Vehicle Seat Depth Adjusting Mechanism with Integrated Guide Means

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle seat designs with seat depth adjusting mechanisms are complex, heavy, and require multiple components, leading to increased weight and assembly complications, as well as a high variety of parts, which complicates manufacturing and assembly.

Innovation Solution

Integrating guide means directly into the seat pan, eliminating the need for separate guide rails and using a modular construction with a guide assembly and actuating assembly, where the seat pan serves as a functional element for guiding and supporting the support element, allowing for identical parts usage across different configurations and enabling easy assembly and retrofittability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If separate guide rails and guide means are arranged on the seat pan, then the seat depth adjusting means can function properly, but the weight of the vehicle seat increases and the construction becomes more complicated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefunctionality of seat depth adjusting meansVSAvoidweight of vehicle seat

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The guide means are integrated directly into the seat pan as a single monolithic component, merging the seat pan and guide means into one piece. This eliminates separate guide rails and reduces the number of components, thereby reducing weight while maintaining the guiding function for the guide assembly

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The seat pan is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides structural support for the seat cushion and simultaneously integrates the guide means for guiding the guide assembly. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated guide rails, reducing overall weight and component variety

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If separate guide rails and guide means are arranged on the seat pan, then the seat depth adjusting means can function properly, but the construction and assembly become more complicated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefunctionality of seat depth adjusting meansVSAvoidconstruction and assembly complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The guide means are integrated directly into the seat pan as a single monolithic component, merging the seat pan and guide means into one piece. This eliminates separate guide rails and reduces the number of components, thereby reducing weight while maintaining the guiding function for the guide assembly

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The seat pan is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides structural support for the seat cushion and simultaneously integrates the guide means for guiding the guide assembly. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated guide rails, reducing overall weight and component variety

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If separate guide rails and guide means are arranged on the seat pan, then the seat depth adjusting means can function properly, but a high variety of parts exists requiring specially adapted seat pans

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefunctionality of seat depth adjusting meansVSAvoidpart variety and configurability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The seat pan is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides structural support for the seat cushion and simultaneously integrates the guide means for guiding the guide assembly. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated guide rails, reducing overall weight and component variety

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The seat depth adjusting means is designed as a modular guide assembly that can be independently configured and assembled. The guide assembly includes movable support elements that can be adjusted along the integrated guideways, allowing different configurations without requiring different seat pan designs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS9016785B2Vehicle seat with a seat depth adjusting device

Publication Date: 2015.04.28 BROSE FAHRZEUGTEILE GMBH & CO KG

AI summary

The invention relates to a vehicle seat with a seat pan for carrying a seat cushion of the vehicle seat, a support element adjustable along an adjustment direction relative to the seat pan for carrying an additional cushion adjustable relative to the seat cushion of the seat pan, and a seat depth adjusting means arranged on the seat pan for adjusting the support element relative to the seat pan. The seat depth adjusting means includes a guide assembly carrying the support element and an actuating assembly for actuating the seat depth adjusting means. By means of guide means the guide assembly is movably guided on the seat pan along the adjustment direction. It is provided that the guide means comprise at least one guiding device which is integrally molded into the seat pan.