Stowable Vehicle Seat Lock Striker Dynamics

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional lock structures for stowable vehicle seats face challenges in efficiently engaging and disengaging the seat body with the vehicle body, particularly in correcting relative positional shifts and absorbing vibrations, which affects the locking mechanism's reliability and efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A lock structure featuring a raisably and rotatably supported engagement member on the seat body, coupled with an elastic deformation mechanism that allows rotation in both forward and reverse directions, enabling the engagement member to correct positional shifts and absorb vibrations by balancing elastic forces from a spring member and an elastic stopper, ensuring secure engagement and disengagement with the vehicle body.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the engagement member is rigidly fixed to the seat body, then the locking position is precise, but the structure cannot absorb vibrations and positional shifts during vehicle travel

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelocking reliabilityVSAvoidpositional adjustment capability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The engagement member is made rotatable relative to the coupling section through the elastic body, transforming the rigid static connection into a dynamic adjustable connection. This allows the engagement member to automatically adjust its position to absorb vibrations and correct misalignment during vehicle travel, while still achieving reliable locking when engaged.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The elastic body changes the physical state of the engagement member from fixed to movable by introducing elastic deformation capability. This parameter change allows the system to adapt to positional shifts while maintaining locking reliability through the balanced elastic forces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If the engagement member is made movable to absorb vibrations, then the locking mechanism can correct positional shifts, but the locking precision may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevibration absorption capabilityVSAvoidlocking position precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The elastic body acts as a cushioning element that anticipates and absorbs vibrations and positional shifts before they affect the locking engagement. By providing pre-compression elastic force, the system maintains locking precision while accommodating movement during vehicle travel.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

The elastic body converts the harmful effect of vibrations and positional shifts into a beneficial self-adjusting mechanism. The elastic deformation allows the engagement member to automatically correct misalignment, transforming what would be a source of error into a feature that enhances locking reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Device complexity

If a single-direction elastic restraint is used, then the structure is simple, but it cannot correct positional shifts in both forward and reverse directions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelastic restraint structureVSAvoidpositional correction capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The elastic restraint system applies different elastic forces in different directions (forward and reverse rotation) through the spring member and elastic stopper configuration. This local differentiation of elastic properties in opposite directions enables bidirectional positional correction while maintaining overall structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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 enhances the reliability and efficiency of the locking mechanism by allowing for precise correction of positional shifts and effective absorption of vibrations, ensuring secure engagement and disengagement of the seat body with the vehicle body, even during vehicle travel.

Implementation Method 1

an elastic body for holding the rotated position of the engagement portion with respect to the coupling section by an elastic force

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElastic force: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

The engagement portion is allowed to rotate in both forward and reverse directions with respect to the coupling section with elastic deformation of the elastic body

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Deformation

Data Source

PatentEP2116415B1Lock structure for stowable vehicle seat

Publication Date: 2012.02.01 TOYOTA BOSHOKU KK

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AI summary

A striker (11) is raisably and rotatably supported by and coupled to a seat body (1) and is usually held in a rotated position where the striker (11) is lowered to a position along the shape of the seat body (1). When the seat body (1) is moved and stowed, the striker (11) is raised to and held at a rotated and raised position where the striker (11) can be engaged and locked to a locking device (20). Elasticity of an opening spring (15) and a rubber body (17), which are arranged between the striker (11) and a coupling section (12), allows a forced rotational displacement of the striker (11) in both forward and reverse directions from a state in which the striker (11) is held at the rotated and raised position.