Abstract: Rattling and abnormal sound between an upper rail and a lower rail are reduced, and sliding is more smoothly performed. Sliding resistance reducing members (14, 15) include retainers (141, 151) formed each in a substantially L shape in a cross section and including first retaining wall portions (1411, 1511) and second retaining wall portions (1412, 1512) located between vertical wall portions (11b, 12d) and between bottom wall portions (11a, 12c) of a lower rail (11) and an upper rail (12). The first ball members (142, 152) are disposed in middle positions of the first retaining wall portions (1411, 1511), and the second ball members (143, 153) are disposed in positions apart from the vertical wall portions toward the center in the width direction of the lower rail (11) in the second retaining wall portions (1412, 1512).

Abstract: To reduce a whirling movement and abnormal noise of an output gear part. An input-side shaft part 132 and an output gear part 131 which compose a rotating operation member 130 are integrally formed. Owing to this configuration, a bearing of a feed mechanism is integrated with the output gear part, leading to a reduction in a whirling movement of the output gear part due to axial misalignment. A stepped surface 131a formed on an outer periphery of the rotating operation member 130 is stacked on an outer surface 212a of a peripheral edge part of a gear-part through-hole 212 of an attachment bracket 210, and an elastic member 230 is provided between an inner surface 212b of the peripheral edge part of the gear-part through-hole 212 and a brake mechanism 120. This also reduces a whirling movement of the output gear part 131.

Abstract: Rattling and abnormal sound between an upper rail and a lower rail are reduced, and sliding is more smoothly performed. Sliding resistance reducing members (14, 15) include retainers (141, 151) formed each in a substantially L shape in a cross section and including first retaining wall portions (1411, 1511) and second retaining wall portions (1412, 1512) located between vertical wall portions (11b, 12d) and between bottom wall portions (11a, 12c) of a lower rail (11) and an upper rail (12). The first ball members (142, 152) are disposed in middle positions of the first retaining wall portions (1411, 1511), and the second ball members (143, 153) are disposed in positions apart from the vertical wall portions toward the center in the width direction of the lower rail (11) in the second retaining wall portions (1412, 1512).

Abstract: To reduce rattling between a slide lever and a release lever and abnormal noise. A connecting end part (172) of a slide lever (17) has a tubular shape, and a front end part (161a) of a release lever (161) is inserted in the connecting end part (172) with a connection spring member (180) therebetween. The connection spring member (180) is formed of a worked wire material for springs and has a bent end (181a) located forward and wire parts (181) extending rearward from the bent end (181a). Protruding engagement parts (183) are formed in the wire parts (181). The wire parts (181) are placed inside the front end part (161a) of the release lever (161), and the protruding engagement parts (183) are made to protrude from engagement protrusion holes (161e) of the release lever (161) in advance, and then the tubular connecting end part (172) of the slide lever (17) is fitted on the outer side of the front end part (161a).

Abstract: An internal gear includes a thin annular portion and a thick annular portion whose outside diameters are the same and whose inside diameters are different are continuously provided integrally in an axial direction, and an outer peripheral surface of the thin annular portion and the thick annular portion is formed in a substantially L shape in a flush cross section. Therefore, a conventionally substantially convex section formed with the memory internal teeth does not become the weak point in terms of strength. An axial outer end surface of the thick annular portion of the internal gear is formed to be substantially flat, and the coupling cover member is fixed to the thick annular portion to be coupled to a frame of a seat cushion or a seat back.

Abstract: To increase strength without any weight increase due to a thickness increase and without causing the machining problem in half-blanking, an external gear and an internal gear are ring-shaped gears, and external teeth and internal teeth each have a tooth width substantially corresponding to the thickness of an outer circumferential surface of the external gear or an inner circumferential surface of the internal gear. The external gear and the internal gear are ring-shaped gears, that is, each can be formed through the punching of a plate, and strength resulting from the engagement of the external teeth and the internal teeth corresponds to strength resulting from the thickness of the material plates forming the external gear and the internal gear. Accordingly, the external teeth and the internal teeth can have a wider tooth width, achieving higher strength than when half-blanking is used.

