Long Seat Slide Rail Clearance Control for Smooth Travel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Long slide rail systems in vehicles experience issues with inconsistent dimensional distribution leading to vibration, shaking, and varying operational forces due to non-constant dimensions, affecting the operational feeling and marketability of vehicle seats.
Innovation Solution
A long slide rail system with a clearance control module that includes a rotation bracket, clearance-maintaining members, and a lock fork mechanism to manage vertical and horizontal clearances, reducing friction by allowing selective gap formation between components during sliding motion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the length of the lower rail is increased to provide longer forward-and-rearward movement distance, then the movement distance is improved, but dimensional distribution becomes non-constant leading to vibration and shaking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a clearance control module that dynamically adjusts clearance parameters between the upper rail and lower rail along the length of the rail. This allows the system to maintain consistent dimensional relationships despite the long overall length, preventing vibration and shaking by compensating for dimensional distribution variations through controlled clearance variations.
2Length of moving object
If the length of the lower rail is increased to provide longer forward-and-rearward movement distance, then the movement distance is improved, but coupling degree between the lower rail and clearance-controlling member varies leading to difference in operating force
Solution Approach 1:
The clearance control module adjusts coupling parameters and clearance dimensions at different positions along the lower rail. By varying these parameters, the module compensates for dimensional distribution effects, ensuring that the coupling degree between the lower rail and clearance-controlling members remains optimized throughout the entire length, thereby maintaining consistent operating force.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements position-specific clearance control where different sections of the long lower rail have optimized local clearance parameters. This local quality approach ensures that each section of the rail maintains appropriate coupling characteristics, preventing variations in operating force that would otherwise occur due to the long overall length.
3Ease of operation
If clearances are secured in some sections of the long slide rail system, then smooth motion is improved in those sections, but clearances in other sections are not reliably secured due to dimensional distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The clearance control module dynamically adjusts clearance parameters at different positions along the lower rail to compensate for dimensional distribution. This ensures that reliable clearances are maintained in all sections of the long rail system, not just in isolated areas, by adapting the clearance dimensions to match the local dimensional characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the actual dimensional distribution along the lower rail is measured or accounted for, and the clearance control module adjusts the clearance parameters accordingly. This feedback loop ensures that clearances are reliably maintained throughout the entire length of the rail, maintaining smooth motion and preventing vibration.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a long slide rail system for a vehicle seat, including a lower rail extending lengthwise along a vehicle floor panel, the lower rail being fixedly installed on the floor panel, an upper rail coupled to the lower rail, the upper rail being configured to enable a seat cushion to be slidably moved along the lower rail, a lock fork mounted on the upper rail, wherein the upper rail is slidably moved based on the lock fork being unlocked from a locking hole, a rotation bracket rotatably coupled by the lock fork, and a clearance control module formed to maintain vertical and horizontal clearances with respect to the lower rail, the clearance control module being configured to, based on the clearance control module being connected to the rotation bracket, selectively stop maintaining the vertical and horizontal clearances so as to enable sliding movement of the upper rail.