Vehicle Seat Guide Device with Stabilizing Lever Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle seat guide devices, such as parallelogram suspensions, allow for undesirable forward or backward offset of the upper seat part under all conditions, which is not always desired.
Innovation Solution
A guide device comprising first and second lever arrangements with differently oriented lever elements, a stabilizing device with pivotally connected lever elements, and a suspension or damping unit to allow vertical movement and optional rotation or translation of the upper seat part relative to the lower part, ensuring movement is restricted to specific conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a parallelogram suspension is used to guide the vehicle seat upper part, then the upper part can be suspended vertically, but a forward or backward offset occurs which is undesirable under certain conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The guide device is divided into two distinct arrangements: a first arrangement with lever elements extending forward and a second arrangement with lever elements extending backward. This segmentation allows each arrangement to contribute differently to the overall motion control, enabling vertical suspension while compensating for unwanted offset through the combined action of both arrangements.
Solution Approach 2:
The first and second arrangements are configured asymmetrically with respect to the longitudinal direction, with lever elements extending in opposite directions. This asymmetry creates different mechanical characteristics in each arrangement that, when combined, produce the desired effect of vertical motion with offset compensation.
2Ease of operation
If the lever elements of the first and second arrangements are configured differently to compensate offset, then vertical movement is achieved, but the guide device becomes inherently underdetermined
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing device merges three lever elements (fifth, sixth, and seventh) that are pivotably connected by a common pivot axis. This combination creates a unified stabilizing mechanism that provides the necessary constraints to the underdetermined system formed by the first and second arrangements, thereby determining the overall structure while maintaining vertical movement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The stabilizing device acts as an intermediary element that connects the upper part of the vehicle seat, the lower part of the vehicle seat, and the guide device. By introducing this intermediate stabilizing mechanism, the system achieves proper determination without directly modifying the fundamental vertical suspension function of the first and second arrangements.
3Reliability
If a stabilizing device with three lever elements is added to determine the underdetermined guide device, then structural stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing device with its three lever elements serves multiple functions simultaneously: it determines the underdetermined guide device structure, provides structural stability, and maintains compatibility with the vertical suspension function. The common pivot axis design allows the three lever elements to work together as a unified multi-functional component rather than three separate additions.
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
The solution enables controlled vertical movement and optional rotation or translation of the upper seat part, reducing unwanted offset and maintaining the advantages of parallelogram suspensions like space efficiency, while allowing for two-dimensional suspension and damping of deflections.
Implementation Method 1
A guide device (4) comprising: a first arrangement (5) comprising a first lever element (7), a second lever element (8) and a lever element connection (14)
Implementation Method 2
a suspension unit (23) which is connected to the upper part (2) of the vehicle seat and the lower part (3) of the vehicle seat, in order to cushion the deflection of the upper part (2) of the vehicle seat
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
A vehicle seat comprising a vehicle seat upper, a vehicle seat lower, and a guiding device for guiding the vehicle seat upper relative to the vehicle seat lower during deflection of the vehicle seat upper relative to the vehicle seat lower, characterized in that the guiding device comprises: - A first arrangement with a first lever element, a second lever element, and a lever element connection, wherein the first lever element and the second lever element are arranged extending longitudinally forward; - A second arrangement with a third lever element, a fourth lever element, and the lever element connection, wherein the third lever element and the fourth lever element are arranged extending longitudinally rearward; - A stabilizing device comprising a fifth lever element, a sixth lever element, and a seventh lever element, which are pivotably connected by means of a common pivot axis;wherein the fifth lever element is pivotably connected to the upper part of the vehicle seat, the sixth lever element to the lower part of the vehicle seat, and the seventh lever element to the lever element connection.