Vehicle Seat Angle Reference Guide for Accurate Recline Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing vehicle seat systems face errors in angle detection due to changes in seatback reclining angles, which cause unnecessary operation of the seat belt restraint device, and errors in detecting the seatback angle when the seat cushion or entire seat is tilted, affecting the accuracy of the angle detection reference point.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat system with an angle detection device and a rotation limiting guide unit that maintains the horizontality of the retractor acceleration sensor and keeps the angle detection reference point constant by allowing the angle detection reference member to move translationally during tilting operations, preventing rotation and ensuring accurate angle detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the angle detection device is fixed to the seat cushion or seatback, then the structure is simple, but the angle detection reference point moves when the seat posture changes, causing detection errors
Solution Approach 1:
The angle detection system is divided into two independent parts: the angle detection device fixed to the seatback for detecting reclining angles, and the angle detection reference member fixed to the vehicle body for providing a stable reference. This segmentation allows each component to perform its function independently, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The angle detection reference member acts as an intermediary between the seatback and the detection system. It provides a stable reference point that is not affected by seat cushion tilting, while still allowing the seatback to recline freely. This intermediary element resolves the contradiction by decoupling the detection reference from the moving seat components.
2Reliability
If the retractor acceleration sensor is rotated to maintain horizontality during seatback reclining, then unnecessary operation of the seat belt restraint device is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The function of maintaining sensor horizontality is extracted from the retractor device and assigned to a separate angle detection device. The angle detection reference member provides a stable reference that enables accurate angle detection without requiring the retractor acceleration sensor to rotate, thereby reducing retractor device complexity while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The angle detection reference member serves as an intermediary that provides a stable reference for angle detection, eliminating the need for the retractor acceleration sensor to rotate. This intermediary reference point resolves the contradiction by enabling reliable angle detection through a simpler, fixed sensor configuration.
3Device complexity
If the angle detection reference member is allowed to rotate with the seatback, then the structure is simpler, but the reference point orientation changes during tilting operations, causing detection errors
Solution Approach 1:
Different parts of the angle detection system have different rotational characteristics: the angle detection device rotates with the seatback to maintain relative position, while the angle detection reference member remains fixed to the vehicle body to maintain absolute orientation. This local differentiation of rotational behavior resolves the contradiction between structural simplicity and detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of fixing the reference member to the rotating seatback, the invention inverts the approach by fixing the reference member to the non-rotating vehicle body and allowing the detection device to rotate relative to it. This inversion resolves the contradiction by making the reference point stationary while enabling the detection mechanism to adapt to seatback movement.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle seat may have an angle detection device configured to detect a reclining angle of a seatback, an angle detection reference member configured to serve as a reference for the angle detection device, and a rotation limiting guide unit configured to connect a seat fixing structure to the angle detection reference member and to limit rotation of the angle detection reference member by guiding upward-and-downward and forward-and-rearward movements of the angle detection reference member during tilting of a seat cushion around a hinge structure.