Conveyance Seat Buffer Member for Shaft Alignment

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing conveyance seat technologies face issues with motor assembly offset due to variations in lower and upper rails, leading to potential inclining of the shaft, which affects the sliding mechanism's stability and accuracy.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a buffer member between the upper rail and the bracket allows for height position adjustment of the drive source, absorbing rail variations and preventing shaft incline through deformation, thereby maintaining the shaft's horizontal position.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the motor is assembled to the upper rail via a bracket without a buffer member, then the structure is simple, but the shaft height position becomes offset due to rail variations, causing the shaft to incline

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructure simplicityVSAvoidshaft height position accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

A buffer member is introduced as an intermediary component between the bracket and the upper rail. This buffer member absorbs height position variations of the upper rail, preventing direct transmission of offset to the motor shaft, thereby maintaining shaft horizontal alignment while keeping the overall structure relatively simple

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of manufacture

If the motor is assembled to the upper rail via a bracket without a buffer member, then the assembly is straightforward, but the shaft inclines due to rail variations, affecting sliding stability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly straightforwardnessVSAvoidsliding stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The buffer member serves as a mediator that isolates the motor shaft from upper rail variations. By absorbing height position fluctuations, it ensures stable shaft alignment and reliable sliding operation without significantly complicating the assembly process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Manufacturing precision

If a buffer member is added between the upper rail and the bracket, then the shaft height position accuracy is maintained despite rail variations, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshaft height position accuracyVSAvoidstructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A buffer member is introduced as an intermediary component between the bracket and the upper rail. This buffer member absorbs height position variations of the upper rail, preventing direct transmission of offset to the motor shaft, thereby maintaining shaft horizontal alignment while keeping the overall structure relatively simple

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Reliability

If a buffer member is added between the upper rail and the bracket, then the sliding stability is improved by absorbing rail variations, but the ease of manufacture decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesliding stabilityVSAvoidassembly complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The buffer member serves as a mediator that isolates the motor shaft from upper rail variations. By absorbing height position fluctuations, it ensures stable shaft alignment and reliable sliding operation without significantly complicating the assembly process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution ensures stable and accurate sliding of the upper rail with respect to the lower rail, even with rail variations, by absorbing errors and maintaining the shaft's horizontal alignment, enhancing the conveyance seat's operational reliability.

Implementation Method 1

the height position of the drive source with respect to the upper rail is able to be adjusted by deformation of the buffer member. Therefore, even if there is variation in the lower rail or the upper rail clue to an offset or error in the vehicle body, the buffer member absorbs this variation, thereby enabling an offset in the height position of both ends of the shaft to be inhibited

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS9597980B2Conveyance seat

Publication Date: 2017.03.21 TOYOTA BOSHOKU KK

AI summary

A conveyance seat includes: a pair of lower rails; a pair of upper rails, each of which is slidably assembled to the corresponding lower rail; an electric drive mechanism; a pair of brackets, each of which is assembled to an upper surface of the corresponding upper rail; and a pair of buffer members, each of which is arranged between the upper surface of the upper rail and the bracket. The electric drive mechanism includes a drive source fastened to one of the brackets; a shaft; a pair of screws assembled one to each rail of the lower rails or the upper rails; a pair of nuts; and a pair of gear subassemblies. The electric drive mechanism electrically slides each upper rail with respect the corresponding lower rail by the screw moving relative to the nut or by the nut moving relative to the screw, by rotation of the shaft when the drive source is driven.