Seat slide apparatus

Abstract

A seat slide apparatus for a vehicle includes: a lower rail; an upper rail; a lock arm including lock claws; a memory rail including engagement grooves; a memory base including an engagement member; a lock release lever; and a connection separation lever. The lock claws are arranged to be engaged or disengaged with the lock holes at a position other than a position at which the engagement portion is engaged with the one of the engagement grooves. The upper rail includes a pushing portion arranged to push the engagement member when the upper rail is moved in the forward direction of the vehicle at the release state between the upper rail and the memory base, and to move the memory base at the position at which the engagement portion is engaged with the one of the engagement grooves.

1 . A seat slide apparatus for a vehicle comprising:
 a lower rail fixed on a lower surface of a vehicle body, the lower rail including lock holes formed at a predetermined pitch;   an upper rail slidably mounted to the lower rail, and connected with a seat;   a lock arm pivotally provided to the upper rail;   a plurality of lock claws formed in the lock arm, and arranged to be engaged with the lock holes of the lower rail;   an arm urging member arranged to urge the lock arm in a lock direction in which the lock claws are engaged with the lock holes;   a lock release pushed portion formed in the lock arm, and arranged to pivot the lock arm against the urging force of the arm urging member in a lock release direction in which the lock claws are disengaged with the lock holes;   a memory rail connected with an upper surface within the lower rail, the memory rail including engagement grooves formed at a pitch identical to the pitch of the lock holes;   a memory base arranged to move along the memory rail, the memory base including:
 an engagement member pivotally provided to the memory base, the engagement member including an engagement portion arranged to be engaged and disengaged with one of the engagement grooves, and an engagement member urging member arranged to urge the engagement member in a direction in which the engagement portion is engaged with one of engagement grooves; 
   a lock release lever connected with a walk-in cable arranged to be pulled in synchronism with a forward tilting motion of a seat back, and arranged to push the lock release pushed member when the walk-in cable is pulled, and to pivot the lock arm in the lock release direction; and   a connection separation lever arranged to connect the memory base to the upper rail to integrally move the memory base and the upper rail in the forward and rearward directions of the vehicle, to release the connection between the upper rail and the memory base and to release a pushing to the engagement member so that the engagement portion is engaged with one of the engagement grooves when the lock release lever pivots the lock arm in the lock release direction;   the lock claws being arranged to be engaged or disengaged with the lock holes at a position other than a position at which the engagement portion is engaged or disengaged with one of the engagement grooves,   the upper rail including a pushing portion arranged to push the engagement member in the forward direction of the vehicle when the upper rail is moved in the forward direction of the vehicle at the release state between the upper rail and the memory base, and to move the memory base to a position at which the engagement portion is engaged with one of the engagement grooves.   
   
   
       2 . The seat slide apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the connection separation lever is pivotally supported by the upper rail, the connection separation lever includes a downward push portion located at a lower end of the connection separation lever, and a base abutment portion located on a forward side of the downward push portion; the lock release lever is pivotally supported by the upper rail, and the lock release lever includes a pushing portion located at a lower end of the lock release lever, and arranged to the lock release pushed portion of the lock arm. 
   
   
       3 . The seat slide apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the connection separation lever is arranged to pivot between a connection position at which the downward push portion of the connection separation lever pushes an end portion of the engagement member in a downward direction against the pushing force of the engagement member urging member and the connection separation lever is connected with the memory base to integrally move with the memory base, and a separation position at which the downward push portion is separated from the end portion of the engagement member and the connection separation lever is separated from the memory base so that the upper rail is moved in the forward direction of the vehicle; and the lock release lever is arranged to pivot between a lock position at which the lock release pushed portion of the lock arm is not pushed, and a lock release position at which the lock release pushed portion is pushed by pulling the walk-in cable. 
   
   
       4 . The seat slide apparatus as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the seat slide apparatus further comprises a first lever urging section arranged to urge the connection separation lever to the separation position, and a second lever urging section arranged to urge the lock release lever to the lock position. 
   
   
       5 . The seat slide apparatus as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the lock release lever is arranged to be pivoted to the lock position when the connection separation lever is positioned in the connection position; and the lock release lever is held in the lock release position when the connection separation lever is positioned in the separation position. 
   
   
       6 . The seat slide apparatus as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the seat slide apparatus further comprises a lever urging member serving as the first lever urging section and the second lever urging section. 
   
   
       7 . The seat slide apparatus as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the connection separation lever includes a spring hanging portion; the lock release lever includes a spring hanging portion; and the lever urging member connects the spring hanging portion of the connection separation lever and the spring hanging portion of the lock release lever.