Abstract:
A rail for a vehicle seat, comprising first and second profiles ( 8, 9 ) that slide relative to one another, a lock ( 19 ) movably mounted inside the first profile, a spring blade ( 29 ) fixed to the first profile and comprising a control portion ( 31 ) designed to act on the lock so as to unlock it.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to rails for vehicle seats and to vehicle seats comprising such rails. 
         [0002]    More particularly, the invention relates to a rail for a vehicle seat, comprising:
       first and second profile sections mounted so as to slide relative to one another in a longitudinal direction and defining a hollow inside space between them,   a lock predominantly arranged within said inside space and movable between a locked position where said lock immobilizes the first and second profile sections relative to one another, and an unlocked position where said lock allows the first and second profile sections to slide relative to one another,   a spring blade attached to the first profile section within said inside space and controlling the lock, this spring blade normally being in a rest position where said spring blade leaves the lock in the locked position, and   a control member connected to the spring blade and actuated by a user to elastically deform the spring blade to an unlocking position where said spring blade places the lock in the unlocked position.       
 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    Document FR2969967 discloses an example of such a rail, where the lock is integral to the free end of the spring blade and moves vertically with this free end upon actuation of the control member. 
         [0008]    Rails of this type are of particularly simple and robust construction; they are also particularly compact, as the spring blade and lock are located within the inside space of the rail. However, they have the disadvantage of imposing a particular type of lock with specific unlocking kinematics. 
       OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention is intended to further improve rails of this type, in particular to make them more readily adaptable to various types of locks which may have locking/unlocking kinematics other than a vertical movement identical to that of the spring blade. 
         [0010]    To this end, according to the invention, a rail of the kind in question is characterized in that the lock is mounted on the first profile section independently of the spring blade and is resiliently biased toward the locked position, and said spring blade comprises a control portion adapted to act on the lock in order to move it toward the unlocked position when the control member is actuated. 
         [0011]    These arrangements maintain the compactness and the simple and robust character of the rail that are provided by the control system with its elastic blade mounted within the inside space of the rail, while allowing considerable freedom in the choice of lock and locking/unlocking kinematics. In addition, it is possible to reuse a large number of standard components of the rails of the aforementioned type, which tends to further reduce the cost of the rail. 
         [0012]    In various embodiments of the rail according to the invention, one or more of the following arrangements may possibly be used:
       the control portion of the spring blade is adapted to act by simply pressing a cam portion that is part of the lock, the lock being moved to the unlocked position by the effect of the cam;   the control member comprises a lever connected to the spring blade and extending into the inside space of the rail;   the second profile section comprises a web and two side flanges, at least one of the side flanges of the second profile section comprising indentations suitable for receiving the lock in the locking position, and the lock is mounted on the first profile section so as to move in a transverse direction to allow selectively engaging and disengaging said lock relative to said indentations;   the first profile section comprises a web and two side flanges arranged between the side flanges of the second profile section, and the lock passes through at least one window formed in one of the side flanges of the first profile section;   the lock is connected to the first profile section by at least one elastic portion resiliently biasing the lock toward the locked position;   said elastic portion is part of the lock and is attached to the first profile section;   each of the first and second profile sections comprises a web and two side flanges, at least one of the side flanges of the second profile section comprising indentations suitable for receiving the lock in the locking position, the lock being a metal part which comprises:
           a locking portion substantially parallel to the web of the second profile section and adapted to selectively engage with and disengage from said indentations,   a cam portion with which the control portion of the spring blade is adapted to act by simply pressing to move the lock to the unlocked position by the effect of the cam, this cam portion extending the locking portion towards the web of the first profile section,   said elastic portion extending the cam portion toward the web of the first profile section;   
           said elastic portion of the lock comprises first and second blades connected by a fold, the first blade extending the cam portion outwardly through a window arranged in the web of the first profile section and the second blade extending from the fold toward the inside space of the rail through said window, to an attachment portion fixed beneath the web of the first profile section;   the lock is pivotally mounted on the first profile section;   the first profile section comprises a web and two side flanges, and the lock pivots on a pivot pin carried by a support fixed beneath the web of the first profile section;   the lock is integral to a spring blade which presses against the inside of one of the side flanges of the first profile section in order to resiliently bias the lock toward the locked position.       
