Technical Field

The present invention relates to a locking device of a car seat track. More specifically, the invention relates to a locking device of a car seat track, which can be sustained against the frontward, backward and lateral impact and distortion stress , and maximally prevent unlocking phenomenon where the locking device is slidably released even when a lever is not operated .

Background Art

A car seat track is a device, by which the seat mounted on the driver side or the passenger side can be moved back-and-forth .

Here, in general , the seat track includes a pair of parallel lower tracks to be fixed to the floor face of the inside of a car, and a pair of upper tracks to be fixedly attached to the bottom face of the seat and inserted into the lower the each corresponding lower track so as to be moved back-and-forth . A plurality of fixing holes is formed in the lower track in the longitudinal direction thereof, and a latching proj ection connected to the upper track is inserted and fixed into the fixing holes . The inserted latching proj ection can be released by means of a

lever .

FIG . 1 is a perspective view of a conventional locking device for a car seat track. If a handle 102 of a lever 101 is pulled, a first mounting shaft 103 of the lever 101 is rotated clockwise, and a second mounting shaft 104 , which is formed in the other upper track 105 and linked with the first mount shaft 103 , is rotated counterclockwise .

At this time, a latching proj ection 108 is formed in the lower side of a cam 107 , which is formed in the first and second mounting shaft 103 , 104. Thus , the latching proj ection 108 is released from a fixing hole 109 formed in the longitudinal direction of the lower track 106, thereby enabling to move back and forth . Here, an external force is exerted on the first mount shaft 103 by means of an internal resilient device such that the latching proj ection 108 can be inserted into the fixing hole 109.

In this structure, particularly, the interlocking structure of the upper track 105 and the lower track 106 may be instantaneously released due to a lateral impact so that the latching proj ection 108 can be escaped therefrom. In addition, in case of a frontward and backward impact , a shear force is exerted on the latching proj ection 108 , so that it is very likely to be bent or ruptured.

Furthermore, in case of a rapid turning or a small impact at the time of a person ' s seating, one side thereof is closely contacted and the other side is released, thus leading to a greater instability thereof when it is not inserted again .

In addition, when the lever 101 is operated to adj ust the seat and thereafter the lever 101 is released, the unlocking phenomenon where the latching proj ection 108 is placed between the fixing holes 109 is frequently occurred . A user cannot easily recognize this unlocking phenomenon, and thus when he or she is seated or a small impact is exerted, the seat is wobbled back and forth, thus a big accident may be occurred during travel .

Further, as illustrated in the above figure, the both rails are interlocked through a link structure . However, this link structure is complicated and not durable to a strong external force .

FIG . 2 is a transversal cross-section of the conventional slide track, which is disclosed in Korean Patent No . 371151 entitled "Slide for car seat . "

As shown in FIG . 2 , a lower track 106 to be fixed to the floor of a car and an upper track 105 to be fixed to the bottom face of a seat are provided. A ball bearing 111 is provided in the inner and outer sides of a bent section 110 of the upper track 105 so as to contact therewith . The

ball bearing 111 is wrapped around by the lower track 106 so as to be contacted thereto .

In the above-constructed slide track, the ball bearing 111 is contacted with the inner and outer sides of the upper track 105 respectively, thereby increasing friction resistance . In case of a higher load, a problem occurs in that the bent section 110 of the upper track 105 may be plastically deformed. In addition, although a means for fixing the ball bearing 111 , the ball bearing is biased towards the direction that the ball bearing seat moves and a friction is generated between the ball bearings . Therefore, an impact noise is produced between the ball bearings 111. If used for an extended period of time, the ball bearing is worn and thus the clearance between the lower track 106 and the upper track 105 becomes wider, thus producing more noise .

FIG. 3 shows another conventional slide track . As illustrated in FIG. 3 , a ball bearing 111 is provided and contacted with the upper and lower portion of the bent section 110 of the upper track 105. The lower track 106 wraps around the ball bearing so as to be contacted with each other . In addition, the ball bearing disposed at the lower side of the bent section 110 of the upper track 105 is made larger than that placed at the upper side thereof .

