Seat slide device

A seat slide device comprising:

• a lower track;
• an upper track supported for longitudinal movement on said lower track;
• and
• latching means for permitting selective longitudinal movement of said upper track on said lower track, said latching means including a series of apertures formed on said lower track, a latch plate supported from said upper track and having locking teeth formed thereon, and actuation means for moving said latch plate along a vertical plane between a first position wherein said locking teeth are interdigitated with said apertures and a second position wherein said locking teeth are disengaged from said apertures, each of said teeth having a segmented toothform comprising a tip portion for facilitating initial interdigitated engagement with one edge surface of said aperture, a wider root portion for engaging both lateral edges of said aperture, and an intermediate camming portion for guiding the movement of said latch plate between said tip and root portions of said tooth in response to slight movement of said upper track to said lower track with said latch plate in said first position.

A manually-operable vehicle seat adjustment mechanism comprising:

• a pair of laterally-spaced lower tracks secured to a reinforced portion of the vehicle;
• elongated upper tracks supported for longitudinal movement on said lower tracks;
• and
• a latching arrangement for permitting selective movement of said upper tracks along said lower tracks, said latching arrangement including a series of locking apertures formed on a lock plate fixed to each of said lower tracks, a latch plate supported from each of said upper tracks and having a plurality of locking teeth formed thereon, spring means for biasing said latch plates toward a first position wherein said teeth are interdigitated with said locking apertures for inhibiting longitudinal movement of said upper tracks, a handle coupled to said upper tracks for pivotable movement with respect thereto, and coupling means for coupling said latch plates to said handle for causing rectilinear movement of said latch plates along a vertical plane from said first position toward a second position for disengaging said locking teeth from said locking apertures in response to pivotable movement of said handle in a first direction;
• said locking teeth having a segmented toothform including a first locking portion for permitting initial engagement of said teeth within said apertures, a second locking portion for lockingly retaining said teeth within said apertures, and a camming portion located intermediate to said first and second locking portions for guiding the movement of said teeth on said latch plates from engagement with said first locking portion into engagement with said second locking portion in response to slight longitudinal movement of said upper tracks relative to said lower tracks when said latch plates are in said first position.

A seat slide device comprising:

• a lower track having a base segment and a first pair of inverted generally U-shaped flanges which extend outwardly from said base segment, each of said first pair of flanges defining laterally spaced vertical portions with the inner one of said vertical portions being connected to said base segment and the outer one of said vertical portions having a distal end portion that is angularly directed inwardly toward said inner vertical portion;
• an upper track supported for longitudinal movement on said lower track and having a planar segment and a second pair of generally U-shaped flanges which extend inwardly from said planar segment, each of said second pair of flanges defining laterally spaced vertical segments with the outer one of said vertical segments being connected to said planar segment and the inner one of said vertical segments having a distal end portion that is angularly directed outwardly toward said outer vertical segment;
• said first and second pairs of flanges being interfitted relative to each other for interlocking said upper track to said lower track;
• and
• slide means disposed between said interlocked tracks for supporting said upper track for sliding movement on said lower track while transferring loads exerted on said upper track to said lower track.

A seat slide device comprising:

• a lower track having a base segment and a first pair of inverted generally U-shaped flanges which extend outwardly from said base segment, each of said first pair of flanges defining laterally spaced vertical portions with the inner one of said vertical portions being connected to said base segment and the outer one of said vertical portions having a distal end portion that is angularly directed inwardly toward said inner vertical portion;
• an upper track supported for longitudinal movement on said lower track and having a planar segment and a second pair of generally U-shaped flanges which extend inwardly of said planar segment, each of said second pair of flanges defining laterally spaced vertical segments and a generally horizontal lower segment;
• said first and second pairs of flanges being interfitted relative to each other for interengaging said upper track to said lower track;
• and
• slide means disposed between said interengaged tracks for supporting said upper track for sliding movement on said lower track while transferring loads exerted on said upper track to said lower track, said slide means including first roller means disposed within slide channels formed by said second flanges and in rolling engagement with said angulated distal end portions of said first pair of flanges and arcuate surfaces interconnecting said horizontal lower segments with said outer vertical segments of said second pair of flanges.