Abstract: A vehicle seat frame is provided, wherein the back center frame of the seat back frame is of hollow, quadrangular prism shape. The connecting member includes a cylindrical outer cylinder portion, a ceiling portion projecting inwardly from one axial end of the outer cylinder portion and a flange portion projecting outwardly from the other axial end of the outer cylinder portion. The ceiling portion of the connecting member is fixed to an inner surface of one of the side plate portions of the back center frame and a surface of the outer cylinder portion side of the flange portion is fixed to an outer surface of the other of the side plate portions of the back center frame, and the other surface opposite to the surface of the outer cylinder portion side of the flange portion is connected to the bracket through the recliner.

Abstract: A seat slide apparatus for a vehicle includes a lower rail, formed into a longitudinal shape and adapted to be fixed to a vehicle floor, an upper rail adapted to be fixed to a seat frame, and assembled to the lower rail to be relatively movable in a longitudinal direction of the lower rail, and a detachment prevention mechanism including an elongated hole, which is formed at the bottom wall portion to open therethrough and which extends in the longitudinal direction, and a load receiving member whose upper end portion is fixed to the upper wall portion and whose lower end portion is inserted downwardly through the elongated hole so as to be movable in an extending direction of the elongated hole, and is engageable with the bottom wall portion in the vicinity of the elongated hole to restrict a movement of the upper rail in an upper direction.

Abstract: A seat apparatus for a vehicle includes a longitudinal sliding mechanism including a first lower rail adapted to be fixed to a vehicle floor and extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and a first upper rail slidably supported to the first lower rail, a width-directional sliding mechanism including a second lower rail mounted on the first upper rail and extending in a width direction of the vehicle and a second upper rail slidably supported to the second lower rail and adapted to be fixed to a seat frame member, and an attachment bracket extending in parallel to the second lower rail and including an upper wall portion and first and second engagement portions extending downwardly from the upper wall portion, facing each other in the longitudinal direction, and supported by the first upper rail, wherein the second lower rail is fixed between the first and second engagement portions.

Abstract: In a vehicle set slide device, a lower rail has a base portion extending in face-to-face relation with a vehicle floor, two first inside portions extending in close contact upward from a center part of the base portion, and lower hook portions extending outward from upper ends of both of the first inside portions each to take an inverted U-letter shape. An upper rail has vertical wall portions extending downward from both ends of a horizontal wall portion. Further, the upper rail is provided therein with a hook member which has joining portions joined with both of the vertical wall portions and extending downward and upper hook portions extending inward from lower ends of the joining portions each to take a U-letter shape. When a separation load against the lower rail is exerted on the upper rail, the lower hook portions and the upper hook portions are brought into engagements.

Abstract: A seat frame includes a projecting portion formed on a surface of a recliner to face a reinforcement plate, the projecting portion having a cross sectional shape with a recessed portion and a protruded portion in a rotational direction of the recliner, the reinforcement plate including a first through-hole for fitting the projecting portion, the upward-downward direction frame including a second through-hole larger than the first through-hole which extends within the second through-hole when the upward-downward direction frame and the reinforcement plate are overlaid, and a three-member welding portion formed by a periphery of the projecting portion, a periphery of the first through-hole, and a periphery of the second through-hole wherein the recliner, the reinforcement plate, and the upward-downward direction frame are welded with the projecting portion of the recliner fitting to the first through-hole of the reinforcement plate while the reinforcement plate and the upward-downward direction frame are overla

Abstract: A vehicle seat slide device is provided, wherein a manipulation handle has a grip portion, acting end portions for operating lock/unlock mechanisms, shaft support portions which are between the acting end portions and the grip portion and which are formed to a flat shape to become parallel to vertical walls, and pivot support shafts protruding from the shaft support portions in a direction of the pivot center of the manipulation handle. The vertical walls have opened holding holes which open at front parts and into which the pivot support shafts are inserted from opened portions to be supported at inner parts, and holding members holding the pivot support shafts in the opened holding holds.