In the slide track having the above-described construction, since the load exerted on the lower side of the upper track 105 is larger, the ball bearing 111 disposed at the lower side thereof is made larger, thereby sustaining the load advantageously. However, as previously described, the seat of the ball bearing 111 is biased towards its moving direction, and a friction occurs between the ball bearings . Thus , the clearance between the lower track 106 and the upper track 105 becomes larger, and thus noise is produced . In addition, the contacting area between the lower side of the bent section 110 of the upper track 105 and the ball bearing 111 is narrower and the load is concentrated on the lower portion of the bend section 110 of the upper track 105. Thus , a plastic deformation is very likely to occur and thus the service life thereof is shortened .

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems occurring in the prior art , and it is an obj ect of the invention to provide a locking device for a car seat track, which can retain reliably its locked state against an external impact .

Another obj ect of the invention is to provide a locking device for a car seat track, in which the seat

tracks at both sides can be efficiently interlocked.

Yet another obj ect of the invention is to provide a locking device for a car seat track, in which the contacting area between the elements thereof is made larger so that plastic deformation can be reduced and the load can be distributed, thereby improving the durability of each element and thus extending the service life therefore .

In addition, a further obj ect of the invention is to provide a locking device for a car seat track, in which the clearance of each element thereof can be minimized and thus noise can be reduced.

Technical Solution

In order to accomplish the above obj ects , according to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a locking device for a car seat track . The locking device includes : a lower track fixedly attached to the floor face of the inside of a car; an upper track fixedly attached to the bottom face of a seat , the upper track being inserted into the lower track so as to move back-and forth; a pin frame mounted inside of the upper track in such a way as to pass through the top face of the upper track; a rope inserting section rotatably mounted in a lower side of the pin frame, the rope inserting section being extended by a certain length in back-and-forth direction and opened rearwards in

the longitudinal direction thereof; an operating frame having inserting vanes formed so as to be inserted correspondingly to the groove section at both sides adj acent to the end portion thereof; and an operating unit placed between the lower track and the upper track, one side of the pin frame being fixedly connected to the operating unit , the operating unit including a rope spring connected with a fixing pin, the fixing pin passing through the rope inserting section and extended backwards to pass through the inside of the upper track .

In addition, the upper track includes a seat rest on which the seat is rested, vertical bent sections bent downwardly from both sides of the seat rest, a horizontal bent section bent horizontally outwards of the vertical bent section, a depressed groove formed upwardly outwards of the horizontal bent section so as to form a gap in- between with the vertical bent section, and a plurality of groove sections formed at regular intervals at the inner lower end thereof, wherein the above elements of the upper track are integrally formed in an elongated fashion, and the lower track includes a fixing section formed at the lower side thereof and fixed at the floor face of a car, a bent section upwardly outwards of the fixing section, a vertical support section vertically formed upwardly from the bent section, a horizontal support section bent inwards

of the vertical support section, and an insert-coupling section vertically bent downwardly from the inner end portion of the horizontal support section so as to face the bent section of the lower track adj acent thereto and be inserted into the gap formed in the upper track, wherein the above elements of the lower track are integrally formed in an elongated fashion, wherein a holder is further provided between the outer side of the depressed groove of the upper track and the inner side of the vertical support section of the lower track, the holder accommodating a plurality of ball bearings in pairs of upper and lower ball bearings such that the upper track is slidably contacted with the lower track, the holder being integrally formed with upper and lower ball-bearings . In addition, the lower track includes each rounding section formed between the bent section and the vertical support section, and between the vertical support section and the horizontal support section, and the upper track includes a rounding section at the upper and lower side of the depressed groove thereof, wherein the ball bearing is disposed between the rounding sections and contacted therewith .

Furthermore, the lower track includes a release- inhibiting proj ection for preventing the holder from being released from the lower track .

In addition, a latching proj ection is formed at both end portions of the upper track such that , when the upper track moves back and forth, both end portions of the holder are latched and moved together . Furthermore, the inserting vane formed in both rear sides of the operating frame has a through-hole formed respectively such that the groove section can be inserted thereinto .

In addition, the locking device of the invention may further comprises : an operating bar interconnecting the operating frame mounted in the inner side of both upper tracks ; and a long hole formed in the horizontal bent section of the upper track such that the inserting vane can be inserted to a certain desired depth .

