Vehicle Seat Locking Mechanism Prevents Self-Opening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing locking and releasing mechanisms for vehicle seats often inadvertently open under high loads, posing safety concerns, and their manufacturing and assembly require precise tolerances, increasing costs.
Innovation Solution
A locking and releasing mechanism featuring a detent pawl and detent plate that can be selectively locked and released using a drive means with a securing segment, which secures the detent plate against self-opening, allowing for optimized locking angles and easier release, while accommodating manufacturing tolerances without compromising strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If locking elements are provided on a pivotably mounted clamping eccentric to prevent displacement under load, then safety against inadvertent opening is improved, but manufacturing and assembly tolerances must be very fine which increases production costs
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is divided into separate functional components: a detent pawl for latching, a detent plate for controlling the pawl position, and a securing segment on the driver for preventing self-opening. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, eliminating the need for fine tolerances across the entire assembly while maintaining high reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The detent plate acts as an intermediary element between the driver and the detent pawl. It translates the driver's motion into controlled movement of the pawl, while the securing segment on the driver mediates the prevention of self-opening by engaging with the detent plate. This intermediary mechanism allows robust locking without requiring fine tolerances.
2Reliability
If a securing mechanism is added to prevent self-opening under high loads, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The securing function is merged into the existing driver component through the securing segment, rather than adding a separate securing mechanism. The detent plate serves dual purposes: controlling the detent pawl position and providing an engagement surface for the securing segment. This merging approach prevents self-opening without significantly increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The securing segment on the driver automatically engages with the detent plate to prevent self-opening under load, without requiring additional actuators or complex control systems. The mechanism uses the existing mechanical motion of the driver to provide both the locking action and the self-securing function, thereby avoiding increased complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the detent plate is designed to be easily released, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability under high loads may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The interaction between the securing segment and detent plate is designed with asymmetric engagement: the securing segment engages the detent plate in a load-bearing manner to prevent self-opening, but allows controlled disengagement when the driver is intentionally actuated. This asymmetry enables easy release during normal operation while maintaining high reliability under high loads.
Data Source
AI summary
A locking and releasing mechanism for a seat having a first fitting part associated with one of a seat part and a backrest and a second fitting part associated with the other one of the seat part and the backrest that may be locked and released relative to one another by the mechanism is disclosed. The mechanism includes a detent pawl configured to selectively latch the first fitting part to lock a displacement of the first and second fitting parts relative to one another and a detent plate configured to be reversibly displaced between a detent position, wherein the detent plate locks the detent pawl so that the detent pawl remains latched with the first fitting part, and a release position, wherein the detent plate allows the detent pawl to be released from the first fitting part.