Seat Lock Apparatus Lateral Load Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seat lock apparatuses for vehicle seats face challenges in maintaining engagement between the hook member and striker under lateral loads, leading to potential displacement and damage, requiring increased strength and size which increases weight and cost.
Innovation Solution
A seat lock apparatus with a hook member that includes a support shaft, an inclined hook edge face, and an engagement groove, along with an interlocking mechanism that restricts rotation when engaged and allows rotation for release, ensuring both end portions of the engagement groove overlap the cover member to limit displacement under lateral loads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the hook member and striker are made with increased strength and size to resist lateral loads, then the reliability of the engagement is improved, but the weight and cost of the seat lock apparatus increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a single-point engagement design to a multi-point engagement design by extending the engagement groove to include both end portions (first and second angular portions) that contact the cover member. This dimensional expansion distributes the lateral load across multiple contact points rather than concentrating it on one point, thereby improving reliability without requiring excessive strength in individual components
Solution Approach 2:
The cover member is designed with a specific structural feature where both end portions of the engagement groove are positioned to contact the cover member. This localized structural arrangement creates multiple engagement points that specifically address the lateral load resistance requirement, improving overall reliability while maintaining reasonable component size and weight
2Stability of the object's composition
If the hook member is made larger to prevent displacement under lateral loads, then the stability of the engagement is improved, but the device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The engagement groove is designed to extend in the width direction of the vehicle, creating a multi-dimensional engagement structure. Both end portions of the groove contact the cover member, forming a distributed engagement system that stabilizes the hook member against lateral displacement without requiring an overall increase in apparatus size
Solution Approach 2:
The engagement structure is segmented into multiple contact points (first angular portion and second angular portion) along the engagement groove. This segmentation allows the lateral load to be distributed across multiple discrete contact points with the cover member, improving stability while keeping individual contact points compact and the overall device complexity manageable
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
Prevents the striker from coming out of the hook member by allowing both end portions of the engagement groove to contact the cover member, effectively limiting displacement and distributing lateral loads, thus enhancing stability and reducing the need for excessive strength and size.
Implementation Method 1
a torsion spring, which rotates the hook member (20) in the positive direction
Implementation Method 2
a cam plate (50)... an interlocking function of restricting rotation of the hook member (20) in the negative direction
Data Source
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AI summary
A seat lock apparatus includes: a hook member rotationally biased elastically in a positive direction; a cam plate that restricts rotation of the hook member in a negative direction; and a cover member that covers an operation range of the hook member at one side of the hook member and includes a striker entrance groove that the striker enters. The cam plate is in a restricting position of restricting the rotation of the hook member in the negative direction when the hook member is in engagement with the striker and in a locked position. When the hook member is at a position of being restricted from operating by the cam plate, a distal end and a distal end that are both end portions of an opening of an engagement groove are beyond the striker entrance groove to overlap an facing surface of the cover member as viewed along a shaft direction of the hook member.