Vehicle Seat Longitudinal Adjuster With Flexible Vibration Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing longitudinal adjusters for vehicle seats do not adequately address acoustic requirements, leading to vibration transmission and offset issues that affect the overall performance and comfort.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of a flexible coupling mechanism between the spindle and the output shaft of the geared motor, utilizing a hose, claw, or compensating coupling to absorb and damp vibrations, and compensate for angular and parallel offsets, ensuring minimal vibration transmission and improved acoustic properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a rigid coupling is used between the spindle and output shaft, then the structural simplicity is maintained, but vibration transmission increases and acoustic performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible coupling element is introduced as an intermediary component between the spindle and output shaft. This coupling element absorbs vibrations and prevents their transmission while maintaining the functional connection, thus resolving the contradiction between vibration reduction and structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling arrangement changes the mechanical parameters between the spindle and output shaft by introducing flexibility. This allows the system to accommodate misalignments and reduce vibration transmission while maintaining operational integrity, addressing both acoustic performance and structural considerations.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If precise alignment between spindle and output shaft is ensured, then vibration transmission is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible coupling changes the alignment parameters by accommodating angular and parallel offsets. This allows the system to achieve low vibration transmission without requiring high manufacturing precision for alignment, as the coupling itself compensates for misalignments.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling arrangement acts as a mediator that absorbs alignment errors and prevents them from causing vibration transmission. This intermediary component decouples the requirement for precise alignment from the requirement for low vibration transmission.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If offsets between spindle and output shaft are compensated, then acoustic performance improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling arrangement changes the geometric parameters by allowing angular and parallel offsets. This flexibility improves acoustic performance by reducing vibration transmission while maintaining a relatively simple coupling structure that compensates for misalignments.
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 flexible coupling effectively reduces vibration transmission and compensates for offsets, enhancing the acoustic performance and comfort of the vehicle seat by absorbing and damping vibrations, thereby improving the overall user experience.
Implementation Method 1
Said vibrations which occur can be absorbed and damped, in particular reduced or completely absorbed, by the flexible coupling
Implementation Method 2
the spindle end and the shaft end can move flexibly towards each other or move away from each other or move relative to each other compensating for an angular offset using the flexible coupling
Data Source
AI summary
A longitudinal adjuster may have one pair of rails and a drive device for the pair of rails. The pair of rails has a first rail and a second rail, on which the first rail is guided displaceably. The drive device has a geared motor with an output shaft, a motor, a gear unit, a spindle, and a coupling arrangement for coupling the spindle and the output shaft. The spindle is mounted rotatably about a spindle axis. The coupling arrangement may have a flexible coupling which is connected in a form-fitting and/or force-fitting manner on the one hand to a spindle end and on the other hand to a shaft end of the output shaft and is designed to damp vibrations and/or to compensate for an offset between the spindle end and the shaft end. A vehicle seat may have