Brief Description of Drawings

Further obj ects and advantages of the invention can be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conj unction with the accompanying drawings , in which :

FIG . 1 is a perspective view of a conventional locking device for a car seat track;

FIGS . 2 and 3 are transversal cross-sectional views of the conventional locking device for a car seat track; FIG . 4 is a transversal cross-sectional view of a

locking device for a car seat track according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG . 5 is a perspective view of the locking device for a car seat track of the invention; FIG . 6 is an exploded perspective view of the locking device for a car seat track of the invention;

FIG . 7 is a perspective view of the locking device for a car seat track of the invention when assembled;

FIG . 8 is a perspective view showing an operation of the locking device for a car seat track of the invention;

FIG . 9 is a partial perspective view showing an operation of an operation frame according to the invention;

FIG . 10 is a perspective view showing a locked state of the locking device for a car seat track of the invention;

FIG . 11 is a perspective view shown a released state of the locking device for a car seat track of the invention;

FIG . 12 is an exploded view of the locking device for a car seat track of the invention; and

FIG . 13 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the inserting vane of the invention .

10 upper track 11 seat rest 12 vertical bent section 13 horizontal bent section

14 depressed groove 15 round section 16 latching proj ection 17 long groove 20 lower track 21 fixing section

22 bent section 23 vertical support section 24 horizontal support section

25 insert-coupling section

26 rounding section 27 release-inhibiting proj ection 28 groove section 30 ball bearing

40 holder 50 operating unit 51 pin frame 52 rope inserting section

53 inserting vane 54 operation frame

55 fixing pin 56 rope spring

57a through-hole 57b through-hole

60 operating bar

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be hereafter described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . FIG . 4 is a transversal cross-sectional view illustrating a locking device for a car seat track according to one embodiment of the invention .

As illustrated in FIG . 4 , the locking device for a car seat track of the invention includes a lower track 20 and an upper track 10 fixedly mounted on the bottom face of

a seat . The upper track 10 is inserted into the lower track 20 so as to move frontward and backward. The upper track 10 is structured such that , when an operating bar 60 is pulled up, it can be slid, i . e . , the track structure is modified so as to be slid with a greater stability and in a sturdy manner .

FIG . 5 is a vertical sectioned drawing of the locking device for a car seat track of the invention . FIG . 6 is an exploded perspective view of the locking device for a car seat track of the invention . FIG . 7 is a perspective view of the locking device for a car seat track of the invention when assembled .

As illustrated, the locking device for a car seat track of the invention is composed of a lower track 20 to be fixedly attached on the floor inside of a car, an upper track 10 fixedly attached to the bottom of a car seat and coupled to the lower track 20 so as to be able to slide back-and-forth, an holder 40 disposed between the lower track 20 and the upper track 10 and accommodating a ball bearing 30, which allows the upper track 10 to slide thereon .

The upper track 10 includes a seat rest 11 on which a seat is to be rested, a vertical vent section 12 bent downwardly from both sides of the seat rest 11 , and a depressed groove 14 formed in such a manner as to be

extended from the vertical bent section 12 and also face the vertical bent section 12 with a gap in-between, all of which are integrally formed in longitudinal direction thereof such that the seat can be moved frontward and backward.

The seat rest 11 is assembled to the bottom of a car seat , which is rested thereon .

The vertical bent section 12 is bent downwardly from both sides of the seat rest 11 , thereby transferring the weight of the seat .

The depressed groove 14 is formed in such a manner as to be extended outwardly from the vertical bent section 12 and also face the vertical bent section 12 having a gap in- between . In the upper and lower portion of the depressed groove 14 is formed a round section 15 , which is contacted with the ball bearing 30. The upper track 10 can be easily moved by means of the ball bearing 30. In addition, due to the round section 15 formed in the upper and lower side of the depressed groove 14 , the contacting area with the ball bearing 30 is widened, thereby distributing the load exerted on the upper track 10. Thus , the plastic deformation of the upper track 10 can be reduced, thus extending the service life of the slide track . In addition, the upper track 10 is structured

symmetrically about the vertical centerline thereof such the depressed groove 14 has the same length .

The lower track 20 includes a fixing section 21 to be fixed to the floor of a car, a bent section 22 bent upwardly from both sides of the fixing section 21 , a vertical support section 23 bent vertically from the bent section 22 , a horizontal support section 24 bent inwardly from the vertical support section 23, and an insert- coupling section 25 bent vertically and downwardly in such a way as to face the bent section 22 of the lower track adj acent thereto and be inserted into the gap formed in the upper track 10. The above elements of the lower track 20 are integrally formed in longitudinal direction thereof and configured such that the upper track 10 can move back-and- forth thereon .