Abstract: A seat back frame for a vehicle for supporting a seat back, includes a first back frame, at which a shoulder belt anchor for supporting one end portion of a seat belt is provided, a second back frame arranged substantially in parallel with the first back frame, and a cross member connecting the first back frame and the second back frame, wherein a protruding portion or a recessed portion is formed at the cross member so as to extend in a longitudinal direction thereof, a first recessed surface portion or a first protruding surface portion is formed at the first back frame and a second recessed surface portion or a second protruding surface portion is formed at the second back frame so that the first back frame and the second back frame are fittedly connected to the protruding portion or the recessed portion of the cross member.

Abstract: A vehicle slide device is provided, which can adjustably move the second rail along the first rail without play therebetween in a front-rearward direction with a long adjustment stroke. In the vehicle slide device according to the invention, since a plurality of rolling elements annularly arranged in the attaching portion formed at the second rail are always in contact with the operating surface of the attaching portion and the operating surface of the first rail when the second rail moves relative to the first rail in a front-rearward directions, the play of the second rail relative to the first rail in up-down and right-left directions can be eliminated. Further, since the plurality of rolling elements roll and circulate at the attaching portion, the second rail can smoothly move in a front-rearward direction along the first rail.

Abstract: A vehicle seat reclining apparatus is provided which is simple in construction and which is capable of pressing pawls by a cam at places close to meshing portions. To that end, a plurality of pawls 31 having outer gears 44, 47 which are disengageably engaged with an inner gear 23 provided on an internal surface of an upper arm 12 are constituted by a first pawl 31A having an inner cam portion 45 which is engaged with a cam surface 55 provided on an outer circumference of a cam 32, a pawl grooved cam portion 46 which is engaged with an engaging protrusion 57 provided on a side surface of the cam, and an engaging portion 43 which is brought into engagement with a protruding portion 25 provided on the internal surface of the upper arm when the upper arm is pivotally moved a predetermined angle relative to a lower arm 11 and second pawls 31B having engaging protrusions 49 engaged with release plate grooved cam portions 59 provided in a release plate 33.

Abstract: In a seat reclining device, which eliminates a gap between a plurality of pawls and a guide wall, a wedge member is provided between at least one of the plurality of pawls and the guide wall, and a cam includes a wedge pressing cam portion for relatively rotating an upper arm relative to a lower arm by pressing the wedge member outwardly in a radial direction. The wedge member is for example made by a spherical or wedge shaped plate like member.

Abstract: In a seat reclining device, a spiral spring includes an inner end portion engaged with the cam, an outer end portion engaged with the lower arm, and a wound portion formed by winding and provided between the inner end portion and the outer end portion. The outer end portion of the spiral spring includes a straight line portion extending consecutively from the wound portion and an accommodating portion includes a guide recessed portion accommodating the straight line portion therein and being in contact with the inner peripheral side surface of the straight line portion and being in contact with the outer peripheral side surface of the straight line portion at a further outer end than the contact point with the inner peripheral side surface.

Abstract: A vehicle seat slide device is provided, wherein a manipulation handle has a grip portion, acting end portions for operating lock/unlock mechanisms, shaft support portions which are between the acting end portions and the grip portion and which are formed to a flat shape to become parallel to vertical walls, and pivot support shafts protruding from the shaft support portions in a direction of the pivot center of the manipulation handle. The vertical walls have opened holding holes which open at front parts and into which the pivot support shafts are inserted from opened portions to be supported at inner parts, and holding members holding the pivot support shafts in the opened holding holds.

Abstract: A vehicle slide device is provided, which can adjustably move the second rail along the first rail without play therebetween in a front-rearward direction with a long adjustment stroke. In the vehicle slide device according to the invention, since a plurality of rolling elements annularly arranged in the attaching portion formed at the second rail are always in contact with the operating surface of the attaching portion and the operating surface of the first rail when the second rail moves relative to the first rail in a front-rearward directions, the play of the second rail relative to the first rail in up-down and right-left directions can be eliminated. Further, since the plurality of rolling elements roll and circulate at the attaching portion, the second rail can smoothly move in a front-rearward direction along the first rail.

