Patent ID: 8864231
Filing Date: 2014-10-21
Classification: B60N,F16C,F16H,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A worm drive for use in a seat sliding mechanism for an automobile power seat, comprising: a worm and a worm wheel meshing with each other, said worm having a rotary shaft; and a bearing assembly comprising thrust bearings and radial bearings supporting each of two ends of said rotary shaft of said worm, wherein said thrust bearings are thrust slide bearings which are made entirely of a resin and which are formed in a washer shape by punching a sheet material, the sheet material being formed by extruding a resin containing 100% of an aromatic polyetherether-ketone resin, and in which each of said washer-shaped resin thrust slide bearings has a shaft hole through which the rotary shaft of the worm penetrates, wherein each of said radial bearings is supported by a stationary member so as to be rotatable relative to the stationary member, and wherein said radial bearings are sintered oil-containing radial slide bearings, wherein said worm wheel has a shaft hole formed in said worm wheel, a thread groove formed on an inner periphery of said shaft hole, and a screw shaft which is in threaded engagement with said thread groove and which is supported by slide rails of the automobile seat, said worm being connected to an electric motor, whereby torque of the electric motor is transmitted to said screw shaft through said worm and said worm wheel, thereby converting the rotation of said screw shaft relative to said worm wheel to linear motion of said screw shaft so as to adjust a position of the automobile seat.