Compact Seat Latch Assembly with Sliding Input Link
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seat latch assemblies have a wide distance between mounting apertures due to design limitations, leading to unfavorable load distribution and increased size and weight, as they accommodate striker position tolerances with acute angled apertures and extended driving contours.
Innovation Solution
The seat latch assembly features a compact design with a pair of mounting apertures spaced forty millimeters apart, utilizing an input link that pivots and slides to engage the striker, reducing the distance between bushings and eliminating the driving contour on the pawl, while maintaining tolerance accommodation through a latch hook and biasing mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mounting apertures are spaced far apart to accommodate striker position tolerances, then reliability is improved, but device size and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The input member is designed to move dynamically between positions, extending into the receptacle to engage the striker when needed and retracting when not needed. This dynamic positioning allows the mounting apertures to be spaced closer together while still accommodating striker position tolerances, thereby reducing the overall size and weight of the latch assembly without compromising reliability
2Reliability
If mounting apertures are spaced far apart to accommodate striker position tolerances, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The input member serves multiple functions: it acts as a lever arm for actuating the pawl, extends into the receptacle to engage the striker, and provides the necessary mechanical advantage for latching. By combining these functions into a single component rather than requiring separate elements for each function, the design accommodates striker position tolerances without increasing device complexity
3Reliability
If extended driving contours are used on the pawl to accommodate striker tolerances, then reliability is improved, but device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The input member acts as an intermediary element between the striker and the pawl. Instead of extending the driving contour on the pawl itself, the input member extends into the receptacle to engage the striker and transmit force to the pawl. This intermediary approach accommodates striker position tolerances while keeping the pawl and overall assembly more compact
Data Source
AI summary
A seat latch assembly is provided with a mounting plate with a pair of mounting apertures and a receptacle sized for receipt of a striker. A pair of bushings are each received within one of the pair of mounting apertures. A pawl is pivotally connected to a first bushing, with a latch hook to retain the striker in a latched position. An input member is operably connected to the pawl and oriented and sized relative to the receptacle to extend into the receptacle in an unlatched position to engage the striker and actuate the pawl to a latched position while moving relative to the pawl. A cover plate is mounted to the mounting plate with a guide formed therein. The input member cooperates with the guide to pivot and slide relative to the mounting plate and toward the first bushing during movement from the unlatched position to the latched position.