Patent Application
20080129017
This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Japanese Patent Application 2006-328394, filed on Dec. 5, 2006, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a seat reclining apparatus for a vehicle.
A seat reclining apparatus for a vehicle disclosed in JP2003312329A includes a rail member, a slider, a lock apparatus and a striker. The rail member is attached to a vehicle body and is formed in a circular arc shape to be aligned along a curve described by the seat back upon its reclining operation, the slider is engaged with the rail member so as to be slidable thereon, the lock apparatus regulates/permits the slider sliding on the rail member, and the striker is fixed on the slider. In this configuration, an angle of the seat back is maintained when the striker is engaged with a lock member attached to the seat back.
According to the seat reclining apparatus disclosed in JP2003312329A, a sliding friction is generated between the rail member and the slider on which the rail member slides. The sliding friction is generally generated when two solid surfaces slide against each other. The level of the sliding friction is relatively large, so that the slider may not smoothly slide on the rail member. In addition, in order to stabilize the actuation of the slider sliding on the rail member, each of the rail member and the slider may be formed with high dimensional accuracy.
Further, in order to reduce the sliding friction between the rail member and the slider, a rotating member, which is formed in a column shape or a sphere shape, may be provided between the rail member and the slider. In this case, a level of the friction generated when the rotating member rotates between the rail member and the slider is 10% of the abovementioned sliding friction.
When the rotating member is provided between the slider and the rail member, the slider moves within a certain moving distance, and the rotating member moves relative to the slider in a half of the moving distance of the slider. Accordingly, when the moving distance of the slider relative to the rail member needs to be extended, the length of the slider needs to be extended in a moving direction thereof. In this case, the size of the slider is increased.
Furthermore, when plural rotating members are provided so as to be spaced in a moving direction of the slider, each rotating member needs to be located so as to be distanced from each end of the slider, so that the rotating members are located to be close each other. In this case, even when two rotating members are provided between the slider and the rail member, the slider is practically supported by the rail member at approximate one point, as a result, a posture and an actuation of the slider are unstable.
A need exists or a seat reclining apparatus which is not susceptible to the drawback mentioned above.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a seat reclining apparatus for a vehicle, includes a rail member formed in a straight shape and adapted to be attached to the vehicle so as to be aligned approximately along a curve described by a pivotal movement of a seat back, a slider attached to the rail member so as to be slidable, a lock apparatus for regulating/permitting the slider to slide on the rail member, a striker formed so as to include a first end portion, a second end portion and a connecting portion connecting the first end portion to the second end portion, the first end portion and the second end portion being connected to the slider, and a rotating member provided between the rail member and the slider and including a large diameter portion and a small diameter portion, the large diameter portion engaging the rail member along a longitudinal direction of the rail member, and the small diameter portion engaging the slider along a longitudinal direction of the rail member; wherein the striker adapted to engage a lock member attached to the seat back in order to maintain an angle of the seat back.
The foregoing and additional features and characteristics of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description considered with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
An embodiment of the present invention will be explained in accordance with the attached drawings.
Further, a lock member 4 is attached to the seat back frame 3. The lock member 4 is formed in an approximate U-shape, specifically, a recessed portion 4a is formed so that the lock member 4 is formed in the approximate U-shape having an upper portion and a lower portion. The lock member 4 is moved together with the seat back frame 3 with describing a curve C when the seat back frame 3 pivots relative to the pivotal axis O.
On the other hand, a rail member 11, which is formed in a straight shape, is attached to a vehicle body so as to be aligned along the tilting movement of the seat back. In other words, the rail member 11 is attached to a vehicle body at a central portion of the curve C described by the lock member 4 so as to extend in a tangential line direction of the curve C. A slider 12 is attached to the rail member 11 so as to be slidable thereon, and a striker 13 is connected to the slider 12 so as to face the recessed portion 4a of the lock member 4. The rail member 11, the slider 12 and the striker 13 configure a striker apparatus 10. While the slide of the slider 12 on the rail member 11 is limited, a first end of the striker 13 is inserted into the recessed portion 4a of the lock member 4, and the striker 13 is prevented from coming off from the recessed portion 4a by means of a latch mechanism (not shown) provided at the lock member 4, so that an angle of the seat back (seat back frame 3) can be maintained. The angle of the seat back frame 3 may be adjusted by changing the position of the slider 12 relative to the rail member 11.
