Vehicle Recliner Mechanism with Memory Plate Pawl Lock
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing recliner mechanisms for vehicle seats lack efficient mechanisms to securely lock and unlock the recline position, leading to inconsistent user experience and potential mechanical failure due to inadequate pawl engagement and disengagement systems.
Innovation Solution
A recliner mechanism incorporating a first and second plate with pawls that can move between extended and retracted positions, a memory plate that holds the pawls in the retracted position upon actuation, and a hub that actuates the pawls to control the rotation of the second plate, ensuring secure locking and unlocking through a set of teeth and locking protrusions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the pawls are designed to engage the teeth for locking, then the reliability of position holding is improved, but the complexity of the engagement and disengagement mechanism increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pawl is nested within the pawl slot, allowing it to pivot between engaged and disengaged positions. The memory plate is nested between the first and second plates, creating a compact layered structure that reduces overall mechanism complexity while maintaining reliable locking through the pawl-teeth engagement
Solution Approach 2:
The memory plate acts as an intermediary component that mediates between the pawl and the locking protrusions. When the memory plate is actuated toward the second plate, its teeth engage the locking protrusions to hold the pawl in the retracted position, providing a controlled intermediate state that simplifies the overall engagement mechanism
2Reliability
If the memory plate is added to hold pawls in retracted position, then the reliability of unlocked state is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The memory plate combines multiple functions into a single component: it guides the pawl via the memory guide and slot, provides locking through its teeth engaging the locking protrusions, and maintains the retracted position. This merging of functions reduces the need for separate components for each function, actually simplifying the overall device despite adding one component
Solution Approach 2:
The memory plate is a multi-functional component that serves as a guide for the pawl, a locking mechanism through its teeth, and a position holder. The hub also serves multiple functions by actuating both the pawl and the memory plate independently, demonstrating universality that offsets the added complexity of the memory plate
3Ease of operation
If independent hubs for actuating pawls and memory plate are provided, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The actuation system is segmented into two independent hubs: the hub for actuating the pawl and the memory hub for actuating the memory plate. This segmentation allows independent control of locking and memory functions, improving ease of operation by enabling selective engagement without requiring a single complex actuator to perform all functions
Data Source
AI summary
A recliner mechanism having the first plate, a second plate, at least one pawl, and a memory plate. The memory plate may be disposed between the first plate and the second plate and may be movable in an axial direction. The pawl may be held in a retracted position when the memory plate is actuated into engagement with the second plate.