Motor Car Seat Guide Rail Support System

The invention relates to a motor car seat longitudinally slidable in a slide rail support system of the type consisting of a guide rail and a running rail, wherein the slide rail is accommodated on the vehicle centre tunnel side and/or the vehicle door sill side. The running rail is accommodated by means of a channel in the slide rail which is open towards the motor car seat and shaped out of the material of the tunnel and/or of the sill.

Such a slide rail arrangement, through which--without inadmissible deformation phenomena--high forces can be transmitted into the vehicle body in the case of a collision, is described in German Published Patent Application (DE-OS) 3,018,811. In order to ensure the required easy mobility, the running rail exhibits at the top a slight gap from the adjacent channel wall, which upon a corresponding transmission of force must first be eliminated in order that an areal transmission of force can occur. Because the gap width may differ due to unavoidable tolerances, the danger exists that during the distortion phenomenon of the slide rail which is necessary to eliminate the gap, local overload may occur particularly in the region of the fastening points of the guide rail, due to which the secure retention of the guide rail ceases to be ensured.

It is an object of the invention to improve the arrangement and construction of the slide rail so that a reliable transmission of force is obtained at a high force level and local force peaks are reliable avoided.

This object is achieved by providing that the fixed guide rail exhibits a downwardly extending flange which abuts the adjacent vehicle sill/tunnel wall structure and exhibits a cranked part at its bottom extremity which is engageable from behind by a part connected for movement with the seat.

The part which engages behind forms a constituent of the running slide rail according to certain preferred embodiments. This part is formed by a section of the seat frame according to other preferred embodiments.

Powerful forces directed towards the seat can be braced when the guide rail is provided with stops for the slide rail according to certain preferred embodiments.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taking with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, an embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a partial schematic sectional view of a slide rail mounting on a vehicle sill side with a bracing flange projecting downwards from the running rail in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but showing a second preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein the bracing flange is formed by a seat frame section.

A vehicle floor 1 of a motor vehicle that is not shown in detail, laterally changed over into a sill 2 that has an inner sill wall 3 that projects upward approximately in the vertical direction and into which a channel 4 is molded. This channel 4 is lined by the guide rail 5 of a slide rail system 6, the running or sliding rail 7 of which is connected to a part 8 of the motor vehicle seat that is not shown. Resting against the sill wall 3 and locally fixed to it, a flange 9 that is connected in one piece with the guide rail 5 extends downward and ends in a cranked part 10. Stops 11 and 12 that are molded onto the guide rail 5 result in a supporting effect for the running rail 7 when a force is directed to the center of the vehicle.

According to FIG. 1, a part 13 that projects downward from the running rail 7 reaches behind the crank part 10. This part 13 is firmly connected with part 8 that, in a way that is not shown in detail, is developed as a section of a seat frame 14.

As shown in FIG. 2, the part 13' that reaches behind the cranked part 10 forms a section of the seat frame 14' so that in both cases (FIGS. 1 and 2), in the case of an effect of force that is caused by an accident, a secure introduction of force takes place. Particularly advantageous in both embodiments is the direct introduction of force from the running rail 7, via the guide rail 5, to the channel 4 and thus to the sill without prior deformation phenomena at the slide rail 6.

Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is to be clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation. The spirit and scope of the invention are to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims.