Vehicle Seat Slide Device Bracket and Roller Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle seat slide devices face challenges in simplifying the mounting process of various components and are prone to noise generation due to vehicle vibrations during travel.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat slide device featuring a U-shaped fixed rail, a T-shaped moveable rail with main rollers, vertically turnable brackets, and a biasing unit such as a plate spring that applies a rotational force to sub rollers for constant pressure contact with the top wall, simplifying assembly and reducing vibration-induced noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If various members are mounted within a narrow space inside the seat slide device, then the device can achieve compact structure, but the mounting process becomes troublesome and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The sub roller and bracket are integrated into a single component, where the sub roller is directly formed on the bracket body. This merging eliminates the need for separate mounting of the sub roller onto the bracket, significantly simplifying the assembly process while maintaining the compact structure within the narrow space of the seat slide device.
2Force
If coil spring is used to bias sub rollers against top walls, then constant contact force is achieved, but resonance with vehicle vibrations occurs causing noise
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the material parameter of the biasing element from elastic material (coil spring) to viscous damping material (elastomer). This parameter change allows the material to absorb vibration energy through internal friction, providing constant contact force while suppressing resonance and vibration-induced noise.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomer material converts the harmful vibration energy into beneficial damping effect. By utilizing the viscous damping properties of the elastomer, the harmful vibrations that would cause noise are transformed into heat energy through internal friction, while still maintaining the necessary biasing force for constant contact.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate components are used for bracket and sub roller, then functional requirements are met, but assembly processes become numerous and troublesome
Solution Approach 1:
The sub roller and bracket are merged into a single integrated component. The bracket body directly forms the sub roller, eliminating the need for separate assembly steps. This integration maintains all necessary functional capabilities while significantly reducing the number of assembly processes and improving manufacturing ease.
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 simplifies the mounting process and effectively suppresses noise generation from vehicle vibrations by ensuring continuous contact between sub rollers and the top wall, and main rollers with the bottom wall, enhancing operational stability.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing unit attached to the moveable rail and constantly applying a rotational biasing force to the bracket about the pin by pushing one end portion of the bracket
Implementation Method 2
a main roller provided on each of opposite end portions of the moveable rail in a longitudinal direction of the moveable rail and capable of rolling on the bottom wall of the fixed rail upon movement of the moveable rail
Implementation Method 3
a sub roller arranged on another end portion of the bracket on an opposite side of the pin from the one end portion and capable of rolling with the sub roller constantly in pressure contact with the top wall of the fixed rail in response to the rotational biasing force applied by the biasing unit
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A vehicle seat slide device (1) includes: a moveable rail (3) capable of sliding along the fixed rail (2); a main roller (5) provided on each of opposite end portions of the moveable rail (3) in a longitudinal direction and capable of rolling on a bottom wall (6) of the fixed rail (2) ; a bracket (7) turnably supported on the moveable rail (3) via a pin (10); a biasing unit (11) attached to the moveable rail (3) and constantly applying a rotational biasing force to the bracket (7) about the pin (10) by pushing one end portion (7d) of the bracket (7); and a sub roller (8) arranged on another end portion (7e) of the bracket (7) and capable of rolling with the sub roller (8) constantly in pressure contact with the top wall (4) of the fixed rail (2) in response to the rotational biasing force.