Vehicular power seat slide device

Details Vehicular power seat slide device Vehicular power seat slide device

1999-11-26

2001-04-24

Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)

Land vehicles: bodies and tops

Bodies

Seats with body modifications

C248S429000, C297S344100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06220642

ABSTRACT:

This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 with respect to Japanese Application No. 10(1998)-336008 filed on Nov. 26, 1998, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a vehicle seat. More particularly, the present invention pertains to vehicular power seat slide device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A known type of vehicular power seat slide device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei. 9(1997)-142181 published on Mar. 3, 1998 without examination. This known vehicular power seat slide device includes a lower rail fixed to the vehicle body floor, an upper rail supporting a seat device and slidably mounted on the lower rail, a nut member fixed to the lower rail, a screw shaft rotatably supported on the upper rail and threadably engaged with the nut member, and a gear box provided on the upper rail and associated with the screw shaft and an electric driving source.
When the electric driving source is turned on, the resulting rotation of the output shaft is transmitted to the screw shaft by way of the gear box. The screw shaft is thus rotated relative to the nut member, thereby moving the upper rail relative to the lower rail. As a result, the position of the seat device in the vehicle lengthwise direction is adjusted relative to the vehicle body floor.
In addition, the gear box is pivoted by a pin to a bracket which is provided at a front end portion of the upper rail, and a damper is disposed between the gear box and a flange formed at the front end portion of the upper rail. When a load in the direction of the vehicle lengthwise direction is applied to the upper rail, the load is transmitted from the screw shaft to the gear box due to the fact that the upper rail is restricted to the lower rail by the thread engagement between the nut member and the screw shaft. The resultant load is received at the flange after being absorbed partially in the damper. Thus, the rigidity of the vehicle power seat slide device is maintained.
However, the vehicular power seat slide device is susceptible of certain improvements. The gear box is held by the upper rail in a rotatable manner and this causes a rotation of the gear box relative to the upper rail when a load is applied to the gear box in the vehicle lengthwise direction. Thus, upon collision of the vehicle, if the load applied to the upper rail is extremely large, the screw shaft may be deformed. In the worst case, the gear box may be broken.
In light of the foregoing, a need exists for a vehicular power seat slide device that is not as susceptible to the same drawbacks mentioned above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Considering the foregoing, one aspect of the present invention involves a vehicular power seat slide device that includes a lower rail adapted to be fixed to a vehicle body floor, an upper rail slidably mounted on the lower rail for supporting a seat device, a nut member secured to the lower rail, a screw shaft threadably engaged with the nut member, and an electrical drive source producing a rotational output upon operation. A flange is provided on the screw shaft and a gear box is held by the upper rail and operatively associated with the electrical drive source and the screw shaft. The gear box transmits the rotational output from the electrical drive source to the screw shaft to establish rotation of the screw shaft relative to the nut member to thereby effect sliding movement of the upper rail relative to the lower rail. A block member is secured to the upper rail and mounted relative to the screw shaft to allow rotation of the screw shaft. The block member is positioned between the flange and the gear box.
According to another aspect of the invention, a vehicular power seat slide device includes a lower rail adapted to be fixed to a vehicle body floor, an upper rail slidably mounted on the lower rail for supporting a seat device, a nut member secured to the lower rail, a screw shaft threadably engaged with the nut member, and a flange provided on the screw shaft. A gear box is secured to the upper rail and is operatively associated with the screw shaft to establish rotation of the screw shaft relative to the nut member to effect sliding movement of the upper rail relative to the lower rail. A mechanism is secured to the upper rail and operatively engageable with the flange to transmit a load force occurring during a collision and applied to the screw shaft to the upper rail.
According to a further aspect of the invention, a vehicular power seat slide device includes a lower rail adapted to be fixed to a vehicle body floor, an upper rail slidably mounted on the lower rail for supporting a seat device, a nut member secured to the lower rail, a screw shaft threadably engaged with the nut member, a gear box mount secured to the upper rail, and a gear box accommodated within the gear box mount and operatively associated with the screw shaft to establish rotation of the screw shaft relative to the nut member to effect sliding movement of the upper rail relative to the lower rail. A block member is secured to the upper rail and is positioned in substantially contacting relationship to the gear box mount to operatively engage the gear box mount and transmit a load force occurring during a collision and applied to the screw shaft to the upper rail by way of the block member.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4645159 (1987-02-01), Terada et al.
patent: 5048886 (1991-09-01), Ito et al.
patent: 5150872 (1992-09-01), Isomura
patent: 5316258 (1994-05-01), Gauger et al.
patent: 5447352 (1995-09-01), Ito et al.
patent: 3502345 (1985-08-01), None
patent: 4127503 (1993-02-01), None
patent: 4330367 (1995-03-01), None
patent: 9-142181 (1997-06-01), None

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