The fixing section 21 is formed in the lower portion of the lower track 20 and fixedly attached to the interior floor of a car by means of a fixing means ( not shown) .

The bent section 22 is formed such a way to be bent upwards of the outside of the fixing section 21 and support the lower portion of the holder 40. Between the bent section and the fixing section 21 , i . e . , between the upper end portion of the bent section 22 and the vertical support section 23 , i . e . , in the upper end portion of the bent portion 22 is formed a rounding section 26, which is

contacted with the ball bearing 30 contacted with the rounding section 15 , which is formed in the lower portion of the depressed groove 14. Similar to the rounding section 15 formed in the depressed groove 14 , due to the rounding section 26 formed in the upper and lower portion of the bent section 22 , the contact area with the ball bearing 30 is extended to distribute the load exerted on the lower track 20. Thus , the plastic deformation of the upper track 10 is reduced, and thus the service life of the slide track can be extended.

The vertical support section 23 is formed upwardly from the bent section 22 and supports the lateral side of the holder 40.

The horizontal support section 24 is bent inwardly from the vertical support section 23 and supports the top portion of the holder 40.

The insert-coupling section 25 is vertically formed downwardly from the inner end portion of the horizontal support section 24 in such a way as to face the vertical vent section 12 of the upper track 10 adj acent thereto and be inserted into the gap formed in the upper track 10.

In addition, the lower track 20 is provided with a release-inhibiting proj ection 27 in both end portion of the vertical support section 23. Due to the release-inhibiting proj ection 27 , the holder 40 disposed between the upper

track 10 and the lower track 20 is prevented from being released from the lower track 20 in the frontward and backward direction . The release-inhibiting proj ection 27 is formed in such a way as to bend part of the vertical support section in the state where the lower track 20 is combined with the holder 40.

The holder 40 is disposed between the outer side of the depressed groove 14 of the upper track 10 and the inner side of the vertical support section 23 , and inserted and combined between the upper track 10 and the lower track 20. In addition, the holder 40 houses a plurality of ball bearing 30 , which is formed in a pair of upper and lower ball bearings . The upper track 10 and the lower track 20 are contacted with the ball bearing 30 such that the upper track 10 and the lower track 20 is integrally formed and the upper track 10 can slide on the lower track 20. The holder 40 houses the ball bearing 30 such that friction between the ball bearings can be avoid to thereby reduce noise and extend the service life of the ball bearing 30. In addition, since the friction between the ball bearing 30 is avoided, clearance between the ball bearing 30 and the rounding sections 15 and 26 contacted therewith can be reduced to thereby reduce noise and provide a smooth operation . The length of the holder 40 determines the back-and-forth-moving distance of a seat, and is less than

the distance between the release-inhibiting proj ections of the lower track 20. If the length of the holder 40 is lengthened, the back-and-forth-moving distance of the seat is shortened. If the length of the holder 40 is shortened, the back-and-forth-moving distance is lengthened . However, if the length of the holder 40 is overly shortened, the connecting force between the upper track 10 and the lower track 20 is weakened, thereby failing to sustain the load exerted on the seat . Thus , the holder 40 is determined to have an appropriate length .

FIG . 8 is a perspective view showing an operation of the locking device for a car seat track of the invention .

The upper track 10 is provided with a latching proj ection 16 at both end portions thereof . When the upper track 10 moves back and forth, both end portions of the holder 40 is latched to the latching proj ection 16 such that the holder 40 can be moved back and forth . When the upper track 10 moves backwards, the holder 40 is latched to the latching proj ection 16 formed in one end portion of the upper track 10 to thereby be moved together . When the upper track 10 is returned to its original position, the holder 40 is latched to the latching proj ection 16 formed in the other end portion of the upper track 10 to thereby be moved together . In this way, the holder 40 is moved by means of the latching proj ection 16. Thus , while the upper

track 10 moves , the ball bearing 30 housed in the holder 40 moves contacted with the rounding sections 15 and 26 of the upper track 10 and the lower track 20.

FIG . 9 is a partial perspective view showing an operation of an operation frame according to the invention .

