Sliding device

A sliding device operable to be used with a seat body of a vehicle seat, the sliding device comprising:

• a fixed rail fixable to a vehicle;
• a movable rail slidably attached to the fixed rail, the movable rail comprising:
• a strip-shaped top panel portion adopted for attachment of the seat body;
• and
• strip-shaped side panel portions respectively provided on a first end of the top panel portion and a second end of the top panel portion in a width direction of the top panel portion and facing each other;
• a locking member displaceable between a locking position and an unlocking position, a sliding movement of the movable rail being restricted in the locking position, and restriction of the sliding movement being released in the unlocking position;
• a retention spring configured to apply to the locking member a retaining force to retain the locking member in the locking position;
• a release lever configured to displace the locking member to the unlocking position, the release lever extending toward the locking member substantially along a longitudinal direction of the movable rail, and the release lever being configured to pivotally displace between a release position and an initial position, the release position being a position in which the release lever is in contact with the locking member for pressing the locking member downward to displace the locking member to the unlocking position, and the initial position being a position in which the release lever is spaced apart from the locking member;
• a return spring portion configured to retain the release lever in the initial position and apply to the release lever an elastic force to return the release lever located in the release position to the initial position;
• and
• a restrictor configured to restrict a displacement of the release lever in excess of a predefined length toward the locking member in a load direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the movable rail, the restrictor being formed by a protrusion that protrudes from an outer edge of a through hole provided on the top panel portion toward the locking member, wherein
• a rear end of the release lever is positioned overlappingly below the through hole when the release lever is located in the initial position,
• the release lever faces the restrictor substantially in the load direction when the release lever is located in the initial position,
• the locking member has a plate shape, an upper plate surface, and a lower plate surface, and
• the retention spring is configured to apply an upward elastic force to the lower plate surface of the locking member.