Integrated Lumbar Support Drive for Compact Seat Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lumbar support adjusting devices in vehicle seats require significant installation space for electric motors and pulleys, making them complex to install and increasing the risk of breakage under load conditions.
Innovation Solution
A lumbar support adjusting device featuring a pair of guide members, a displaceable adjusting member with a motor, and a drive mechanism that includes a shaft with a structured exterior surface, allowing the motor to move along the guide members and reducing the need for dedicated installation space, while also incorporating a flexible shaft and pivotable attachments to minimize breakage risk.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a Bowden cable is used to couple the power actuator to the lumbar support, then the lumbar support can be adjusted, but the installation space required for the electric motor and pulley increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The motor is integrated directly into the adjusting member, merging the drive mechanism with the adjustment component. This eliminates the need for separate motor housing and Bowden cable pulley, significantly reducing installation space while maintaining the adjustment function.
Solution Approach 2:
The motor is extracted from the fixed mounting location and relocated to move with the adjusting member. This removes the need for a dedicated stationary motor mounting space and eliminates the Bowden cable transmission mechanism.
2Power
If the electric motor is installed spaced from the lumbar support to accommodate Bowden cable, then the motor can be dimensioned for required force, but the installation becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The motor and adjusting member are merged into a single integrated unit. The motor is mounted on the adjusting member itself, eliminating the need for separate motor mounting brackets, cable routing, and pulley assemblies, thereby simplifying installation while preserving motor force capabilities.
3Device complexity
If a rigid shaft is used in the drive mechanism, then the structure is simple, but the risk of breakage under load conditions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft material properties are changed from rigid to flexible, allowing the shaft to bend and absorb loads without breaking. This maintains the simplicity of the drive mechanism structure while significantly improving reliability under load conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
An adjusting device for a lumbar support comprises a pair of spaced guide members, an adjusting member coupled to the pair of guide members, and a drive mechanism for effecting an adjustment of the lumbar support. The adjusting member is displaceable along the pair of guide members and configured such that the lumbar support is adjusted when the adjusting member is displaced. The drive mechanism comprises a motor, which is provided on the adjusting member so as to be displaceable along the guide members jointly with the adjusting member. The motor may be coupled to a shaft having a structured exterior surface, the drive mechanism being configured to effect a relative displacement between the adjusting member and the shaft.