Vehicle Seat Memory Device with Vertical Pivot Locking Pawl
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle seat memory devices are complex and inefficient, particularly in the interaction between the locking mechanism and the longitudinal adjustment system, which complicates the operation and stability of the seat's longitudinal position adjustment.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat memory device featuring a blocking element with a ramp that interacts with a scanner connected to a transmission arrangement, allowing for a comfort locking mechanism that locks the backrest in the folded-forward position and unlocks it during longitudinal adjustment, utilizing a pivotable locking pawl with latching openings on a stop rail for precise positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the memory device uses a complex actuating mechanism with lever arrangements and multiple interaction points, then the seat frame can be automatically stopped at memory positions, but the device complexity increases and the overall height increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex lever arrangement and intermediate transmission elements from the actuating mechanism. The scanner is directly coupled to the backrest release, removing unnecessary mechanical complexity while maintaining the automatic stopping function at memory positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The blocking element with ramp is positioned in advance on the slider to interact with the scanner. This preliminary positioning enables the scanner to directly trigger the backrest release when the seat frame reaches the memory position, simplifying the mechanism while ensuring accurate automatic stopping.
2Reliability
If the locking pawl pivots about a horizontal pivot axis, then the locking function is achieved, but the overall height of the memory device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the orientation of the pivot axis from horizontal to vertical, creating an asymmetric configuration that reduces the overall height of the memory device. The locking pawl pivots about a vertical axis that runs in the y-direction, allowing the latching hook to engage the stop rail in a substantially vertical direction, thereby achieving the locking function with a compact vertical profile.
3Ease of operation
If the backrest release is activated by a complex transmission arrangement during longitudinal adjustment, then the backrest can be unlocked, but the ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of the scanner, blocking element, and backrest release into a directly coupled system. The scanner's interaction with the ramp on the blocking element directly actuates the backrest release, eliminating complex transmission arrangements and improving ease of operation during longitudinal adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The blocking element with its ramp structure automatically interacts with the scanner to trigger the backrest release when the memory position is reached. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for complex external transmission arrangements, as the system automatically unlocks the backrest during longitudinal adjustment.
Data Source
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AI summary
In a longitudinally adjustable vehicle seat with a freely pivotable backrest which can be folded forward and with a memory device (18), the memory device (18) has a stop rail (14) with latching openings (14a), and a locking element (16) with a slider (16a) and pall (16b) connected pivotably thereto and a ramp (16e) which is arranged on the slider (16a) and has an upper region (16f), with which a scanner (19) of the memory device (18) interacts, wherein the scanner (19) is connected to a transmission arrangement (26) for locking the backrest in an entry position, and the pall (16b) is prestressed in the locking direction by means of a spring.