Seat Slide Device Elastic Lock Mechanism Weight Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seat slide devices are heavy due to their thickness, which hinders weight reduction efforts in vehicles, and they lack effective vibration and impact absorption capabilities.
Innovation Solution
The seat slide device features elastic upper and lower rails with symmetrical cross-sectional designs and an elastic lock mechanism, allowing for thinner material usage while maintaining necessary rigidity and absorption functions through elastic deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the lower rails and upper rails are formed with predetermined thickness to ensure rigidity, then the necessary rigidity is maintained, but the weight of the seat slide device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from conventional steel to spring steel, which has different mechanical properties including higher elasticity. This allows the rails to be formed with thinner thickness while maintaining necessary rigidity through elastic deformation, thereby reducing weight without sacrificing strength
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic elastic deformation capability to the rigid rail structure. The spring steel rails can elastically deform under load and return to original position, providing necessary rigidity during operation while using thinner material, thus resolving the contradiction between rigidity and weight
2Weight of moving object
If the plate thickness is reduced for weight reduction, then the weight decreases, but rattling increases and friction reduces due to decreased surface pressure
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the material to spring steel with appropriate elastic properties, the patent enables thin plates to maintain sufficient contact pressure through elastic deformation, suppressing rattling while keeping weight reduced
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic properties of spring steel provide inherent cushioning effect that compensates for the reduced thickness, preventing excessive rattling before it occurs while maintaining the weight reduction benefit
3Weight of moving object
If the plate thickness is reduced for weight reduction, then the weight decreases, but the impact absorbing function and vibration absorbing function are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material properties to spring steel which has superior elastic characteristics, enabling thin plates to absorb impact and vibration energy through elastic deformation, thus maintaining protection functions while achieving weight reduction
Solution Approach 2:
By introducing dynamic elastic deformation capability, the thin rails can absorb impact and vibration through controlled elastic deformation, converting harmful mechanical energy into elastic potential energy and then back, providing impact and vibration absorption without increasing thickness
4Device complexity
If the lock mechanism is disposed on one side only, then the structure is simpler, but both lower rail and upper rail need predetermined thickness to support the locking force, increasing weight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses asymmetric spring steel rails where the left and right rails have different cross-sectional shapes optimized for their specific loading conditions. This allows the use of thinner material overall while maintaining sufficient strength at critical locations, reducing weight without increasing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
By changing to spring steel material, the patent enables the use of thinner rails that can still support the locking force through elastic deformation, achieving weight reduction while maintaining the simple one-sided lock mechanism configuration
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 design achieves weight reduction, improved vibration absorption, and impact absorption by distributing forces evenly and reducing friction, enhancing the overall performance of the seat slide device.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic lock member supported on the upper rails and formed of an elastic member having lock claws engaging with engaged parts formed in the lower rails
Implementation Method 2
the upper rail and the lower rail elastically function, and have thereby completed the present invention... exhibit an impact absorbing function and a vibration absorbing function
Implementation Method 3
elasticity of the elastic lock member operates on the lower rails and the upper rails... reduction of friction accompanying reduction in surface pressure
Data Source
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AI summary
A seat slide device suitable for weight reduction is provided. The seat slide device (40) is structured such that lower rails (41) and upper rails (42) are both formed to be substantially symmetrical bilaterally across a center in a width direction, and lock mechanisms (43) are provided on both sides of the upper rails (42), and each of them can be engaged with the lower rails (41) to lock them. An entire structure combining the lower rails (41), the upper rails (42) and the lock mechanisms (43) is substantially symmetrical forward and backward as well as bilaterally, and a force applied to the lower rails (41) and the upper rails (42) can be absorbed substantially evenly forward and backward as well as left and right. Since the lock mechanisms (43) have an elastic lock member (430) in a substantially center part in a longitudinal direction, the lower rails (41) and the upper rails (42) are elastically deformable by which reduction of a biased load at a time of locking, improvement in vibration absorption characteristic, and the like are achieved, and a plate thickness of each material can be made thinner than conventional ones, thereby achieving weight reduction.