Vehicle Seat Back Latch Geometry for Stable Two-Position Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle seat back latches face issues with smooth engagement and disengagement of the striker at multiple positions due to misalignment and vibration, leading to potential unlocking and noise production.
Innovation Solution
A latch design with a single engaging groove comprising a first and second groove part, rotated hook mechanism, and lock cams to ensure smooth engagement and prevent unwanted unlocking, featuring a frame with a receiving groove and a hook supported by a shaft, and lock members to stabilize the hook position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the hook rotates reversely to engage the striker in the second groove, then the seat back can be positioned in the reclining position, but the engagement may not be smooth due to misalignment and timing issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a receiving groove as an intermediary element between the striker and the engaging groove. The receiving groove guides the striker into proper alignment before it engages with the engaging groove, ensuring smooth and reliable engagement without requiring precise timing or positioning of the hook rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
The receiving groove performs a preliminary action by pre-aligning the striker with the engaging groove before the actual engagement occurs. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the hook rotates to engage the striker, the alignment is already established, eliminating misalignment issues during engagement.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the seat back is moved between raised and reclining positions, then the hook must rotate between positions, but vibration may cause unwanted unlocking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by designing the receiving groove to pre-counteract the effects of vibration before unwanted unlocking can occur. The receiving groove's geometry is designed to maintain engagement even when vibration occurs, preventing the striker from disengaging during normal seat back movement between positions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the hook and striker engage at multiple positions, then the seat back can be locked in different positions, but misalignment may cause noise and unlocking
Solution Approach 1:
The receiving groove serves as a mediator that ensures proper alignment of the striker with the engaging groove at both the raised and reclining positions. This intermediary structure eliminates misalignment issues that would otherwise cause noise and vibration-induced unlocking, while maintaining the ability to lock at multiple positions.
Data Source
AI summary
A latch including a frame having a receiving groove in which a striker is receivable, and a hook rotatably supported by the frame, the hook having an engaging groove with which the striker is engageable. The engaging groove is a single groove having a first groove part extending from a part of an outer edge of the hook and a second groove part bent from the first groove part and extending in a direction different from a direction the first groove part extends. When the seat back is in the raised position, the hook is in a first position and the striker is in the first groove part, and when the seat back is in the reclining position, the hook is in a second position that is a position of the hook rotated in a first direction from the first position and the striker is in the second groove part.