Vehicle Seat Rail Guide Piece Mechanical Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional adjusting devices for longitudinal vehicle seat adjustment are costly, time-consuming to assemble, and have high scrap rates due to unreliable ultrasonic welding, requiring expensive equipment and causing environmental concerns.
Innovation Solution
An adjusting device with a guide piece featuring hook-like members and flexible portions that can be easily and intuitively mounted to a rail using locking recesses and positioning devices, eliminating the need for ultrasonic welding and reducing assembly complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If ultrasonic welding is used to mount the guide piece to the lower rail, then the guide piece can be firmly fixed, but the assembly process becomes time-consuming and requires expensive specialized equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the ultrasonic welding process (thermal/mechanical system) with a purely mechanical mounting system consisting of a mounting plate with positioning elements that engage with corresponding features on the lower rail. This mechanical engagement achieves firm fixation without requiring ultrasonic welding equipment, thereby reducing assembly time and eliminating the need for expensive specialized equipment while maintaining mounting strength.
2Reliability
If ultrasonic welding is used to assemble the adjusting device, then reliable fixation is achieved, but the scrap rate increases due to welding defects and requires expensive equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates ultrasonic welding entirely by using a mechanical mounting plate system with positioning elements and engagement features. This approach removes the source of welding defects that cause high scrap rates, improving manufacturing reliability. The mechanical system uses standard components and processes, significantly reducing manufacturing costs compared to expensive ultrasonic welding equipment while achieving reliable fixation through precise mechanical engagement.
3Device complexity
If the guide piece is made with uniform stiffness throughout, then structural simplicity is maintained, but precise positioning and stable mounting become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a mounting plate with non-uniform stiffness distribution - the plate has higher stiffness in regions corresponding to positioning elements that require precise alignment, and lower stiffness in other areas to facilitate assembly. This localized variation in mechanical properties enables precise positioning and stable mounting without requiring complex overall structural design, achieving manufacturing precision while maintaining reasonable device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An adjusting device for longitudinal adjustment of a vehicle seat comprising a first rail and a second rail movably guided in a longitudinal direction relative to the first rail includes a guide piece mounted to a side-wall of the first rail, comprising a main body, a plurality of connecting devices for connecting to the first rail, and a positioning device locked in a positioning recess, for positioning the guide piece with respect to the first rail in the longitudinal direction. The connecting devices are formed as hook-like members that are inserted through the locking recesses and grip behind the side-wall to fix guide piece to the first rail. The guide piece comprises a flexible portion connected to the positioning device and the main body, which is configured to bend in a transverse direction when mounting the guide piece to the first rail and to be locked in the positioning recess.