The striker apparatus 10 will be further explained in accordance to
As illustrated in
On the other hand, the slider 12 is made of a plate material and basically formed so as to include a pair of side wall portions 24 facing each other and a top portion 25, serving as a striker attaching surface, connecting the side wall portions 24 at each upper end thereof. The top portion 25 is arranged so as to be parallel with the bottom portion 22. When the slider 12 engages the rail member 11, the slider 12 is positioned in a manner where the pair of side wall portions 24 extend between the fold portions 23 of the rail member 11. The side wall portions 24 are bent inwardly at lower portions thereof so that a distance between the side wall portions 24 at each lower portion thereof is narrower than a distance between the side wall portions 24 at each upper portion thereof. Further a fold portion 26 is formed at each lower end of the side wall portion 24 in a manner where it is bent outwardly and extend upwardly so as to enclose each fold portion 23 of the rail member 11 when the slide 12 engages the rail member 11. Specifically, each side wall portion 24 includes a slider inclined surface 24b, serving as a slider inclined surface, formed so as to extend vertically and inwardly from each end of the top portion 25 with forming an acute angle between the side wall portion 24 and the top portion 25. Further, each wall portion 24 includes a U-shaped portion 41 at each lower end thereof extending so as to enclose the vertical wall portion 23c together with the fold portion 26.
Because the slider 12 engages the rail member 11 in a manner where the fold portions 26 engage the fold portions 23, the slider 12 is prevented from moving in a vertical direction relative to the bottom portion 22 of the rail member 11. As shown in
On one of the fold portions 23 of the rail member 11, a plurality of lock holes 23a are formed so as to be arranged in a longitudinal direction of the rail member 11. Each of the lock holes 23a is formed in a square shape and is spaced equally from each other. In this embodiment, as illustrated in
Further, on one of the side wall portions 24 of the slider 12, a plurality of through holes 24a are formed so as to be arranged in a longitudinal direction of the slider 12. Each of the through holes 24a is equally spaced from each other so as to correspond with the lock holes 23a being adjacent to each other in a longitudinal direction of the rail member 11. In this embodiment, as illustrated in
Further, on the one of the fold portions 26 of the slider 12, a plurality of notch portions 26a is formed so as to be arranged in a longitudinal direction of the slider 12. Each of the notch portions 26a is equally spaced from each other so as to correspond with the lock holes 23a being adjacent to each other. In this embodiment, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Each protruding portion 30a of the lock lever 30 is positioned so as to be inserted into/removed from the through hole 24a and the notch portion 26a in accordance with the rotation of the lock lever 30 relative to the lock lever pin 29. In this configuration, when the lock lever 30 is rotated and each protruding portion 30a is inserted into the through hole 24a, the lock hole 23a and the notch portion 26a, the slider 12 is limited so as not to slide on the rail member 11, and further, the position of the striker 13, which is connected to the slider 12, is determined.
On the other hand, when the lock lever 30 is returned and each protruding portion 30a is removed from the notch portion 26a, the lock hole 23a and the through hole 24a, the slider 12 is allowed so as to slide on the rail member 11.
Further, a spring 31 is attached to the supporting brackets 28 by means of the lock lever pin 29. Specifically, one end of the spring 31 is engaged with one of the supporting brackets 28 and one end of the lock lever, and the other end of the spring 31 is engaged with the other of the supporting brackets 28 and the other end of the lock lever 30. In this configuration, the lock lever 30 is continuously biased in a manner where each protruding portion 30a is inserted into the through hole 24a.
Further, as illustrated in
Thus, the lock holes 23a, the lock lever 30 and a surrounding structure thereof, all of which function in order to regulate/permit the slider 12 to slide on the rail member 11, comprise the lock apparatus 20. As illustrated in
Furthermore, the striker apparatus 10 further include a torsion spring 40. The torsion spring 40 applies a force to the striker 13 so that the first end portion 13a adapted to rotate relative to the second end portion 13b on the slider 12 (top portion 25) is returned to its original position at which an imaginary line connecting the first end portion 13a and the second end portion 13b is identical with a longitudinal direction of the rail member 11 (see
Next, the roller 27 and its surrounding structure will be explained.
On the other hand, each U-shaped portion 41 includes a projecting portion 43 formed at a corner of the U-shaped portion 41 so as to project toward the recessed portion 42, the corner facing the side wall portion 21 of the rail member 11. The roller 27 is formed so as to include two end portions 44 and a small diameter portion 45 provided between the end portions 44. Each large diameter portion 44 have a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the small diameter portion 45 in a rotational axis of the roller 27. The roller 27 is retained between the rail member 11 and the slider 12 in a manner where one of the large diameter portion 44 contacts the recessed portion 42, the other of the large diameter portions 44 contacts the side wall portion 21 at the side of the openings of the rail member, and the small diameter portion 45 contacts the projecting portion 43.
