Vehicle Seat Locking Apparatus with Threshold-Activated Interlocking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle seat recline mechanisms are prone to unwanted and dangerous movement during sudden acceleration or deceleration due to inadequate locking systems, which can lead to inappropriate locking or jamming caused by foreign objects, compromising safety and normal use.
Innovation Solution
A locking apparatus with first and second toothed components and a movable locking member that transitions between non-locking, intermediate, and locking states in response to forces exceeding a threshold, ensuring secure engagement of the carriage with the base to prevent relative movement, utilizing a rack and pinion gear system with a resilient biasing device and counterweight for effective locking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a locking apparatus is provided to prevent unwanted movement during sudden acceleration or deceleration, then safety is improved, but the risk of inappropriate locking or jamming during normal use increases due to foreign objects getting lodged in the mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is divided into separate functional components: a locking member with teeth that engages with toothed components on the carriage and base, allowing the locking function to be isolated and controlled independently from the normal recline mechanism. This segmentation prevents foreign objects from affecting the entire system while maintaining safety functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking member transitions between different engagement states (non-locking, intermediate, locking) based on the magnitude of applied forces. During normal use, insufficient force prevents engagement, while during sudden deceleration, sufficient force triggers the locking state. This parameter-based control eliminates inappropriate locking while maintaining safety.
2Reliability
If a locking member is made movable between multiple states in response to force thresholds, then safety during deceleration is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking member is designed to automatically transition between states in response to force applied during deceleration events, without requiring external sensors, controllers, or power sources. The mechanical design itself provides the intelligence to detect and respond to deceleration forces, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining safety functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking member is made dynamically movable between non-locking, intermediate, and locking states rather than being fixed. This dynamic capability allows the system to adapt to different operational conditions (normal use vs. deceleration events) without requiring multiple separate mechanical assemblies, thereby managing complexity while improving safety.
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 effectively prevents unwanted movement of the seat carriage during deceleration or acceleration events by engaging the locking member with the pinion and first gear, maintaining safety and normal operation by adapting to forces above a threshold, thus enhancing the safety and reliability of vehicle seats.
Implementation Method 1
the locking member being responsive to a force in a first direction along said first axis above a threshold level to move from its non-locking state into its intermediate state
Implementation Method 2
utilizing a rack and pinion gear system with a resilient biasing device and counterweight for effective locking
Implementation Method 3
one of said first and second toothed components imparts movement to the other via the respective teeth
Implementation Method 4
utilizing a rack and pinion gear system with a resilient biasing device
Implementation Method 5
utilizing a rack and pinion gear system with a resilient biasing device and counterweight for effective locking
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle seat includes a carriage that is movable with respect to a base, and a locking apparatus having first and second components, each having teeth that inter-engage such that, during movement of the carriage relative to the base, one of the first and second components imparts movement to the other, the locking apparatus further including a locking member having teeth for selectively inter-engaging the first and second components, the locking member being movable between a non-locking state, where the locking member teeth do not engage the teeth of the first and second components, an intermediate state, where the locking member teeth engage the teeth of the first component, and a locking state, where the locking member teeth engage the teeth of both of the first and second components, the locking member being moved between its intermediate and locking states by moving the first component relative to the second component.