As illustrated in the drawings, the operating unit 50 comprises a pin frame 51 mounted on the inner side of the upper track 10 so as to pass through the top face of the upper track 10. The operating unit 50 comprises an operation frame 54 rotatably mounted in the lower portion of the fin frame 51 so as to be extended back-and-forth by a certain length . The operation frame 54 includes a rope inserting section 52 formed at the rearward thereof so as to pass through in the longitudinal direction . The operation frame 54 further includes an inserting vane 53 formed at both sides near the end portion thereof so as to be inserted correspondingly to the groove section 28. The operating unit 50 further comprises a rope spring 56 fixedly connected to one side of the pin frame 51. The rope spring 56 is connected with the fixing pin 55, which pass through the rope inserting section 52 and extends to the rearward to thereby pass through the inner side of the vertical bent section 12 of the upper track 10. An operating bar 60 interconnects the operating frame 54 , which is mounted inside the both upper tracks 10. If the

operating bar 60 is pulled up, the lower portion of the operating frame 54 descends vertically such that the inserting vane 53 inserted into the groove section 28 is released so as to be able to slide . In addition, if the external force is removed from the operating bar 60 , the inserting vane 53 is again inserted into the groove section 28 to thereby lock it (refer to Figs . 10 and 11 ) .

In the above-described construction, the locking device is housed inside the upper track 10 and thus sustains the locked state against the external impact as long as the upper track is not released and escaped.

In the convention operating structure where a latching proj ection is inserted from the outside of the lower track 20 , the mechanical construction is exposed to the outside . In addition, even if the lower track 20 and the upper track 10 closely contacted with each other have a small clearance due to an impact, the outside thereof comes to experience a serious clearance so that the locking is more likely to be released. In the invention, however, this locking device is housed inside, thereby minimizing the likelihood of release, which may be caused by clearance .

Furthermore, according to the present invention, the shape of the groove section 28 may be varied in various ways . If the inserting vane 53 is locked at the state of

not being inserted into the groove section 28 , it can be inserted by means of a small movement . However, an abrupt force in frontward or backward direction may cause the inserting vane 53 to skip to pass plural groove section 28. Thus, the shape and resilience of the rope spring 56 is adj usted so as to reduce the likelihood of the unlocking . In addition, the inserting vane is configured to be inserted into the nearest groove, even by an abrupt external force in the state of unlocking . Thus , a user ' s uneasy feeling or a safety accident can be prevented .

FIG . 10 is a perspective view showing a locked state of the locking device for a car seat track of the invention . FIG . 11 is a perspective view shown a released state of the locking device for a car seat track of the invention . As illustrated in FIG . 10 and 11 , in the inserting vane 53 formed in the rear both sides of the operating frame 54 , a through-hole 57a is formed at both sides respectively such that the groove section 28 can be inserted thereinto and released therefrom. According to the above-described construction, a single track has four locking places formed therein to thereby provide a more reliable locking and thus a greater safety, dissimilar to the conventional technique, where both tracks has a single locking place respectively so that it may be damaged due to an external force .

FIG . 12 is an exploded view of the locking device for a car seat track of the invention, where the shape of the lower track 20 and the upper track 10 , and the connection of the operating unit 50 with the operating bar 60 are illustrated.

Here, the horizontal bent section 13 of the upper track 10 is placed at the lower side of the insert-coupling section 25 , in which the groove section 28 is formed . In order to solve the problem that the inserting vane 53 is not smoothly inserted into the groove section 28 , a long groove 17 is formed in a position corresponding to the inserting vane 53 such that the inserting vane 53 can be inserted thereinto to a certain depth .

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the inserting vane of the invention, where a through-hole 57b is formed in the inserting vane 53.

Industrial Applicability

As described above, according to the invention, the locking device is housed and operated inside the upper track so that the clearance of the fixing pin can be minimized against an external impact . Four or more fixing places are formed at both sides thereof so that the locking device can retain its locked state reliably .

In addition, the both tracks are interlocked by means of an operating bar, thereby providing a simplified interlocking structure and an improved durability, as compared with the conventional ones . Furthermore, since the contact between the ball bearing ( rolling member) and the upper and lower tracks is made into a face contact, rather than a line contact in the conventional technique, the contacting area becomes larger . Thus , plastic deformation in the ball bearing ( rolling member) and the upper and lower tracks can be reduced, and the load can be distributed . Therefore, the durability of each element can be improved, the service life therefor can be extended, the clearance of each element can be minimized, and noise can be reduced. While the present invention has been described with reference to the particular illustrative embodiments, it is not to be restricted by the embodiments but only by the appended claims . It is to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can change or modify the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention .