Vehicle Seat Sliding Device Locking Arrangement with Internal Connecting Members
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sliding device locking arrangements for vehicle seats are prone to malfunction due to dust and dirt accumulation, leading to increased release and sliding efforts, noise issues, and user dissatisfaction, as the connecting members are exposed and located outside the tracks.
Innovation Solution
The locking arrangement is redesigned with connecting members entirely received inside the tracks, using a spring plate with a window to drive locking pins from a locked to an unlocked configuration, ensuring a compact structure and improved reliability by preventing dust and dirt interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If connecting members are arranged outside the tracks, then the structure is simpler and easier to access, but dust and dirt accumulation causes malfunction and increased noise
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting members are nested inside the tracks, with the first connecting member positioned within the first track and the second connecting member positioned within the second track. This nesting arrangement protects the connecting members from dust and dirt accumulation while maintaining the force transmission function, directly resolving the contradiction between protection and structural simplicity.
2Reliability
If locking pins are frequently engaged and disengaged, then the locking arrangement is more functional, but wear and malfunction increase due to dust and dirt interference
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting members are positioned inside the tracks to shield them from dust and dirt, reducing interference during repeated engagement and disengagement cycles. This improves reliability by preventing dust accumulation in critical moving parts while maintaining full functional capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful factor (dust and dirt) is effectively removed from the interaction zone by extracting the connecting members from the external environment and placing them inside the protected track space, thereby eliminating the source of malfunction without compromising the locking function.
3Strength
If the locking arrangement uses multiple locking pins and apertures, then the engagement is more secure, but the device becomes more complex and harder to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The locking arrangement is segmented into multiple independent locking pins (first and second locking pins) that can be manufactured separately and then assembled into the track system. This segmentation allows for standardized, simple manufacturing of individual components while achieving strong collective engagement when assembled, resolving the contradiction between strength and manufacturing ease.
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 solution provides a compact and reliable locking mechanism that minimizes dust and dirt exposure, reducing malfunction risks and enhancing user satisfaction by maintaining smooth operation and reducing noise and effort during seat adjustments.
Implementation Method 1
The connecting members are correspondingly made as spring plates
Data Source
AI summary
A sliding device for a vehicle seat is provided with a locking arrangement including a pair of locking assemblies, one for each track of the sliding device. Each track has an upper rail and a lower rail, and each of the locking assemblies includes a plurality of locking pins for locking one of the upper rails to a respective one of the lower rails. The locking arrangement further includes a releasing assembly for driving the locking pins of the locking assemblies to an unlocking configuration. The releasing assembly comprises a releasing member and a pair of connecting members, each of which is connected in a force transmission connection with the releasing member and the plurality of locking pins of one of the locking assemblies. Each of the connecting members is entirely received inside a respective one of the tracks, whereby the locking arrangement has a very compact design.