Resistance-Welded Seat Spindle Mounting for Precise Rail Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing longitudinal adjustment devices for vehicle seats face challenges in securely retaining the spindle to the guide rail, especially under high loads and in maintaining defined positional accuracy, which is crucial for smooth and silent operation.
Innovation Solution
A method using resistance welding to connect the spindle to a spindle holding element, ensuring a non-rotatable and cohesive fixation, allowing for precise tolerance compensation and defined positioning through controlled welding current and force application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If welded joints are used to connect the spindle to the guide rail, then the connection strength is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and process control difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical connection methods (screws, clips, or press-fits) with resistance spot welding, which uses electrical current and heat to create metallurgical bonds. This substitution achieves superior connection strength while simplifying the overall assembly process by eliminating the need for separate fastening components and complex alignment procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes controlled changes in electrical parameters (current intensity, pulse duration) and thermal parameters (heating rate, peak temperature) during resistance spot welding to optimize the welding process. By precisely controlling these parameters, the method achieves strong, reliable connections while maintaining simple process implementation and avoiding the complexity of multi-step mechanical assembly procedures.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional connection methods are used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the connection reliability under high loads deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical connection methods with resistance spot welding, creating permanent metallurgical bonds that significantly improve connection reliability under high loads, crash conditions, and repeated stress cycles. The welding process remains simple to implement, requiring only basic equipment and trained operators, thus maintaining ease of manufacture while dramatically enhancing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The resistance spot welding process creates a composite structure at the joint interface, combining the spindle material and guide rail material through a metallurgical bond. This composite joint structure exhibits superior mechanical properties compared to either component alone, providing enhanced strength and reliability while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
3Strength
If additional material is used for connection, then the connection strength is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the need for additional connection materials (screws, bolts, clips, or protective coatings) by using resistance spot welding to create direct metallurgical bonds between the spindle and guide rail. This approach achieves superior connection strength while reducing device complexity by removing unnecessary components and simplifying the overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The resistance spot welding process merges the spindle and guide rail into a single integrated structure through localized metallurgical bonding. By combining these components directly without intermediate connection elements, the patent achieves strong, reliable connections while reducing device complexity and eliminating the need for additional materials.
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 method provides a strong, reliable connection that maintains the spindle's defined position relative to the guide rail, ensuring smooth operation and tolerance compensation, even under high loads, without requiring additional material.
Implementation Method 1
a welding current is conducted between the spindle and the spindle holding element so as to produce a welded joint at the transition between the spindle and the spindle holding element via a current density acting therebetween
Data Source
AI summary
In a method for connecting a spindle to a spindle holding element in order to produce a longitudinal adjustment device for a vehicle seat, a spindle that extends along a longitudinal axis is connected to an attachment portion of a spindle holding element in a materially bonded manner using a resistance welding method. In this way, a method for connecting a spindle to a spindle holding element in order to produce a longitudinal adjustment device for a vehicle seat is provided, this allowing a firm connection of a spindle to a guide rail via one or more spindle holding elements, with a production process that is easy to manage and to monitor.