Seat Slide Unlocking Lever Support for Misalignment-Tolerant Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional U-shaped unlocking levers for seat slide devices require high precision and expertise to assemble due to alignment and dimensional errors, leading to non-smooth movement and unsynchronized operation of lock mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A structure with support brackets having channel cross-sections and curved protrusions to securely hold and rotate the lateral portions of the unlocking lever, allowing vertical movement and actuation of the lock mechanisms without the need for coaxial support shafts, and accommodating dimensional errors through adjustable contact points.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If support shafts are fixed to upper rails with high precision alignment, then smooth movement and synchronized operation of lock mechanisms are achieved, but assembly time and expertise requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the support bracket by providing a curved guide surface instead of a straight shaft, allowing the lateral portion to rotate along the curved path. This parameter change enables the system to accommodate misalignment while maintaining smooth movement and synchronized operation
Solution Approach 2:
The curved guide surface acts as an intermediary element between the lateral portion and the support bracket, mediating the rotational movement and absorbing misalignment errors. This intermediary structure enables smooth operation without requiring precise coaxial alignment
2Reliability
If lateral portions are correctly formed to predetermined configuration, then synchronized operation of lock mechanisms is achieved, but manufacturing complexity and expertise requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the constraint parameters from requiring precise lateral portion geometry to allowing flexible geometry, where the curved guide surface defines the motion path instead of the lateral portion shape. This enables standard manufacturing processes without high precision requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The invention separates the function of defining motion path from the lateral portion itself, placing it in the support bracket's curved guide surface. This segmentation allows the lateral portion to be manufactured independently with standard tolerances while the support bracket provides the precise geometric constraint
3Ease of operation
If rotating holder brackets are used to connect lateral portions, then unlocking operation is enabled, but misalignment of support shafts causes non-smooth movement and unsynchronized operation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a curved guide surface in the support bracket instead of a straight shaft, creating a curved path for the lateral portion to follow. This curvature enables the lateral portion to rotate smoothly while accommodating misalignment, ensuring synchronized operation of both lock mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The curved guide surface serves as an intermediary that mediates between the lateral portion and the support bracket, allowing rotational movement while compensating for misalignment. This intermediary structure ensures that both lateral portions move in a synchronized manner even when support shafts are not perfectly aligned
Data Source
AI summary
A structure for supporting a generally U-shaped unlocking lever in seat slide device, wherein a main support portion of a generally channel cross-section is provided at each of a pair of the seat slide devices so as to support each of the two lateral portions of the unlocking lever. Formed respectively in the upper and lower walls of that main support portion are downwardly and upwardly curved protrudent portions, so that the two lateral portions of the unlocking lever each extends between those downwardly and upwardly curved protrudent portions. This arrangement gives a play to the two lateral portions of unlocking lever. Namely, both two free end portions respective of such two lateral portions are inclinable vertically relative to a support point between the afore-said two curved protrudent portions, while the two lateral portions themselves are also slidable therebetween in transverse direction of the seat slide device, thereby absorbing differences in size and shape which may occur in each of unlocking levers to be used.