 
         [0027]    The invention also relates to a vehicle seat comprising at least one rail as defined above and a seating portion attached to the first profile section of said rail. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0028]    Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of two of its embodiments, given by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
           [0029]    In the drawings: 
           [0030]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a seat which can be equipped with a set of rails according to the invention, 
           [0031]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of one of the rails supporting a seating portion of  FIG. 1 , in a first embodiment of the invention, 
           [0032]      FIG. 3  is an end view of the rail of  FIG. 2 , in the locked position, 
           [0033]      FIG. 3A  is a cross-sectional detail view of A of  FIG. 3 , 
           [0034]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view in a longitudinal cross-section of a portion of the rail of  FIG. 2 , 
           [0035]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a control device for the rail of  FIG. 2 , 
           [0036]      FIG. 6  is an end view of the rail of  FIG. 2 , in the unlocked position, 
           [0037]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of one of the rails supporting a seating portion of  FIG. 1 , in a second embodiment of the invention, 
           [0038]      FIG. 8  is an end view of the rail of  FIG. 7 , in the locked position, 
           [0039]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a longitudinal cross-section of a portion of the rail of  FIG. 7 , 
           [0040]      FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view of the rail of  FIG. 7 , in the locked position, and 
           [0041]      FIG. 11  is an end view of the rail of  FIG. 7 , in the unlocked position. 
       
    
    
       [0042]    In the various figures, the same references designate identical or similar elements. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0043]      FIG. 1  represents a motor vehicle seat  1  which comprises a backrest  2  mounted on a seating portion  3 . The seating portion  3  is attached to the floor  4  of the vehicle by means of a set of rails  5  which allows the seat  1  to slide over the floor  4  in a longitudinal direction X. 
         [0044]    The set of rails  5  comprises two parallel rails  6  extending in the longitudinal direction X, one of which is visible in  FIG. 2 , and an actuating member  7  common to both rails  6 , for example in the form of a generally U-shaped crossbar. 
         [0045]    Each rail  6  comprises a first metal profile section  8  which supports the seating portion  3  and is mounted to slide in the longitudinal direction X on a second metal profile section  9  attached to the floor  4 . The first and second profile sections  8 ,  9  are, for example, nested one within the other to define a hollow inside space  10 , the first profile section  8  being for example a male profile section and the second profile section  9  being for example a female profile section. 
         [0046]    As represented in  FIGS. 3, 3A, 4, and 5 , and as an example, the first profile section  8  can have a substantially U-shaped cross-section comprising an upper horizontal web  12  attached to the seating portion  3  of the seat  1 , and two side flanges  13 ,  14  which each extend substantially vertically downward from the seating portion  3 . The second profile section  9  can also have a U-shaped cross-section, with a lower horizontal web  15  attached to the floor  4  of the vehicle and extending parallel to the upper web  12  of the first profile section  8 , and two side flanges  16 ,  17  which each extend substantially vertically upward from the lower web  15 . 
         [0047]    In the example shown, the side flange  16  of the second profile section  9  forms a concave trough having a substantially vertical hanging terminal wall  18 , provided with indentations  18   a  regularly arranged along the longitudinal direction X with a constant spacing between them. These indentations  18   a  are suitable for receiving teeth  21  of a lock  19  when the latter is in the locked position and immobilizes the first profile section  8 . The lock  19  is carried by the first profile section  8  and is arranged substantially within said inside space  10  of the rail  6 . The teeth  21  of the lock  19  advantageously pass through windows  13   a  formed in the side flange  13  of the first profile section  8  ( FIG. 3A ). 
         [0048]    The lock  19  is movably mounted relative to the first profile section  8 , so that a locking portion  20  (comprising the teeth  21 ) moves in a transverse direction, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X, between said locked position and an unlocked position where said lock  19  allows the first profile section  8  of the rail  6  to slide in the longitudinal direction X. 
         [0049]    The lock  19  is connected to the first profile section  8  by at least one elastic portion  24 , which in this case is part of the lock  19  itself, this elastic portion  24  resiliently biasing the lock  19  toward the locked position. 
