Vehicle Seat Backrest Adjustment Device with Disengageable Drive
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle seat adjustment devices require a significant amount of time to adjust the backrest over a large angular range, making quick adjustments cumbersome and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
The adjustment device employs a mechanism to temporarily reduce the adjustment resistance by disengaging the drive means from the gear wheels, allowing for quick and effortless angular adjustments through a frictional connection that can be reversibly separated, enabling rapid changes in the backrest's position from vertical to horizontal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the drive means maintains continuous engagement with the gear wheels for comfort adjustment, then reliable position holding and controlled adjustment are achieved, but adjustment time increases significantly for large angular ranges
Solution Approach 1:
The drive means transitions between two operational states: engaged state for comfort adjustment and disengaged state for quick adjustment. This dynamic switching allows the system to adapt its characteristics based on the required adjustment speed, resolving the contradiction between reliable controlled adjustment and rapid repositioning
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustment process is segmented into two distinct modes: controlled comfort adjustment with drive engagement and rapid repositioning with drive disengagement. This segmentation allows each mode to be optimized independently for its specific function
2Speed
If the drive means is disengaged from the gear wheels for quick adjustment, then adjustment speed increases for large angular ranges, but controlled adjustment and position holding capability are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between engaged and disengaged states of the drive means, allowing operators to select the appropriate mode based on whether controlled adjustment or rapid repositioning is required
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustment device provides both controlled and uncontrolled adjustment capabilities through a single mechanism that can switch its own engagement state, eliminating the need for separate systems for different adjustment modes
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 quick and comfortable adjustments of the vehicle seat's backrest over a large angular range, allowing users to easily transition between positions with minimal effort, enhancing usability for various functions such as entry or loading.
Implementation Method 1
the drive means interacts positively and/or non-positively, in particular frictionally, with one of the gear wheels in a torque-transmitting manner
Data Source
Figure 1~4
AI summary
The adjusting unit (1) has an internally toothed outer gear, an externally toothed inner gear and a drive unit which rotates one of the gears relative to the other of the gears for comfort adjustment (C) against an adjustable resistance. The adjustable resistance is temporary reduced for a quick adjustment (D). An independent claim is also included for a method for adjusting a backrest of a vehicle seat with an adjusting unit.