Vehicle Seat Latch with Bushing Compensation for Striker Height
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing floor latches in vehicles fail to effectively compensate for variations in vehicle floor height, leading to inconsistent engagement with seat strikers, which can cause issues with seat positioning and stability.
Innovation Solution
A height compensating latch system featuring a pair of support plates with integrally formed rubberized bushings and a cam mechanism that allows for adjustable engagement with a floor striker, utilizing a coil spring and cable actuation to ensure secure seating and disengagement of the latch.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed floor latch is used to engage the seat striker, then the latch structure is simple, but it cannot compensate for height variations in the striker, leading to inconsistent engagement
Solution Approach 1:
The latch plate is made rotatable rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position. The cam mechanism enables controlled rotation of the latch plate to compensate for striker height variations, transforming a static structure into a dynamic one that adapts to different conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The cam acts as an intermediary mechanism between the lever actuation and the latch plate rotation. It translates the linear motion from the lever into rotational motion of the latch plate, providing a mechanical advantage and enabling height compensation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the latch plate is made rotatable to compensate for height variations, then adaptability improves, but the engagement reliability may be compromised due to potential misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The cam is pre-configured with specific surface geometries that guide the latch plate through predetermined rotation paths. This preliminary design ensures that the latch plate achieves the correct alignment and engagement position automatically, maintaining reliability while providing adjustment capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the angular parameter of the latch plate position to compensate for height variations. By controlling the rotation angle through the cam mechanism, the system maintains reliable engagement across different striker heights while adapting to the varying conditions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a cam mechanism with lever actuation is used, then height compensation capability is improved, but the device complexity and number of components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cam and latch plate are integrated into a single rotational assembly, where the cam surface is directly formed on or attached to the latch plate. This merging reduces the number of separate components while maintaining the height compensation functionality through the combined rotational motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The cam mechanism serves multiple functions: it acts as a lever pivot point, provides the mechanical advantage for actuation, controls the rotation of the latch plate, and ensures proper alignment during engagement. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional dedicated components.
4Ease of operation
If the latch uses spring biasing for automatic engagement, then ease of operation is improved, but the force required for disengagement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses dynamic motion through cam rotation to overcome the spring force during disengagement. Instead of directly opposing the spring force, the lever rotates the cam, which translates the force through a mechanical advantage, reducing the effective force needed at the lever end while still achieving disengagement.
Solution Approach 2:
The cam profile is designed to create a slight impact or vibration during disengagement, helping to break the engagement between the latch plate and striker. This dynamic action assists in overcoming the spring biasing force more efficiently, reducing the overall force requirement for disengagement.
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 system provides reliable and adjustable engagement with the vehicle floor striker, accommodating height variations and ensuring smooth operation of the pivoting seat by compensating for misalignment and height differences.
Implementation Method 1
A pair of pliant and resilient portions are supported within mounting apertures associated with the plate, an open interior of each resilient portion receiving a mounting fastener for securing the plate to the seat and providing a degree of height compensation between the latch and striker. The pliant and resilient portions include a pair of rubberized bushings
Data Source
AI summary
A height compensating latch supported upon an underside of a rotatable vehicle seat and including a pair of spaced apart support plates, between which are pivotally supported a hook rotatable between a floor supported striker engaging position and a further position permitting rotation of the seat. A cam is also supported between the plates and triggers actuation of the hook. A pair of pliant and resilient portions are supported within mounting apertures associated with the plate, an open interior of each resilient portion receiving a mounting fastener for securing the plate to the seat and providing a degree of height compensation between the latch and striker. The pliant and resilient portions include a pair of rubberized bushings sandwiched between the support plates, each of the bushings further including an integrally formed grommet supported within first and second aligning pairs of mounting apertures associated with the plates.