11 and 12
, a sliding rail unit
106
having a specified length is locked on the floor panel
102
, and the seat
100
alone is carried into the vehicle through the door opening. Then the seat
100
and sliding rail unit
106
are combined with each other by bolts
108
and nuts
109
using brackets
107
or the like.
In this case, the sliding rail units
106
can be embedded into the floor panel
102
.
This makes it possible to have a long back and forth traveling distance of the seat
100
, and permits the sliding rail to be embedded. This provides good appearance. However, the accuracy of mounting the sliding rails may be affected by the car body with increasing errors, so that a synchronization mismatch may occur.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a seat sliding structure which ensures satisfactory dimensional accuracy for installation of the seat and sliding rails and a long traveling distance in the back and forth direction, makes it easier for passengers to get on and off the vehicle floor and improves appearance.
To solve these problems, the present invention provides a sliding rail structure which allows seat movement in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (as opposed to the width direction of the vehicle) with respect to the vehicle floor surface wherein a sliding rail comprising a lower rail and an upper rail is mounted on the seat in advance, and a groove longer than the lower rail is formed in the longitudinal direction of the floor constituting the vehicle floor surface. This structure is further characterized in that the lower rail and an extension that continues with this lower rail are installed in the groove to ensure that the upper rail can slide inside the lower rail and extension.
The present invention is further characterized in that the extension has a bracket placed in the groove.
The present invention is still further characterized in that the extension has a cover to protect or close the top surface of the extension.
The present invention is still further characterized in that a lower rail lip is provided on the top surface of the lower rail and a lip is placed at the center of the cover.
The present invention is still further characterized in that a lower rail is embedded in the concave-shaped portion of the floor carpet protecting the floor panel, and the lower rail lip and floor carpet are arranged on nearly the same plane or level so as to have a substantially flash appearance.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5104084 (1992-04-01), Kumagai et al.
patent: 6086018 (2000-07-01), Gobel et al.
patent: 2 221 152 (1990-01-01), None
International Search Report corresponding to German Patent Application No. 101 52 406.4-14 dated Apr. 23, 2002.
Alston & Bird LLP
Suzuki Motor Corporation
White Rodney B.
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