Abstract: An internal gear includes a thin annular portion and a thick annular portion whose outside diameters are the same and whose inside diameters are different are continuously provided integrally in an axial direction, and an outer peripheral surface of the thin annular portion and the thick annular portion is formed in a substantially L shape in a flush cross section. Therefore, a conventionally substantially convex section formed with the memory internal teeth does not become the weak point in terms of strength. An axial outer end surface of the thick annular portion of the internal gear is formed to be substantially flat, and the coupling cover member is fixed to the thick annular portion to be coupled to a frame of a seat cushion or a seat back.

Abstract: To provide a power seat slide device having improved effects of reducing abnormal sound, a temperature increase, and so on in gear mechanisms and so on. Gear mechanisms each include a case in which a worm and a worm wheel are rotatably supported, the cases are suspended from and supported by upper rails. The worms are connected to and supported by a rotational force transmission shaft of a drive mechanism, and the worm wheels are screwed to and supported by slide screws provided in lower rails. Further, the cases are supported on the lower rails via balls which are rolling members. This structure stabilizes a slide operation of the cases themselves and can further improve the effects of reducing abnormal sound and so on.

Abstract: To reduce energy loss to increase power transmission efficiency, as well as to suppress unusual sound resulting from whirling vibration. A driving force transmission mechanism includes a drive unit that generates a rotation force and consists of a motor, as well as an independent rotating mechanism that is disposed between the drive unit and one of a pair of left and right gear mechanisms so as to be connected to the output shaft of the drive unit and has greater kinetic energy than the rotating parts of the gear mechanisms. Flexible shafts that rotate by smaller kinetic energy than any of the kinetic energy of the drive unit, the kinetic energy of the rotating mechanism, and the friction forces and damping forces of the rotating parts of the gear mechanisms connect between the drive unit and rotating mechanism, between the rotating mechanism and one gear mechanism, and between the drive unit and the other gear mechanism.

Abstract: To provide a power seat slide device having improved effects of reducing abnormal sound, a temperature increase, and so on in gear mechanisms and so on. Gear mechanisms each include a case in which a worm and a worm wheel are rotatably supported, the cases are suspended from and supported by upper rails. The worms are connected to and supported by a rotational force transmission shaft of a drive mechanism, and the worm wheels are screwed to and supported by slide screws provided in lower rails. Further, the cases are supported on the lower rails via balls which are rolling members. This structure stabilizes a slide operation of the cases themselves and can further improve the effects of reducing abnormal sound and so on.

Abstract: A structure in which two worm wheels are disposed across a worm provides an increase in locking reliability while maintaining stable operation during rotation. At the time of rotation, respective rotating fulcrums set at both end portions in an axial direction of a worm are supported by bearing parts. At the time of locking, a locking fulcrum set at an eccentric position on one end portion in the axial direction of the worm is supported by one bearing part, while on the other end portion in the axial direction, the rotating fulcrum is supported by the other bearing part as is. As a result, the angle of lead of the worm supported by the pair of bearing parts is changed between the time of rotation and the time of locking and becomes smaller at the time of locking than at the time of rotation, whereby an increase in locking reliability can be achieved.

Abstract: To reduce energy loss to increase power transmission efficiency, as well as to suppress unusual sound resulting from whirling vibration. A driving force transmission mechanism includes a drive unit that generates a rotation force and consists of a motor, as well as an independent rotating mechanism that is disposed between the drive unit and one of a pair of left and right gear mechanisms so as to be connected to the output shaft of the drive unit and has greater kinetic energy than the rotating parts of the gear mechanisms. Flexible shafts that rotate by smaller kinetic energy than any of the kinetic energy of the drive unit, the kinetic energy of the rotating mechanism, and the friction forces and damping forces of the rotating parts of the gear mechanisms connect between the drive unit and rotating mechanism, between the rotating mechanism and one gear mechanism, and between the drive unit and the other gear mechanism.

