Cover Structure for Slide Rail in Seat Adjuster

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a structure of a cover member which covers a slide rail in a seat adjuster for adjusting the fore-and-aft positions of a vehicle seat, which is provided between the seat and floor of vehicle or automobile.

2. Description of Prior Art

A seat adjuster for adjustment of seat position in the fore-and-aft direction within a cabin of automobile is widely available in order for an occupant on the seat to locate the seat at his or her desired position or to move the seat forwardly for allowing another occupant to enter into a rear seat.

An example of conventional seat adjuster of this kind is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. This seat adjuster (2) is adapted for adjusting the fore-and-aft position of a seat (1). FIG. 1 depicts a rearward side of the seat (1) wherein it can be seen that a pair of upper rails (5)(5) fixed to the seat (1) is fitted slidably in the respective pair of lower rails (4)(4) and that the lower rails (4)(4) are fixed via the respective support legs members (3) to a floor side of an automobile (not shown). Referring to FIG. 2, a cover member (6) of cap type is fitted onto the rearward end edge (4a1) of the lower rail (4), as indicated by the phantom line. The purpose of such cover member (6) is for avoiding a contact of shoes toe of an occupant on a rear seat with such rearward end edge (4a1) of lower rail (4), so that when the upper rail (5) is moved forwardly, leaving the rearward part (4a) of mating lower rail (41) exposed from the seat (1), the edge (4a1) in question are protected by the cover member (6) against damage such as kick from the shoes toe of that rear-seat occupnat.

This covering arrangement for the lower rail rearward edge (4a1) may certainly be valued in terms of its protection and improvement in outer appearance of the rearward part (4a) of lower rail (4), but it has been found defective that a rivet (7a), which firmly connects together the lower rail rearward part (4a) and support leg member (3), is not concealed by the cover member (6), thus resulting in exposure of the rivet head (7a). Consequently, such protruding rivet head (7a) not only looks quite objectionalble but also requires painting in a same color with that of lower rail (4), which furhter results in a complicated and laborsome assemblage.

It is a purpose of the present invention to provide an improved cover structure for a slide rail in a seat adjuster which makes more aesthetic the rear side of slide rail.

To achieve the purpose, according to the present invention, the cover member includes a rearward caplike section and an elongated body section extending therefrom to cover a required length of slide rail, with a covering lug provided in the vicinity of a rived head at the rearward end side of the lower rail side.

Thus, at the length range of upper rail movable forwardly at limited point, the lower rail is covered with the cover member to make more aesthetic the rear side of slide rail as well as prevent the rivet head from being viewed from outside by virtue of the covering lug overlaying the head of rivet which connects together the lower rail and support leg member.

In one aspect of the invention, a latch projection formed in the cover member and a latch hole is formed in the lower rail, so that the engagement of the latch projection into the latch hole locks the cover member to the lower rail positively against removal therefrom.

In another aspect of the invention, the cover member may be formed at its lateral part with another cover section to overlie a par of the support leg member. This adds to the aesthetic appearance at the rear side of the seat.

FIGS. 1 is a perspective view of a seat having a slide railes of seat adjuster;

FIG. 2 is a partly broken perspective view of a conventional cover structure for covering the rearward end of lower rail of the seat adjuster;

FIG. 3 is a partly broken perspective view of a cover structure for slide rail in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a partly broken perspective view of the cover structure;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the same cover sturcture;

FIG. 6 is a sectinal view taken along the line A--A in the FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a partly broken, perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line B--B in the FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line C--C in the FIG. 7.

With reference to FIGS. 3 through 6, there is illustrated a first embodiment of the present invention, wherein a cover structure for a slide rail is shown as being an improvement based upon the same slide rail associated with the same seat adjuster as in the previously stated prior art. Thus, all like designations given hereinafter correspond to all like ones used in the prior art description, and as such, specific explanation thereon is deleted for the sake of simplicity.

In the present first embodiment, there is provided a cover member (16) which substantially covers the upper outer surfaces of the lower rail (4) along a required length thereof. Description will be made, in this embodiment, only with regard to the right-side slide rail (2a), as viewed from FIG. 1.

The cover member (16) is basically comprised of a securing end portion (16a) and a cover body (16b), both of which are formed together integrally, as shown. The configuration of cover member (16) is such that its securing end portion (16a) is formed with an insertion slit (16a-1) opened inwardly thereof, of which the shape generally conforms to the vertical section of lower rail (4) (i.e. a generally "U" shape as best shown in FIG. 3); namely, the sectional shape of the terminal edge (4a1) of lower rail rearward part (4a), and that the bottom wall (16a-2) of securing end portion (16a) has a covering lug (17) which erects therefrom continuously, extending horizontally in a parallel relation with the flat bottom wall (4a) of lower rail (4) in a direction more inwardly of the cover member (16). Hence, centrally of upper wall of cover member (16), there runs an elongated spacing (S), through which the upper rail (5) projects upwardly for connection with the bottom of seat (1) and is slidable forwardly and backwardly.