When a moving distance of the slider 12 sliding on the rail member 11 is set to L, a maximum diameter of each large diameter portion 44 is set to D1, and a minimum diameter of the small diameter portion 45 is set D2, a moving distance L1 of the roller 27 rotating relative to the slider 12 is calculated by a formula: L1=L×D2/(D1+D2). By setting a ratio between the D1 and D2 to be larger, the moving distance L1 of the roller 27 relative to the slider 12 can be set to be relatively smaller.
Further, each large diameter portion 44 includes a first curved surface 44a, and the small diameter portion 45 includes a second curved surface 45a. The curvature radius of the recessed portion 42 is set to R1, and the curvature radius of the first curved surface 44a is set to R2. The curvature radius R1 is set to be larger than the curvature radius R2. Furthermore, the curvature radius of the projecting portion 43 is set to R3, and the curvature radius of the second curved surface 45a is set to R4. The curvature radius R3 is set to be smaller than the curvature radius R4.
In this configuration, the roller 27 is retained between the slider 12 and the rail member 11 so as not to be misaligned in an axial direction of the roller 27 by means of the large diameter portion 44 and the recessed portion 42 curved toward the large diameter portion 44 relative to the contacting portion between the large diameter portion 44 and the recessed portion 42. Further, the roller 27 is retained between the slider 12 and the rail member 11 so as not to be misaligned in an axial direction of the roller 27 by means of the projecting portion 43 and the small diameter portion 45 curved toward the projecting portion 43 relative to the contacting portion between the small diameter portion 45 and the projecting portion 43.
As illustrated in
In this configuration, the position of the striker 13 is adjusted by adjusting the position of the slider 12, which is regulated/permitted to slide on the rail member 11 by means of the lock apparatus 20. The angle of the seat back frame 3 relative to the pivotal axis O is adjusted by adjusting the position of the striker 13 engaging with the lock member 4.
When the lock member 4 attached to the seat back frame 3 is engaged with the striker 13, a gap is generated between the lock member 4 and the striker 13, the lock member 4 adapted to pivot relative to the pivotal axis O in accordance with the tilt of the seat back frame 3 (seat back) and the striker 13 adapted to move along with the rail member 11. This gap (a gap in a radial direction of the rotation of the lock member 4) is adjusted by the pivotal movement of the first end portion 13a. Further, once the first end portion 13a is disengaged from the lock member 4, the first end portion 13a is moved to its original position by means of the biasing force applied by the torsional spring 40.
When the striker 13 is disengaged from the lock member 4, the seat back frame 3 can be pivoted relative to the pivotal axis O without interference with the striker apparatus 10 and other surrounding members.
According to the first embodiment, because the hourglass shaped roller 27 is provided between the rail member 11 and the slider 12, only a friction resistance caused by the rolling resistance is generated by the roller 27, as a result, the slider 12 may smoothly slide on the rail member 11. Further, the moving distance L1 of the roller 27 relative to the slider 12 when the roller 27 is rotated is set so as to be sufficiently smaller than the moving distance L of the slider 12 sliding on the rail member 11. Thus, the slider 12 may be downsized, at the same time, the moving distance L of the slider 12 relative to the rail member 11 may be set to be larger without dropping the roller 27.
Because the moving distance L1 of the roller 27 relative to the slider 12 when the roller 27 is rotated is set so as to be sufficiently smaller, the rollers 27 provided in a moving direction of the slider 12 may be distanced. Thus, the slider 12 may be stably supported by the rail member 11 by means of the rollers 27 provided so as to be distanced in a moving direction of the slider 12.
According to the first embodiment, each roller 27 is retained so as not to be misaligned in an axial direction thereof by means of the large diameter portion 44 and the recessed portion 42 curved toward the large diameter portion 44 relative to the contacting portion between the large diameter portion 44 and the recessed portion 42. Further, because the curvature radius R1 of the recessed portion 42 is set so as to be larger than the curvature radius R2 of the first curve surface 44a, the actuation of the roller 27 rotating on the recessed portion 41 at the large diameter portion 44 thereof may not be interrupted. At the same time, each roller 27 is retained so as not to be misaligned by means of the projecting portion 43 and the small diameter portion 45 curved toward the projecting portion 43 relative to the contacting portion between the small diameter portion 45 and the projecting portion 43. Further, because the curvature radius R3 of the projecting portion 43 is set so as to be smaller than the curvature radius R4 of the second curved surface 45a, the actuation of the roller 27 rotating on the projecting portion 43 at the small diameter portion 45 thereof may not be interrupted.
According to the first embodiment, the rollers 27 provided in a width direction of the rail member 11 is retained between the recessed portion 42 and the projecting portion 43 with pushing each other in the width direction of the rail member 11. As a result, the rollers 27 are retained so as not to be misaligned in a width direction of the rail member 11 (or the slider 12).
