Lumbar Support Adjuster With Integrated Motor for Compact Seat Backs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lumbar support adjusting devices require significant installation space for electric motors and pulleys, making them cumbersome and difficult to integrate into vehicle seat backrests, and there is a need for a more compact and easily installable solution that allows for both height and curvature adjustments.
Innovation Solution
A lumbar support adjusting device featuring a pair of guide members, a displaceable adjusting member with a built-in motor, and a drive mechanism that includes a shaft with a structured exterior surface, such as a helical thread, allowing the motor to move along the guide members and adjust the lumbar support without needing a dedicated installation space, and utilizing a spindle transmission with a worm gear for torque reduction and compact integration.
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 electric motor and pulley require significant installation space and must be spaced from the lumbar support
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the motor directly onto the adjusting member (support basket or frame), merging the power actuator and lumbar support components into a single integrated unit. This eliminates the need for separate motor housing and Bowden cable connections, significantly reducing installation space while maintaining adjustment functionality.
2Force
If the electric motor is dimensioned to provide sufficient force for Bowden cable adjustment under load, then the lumbar support can be adjusted even under load conditions, but the motor requires larger installation space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the Bowden cable mechanical transmission system with a direct-drive mechanism where the motor is integrated onto the adjusting member. This eliminates the need for pulleys, cables, and intermediate transmission components, allowing for a more compact motor design while maintaining sufficient adjustment force directly at the lumbar support.
3Ease of manufacture
If the motor is spaced from the lumbar support to accommodate Bowden cable connections, then the cable can be connected, but installation becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the motor directly onto the adjusting member, the patent eliminates the need for separate cable connection points, pulleys, and routing channels. This merger of components simplifies the overall installation process while maintaining the ability to connect and adjust the lumbar support system.
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
The solution reduces the risk of motor breakage under load, minimizes installation complexity, and allows for both height and curvature adjustments of the lumbar support within a compact design, enhancing user comfort and installation ease.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing a spindle transmission with a worm gear for torque reduction and compact integration
Data Source
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AI summary
An adjusting device (3) for a lumbar support comprises a pair of spaced guide members (4, 5), an adjusting member (14) coupled to the pair of guide members (4, 5), and a drive mechanism (30, 40) for effecting an adjustment of the lumbar support. The adjusting member (14) is displaceable along the pair of guide members (4, 5) and configured such that the lumbar support is adjusted when the adjusting member (14) is displaced. The drive mechanism (30, 40) comprises a motor (31, 41), which is provided on the adjusting member (14) so as to be displaceable along the guide members (4, 5) jointly with the adjusting member (14). The motor (31, 41) may be coupled to a shaft (32, 42) having a structured exterior surface, the drive mechanism (30, 40) being configured to effect a relative displacement between the adjusting member (14) and the shaft (32, 42).