Vehicle Seat Bowden Cable Actuation Lever Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle seat adjustment mechanisms, particularly those using Bowden cables, face challenges in ease of installation, precise positioning, weight reduction, and cost savings while maintaining effective operation.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat design featuring a pivotably arranged actuating lever with a Bowden cable system where the core is supported by a holder with a contact surface and a length compensation device, allowing for easy installation and precise guidance, along with ribs for increased rigidity and weight reduction, and a clip for simple assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the Bowden cable core is directly attached to the actuating lever, then the installation is simple, but the positioning precision is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
A contact surface is introduced as an intermediary element between the Bowden cable core and the actuating lever. This contact surface is integrated into the holder structure, allowing the core to rest precisely on a defined surface rather than requiring direct attachment to the lever. The intermediary contact surface ensures accurate positioning while maintaining simple installation procedures.
2Weight of moving object
If the actuating lever is made lighter for weight savings, then the overall weight is reduced, but the rigidity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The actuating lever is constructed using composite materials, specifically a plastic substrate reinforced with fiber reinforcements (such as glass or carbon fibers). This composite structure achieves an optimal balance between weight reduction and rigidity maintenance, allowing the lever to be significantly lighter than traditional metal versions while retaining sufficient structural strength for reliable operation.
3Ease of manufacture
If the holder is designed to define the end of the Bowden cable core, then the installation becomes easier and positioning more precise, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The holder structure is designed to integrate multiple functions: it supports the actuating lever for pivoting motion, defines the precise endpoint for the Bowden cable core, and provides structural anchoring. By merging these functions into a single integrated component rather than separate elements, the design achieves easy installation and precise positioning without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
The invention relates to a vehicle seat (1), in particular an automobile seat, comprising a longitudinal adjuster (3), a pair of seat rails (5, 8) having a first seat rail (5) fixed on the structure, a second seat rail (8) guided in said first seat rail (5) in the longitudinal direction (x) of the seat and connected to the vehicle seat (1), a releasable latching device (12) having at least one actuating pin (14) that projects over the second seat rail (8) at least in one position, a pivotably arranged actuating lever (37), a Bowden cable (33) having a sheath (33a) and a core (33b). A holder (35) is provided, which holder is fixed on a rail and supports the actuating lever (37) such as to be pivotable about a pivot axis (S) at one end (37a), and a contact surface is formed on the actuating lever (37), on which surface the core (33b) of the Bowden cable (33) rests in a subarea between the end of the sheath (33a) and the end of the core (33b). The holder (35), which is fixed on a rail, secures the end of the core (33b) of the Bowden cable (33), and the actuating lever (37) has a Bowden cable support (37d) on which the sheath (33a) of the Bowden cable is supported directly or indirectly.