According to the embodiment, the rail member 11 may simply be formed in a straight shape.
A second embodiment will be explained in accordance with the attached drawings. Explanations of some configurations identical to the first embodiment will be omitted here.
The slider 56 made of a plate material includes a top portion 57, serving as a striker attaching surface, two slider side wall portions 58, two flat portions 59 and a slider fixing member 60 as illustrated in the cross section of
The slider 56 engages each side wall portion 52, which faces the slider 56, via a roller 61. The roller 61 is formed in an approximate diamond shape in its cross section and serves as a rotating member. As illustrated in
On one of the side wall portions 52, lock holes 52a each formed in a rectangular shape are provided so as to be equally distanced each other in a longitudinal direction of the rail member 51. In this example, eight lock holes 52a are formed (see
As illustrated in
When the lock pin 64 is inserted into the through hole 58a and one of the lock holes 52a, the slider 56 is prohibited so as not to slide on the rail member 51, at the same time, the position of the striker 13 is determined. When the lock pin 64 is disengaged from the lock hole 52a and the through hole 58a, the slider 56 is permitted to slide on the rail member 51. The lock holes 52a, the lock pin 61 and their surrounding structure form a lock apparatus 70 for prohibit/permit of the slide of the slider 56 on the rail member 51.
As illustrated in
A base portion of the lock pin is inserted to the torsion spring 67 housed between the supporting brackets 63, and one end of the torsion spring 67 elastically engages the cable bracket 65. The lock pin 64 is normally biased in a direction where one end of the lock pin 64 is inserted into the through hole 58a.
Next, the roller 61 and its surrounding structure will be explained. As illustrated in
Further, as illustrated in
Each roller 61, having an approximate diamond shape cross section, includes two small diameter portions 74 at each end in an axial direction thereof and a large diameter portion 75 formed between the small diameter portions 74. The large diameter portion 75 have a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the small diameter portion 74 in a rotational axis of the roller 61. The roller 61 is supported between the slider 56 and the rail member 51 in a manner where each small diameter portion 74 engages the projecting portion 73 of the slider 56, and the large diameter portion 75 engages the recessed portion 71 of the rail member 51. Because of the recessed portion 72, the roller 61 can rotate without interfering with the slider 56 at the large diameter portion 75. In the same manner as the first embodiment, when the roller 61 is rotated, a moving distance (L1) of the roller 61 relative to the slider 56 is set to be substantially smaller than a moving distance (L) of the rail member 51 relative to the slider 56.
As illustrated in
In this configuration, in the same manner as the first embodiment, the movement of the slider 56 is prohibited/permitted by means of the lock apparatus 70, and the position of the striker 13 is adjusted by adjusting a position of the slider 56 relative to the rail member 51.
As mentioned above, according to the striker device 50 of the second embodiment may provide the following results in addition to that of the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, even though the length of the rail member 51 is longer than that of the slider 56, because the rail member 51 is formed so as to have a smaller cross-sectional area than that of the slider 56, in cross section, and the rail member 51 is arranged within the slide 56 formed so as to have a rectangular cross section, the striker device 50 may achieve downsizing and weight saving.
The embodiments may be modifies as follows.
The shapes of the cross section of the rail member and the slider may be modified. For example, the shapes of the cross section of the rail member and the slider may be modified in a manner where the recessed portion is formed on the bottom portion 22 of the rail member so that the large diameter portion 44 of the roller 27, which is arranged with corresponding its axial line to a width direction of the rail member 11, contacts the recessed portion and where the projecting portion is formed at an appropriate place of the slider so that the small diameter portion 45 of the roller 27 contacts the projecting portion. Further, at least one roller 27 may be provided between the rail member 11 and the slider 12 as long as the roller 27 is stably supported between the recessed portion and the projecting portion.
Three or more rollers 27 may be provided between the rail member 11 and the slider 12 as long as the rollers 27 is stably supported between the recessed portion and the projecting portion in a manner where each roller 27 is pressed inwardly. In this case, the axial line of the roller 27 may be inclined relative to the bottom portion 22, and further, the plural rollers 27 may not be arranged in a manner where axis lines of the rollers 27 are paralleled each other.
The principles, preferred embodiment and mode of operation of the present invention have been described in the foregoing specification. However, the invention which is intended to be protected is not to be construed as limited to the particular embodiments disclosed. Further, the embodiments described herein are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Variations and changes may be made by others, and equivalents employed, without departing from the sprit of the present invention. Accordingly, it is expressly intended that all such variations, changes and equivalents which fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the claims, be embraced thereby.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-328394 | Dec 2006 | JP | national |