         [0050]    As represented in  FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 , the lock  19  may be a single metal piece made, for example, of spring steel and comprising:
       said locking portion  20 , which in the locked position is substantially parallel to the lower web  15  of the second profile section  9  and is adapted to selectively engage with and disengage from said indentations  18   a  through said windows  13   a,      a cam portion  22 , which in this case comprises a boss  22   a  bulging toward flange  13 , this cam portion  22  extending the locking portion  20  toward the upper web  12  of the first profile section  8 , obliquely upwards and toward side flange  14 , this cam portion  22  possibly having in its upper portion a return  23  extending toward side flange  13 ,   said elastic portion  24 , extending the return  23  of the cam portion  22  toward the upper web  12  of the first profile section  8  and through a window  8   a  arranged in this upper web  12 .       
 
         [0054]    This elastic portion  23  of the lock  19  may comprise, for example, first and second blades  25 ,  27  connected by a fold  26 , the first blade  25  extending the return  23  of the cam portion  22  outward through said window  8   a  arranged in the upper web  12  of the first profile section  8 , and the second blade  27  extending from the fold  26  toward the inside space  10  of the rail  6  through said window  8   a  to an attachment portion  28 , which may be for example a plate attached by welding or other means beneath the upper web  12  of the first profile section  8 . 
         [0055]    The rail  6  further comprises a spring blade  29  attached to the first profile section  8  within said inside space  10  and controlling the lock  19 , this spring blade  29  normally being in a rest position where said spring blade  29  leaves the lock in the locked position. 
         [0056]    More specifically, said spring blade  29  is attached beneath the upper web  12  of the first profile section  8  and secured (in known manner) to one of the arms of the crossbar  7 , thereby forming a control lever, and said spring blade  29  has a free end  30  forming a control section  31 , in this case a curved edge facing the boss  22   a  of the cam portion  22  of the lock  19 , the curved edge in question having a rounded side facing the boss  22   a  of the cam portion  22 . 
         [0057]    The control portion  31  is adapted to press against the boss  22   a  of the cam portion  22  of the lock  19  when a user actuates the crossbar  7  by lifting its central portion at the front of the seat  1 , the effect of the cam moving the lock  19  to its unlocked position ( FIG. 6 ). 
         [0058]    The rail  6  of  FIGS. 7 to 11 , in the second embodiment of the invention, is similar to the rail  6  described above and therefore only the differences from the first embodiment will be described below. 
         [0059]    In this second embodiment, the shape of the first and second profile sections is different from the first embodiment, with the right and left sides of these profile sections being symmetrical here, although this difference is not essential. 
         [0060]    As before, the side flange  13  of the first profile section comprises windows  13   a  which the teeth  21  of the locking portion  20  of the lock  19  pass through, and the teeth  21  can selectively penetrate the indentations  18   a  of the hanging terminal wall  18  of the side flange  16  of the second profile section, as represented in  FIGS. 8 to 10 . 
         [0061]    The lock  19  here has a different form than the lock previously described, because its locking portion does not include an elastic portion  24  and is mounted beneath the upper web  12  of the first profile section by a pivotal connection. 
         [0062]    In the example represented, the locking portion  20  of the lock  19  is extended as before by a cam portion  22  (without the boss  22   a  in the example shown) which extends, as in the first embodiment, obliquely upwards and toward side flange  14  when the lock  19  is in the locked position. This cam portion  22  is extended upward by a support portion  32  having trunnions  33  mounted to pivot on a pivot  34  carried by a metal support  35  secured by welding or other means beneath the upper web  12  of the first profile section. 
         [0063]    In addition, the lock  19  is integral to a spring blade  36  or other resilient member which here is attached to the cam portion  22  of the lock and presses against the inside of the side flange  14  of the first profile section  8  to resiliently urge the lock  19  toward the locked position. 
         [0064]    As above, the control portion  31  of the spring blade acts on the cam portion  22  of the lock when the crossbar  7  is actuated by a user, here in order to pivot the lock  19  to the unlocked position by the effect of the cam ( FIG. 11 ) so as to disengage the teeth  21  of the lock from the indentations  18   a  of the second profile section  9 .