Seat Track Apparatus for Vehicle Seat

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a seat track apparatus, and more particularly to a seat track apparatus for vehicle seats.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In a conventional seat track apparatus for vehicle seats, for example, in FIGS. 1-3, an upper rail 13 which has a reverse U-cross-sectional configuration and is fixedly attached to a lower portion of a seat portion 11 of a seat 10, receives a lower rail 12 therein, which has U-cross-sectional configuration and is fixedly connected to a floor of a vehicle chamber. The upper rail 13 is movably connected to the lower rail 12 along the longitudinal direction and is supported on the lower rail 12 by rollers 14 for bearing at forward and rearward portions. The upper rail 13 is guided so as to move parallel to the lower rail 12 by a pair of ball bearings 15, 15 arranged at opposite sides of roller 14. In the above-mentioned apparatus, a clearance c exists longitudinally between upper faces of upper flanges 12a, 12a of the lower rail 12 and lower face of the upper rail 13 and furthermore the pair of ball bearings 15, 15 are supported by lower flanges 13a, 13a of the upper rail 13, so that when a large load is upwardly acted on the upper rail 13 as shown in FIG. 4, the lower flanges 13a, 13a of the upper rail 13 are bent downwardly and the upper rail 13 shifts in an upward direction and upper flanges 12a, 12a of the lower rail 12 are upwardly bent as shown in FIG. 5. As a result, the rearward portion of the upper rail 13 is in turn upwardly bent and deformed. Thus this conventional seat track apparatus is accompanied by drawbacks regarding the strength of the upper and lower rail 13, 12.

An object of the present invention is to therefore provide an improved seat track apparatus for vehicle seats which obviates the aforementioned drawbacks of the described conventional seat track apparatus.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved seat track apparatus for vehicle seats which can be reliably moved.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an improved seat track apparatus for vehicle seats which is relatively simple and includes a minimum number of parts.

Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts through the several views and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view which shows a vehicle seat;

FIG. 2 is a lateral view which shows a conventional seat track apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III--III in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a lateral view which shows a transformed state according to the seat track apparatus in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line V--V in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a lateral view which shows a seat track apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line VII--VII in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a lateral view which shows a transformed state according to the seat track apparatus in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line IX--IX in FIG. 8; and

FIGS. 10 and 11 are sectional views which show preferred alternate embodiments according to the present invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, reference numeral 20 denotes a seat track apparatus for vehicle seats and includes an upper rail 21 fixedly connected to a lower portion of a vehicle seat and a lower rail 22 fixedly connected on a floor of a vehicle chamber. The upper rail 21 is assembled with the lower rail 22 so as to longitudinally move within the confines of the same. The upper rail 21 has a reverse U-shaped cross-sectional configuration and is provided with a pair of projecting portions 21a, 21a longitudinally projecting parallel with each other at both shoulders thereof and is also provided with a pair of projecting portions 21b, 21b longitudinally and laterally projected from both side walls. The lower rail 22 has a U-shaped cross-sectional configuration and is integrally formed with a pair of upper flanges 22a, 22a at an upper end thereof and is also provided with a pair of projecting portions 22b, 22b from both side walls thereof, which correspond to the projecting portions 21b, 21b of the upper rail 21. An upper face of each projecting portion 21b of the upper rail 21 is opposed to a lower face of each projecting portion 22b of the lower rail 22 with a slight clearance formed therebetween and an upper face of each projecting portion 21a of the upper rail 21 is opposed to a lower face of each upper flange 22a of the lower rail 22 with a slight clearance, respectively.

Rollers 23 are axially supported at front and rear portions of the upper rail 21 and are rollable on a bottom upper face of the lower rail 22. The upper rail 21 is smoothly movably supported on the lower rail 22 by rollers 23. A pair of ball bearings 24, 24 are rollably supported on both shoulders of the upper rail 21. The upper rail 21 is guided so as to parallel move with respect to the lower rail 22 by the ball bearings 24, 24.

As shown in FIG. 6, each projecting portion 21a, 21b of the upper rail 21 assembled within the lower rail 22 is opposed to an inner wall face of the lower rail 22 with a slight clearance therebetween through the whole length thereof so that when a large load is upwardly applied on the upper rail 21 as in FIG. 8, both projecting portions 21b, 21b of the upper rail 21 are immediately longitudinally engaged with both projecting portions 22b, 22b of the lower rail 22 and this assuredly prevents the upper rail 21 from undergoing transformation (see FIG. 9).

Next referring to FIG. 10, a pair of projecting portions 121a, 121a extend from both shoulders of the upper rail 21 and upper end faces of the projecting portions 121a, 121a are slidably engaged respectively with upper flanges 22a, 22a of the lower rail 22.

In FIG. 11, a pair of ball bearings 124, 124 are interposed between lower flanges 121b, 121b formed at the lower end of the upper rail 21 and projecting portions 122b, 122b of the lower rail 22. A pair of projecting portions 121a, 121a formed at both shoulders of the upper rail 21 are opposed to lower faces of upper flanges 122a, 122a of the lower rail 22 through the whole length with a slight clearance.

From the foregoing, there has been disclosed a preferred form of seat track apparatus for vehicle seats constructed in accordance with the present invention. It will be appreciated that various additions, substitutions, modifications and omissions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention.