Vehicle Seat-Rail Locking Pin with Integrated Detachment Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seat-rail locking apparatuses face challenges in assembly convenience and space utilization due to the protrusion of components, which complicates the assembly process and reduces the compactness of the seat-rail design.
Innovation Solution
The proposed apparatus features a locking pin that is linearly movable and includes a detachment preventing mechanism with a catching jaw and guide hole, allowing the unlocking operation to occur within the seat-rail, and an unlock lever with a rotation stopper to regulate excessive rotation, enabling simultaneous assembly of the locking pin and lever without interference, thus improving assembly convenience and reducing external component exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the locking lever is fitted to the pin member with the end portion located above the upper rail, then the pin member can be caught in the locking lever for locking operation, but the amount of protrusion of the pin member increases, reducing space utilization
Solution Approach 1:
The locking lever is nested within the upper rail structure, with its end portion positioned inside the rail rather than protruding outward. The pin member is received within the locking lever's internal cavity, creating a compact nested arrangement that eliminates external protrusion while maintaining the locking function.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism transitions from a vertical protrusion arrangement to a horizontal integration within the rail structure. The locking lever operates in the internal space of the upper rail, changing the spatial dimension of the locking operation from external to internal, thereby reducing outward protrusion.
2Volume of moving object
If the locking pin and locking lever are assembled separately to the seat-rail to perform unlocking operation inside the rail, then space utilization is improved, but the assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking lever and pin member are merged into a single integrated assembly unit that is pre-assembled together. This combined locking assembly is then installed as one component into the upper rail, simplifying the assembly process while maintaining the compact internal arrangement that improves space utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking lever and pin member are pre-assembled and pre-positioned in their final configuration before installation to the seat-rail. This preliminary assembly ensures proper alignment and reduces on-site assembly complexity, allowing for quick installation while maintaining the compact design that improves space utilization.
3Ease of operation
If the locking lever protrudes above the upper rail for operation, then the locking and unlocking operation can be performed, but the external exposure of components increases, reducing compactness
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of having the locking lever protrude outward for operation, the design inverts the arrangement by positioning the operating end of the locking lever inside the upper rail. The operation is performed from the internal space, reversing the conventional external protrusion approach and achieving compactness while maintaining operability.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus to lock a vehicle seat-rail includes a locking pin to pass through a fixing bracket, and a detachment preventing device to inhibit the locking pin from being detached from the fixing bracket in a direction, while the locking pin moves on the fixing bracket. In particular, the detachment preventing device includes: a catching jaw formed in the locking pin; a guide hole formed in an end of the fixing bracket; and a bush to wrap around the locking pin. The catching jaw is caught the bush and thus the locking pin inserted in the guide hole is inhibited from being detached.