Vehicle Seat Longitudinal Adjuster Spindle Holder

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing longitudinal adjusters for vehicle seats require a variety of spindle holders to accommodate different vehicle structures, leading to high tool and setup costs due to integrated floor connections.

Innovation Solution

The spindle holder and floor connection are designed as separate components, allowing for standardized spindle holders that can be used across various vehicle structures, with the floor connection being modular and independent of the spindle holder, reducing the need for multiple spindle holder designs and minimizing adjustment path restrictions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the floor connection and spindle holder are integrated as one component, then the floor connection is secure and stable, but the variety of spindle holders increases leading to high tool and setup costs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefloor connection stabilityVSAvoidspindle holder variety
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the integrated floor connection and spindle holder into two separate components: a floor connection element that provides secure mounting to the vehicle structure, and a standardized spindle holder that attaches to the seat rail. This segmentation allows the floor connection to be optimized for stability while the spindle holder becomes a universal component that can be used across different vehicle structures, reducing variety and tooling costs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The spindle holder is designed as a universal component that can be used with different floor connection types and various vehicle structures. By making the spindle holder independent and standardized, it serves multiple functions across different applications, eliminating the need for vehicle-specific spindle holder variants and reducing tool and setup costs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Strength

If the spindle holder includes an integrated floor connection, then the fastening is robust, but the adjustment path is restricted due to the longer component length

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefastening robustnessVSAvoidspindle holder length
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

By separating the floor connection element from the spindle holder, the patent allows each component to be optimized independently. The floor connection provides robust fastening to the vehicle structure, while the spindle holder remains compact and does not extend the adjustment path, as it only needs to connect to the seat rail rather than reaching the vehicle floor.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Adaptability or versatility

If different spindle holders are used for different vehicle structures, then the fit is optimized for each vehicle, but the tool and setup costs increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle structure compatibilityVSAvoidtool and setup costs
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal spindle holder design that can be used across different vehicle structures and floor connection types. This standardization eliminates the need for multiple vehicle-specific spindle holder variants, significantly reducing tooling costs and setup complexity while maintaining adaptability through the modular floor connection system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the vehicle-specific adaptation requirements from the spindle holder and places them in the floor connection element. This allows the spindle holder to remain a standardized, universal component while the floor connection is customized for different vehicle structures, separating the universal functions from the vehicle-specific functions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3271209B1Longitudinal adjuster for a vehicle seat
Publication Date: 2020.02.05 ADIENT LUXEMBOURG HLDG SARL
  • EP3271209B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3271209B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5
  • EP3271209B1 patent drawingFigure 6~7

AI summary

The invention relates to a longitudinal adjustment mechanism (3) for a vehicle seat, in particular for a motor vehicle seat, comprising at least one first seat rail (5), at least one second seat rail (7) that is movable relative to the first seat rail (5), a spindle (11) that is associated with the first seat rail (5) and cooperates with a gear mechanism (55) associated with the second seat rail (7), at least one spindle holder (20, 40, 80) for securing the spindle (11) relative to the first seat rail (5), and at least one floor attachment for connecting the first seat rail (5) to a vehicle structure; the floor attachment and the at least one spindle holder (20, 40, 80) are separate components.