Vehicle Seat Recliner Merging Control and Input Members

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional seat recliners for vehicles require additional components, such as retaining rings, to maintain assembly location, increasing product weight, cost, and tolerance, which complicates the assembly process.

Innovation Solution

A seat recliner design that assembles locking gears and a locking cam with existing control and input members without additional components, using a first flange with guide parts, locking gears with external teeth and guide protrusions, a locking cam, a control member with a coupling part, and an input member with a locking part, allowing for secure locking without a retaining ring.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If additional retaining rings are used to maintain assembly location, then assembly reliability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly reliabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control member integrates multiple functions: it serves as both the control lever and the retaining structure through its T-shaped cross-section that fits into the recess of the locking cam. The input member similarly combines the input shaft function with the retaining function through its locking part that engages with the coupling part. This merging eliminates the need for separate retaining rings while maintaining assembly reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The control member is designed with multi-functionality: it provides control input, maintains assembly location through its T-shaped cross-section engagement with the locking cam recess, and guides the locking gears through guide slits. The input member also serves multiple purposes: transmitting rotational input and providing retention through its locking part engagement with the coupling part. This multi-functionality reduces the total component count while ensuring reliable assembly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If additional retaining rings are used to maintain assembly location, then assembly reliability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly reliabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If additional retaining rings are used to maintain assembly location, then assembly reliability is improved, but product weight increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly reliabilityVSAvoidproduct weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Reliability

If additional retaining rings are used to maintain assembly location, then assembly reliability is improved, but tolerance accumulation increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly reliabilityVSAvoidtolerance accumulation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS10493874B2Seat recliner for vehicle

Publication Date: 2019.12.03 HYUNDAI DYMOS

AI summary

Disclosed is a seat recliner for a vehicle, the seat recliner including: a first flange; a plurality of locking gears seated in the guide spaces of the first flange respectively with lower surfaces thereof facing down, sliding back and forth radially along the guide parts, and provided with external teeth and guide protrusions; a locking cam provided with a locking protrusion on an upper surface thereof; a control member seated on the upper surfaces of the locking cam and the locking gears and provided with a coupling part, a locking hole, and guide slits; a second flange; and an input member inserted into the center of the first flange behind the first flange to be coupled with the control member at an end portion thereof and provided with a locking part at the end portion thereof to be coupled with the coupling part of the control member.