Vehicle Seat Rail Locking Mechanism with Segmented Force Path
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing longitudinal adjusters for vehicle seats are inefficient in terms of material usage and design, as they require high-strength materials to absorb forces during movement, limiting their compactness and weight reduction potential.
Innovation Solution
A longitudinal adjuster design featuring a structurally fixed second seat rail and a seat-fixed first seat rail with a memory device and locking element that engages via a toothing or hole pattern, allowing for precise blocking and force absorption without requiring high-strength materials in the memory device, enabling a more compact and lighter design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the memory device is integrated into the power flow between the first seat rail and the second seat rail, then it can absorb forces during movement, but it requires high-strength materials that increase weight and reduce compactness
Solution Approach 1:
The locking system is segmented into two distinct elements: a blocking element for positioning and a locking element for force absorption. This segmentation allows the memory device to exclude itself from the force flow, using only lightweight materials while the separate locking element handles force absorption.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking element acts as an intermediary between the memory device and the force flow. It transfers forces occurring during movement and frontal collisions away from the memory device, allowing the memory device to be constructed from thinner, lighter materials.
2Reliability
If the memory device uses high-strength materials to absorb forces, then it can withstand collision forces, but it increases the volume and reduces compactness
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into functional segments: the memory device for positioning control and the locking element for force absorption. This allows the memory device to be compact and lightweight while the separate locking element ensures collision resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The force absorption function is extracted from the memory device and assigned to a separate locking element. This extraction allows the memory device to be designed with minimal volume using thin-walled materials, while the locking element handles all force-related requirements.
3Weight of moving object
If the blocking element is actuated by the memory device and positioned outside the power flow, then thinner materials can be used, but it may reduce the reliability of force absorption
Solution Approach 1:
The locking system is segmented into a blocking element actuated by the memory device for positioning, and a separate locking element for force absorption. This segmentation enables the memory device to use lightweight materials while the dedicated locking element maintains force absorption reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking element serves as an intermediary that ensures force absorption reliability is not compromised. It is positioned in the power flow to absorb forces while the memory device operates outside the power flow with lightweight construction.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a longitudinal adjustment mechanism for a longitudinally adjustable vehicle seat (1), having a pair of rails with a structure-mounted second seat rail (4) and a seat-mounted first seat rail (2) guided in said second seat rail (4), and a memory device which is designed for storing the position of the seat-mounted first seat rail (2) with respect to the structure-mounted second seat rail (4). Furthermore, a locking element (14) guided in the first seat rail (2) is provided for locking the first seat rail (2) in its movement relative to the second seat rail (4), wherein the locking element (14) can be brought into engagement with a toothing (8) and/or with a hole pattern in the second seat rail (4), wherein the locking element (14) is actuable by means of the memory device. The memory device is located here outside the force flux between the first seat rail (2) and the second seat rail (4), while the locking element (14) which is in engagement with a toothing (8) and/or with a hole pattern in the second seat rail (4) in order to block the first seat rail (2) is located in the force flux. The invention also relates to a vehicle seat (1).