Seat Slide Locking Structure for Collision Floor Deformation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seat sliding devices are prone to releasing the locking mechanism when the vehicle floor is deformed, such as during a collision, leading to unintended sliding of the seat.
Innovation Solution
The seat slide device incorporates an inner and outer slider with a towel bar mechanism, featuring a support bracket that rotates only in one direction via a hinge, and a biasing member to maintain the locking state even when the floor is deformed, ensuring the seat remains locked.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the towel bar is connected directly to the front part of the movement restricting portion, then the locking mechanism can be released by lifting the towel bar, but the locking may be unintentionally released when the floor is deformed during collision
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is divided into two functional parts: a support bracket that rotates on a hinge and a movement restricting portion that maintains locking. This segmentation allows the support bracket to absorb floor deformation through rotation while the movement restricting portion maintains reliable locking engagement.
Solution Approach 2:
The support bracket acts as an intermediary between the towel bar and the movement restricting portion. It absorbs and isolates the effects of floor deformation, preventing direct transmission of deformation forces to the locking mechanism while still allowing intentional towel bar operation to release locking.
2Reliability
If the support bracket is rigidly fixed to prevent rotation, then the locking mechanism remains stable, but the towel bar cannot be lifted to release locking
Solution Approach 1:
The support bracket is designed with rotational freedom on a hinge, making it dynamic rather than rigid. This allows the bracket to rotate and swing during collision to absorb deformation, while still maintaining the ability to be lifted for intentional locking release through the towel bar mechanism.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the bracket swings freely during collision, then floor deformation is absorbed, but the locking mechanism may be unintentionally released
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is segmented into a support bracket for absorbing collision impacts through rotation and a movement restricting portion for maintaining locking. This separation ensures that collision forces are absorbed by the rotating support bracket without transmitting to the locking mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The support bracket serves as an intermediary that absorbs collision impacts and isolates them from the movement restricting portion. The hinge connection allows the support bracket to swing freely during collision while the movement restricting portion maintains stable locking engagement.
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
The design effectively prevents the release of the locking mechanism during floor deformation, maintaining the seat's locked position even under external forces like those from vehicle collisions.
Implementation Method 1
a support bracket mounted onto the bracket via a hinge part arranged on the front side of the fulcrum on the bracket and configured to be rotate in only one direction from a predetermined normal orientation about an axis extending in the lateral direction
Implementation Method 2
Each of the inner slider and the outer slider may further include a biasing member, the biasing member configured to bias the support bracket to be in a rotational position of the normal orientation with respect to the bracket
Data Source
AI summary
A seat slide device includes a pair of sliders each including a fixed rail, a movable rail slidably guided by the fixed rail, a bracket on the movable rail configured so that front and rear sides swing opposite to each other in a vertical direction with a longitudinal-intermediate part as a fulcrum, a support bracket supported on the bracket via a hinge and configured to rotate in only one direction from a predetermined orientation about an lateral-direction axis relative to the bracket, a movement-restricting portion configured to restrict sliding of the movable rail while a rear part of the bracket is raised and to release the restriction while the rear part of the bracket is lowered; and a towel bar connecting each support bracket. The hinge part prohibits a rotation of the support bracket while the towel bar is lifted and permits the rotation while the towel bar is lowered.