Vehicle Seat Recliner Brake with Keyed Engagement Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional brake devices for vehicle seat recliners generate braking force through friction, leading to operational issues such as noise, vibration, and harshness, and require multiple parts, necessitating a method to improve locking force through engagement and release rather than friction-based braking.
Innovation Solution
A brake device featuring a housing with a through-hole and a fixture supported by a spring, where a release lever applies rotational force to press the fixture downwards, releasing the engagement between protrusion and key portions, allowing rotation when desired and preventing rotation when the seat is fixed, utilizing a combination of a through-hole, protrusion, and key portions for enhanced locking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If friction-based braking is used in the recliner brake device, then braking force can be generated, but noise, vibration, and harshness occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the friction-based mechanical braking system with a mechanical engagement system using protrusion portions and key portions. The brake drum and brake lever directly engage through these geometric features rather than relying on friction between surfaces, eliminating noise and vibration while maintaining braking force generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The braking function is segmented into discrete engagement points through multiple protrusion portions and key portions. Instead of continuous friction contact, the system uses discrete mechanical interlocking features that engage at specific points, reducing vibration and noise while providing reliable braking force.
2Force
If friction-based braking is used in the recliner brake device, then braking force can be generated, but an increased number of parts is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the braking function into the existing structural components of the recliner. The brake drum is integrated with the rotating shaft, and the brake lever is combined with the release mechanism, eliminating the need for separate friction-based braking components and reducing overall part count.
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusion portions and key portions serve multiple functions: they provide braking force generation, ensure proper alignment between components, and prevent reverse rotation. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional specialized parts that would be required in a friction-based system.
3Reliability
If engagement and release mechanism is used instead of friction-based braking, then locking force is improved, but the mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by using a passive engagement system where the brake drum's protrusion portions automatically engage with the brake lever's key portions through elastic deformation. Instead of active friction application, the system relies on the natural elastic recovery of the brake lever to maintain engagement, simplifying the control mechanism while improving locking reliability.
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 enables effective rotation of the recliner when a forward input is applied and prevents rotation when the seat is fixed, thereby enhancing the locking force and reducing operational issues associated with friction-based braking.
Implementation Method 1
a fixture provided in the accommodation space of the housing, through which the shaft penetrates, supported upwards by a spring
Data Source
AI summary
A brake device of a recliner for a vehicle seat includes: a housing having a through-hole through which a shaft of a seat recliner passes and a key portion formed toward the inside thereof; a fixture provided in an accommodation space of the housing, through which the shaft penetrates, supported upwards by a spring, and configured to be prevented from rotating by engagement of a protrusion portion and the key portion while being supported upwards; and a release lever installed above the fixture to be coupled to the shaft and configured to preferentially rotate, when a rotational force is applied from the outside, the shaft and enable rotation of the shaft and the fixture.