Vehicle Seat Height Adjustment Damping with Counteracting Spring

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle seat height adjustment devices experience harsh impacts due to large vibration amplitudes, leading to uncomfortable damping for users as the damping device reaches its stop, causing the seat to hit hard and slow down painfully.

Innovation Solution

A device with a damping element, comprising a spring element and a pneumatic/hydraulic damping unit, is designed to adjust the distance between the upper and lower parts, featuring a helical or spiral spring that counteracts the expansion of the damping member, preventing the upper part from reaching the stop during vibrations, thus ensuring smooth movement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a damping device with adjustment unit is used to dampen vibrations, then vibration damping capability is improved, but the damping device reaches stops during large vibrations causing harsh impacts and uncomfortable deceleration

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevibration damping capabilityVSAvoidharsh impacts and uncomfortable deceleration
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A spring element is introduced that acts against the expansion direction of the damping element. This spring element cushions the system beforehand by opposing the damping element's expansion, preventing the upper part from reaching the stop during large vibrations and avoiding harsh impacts on the vehicle seat

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

2Ease of operation

If the damping element expands to adjust distance between upper and lower parts, then height adjustment and vibration damping are improved, but the upper part reaches the stop causing painful deceleration

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheight adjustment capabilityVSAvoidpainful deceleration at stop
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The spring element is configured to act against the expansion direction of the damping element. This preliminary anti-action prevents the damping element from fully expanding and causing the upper part to reach the stop, thereby eliminating painful deceleration while maintaining height adjustment functionality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

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 effectively dampens vibrations and prevents the vehicle seat from hitting the stop, providing a comfortable and smooth ride by maintaining a consistent distance between the upper and lower parts, even during large deflections or vibrations.

Implementation Method 1

a spring element and with the device comprising a spring element which is attached to the device in such a way that it acts against an expansion direction of the damping member

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

The damping element is advantageously designed as a pneumatic and/or hydraulic damping unit

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectViscous damping: Viscous Damping

Data Source

PatentEP3388282B1Device for adjusting the height of a vehicle seat
Publication Date: 2023.01.18 AGUTI PRODUKTENTWICKLUNG & DESIGN GMBH
  • EP3388282B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3388282B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3388282B1 patent drawingFigure 5~7

AI summary

A device for adjusting the height of a vehicle seat, comprising a lower part for mounting on a vehicle, and an upper part for mounting a vehicle seat and/or a swivel unit for a vehicle seat, the lower part and the upper part being coupled to each other via an adjusting arm, and the device having a damping element. The device is characterized in that the damping element is located between the upper part and the lower part, the damping element being configured to change the distance between the upper part and the lower part, and the device comprising a spring element, the spring element being arranged on the device such that it acts against the direction of expansion of the damping element.