Vehicle Seat Slide Mechanism Gap Reduction Member

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional vehicle seat slide mechanisms fail to effectively restrict tilting motion during impacts, leading to potential whiplash, and traditional solutions like strengthening parts are costly.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a gap reduction member between the lower and upper rails to reduce the vertical gap, which limits the tilting motion of the seat assembly by restricting the upper rail's movement when force is applied.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If the vertical gap between upper rail and lower rail is made small, then the tilting motion of the upper rail is restricted, but the slide mechanism cannot accommodate large deformations during impact

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetilting motion restrictionVSAvoiddeformation accommodation

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The gap reduction member is divided into a first member attached to the lower rail and a second member attached to the upper rail, creating a segmented structure that allows controlled interaction between the rails while maintaining gap reduction

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The gap reduction members are designed to allow relative movement between the upper and lower rails, transforming the static gap into a dynamic element that can adapt during impact while still restricting excessive tilting motion

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the strength of seat assembly parts is increased to prevent whiplash, then the protective effect is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewhiplash preventionVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The gap reduction members act as intermediary elements between the upper and lower rails, providing whiplash prevention through controlled gap management rather than requiring stronger seat assembly materials

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the critical parameter from material strength to gap dimension, controlling the vertical gap size to achieve whiplash prevention without needing to increase the strength or thickness of seat assembly parts

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Strength

If the vertical gap between upper rail and lower rail is made large, then the upper rail can accommodate deformation during impact, but the tilting motion of the upper rail increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeformation capacityVSAvoidtilting motion control

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The gap reduction member is divided into a first member attached to the lower rail and a second member attached to the upper rail, creating a segmented structure that allows controlled interaction between the rails while maintaining gap reduction

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The gap reduction members are designed to allow relative movement between the upper and lower rails, transforming the static gap into a dynamic element that can adapt during impact while still restricting excessive tilting motion

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS9802511B2Vehicle seat slide mechanism

Publication Date: 2017.10.31 TOYOTA BOSHOKU KK

AI summary

A vehicle seat slide mechanism via which a seat assembly is slidably mounted on a vehicle floor is provided with: a lower rail that is mounted on the vehicle floor; an upper rail which is slidably attached on the lower rail and on which the seat assembly is attached; a lock mechanism that locks the upper rail on the lower rail in a releasable manner; and a gap reduction member that is provided between a first face formed at the lower rail and facing in a substantially vertical direction and a second face formed at the upper rail and facing to the first face.