Abstract: A structure in which two worm wheels are disposed across a worm provides an increase in locking reliability while maintaining stable operation during rotation. At the time of rotation, respective rotating fulcrums set at both end portions in an axial direction of a worm are supported by bearing parts. At the time of locking, a locking fulcrum set at an eccentric position on one end portion in the axial direction of the worm is supported by one bearing part, while on the other end portion in the axial direction, the rotating fulcrum is supported by the other bearing part as is. As a result, the angle of lead of the worm supported by the pair of bearing parts is changed between the time of rotation and the time of locking and becomes smaller at the time of locking than at the time of rotation, whereby an increase in locking reliability can be achieved.

Abstract: A lower rail or an upper rail has a first wall provided at a position on a first one of opposite sides in a widthwise direction thereof, and a second wall provided at a position on the other, second, side in the widthwise direction and disposed opposed to the first wall. At least one of the first wall and the second wall has an opening. At least one of an outer portion of the holding member in the widthwise direction and an outer portion of the nut member in the widthwise direction is inserted in the opening and disposed opposed to an inner side-surface of the opening facing in a frontward-rearward direction.

Abstract: An automobile seat includes a swinging motion restraint mechanism for restraining a swinging motion of a sub-frame relative to side frames. The swinging motion restraint mechanism includes a swing axis mounted on the sub-frame, a swinging motion restraint member rotatably mounted on one of the side frames and having a first contact portion and a second contact portion, both of which are brought into contact with the swing axis one at a time, and an elastic member for biasing the swinging motion restraint member toward the swing axis.

Abstract: A lower rail or an upper rail has a first wall provided at a position on a first one of opposite sides in a widthwise direction thereof, and a second wall provided at a position on the other, second, side in the widthwise direction and disposed opposed to the first wall. At least one of the first wall and the second wall has an opening. At least one of an outer portion of the holding member in the widthwise direction and an outer portion of the nut member in the widthwise direction is inserted in the opening and disposed opposed to an inner side-surface of the opening facing in a frontward-rearward direction.

Abstract: Disclosed is a seat slide structure, which comprises a nut-holding member including a holding body, and a rib reinforcing the holding body. The holding body has an anchor section adapted to be fixed to one of a lower rail and an upper rail, a front segment disposed in a position frontward of a nut member, a rear segment disposed in a position rearward of the nut member, and a lower segment disposed in a position beneath the nut member to connect the front segment and the rear segment therethrough. The rib is disposed in at least one of two positions on left and right sides of the holding body to extend along an axial direction of a screw rod, and fixed at least to the front segment and the rear segment of the holding body.

Abstract: An automobile seat includes a swinging motion restraint mechanism for restraining a swinging motion of a sub-frame relative to side frames. The swinging motion restraint mechanism includes a swing axis mounted on the sub-frame, a swinging motion restraint member rotatably mounted on one of the side frames and having a first contact portion and a second contact portion, both of which are brought into contact with the swing axis one at a time, and an elastic member for biasing the swinging motion restraint member toward the swing axis.

Abstract: A recliner adjuster for adjusting an inclination of a seat back with respect to a seat cushion includes a cam rotatably mounted between first and second brackets that are respectively fixed to the seat cushion and the seat back, and a lock plate interposed between the first and second brackets so as to move radially outwardly or inwardly with rotation of the cam. The lock plate has an engaging portion having teeth formed on an outer edge thereof, and respective side edges. The lock plate also has first and second shoulder portions formed on respective sides of the engaging portion. The first bracket has first and second guide members that define a guide groove therebetween in which the engaging portion of the lock plate is slidably received. The second bracket has internal teeth that are brought into engagement with the teeth of the engaging portion of the lock plate when the lock plate moves radially outwardly.

Abstract: A recliner adjuster for adjusting an inclination of a seat back with respect to a seat cushion includes a cam rotatably mounted between first and second brackets that are respectively fixed to the seat cushion and the seat back, a pair of lock plates interposed between the first and second brackets so as to move radially outwardly or inwardly with rotation of the cam, and a pair of auxiliary lock plates interposed between the first and second brackets. Each lock plate has an engaging portion having teeth formed on an outer edge thereof, and each auxiliary lock plate has teeth formed on an outer edge thereof and is slidable in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction in which the lock plates slide. When a large load has been applied to the seat back due to, for example, a vehicle collision, the teeth of the lock plates and those of the auxiliary lock plates are brought into engagement with internal teeth of the second bracket.