Motor Vehicle Seat Guide Elements for Friction Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern motor vehicle seats face challenges in minimizing play and friction between adjustable parts due to manufacturing tolerances and user movements, leading to increased drive force requirements and reduced comfort.
Innovation Solution
The use of strategically arranged guide elements, including diagonally opposed and spacely positioned elements, along with circular or spherical cross-sections, to prevent yawing, rolling, and pitching movements, thereby reducing friction forces and allowing for easier, motor-driven adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If resilient bends are used in the guide to prevent play, then play is reduced, but friction forces increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The guide element features a curved guide surface with a radius of curvature that matches the guide element's cross-sectional radius. This spherical/circular geometry allows the guide element to rotate freely within the guide element during adjustment, minimizing friction forces while maintaining reliable play prevention through the complementary curved surfaces.
2Reliability
If manufacturing tolerances are tightened to reduce play, then play is minimized, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the guide surfaces, specifically using a radius of curvature for the guide surface that corresponds to the radius of the guide element. This parameter matching creates a self-aligning mechanism that compensates for manufacturing tolerances, achieving play minimization without requiring tight tolerance manufacturing.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the guide element is fixed rigidly to prevent rotational movements, then stability improves, but friction forces increase and adjustment becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The guide element is designed to rotate dynamically within the guide element during the adjustment process. This rotational movement allows the adjustment to proceed with minimal friction, while the complementary curved surfaces ensure that unwanted rotational movements (yawing, rolling, pitching) are prevented, maintaining stability.
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable motor vehicle seat includes a main part, an attachment which is movable relative to the main part, and at least two guide elements. Each guide element has a surface which is spherical in at least one portion, and a receiving portion configured for receiving the main part or the attachment at least in part. The guide elements are mounted in a bearing point of at least one of the main part and the attachment and arranged one behind the other with respect to a direction of translation of the attachment relative to the main part.