O-Ring Stop Rivet for Quiet Motorized Folding Seat Joints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle seat reclining mechanisms fail to effectively reduce vibrations, squeaks, and rattles between the seat frame and the seat back, leading to undesirable noise and customer perception of reduced quality and durability.
Innovation Solution
A modified stop rivet design incorporating a rubberized O-ring seated within an annular recess of a cylindrical rivet body, which biases against the seat bottom to absorb vibrations and prevent noise, integrated into the seat assembly frame to secure the seat back pivotally to the seat bottom, utilizing a motorized actuation mechanism to pivot the seat back without generating squeaks or rattles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a traditional rigid stop rivet is used to secure the seat back arm to the seat bottom, then the structural strength and stability are maintained, but vibrations, squeaks, and rattles occur during motorized actuation
Solution Approach 1:
The stop rivet combines a rigid cylindrical body (steel or durable plastic) with a resilient O-ring member (rubber or elastomer material). This composite structure allows the rigid body to maintain structural strength while the resilient O-ring absorbs vibrations and eliminates squeaks and rattles during motorized actuation of the seat back.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state and material properties of the stop rivet by incorporating a resilient O-ring member that can deform elastically. This parameter change from purely rigid to resilient-rigid composite allows the rivet to dynamically adapt to movement and force variations, reducing harmful vibrations and noises while maintaining structural integrity.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a resilient O-ring member is added to the stop rivet to reduce vibrations and noise, then the harmful factors are reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient O-ring member is integrated into the cylindrical body of the stop rivet, merging the vibration-reducing function with the existing structural component. This combination approach adds the noise and vibration reduction capability without requiring a completely separate or complex assembly, thereby minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The O-ring member acts as an intermediary element between the rigid seat back arm and the rigid seat bottom, providing a compliant interface that reduces vibrations and eliminates squeaks and rattles. This intermediary approach allows the use of simple rigid components while achieving the desired vibration and noise reduction through the mediating O-ring.
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 effectively reduces vibrations, squeaks, and rattles during seat movement, enhancing the perceived quality and durability of the seat assembly by ensuring smooth operation and silent functionality.
Implementation Method 1
The stop rivet incorporates a rubberized O-ring member seated within an annular recess of a cylindrical body... providing a resilient interface that reduces vibrations and noise
Implementation Method 2
providing a resilient interface that reduces vibrations and noise during motorized actuation of the seat back, thereby eliminating squeaks and rattles
Data Source
AI summary
A buzz, squeak and rattle reducing stop rivet incorporated into at least one of first and second side locations of a seat assembly frame, the frame including a seat back pivotally actuated relative to a seat bottom. The stop rivet includes an elongated and substantially cylindrical shaped body exhibiting an annularly protruding, deformable and resilient O-ring, such as seated upon an annular recess defined about the body. The body is adapted to being secured to the seat back offset from its pivotal location relative the seat bottom and such that the O-ring member biases against a first location of the seat bottom at an upright position of the seat back as well as against a second location of the seat bottom at a folded floor position of the seat back.