This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7 119 with respect to Japanese Application No. 2002-285353 filed on Sep. 30, 2002, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
This invention generally relates to a walk-in apparatus for a vehicle seat. More particularly, the present invention pertains to the walk-in apparatus for the vehicle seat, which provides a forward slide movement of the vehicle seat relative to a vehicle floor in conjunction with a forward reclining movement of a seat back of the vehicle seat relative to a seat cushion.
A known walk-in apparatus is disclosed, for example, in a U.S. Pat. No. 6,341,819 as a seat slide device for a vehicle.
The walk-in apparatus assembled to a slide rail mechanism, which slidably supports a vehicle seat in longitudinal direction relative to a vehicle floor, is adapted to release a lock plate by a released lever which rotates in conjunction with a pivotal movement of the seat back when the seat back of the vehicle seat is reclined as well as to release by a slide rail mechanism including an operation handle for unlocking the lock plate by hand. Such lock plate is applied biasing force for locking the slide movements of the slide rail mechanism.
Thus, such walk-in apparatus includes the reclining plate as a component of the reclining arm mechanism for rotating the seat back by a pivotal movement in forward direction of the vehicle, and the reclining plate are connected to release lever as a component of the slide rail mechanism through a rod.
However, the known walk-in apparatus has the slide rail mechanism which is adapted to release the locking of the slide movement by way of both operating the operation handle and forwardly reclining the seat back. In this apparatus, if the seat back is reclined for operating the walk-in apparatus without knowing that the operating handle happens to be locked because of unexpected reasons, a member for locking the slide rail mechanism may be transformed or even broken due to input of the unreasonable load, as a result, the locking operation of the slide rail mechanism malfunctions.
Thus, the walk-in apparatus needs to be comprised in consideration of ensuring the locking operation of the slide rail mechanism even if the unreasonable load is applied to the member for locking the slide rail mechanism when the operating handle of the slide rail mechanism is locked.
The invention involves a walk-in apparatus of a vehicle seat which comprises an upper rail assembled to the vehicle seat, a lower rail engaged slidably with the upper rail and assembled to a vehicle floor; a lock plate locking a slide movement of the upper rail on the lower rail, a release lever which is adapted to engage with the lock plate for releasing the locking of the slide movement of the upper rail on the lower rail by the lock plate and a reclining plate which rotates in conjunction with a seat back when the seat back is rotated equal to or more than a predetermined angle in forward direction characterized in that the walk-in apparatus of the vehicle including a connecting member for connecting the release lever and the reclining plate is adapted to disengage the release lever from the reclining plate when a load is applied to the connecting member equal to or more than a predetermined value.