Hinged Rear Seat Drive Member for Self-Aligning Force Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drive members for adjustable rear seat mechanisms in vehicles are heavy, require small tolerances, and are prone to deformation under force, compromising safety during adjustments and crashes.
Innovation Solution
A drive member design featuring a motor connected to a support member with a hinge mechanism allowing the displacement rod to pivot transversely, reducing weight and enabling larger tolerances, with a gear mechanism ensuring proper alignment and efficient force transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid connection of the drive member to the seat and vehicle is used, then the drive mechanism can take up forces, but the weight increases and deformation may occur during accidents
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the connection parameter from rigid to hinged, allowing the support member to pivot about a transverse axis. This hinged connection maintains force resistance while reducing weight and preventing deformation during accidents, as the hinge allows controlled movement rather than rigid force transmission
2Manufacturing precision
If a rigid connection with small tolerances is used, then alignment precision is improved, but the complexity and sensitivity to structural variations increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic self-alignment through the hinged support member that can pivot to accommodate structural variations. This dynamic adjustment eliminates the need for tight manufacturing tolerances, as the hinge automatically compensates for misalignments between the drive member and seat/vehicle structures
Solution Approach 2:
The hinged connection performs self-alignment automatically during operation, adjusting its angle to maintain proper force transmission without requiring precise pre-adjustment or complex alignment mechanisms. The system self-corrects for structural variations through the natural pivoting motion of the hinge
3Force
If the displacement rod is rigidly fixed, then force transfer is efficient, but the alignment with direction of movement cannot be maintained during adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The displacement rod is made dynamically adjustable through the hinged connection, allowing it to pivot and maintain alignment with the direction of movement during seat adjustments. This dynamic positioning ensures that the rod always points in the correct direction for efficient force transfer, regardless of the seat's position or angle
Data Source
AI summary
A drive member including a motor with a longitudinal axis and with at an actuating end a gear mechanism. A support member carries a displacement rod that is movably mounted on the support member. The motor is with its actuating end connected to the support member. The gear mechanism includes a hinge member allowing pivoting of the displacement rod about a pivot axis that is oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis. The gear mechanism engages with the displacement rod and the support member is hingingly attached to a fixation bracket in a hinge connection that is hingeable about an axis which is oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis. The drive member can be used for the adjustment of the backrest of a rear seat in a motor vehicle.