Vehicle Seat Suspension Adjusting Spring Position
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle seat suspension devices require significant effort and time to adjust the spring extension force to accommodate varying driver weights, as they rely on increasing spring tension rather than adjusting the spring unit's position.
Innovation Solution
A suspension device with a first spring unit connected by an adjustment device to change its position, altering the lever length and thus the spring rate and extension force, allowing quick adjustments with minimal effort, and optionally incorporating multiple springs and a damper for enhanced performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the spring preload is significantly increased to accommodate a heavy driver, then the extension force can be adjusted to match the driver's weight, but the adjustment requires considerable expenditure of force and time
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the parameter being adjusted from spring preload (force) to spring unit position (location). By moving the spring unit to different positions along the adjusting device, the extension force is modified without requiring significant force expenditure. The adjusting device provides multiple discrete positions, each corresponding to a different extension force level, enabling easy adaptation to different driver weights.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the spring tension is increased to adjust the extension force, then the suspension can support heavier loads, but the adjustment takes considerable time and is not quick
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a dynamic adjusting device with multiple discrete positions that can be quickly selected based on the driver's weight. Instead of gradually adjusting spring tension, the user can rapidly switch between predefined positions of the spring unit, making the adaptation process time-efficient. The adjusting device is designed to enable quick repositioning of the spring unit between different extension force settings.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a parallelogram suspension structure is used to maintain parallelism between upper and lower suspension parts, then the structural stability is improved, but the adjustment mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention adds a new dimension to the suspension structure by introducing an adjusting device with multiple positions along a specific axis. This allows the spring unit to be repositioned in this additional dimensional space, enabling extension force adjustment while preserving the parallelogram structure's parallelism. The adjusting device integrates into the existing parallelogram configuration without disrupting its structural stability.
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
Enables quick and effortless adjustment of the extension force to match driver weight, reducing the force required and improving kinematics, allowing for a progressive spring characteristic that eliminates the need for stop buffers, while maintaining a compact design.
Implementation Method 1
a first spring unit (7) with a first end area (7') can be connected to the first by means of an adjusting device (9) and with a second end area (7'') on the other hand can be connected to the lower part of the suspension
Implementation Method 2
By changing the position of the spring unit or the spring of the spring unit, the length of a lever acting on the spring unit is changed
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A~2B
AI summary
Suspension device (1), in particular for a vehicle seat (2), comprising a suspension upper part (3) and a suspension lower part (4), which can be connected to each other by a first connecting rocker arm (5) and a second connecting rocker arm (6), wherein a first spring unit (7) with a first end region (8) can be connected on the one hand to the first connecting rocker arm (5) by means of an adjusting device (9) and with a second end region (10) on the other hand to the suspension lower part (4), wherein a position of the first spring unit (7) can be adjusted by means of the adjusting device (9) in order to change a spring force and a spring rate of the suspension device (1).