Vehicle Seat Rail Drive Inversion for Space Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle seat assemblies require significant installation space due to the need for the electric motor and gearbox unit to move conjointly with the seat rail during adjustment, limiting the integration of components and increasing visibility of the motor.
Innovation Solution
Reversing the placement of the spindle on the seat rail and the spindle nut and gearbox unit on the base rail, allowing the electric motor to remain fixed and hidden within the vehicle floor, with dedicated drive installations for each pair of rails and a spur gearing system for efficient operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the electric motor and gearbox unit are fastened to the seat rail to enable longitudinal adjustment, then the seat frame can be adjusted longitudinally, but the installation space requirement increases and the motor becomes visible from the outside
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional arrangement by fastening the electric motor and gearbox unit to the base rail instead of the seat rail, while the spindle is now attached to the seat rail. This inversion allows the motor to remain stationary and hidden in the vehicle floor region while still enabling longitudinal adjustment of the seat frame through the spindle's movement along the base rail.
2Ease of operation
If the electric motor and gearbox unit are fastened to the seat rail, then the seat frame can be adjusted longitudinally, but the motor becomes visible from the outside
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the mounting arrangement and attaching the motor and gearbox to the base rail rather than the seat rail, the motor is positioned in the vehicle floor region where it can be concealed. The spindle attached to the seat rail moves along the base rail to provide adjustment while the motor remains hidden.
3Device complexity
If a single drive installation serves both pairs of rails, then component quantity is reduced, but installation space between the pairs of rails is occupied and shafts are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by providing separate drive installations for each pair of rails instead of a single shared drive installation. This allows each drive unit to be compactly positioned near its respective rails, freeing up the installation space between the pairs of rails and eliminating the need for long shafts to connect a single motor to both pairs.
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 configuration minimizes installation space requirements, allows for a compact and hidden electric motor, and ensures efficient longitudinal adjustment of the seat frame while maintaining crash resistance and visibility concealment.
Implementation Method 1
a spindle, a rotatable spindle nut that by way of a thread engagement is mounted so as to be rotatable on the spindle
Implementation Method 2
a gearbox unit that is operatively connected to the spindle nut
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle seat assembly comprising a seat frame and at least one rail pair that has a seat rail which is connected to the seat frame and a base rail which is to be connected to the vehicle base and on which the seat rail is movably guided along a longitudinal direction. A drive device is used to move the seat rail along the longitudinal direction relative to the base rail and has a spindle, a rotatable spindle nut which is mounted on the spindle via a threaded engagement, a drive unit which is operatively connected to the spindle nut, and an electric motor for driving the spindle nut via the transmission unit. The spindle is arranged on the seat rail, and the spindle nut and the transmission unit are arranged on the base rail.