The covering lug (17) is designed to overlie the head (7a) of rivet (7) which firmly connects together the upper rail (4) and leg member (3), to thereby prevent exposure of the rivet head (7a) into view from the outside through the elongated spacing (S). To serve such puporse, the covering lug (17) is disposed at and along a central longitudinal axi of the cover member (16), as in FIG. 3, and has a width greater than that of the spacing (S), with its height being at a level lower than the upper walls of both lower rail (4) and cover member (16), as can be seen from FIGS. 5 and 6.

Designation (19) denotes a latch projection which is formed on the lower side of base portion of the covering lug (17). The latch projection (19) is to be latched into a latch aperture (20) for locking the cover member (16) to the lower rail (4). A pair of incisions (18a)(18b) are formed at the base part of covering lug (17) in such a manner as to sandwich same as well as the latch projection (19), and those incisions (18a)(18b) serve to give an elastic spring nature around the latch projection (19) so that the latch projection may be vertically movable fro easy engagement into the latch aperture (20) when the cover member (16) is attached onto the lower rail (4). The lug (17) per se may therefore act as a lever for disengagement of the latch (19) from the aperture (20).

The support leg member (3) illustrated has a vertical lateral wall (3a) which extends up part-way to stand laterally of the lower rail (4). Hence, the cover member (16) is formed with a generally L-shaped protrusion (16b-1) at one later side corresponding to that vertical lateral wall (3a) of leg member (3) so that an upper covering or shield is provided above the vertical lateral wall (3a) for concealing the corresponding part from a view, as best seen in FIG. 6, which adds to an aesthetic appearance at the rearmost end of lower rail (4) as against the surrounding rearward apperance of leg member (3), as appreciable from FIG. 4.

Looking at FIG. 5. it can be observed that the length of cover member (16) is determined at a degree such that the forward free end thereof is located a small distance more forwardly than the forward slide limit point at which the upper rail (5) is limited its foremost movable range. This permits the covering member (16) to still cover the lower rail (4), even when the seat (1) is moved forwardly, leaving exposed the rearward state of lower rail (4). Accordigly, the appearance of the lower rail (4) is improved aesthetically.

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 show a second embodiment of the present invention, which is directed to another lower rail (4') disposed opposite to the foregoing lower rail 4. The second lower rail (4') is shaped in a configuration comprising a pair of horizontally extending sections (41), a par of lateral vertical sections (42), each integrally extending from the respective those two horizontally extending sections (41), and a bottom section (43). In this particular embodiment, therefore, there is provided another mode of cover member (16') whose configuration in secion conforms generally to that of lower rail (4'), except for the lower rail bottom section (43). An inner spacing (S) is defined on the opposite sides of the cover member (16') whose configuration assumes a generally inverted L shape so as to cover the outer surfaces of corresponding sections (41, 42) of lower rail (4). Like the cover member (16) of the first embodiment, it is noted that the length of this cover memer (16') is determined at a degree such that the forward free end thereof is located a small disstance more forwardly than the forward slide limit point at which the upper rail (5) is limited its foremost movable range. Further, like the first embodimemt, the latch projection (19) is formed on the lower surface of the cover member (16') in the neighborhood of the rearward cap end portion (16a') and the latch aperture (20) is formed in the rearward end portion of the lower rail (4'), for the same latching purpose as in the first embodiment. As such, the same covering lug (17) is provided at that rearward end portion of cover member (16') for concealing the rivet head (7a) at the lower rail (4'). Designation (16a'1) denotes a securing lug to be inserted beneath the rearward end portio of the lower rail (4').

From the descriptions above, it is appreciated that, according to the present invention, both rearward end portions of cover members (16)(16') and head of rivet (7a) are covered to prevent their exposures into view from outside, thus improving an appearance of rearward side of seat, and also eliminating any subsequent process for treating the rivet head (7a), which facilitates the assemblage and lowers costs involved.

The present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, but any other modifications, replacements and additions may structurally be possible without departing from the scopes and spirits of the appended claims. For example, both cover members (16)(16') may not be formed with such elongated body (16b)(16b'), or rather may only be formed with their respective cap-like securing portions (16a)(16a') and securing lugs (17). The cover members (16)(16') per se may be formed from a synthetic resin material, metallic plate material, or the like.