Vehicle Seat Fitting Angular Centering Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fittings for vehicle seats lack effective means for angular positioning of the fastening ring relative to the driver, leading to incomplete ultrasonic welds and potential misalignment during assembly, which affects the strength and tolerance of the assembly.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a fastening ring with a collar and radial cams that interact with driver cams to achieve precise angular centering, allowing for a circumferential ultrasonic weld seam and ensuring accurate alignment through a centering angle and additional radial cams for stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the fastening ring is pushed onto a smooth cylindrical driver surface, then the assembly process is simple, but the angular position of the fastening ring relative to the driver cannot be defined
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by providing centering cams on the driver that protrude radially outward to engage with corresponding recesses in the fastening ring before the ultrasonic welding process. This pre-centering mechanism ensures the fastening ring is accurately positioned angularly relative to the driver prior to welding, solving the problem of undefined angular position while maintaining assembly simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The centering cams act as an intermediary element between the smooth cylindrical driver surface and the fastening ring. These cams provide the necessary angular positioning function without requiring complex mechanisms, enabling precise angular alignment while keeping the overall assembly process simple
2Ease of manufacture
If ultrasonic welding is performed only in the area of webs, then the welding process is simple, but no all-round ultrasonic weld is produced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by providing centering cams on the driver that protrude radially outward to engage with corresponding recesses in the fastening ring before the ultrasonic welding process. This pre-centering mechanism ensures the fastening ring is accurately positioned angularly relative to the driver prior to welding, solving the problem of undefined angular position while maintaining assembly simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The centering cams act as an intermediary element between the smooth cylindrical driver surface and the fastening ring. These cams provide the necessary angular positioning function without requiring complex mechanisms, enabling precise angular alignment while keeping the overall assembly process simple
3Productivity
If the fastening ring is pushed onto the driver without centering means, then the assembly process is fast, but angular misalignment occurs affecting tolerance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by providing centering cams on the driver that protrude radially outward to engage with corresponding recesses in the fastening ring before the ultrasonic welding process. This pre-centering mechanism ensures the fastening ring is accurately positioned angularly relative to the driver prior to welding, solving the problem of undefined angular position while maintaining assembly simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The centering cams act as an intermediary element between the smooth cylindrical driver surface and the fastening ring. These cams provide the necessary angular positioning function without requiring complex mechanisms, enabling precise angular alignment while keeping the overall assembly process simple
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
This solution enables a strong, cost-effective, and low-tolerance assembly by ensuring proper angular positioning of the fastening ring relative to the driver, allowing for complete ultrasonic welding and improved assembly precision.
Implementation Method 1
In each case one edge formed on the webs in the circumferential direction lies against a surface of the driver and is ultrasonically welded in this area
Implementation Method 2
During the ultrasonic welding, due to a simultaneous axial pushing together of the components involved, weld metal is produced
Data Source
Figure 1~3
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AI summary
The invention relates to a fitting (10) for a vehicle seat (1) having a first fitting part (11) and a second fitting part (12) which can be rotated about an axis (A) relative to one another, wherein a toothed rim (17) is formed on the first fitting part (11) and guide segments (14) are formed on the second fitting part (12), and having bolts (16) which can be displaced between a locked state and an unlocked state in a manner which is guided by means of the guide segments (14) and which interact with the toothed rim (17) in the locked state, in order to lock the fitting (10), having a spring-loaded, rotatably mounted eccentric (27) which loads the bolts (16), in order to make them interact with the toothed rim (17), a rotatably mounted driver (21) for rotating the eccentric (27), a fastening ring (24) which is configured separately from the driver (21) and is connected fixedly to the driver (21), and at least one first cam (24n) which is formed on the fastening ring (24) and bears in the circumferential direction against at least one driver cam (21f) of the driver (21), wherein the fastening ring (24) has a collar (24b) with a passage (24d) about the axis (A), and the at least one first cam (24n) is formed within the passage (24d) such that it is oriented in the radial direction towards the axis (A).