Rotating Vehicle Seat Locking Mechanism for Stable Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle seats lack the ability to be freely rotatable while ensuring stable coupling to the vehicle body and maintaining safety during collisions, particularly in autonomous driving environments where various functions are performed.
Innovation Solution
A rotating seat design featuring locking pins, an inner plate, and an outer plate with locking pin fixing grooves, allowing selective insertion and rotation, and a mechanism with lever plates and torsion springs for controlled rotation and locking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the seat is made freely rotatable, then the versatility and adjustability of the seat is improved, but the coupling stability and safety during collision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The locking pin mechanism transitions between locked and unlocked states dynamically. When the rotating force exceeds the elastic restoring force of the torsion spring, the locking pin disengages from the locking groove, allowing rotation. When rotation stops, the torsion spring automatically pushes the locking pin back into the locking groove, securing the seat in its new position. This dynamic state change enables both rotation freedom and coupling stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the engagement state of the locking pin with the locking groove based on rotational parameters. During rotation, the locking pin is disengaged; when rotation ceases, the locking pin re-engages. The torsion spring adjusts its deformation parameter to provide the necessary force for both unlocking during rotation and locking when stationary, adapting to different operational states.
2Strength
If the locking mechanism is made robust to ensure safety, then the coupling rigidity is improved, but the ease of rotation operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The locking pin serves as an intermediary element between the locking groove and the rotating force. During rotation, the locking pin is pushed out by the rotating force, allowing movement without requiring excessive force to overcome a rigid lock. When rotation stops, the locking pin automatically re-engages with the locking groove, providing strong coupling rigidity. This intermediary mechanism bridges the gap between easy rotation and strong locking.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism transitions from a static rigid lock to a dynamic system where the locking pin can be temporarily disengaged during rotation and automatically re-engaged when rotation stops. The torsion spring provides the dynamic force needed to maintain the locking pin in the appropriate state, making the system both easy to rotate and strong when locked.
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
Enables free rotation of the seat while maintaining stable coupling to the vehicle body, enhancing passenger safety during collisions and providing versatile seating positions.
Implementation Method 1
the lever plate and the inner plate may have a spring coupling protrusion formed on an upper surface thereof and coupled to a torsion spring
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicular rotatable seat may include locking pins each extending in a longitudinal direction, an inner plate configured to allow the seat to be coupled to an outer side thereof, the inner plate accommodating the locking pins on an inner side thereof, and an outer plate configured to rotatably accommodate the inner plate on an inner side thereof, wherein the outer plate has a plurality of locking pin fixing grooves respectively formed in a plurality of locations thereof and configured to fix the locking pins, wherein one end of each of the locking pins is inserted into a corresponding one of the locking pin fixing grooves, and the locking pins are selectively inserted, by rotation of the inner plate, into a part of the plurality of locking pin fixing grooves.