Metal Injection Moulding (MIM) Parts Of Sliders For Automobile Seats

Sliders For Automobile Seats

The present invention relates to a slider for automobile seats and in particular to the locking of such a slider in position. Such a slider for adjusting the longitudinal position of a seat usually comprises a fixed part connected to the floor of the vehicle and a movable membrane connected to the seat frame and slidable longitudinally relative to the fixed part. Usually, the locking device connected to the movable membrane can ensure the locking of the movable part on the fixed part in a position selected by the user by engaging with at least one of a row of notches formed on the above-mentioned fixed part.

The locking thus formed must ensure safety relative to the automobile seat, in particular during collisions or accidents that tend to cause the seat to move forward and backward.

Different sliding systems consisting of a male part sliding relative to a female part are known.

According to a first type of slider, the male part constitutes the fixed part connected to the floor and the female part connected to the frame of the seat. The locking is ensured by a lock connected to the female part in the longitudinal sliding direction and movable in a direction perpendicular to this direction by means of a non-locking control element. The lock usually comprises several teeth that mesh with the notches of the male tooth profile, which teeth are held in place by elastic return means to ensure locking. A non-locking control element enables the teeth of the lock to disengage from the notches, thereby sliding the female part and thus adjusting the position of the seat.

In the second type of slide, the female part is attached to the frame of the seat, which is attached to the base plate. The lock is attached to the male part, the teeth of the lock meshing with the notches of the female part.

Document FR-A-2 736 311 describes a slide of the latter type, in which the female part is usually U-shaped, with two flanges extending towards the inside of the part through an inner flange fold, and the male part is also usually U-shaped, with its flanges located between the inner flange fold of the female part and extending towards the outside through an outer flange fold, which is bent under the inner flange fold of the female part and extends accordingly between the flange of the female part and the latter.

The outer flange fold of the male part and the inner flange fold and flange of the female part form a ball slideway that facilitates the relative sliding of the male part and the female membrane. The locking device includes a lock consisting of an elastic flexible strip, for example made of spring steel, which is mounted inside the slider and is connected to the male part at one end. The other end of the flexible strip includes locking teeth on each side, which are introduced into the cutout formed in the angle formed by the outer flange fold and the flange of the female part in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction, and, in the locked position, the locking teeth are engaged with the notches in two rows of notches formed on the edge of the inner flange fold of the female part. Unlocking is ensured by a handle of a control rod passing through the slider, the end of the control rod acts on the lock, and the rotation of the knife switch relative to the direction perpendicular to the sliding direction causes the teeth to disengage from the notch. When the control rod is released, the return to the locked position is ensured by the elastic recovery of the flexible strip. The locking of this system is particularly resistant to forces that tend to cause the male part to slide, in particular since the rows of notches of the female part are located directly against the wall of the male part forming the tooth guide cutouts, so that the above-mentioned loads mainly generate shear forces on the teeth, excluding all other forces acting on the lock itself or its connection.

The principle of this locking system, which consists in converting the relative movement forces of the two parts in the slider into shear forces on the teeth of the lock, can be applied to other types of sliders than those described in the documents described above, in particular the first type described above.

However, in an accident, the lock may be moved to the unlocked position under the effect of a collision and the seat may then slide.

The object of the present invention is to solve this problem and, in particular, to provide, in addition to the high locking resistance described above, a high reliability and an improvement in safety to avoid all undesirable unlocking.

Taking these indicators into account, the subject of the present invention is to provide a slider for a car seat, a slider of this type comprising a fixed part connected to the car floor and a movable part connected to the seat, which can slide longitudinally relative to the fixed part and a locking device to prevent sliding, the fixed part comprising an edge of a side wall provided with a row of locking notches and located directly adjacent to the movable part, the locking device comprising a lock movable between a locked position and an unlocked position in a direction parallel to the side wall and perpendicular to the sliding direction, the lock having teeth, passing through the side wall by entering a corresponding cut formed in the wall, in the locked position, the teeth are introduced into the cut and mesh with the notches in the row of notches.

Qinhuangdao Zhongwei Precision Machinery Co., Ltd. was founded in 1997 and is a manufacturer and technical solution provider focusing on metal powder injection molding (MIM) and investment casting and forging products. The company is located in Qinhuangdao High-tech Zone, with automotive system 16949 certification, a strong R&D team and technical strength, providing customers with fast and effective solutions and stable product supply.

Since its establishment, the company has always adhered to the principle of customer-oriented, quality-first, independent innovation and continuous improvement. Technology-first development policy.

The company's main business is the research and development, design, production and sales of metal product structural parts. The products can be widely used in key application fields such as consumer electronics, medical devices, and automobiles. It has advantages and rich experience in product research and development, mold development, process design, product manufacturing, quality control, etc.

The company has a stable core team, an excellent technical team, and has introduced advanced equipment to form the core competitiveness of MIM products in the industry and become a strategic partner of MIM products for international customers.