Vehicle Seat Lock Offsetting Assembly Misalignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lock apparatuses for vehicle seats face challenges in efficiently offsetting misalignment during assembly, leading to increased costs and further misalignment issues due to the need for additional components to correct dimensional discrepancies.
Innovation Solution
A lock apparatus featuring a protruding portion, a guide wall member with a guide groove, a latch, a pawl, and a releasing lever, which allows for relative rotation between the sliding surface of the latch and the cam surface of the pawl to self-lock and offset misalignments without additional parts, enabling the lock apparatus to maintain the seat cushion in place despite variations in part dimensions and positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a plate is added to offset misalignment of assembly positions, then the misalignment can be corrected, but the number of parts increases leading to cost increase and further misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The latch mechanism automatically compensates for assembly misalignment through its own rotational movement. When the striker is inserted, the latch rotates to engage with it, and this rotation naturally adjusts for any dimensional variations in the components, eliminating the need for additional alignment plates or adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch is designed to be rotatable rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position during the locking process. This rotational freedom enables the latch to accommodate misalignment between the striker and the seat lock assembly, self-correcting the positioning issue without requiring extra parts.
2Manufacturing precision
If the number of parts is increased to offset misalignment, then alignment can be improved, but assembly positions may further vary and misalignments cannot be fully offset
Solution Approach 1:
The latch mechanism automatically compensates for assembly misalignment through its own rotational movement. When the striker is inserted, the latch rotates to engage with it, and this rotation naturally adjusts for any dimensional variations in the components, eliminating the need for additional alignment plates or adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows the latch to change its angular parameter (rotation angle) to accommodate misalignment. By varying the rotational position of the latch, the mechanism can adapt to different assembly conditions and ensure reliable engagement despite dimensional variations in the striker or seat lock assembly components.
3Manufacturing precision
If additional components are used to correct misalignment, then assembly precision can be improved, but assembly costs and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The latch mechanism automatically compensates for assembly misalignment through its own rotational movement. When the striker is inserted, the latch rotates to engage with it, and this rotation naturally adjusts for any dimensional variations in the components, eliminating the need for additional alignment plates or adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment function is merged into the latch mechanism itself rather than being a separate function requiring additional components. The latch serves both its primary locking function and the secondary alignment compensation function, reducing the total number of parts and simplifying the overall structure.
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
This configuration effectively reduces assembly costs and minimizes misalignment by allowing the lock apparatus to securely hold the vehicle seat in place while maintaining a compact design, even under varying load conditions, such as during collisions.
Implementation Method 1
a cam surface formed at the pawl for rotating the latch so as to sandwich the protruding portion between an inner surface of the opening portion of the latch and an end surface of the guide groove
Implementation Method 2
a pawl biasing member applying a biasing force to the pawl so as to rotate in a direction in which the cam surface presses the sliding surface of the sliding member
Implementation Method 3
a latch biasing member for applying a biasing force to the latch so as to rotate in a direction from the releasing position to the locking position
Implementation Method 4
a releasing member formed so as to protrude from the releasing lever in order to rotate the pawl by pressing a releasing portion formed at the pawl in a direction against the biasing force applied to the pawl by the pawl biasing member
Data Source
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AI summary
A lock apparatus for a vehicle seat includes a protruding portion (16) formed at the side of a seat cushion (11), a guide wall member (26a) having a guide groove (28) with which the protruding portion (16) is engaged, a latch (42) formed with an opening portion (42a) within which the protruding portion (16) is engagable, a sliding member (48) having a sliding surface (48a), a latch biasing member (45), a pawl (43) supported at the guide wall member (26a), a cam surface (43a) formed at the pawl (43) for rotating the latch (42), a pawl biasing member (46), a releasing lever (44) and a releasing member (44b) formed at the releasing lever (44) in order to rotate the pawl (43) by pressing the releasing portion (43b) formed at the pawl (43) in a direction against the biasing force by the pawl biasing member (46).