Abstract: There is provided a method for testing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator, wherein the displacement of a piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator is estimated on the basis of the relations between one or more frequency characteristic values selected from the group consisting of the heights and areas of the peaks of the resonance waveforms and the difference of the maximum and minimum of the first order or first to higher orders of the resonance frequency characteristic values of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator and the k-th order (k=1 to 4) of the first or first to higher orders of resonance frequencies. According to this piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator testing method, a piezoelectric/electrostrictive actuator can be tested with high precision without actually driving the same as a product and without being accompanied by any disassembly/breakage.

Abstract: In a vehicle seat reclining apparatus, a plurality of pawls having outer gears which are disengageably engaged with an inner gear provided on an internal surface of an upper arm are constituted by a first pawl and second pawls. The first pawl has an inner cam portion which is engaged with a cam surface provided on an outer circumference of a cam, a pawl grooved cam portion which is engaged with an engaging protrusion provided on a side surface of the cam, and an engaging portion which is brought into engagement with a protruding portion provided on the internal surface of the upper arm when the upper arm is pivotally moved a predetermined angle relative to a lower arm. The second pawls have engaging protrusions engaged with release plate grooved cam portions provided in a release plate.

Abstract: In a seat reclining device, which eliminates a gap between a plurality of pawls and a guide wall, a wedge member is provided between at least one of the plurality of pawls and the guide wall, and a cam includes a wedge pressing cam portion for relatively rotating an upper arm relative to a lower arm by pressing the wedge member outwardly in a radial direction. The wedge member is for example made by a spherical or wedge shaped plate like member.

Abstract: In a seat reclining device, a spiral spring includes an inner end portion engaged with the cam, an outer end portion engaged with the lower arm, and a wound portion formed by winding and provided between the inner end portion and the outer end portion. The outer end portion of the spiral spring includes a straight line portion extending consecutively from the wound portion and an accommodating portion includes a guide recessed portion accommodating the straight line portion therein and being in contact with the inner peripheral side surface of the straight line portion and being in contact with the outer peripheral side surface of the straight line portion at a further outer end than the contact point with the inner peripheral side surface.

Abstract: In a vehicle set slide device, a lower rail has a base portion extending in face-to-face relation with a vehicle floor, two first inside portions extending in close contact upward from a center part of the base portion, and lower hook portions extending outward from upper ends of both of the first inside portions each to take an inverted U-letter shape. An upper rail has vertical wall portions extending downward from both ends of a horizontal wall portion. Further, the upper rail is provided therein with a hook member which has joining portions joined with both of the vertical wall portions and extending downward and upper hook portions extending inward from lower ends of the joining portions each to take a U-letter shape. When a separation load against the lower rail is exerted on the upper rail, the lower hook portions and the upper hook portions are brought into engagements.

Abstract: A seat apparatus for a vehicle includes a first seat, a second seat, and a seatbelt mechanism provided at the second seat. A first frame member for supporting the second seat and a first seat slide mechanism for slidably moving the second seat are arranged to be vertically coplanar with the shoulder belt guide member and the belt anchor of the seatbelt mechanism. A first lock member is provided at a second frame member disposed adjacently to the first seat for supporting the second seat. A second lock member is provided at a supporting member for supporting the first seat. The first and second lock members allow a movement of the second frame member in a forward and backward direction of the vehicle and engage with each other for locking the second frame member relative to the vehicle floor when an excess load is received from the seatbelt mechanism.

Abstract: A vehicle seat device includes a seat cushion frame and a seatback frame including a lower-side frame supported at a lower end portion thereof to be tiltable relative to a rear end portion of the seat cushion frame, an upper-side frame arranged at an upper portion of the lower-side frame, and a center bending mechanism coupling the lower-side frame and the upper-side frame to be bendable forward, wherein the center bending mechanism bends the upper-side frame about a rotational center that is ahead of a seatback outer layer covering a front surface of the seatback frame. The movement of the upper-side frame when tilted comes close to the movement of the passenger who bends forward. The slip between the seatback outer layer and the back of the passenger can be minimized, and thus, it becomes possible to lessen an uncomfortable feeling of a passenger.