Seat Track Lock Mechanism Assembly Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seat track slide device lock mechanisms face difficulties in assembling the upper rail and lock lever, with the existing design being problematic due to the pivotable nature of the lock lever relative to the upper rail, leading to instability and complexity in assembly and operation.
Innovation Solution
A lock mechanism for a seat track slide device that includes a pair of lower and upper rails, lock portions, a lock member, a handle, a support portion, and a stopper portion, where the lock member is pivotally supported by the upper rail through a recessed portion and projection engagement, allowing for easy assembly and maintenance of the locked state, and is switchable between locking and unlocking states via handle manipulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the lock lever is pivotally supported by the support shaft in the upper rail, then the lock lever can be rotated to engage or disengage from the lock hole, but the assembly of the upper rail, lock lever, and support shaft becomes problematic and difficult to assemble
Solution Approach 1:
The lock mechanism is divided into separate functional components: the lock lever body, the support shaft, and the lock hole. The lock lever is inserted through the upper rail with the support shaft positioned in a groove, allowing modular assembly where parts can be independently manufactured and then combined without complex fitting procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The support shaft acts as an intermediary element that mediates between the lock lever and the upper rail. It provides the pivot function while being constrained by the groove in the upper rail, separating the rotational function from the structural support function and simplifying the overall assembly.
2Ease of operation
If the lock lever is pivotally supported by the support shaft, then the lock lever can rotate relative to the upper rail, but the assembly stability is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The groove in the upper rail provides localized constraint for the support shaft, allowing free rotation in the horizontal plane while maintaining vertical stability and positional accuracy. This local quality differentiation enables rotational freedom where needed while preserving assembly stability in critical dimensions.
Data Source
AI summary
A seat track slide device includes a pair of seat tracks. Each of the seat tracks has a lower rail, an upper rail, a lock lever, and a handle. Through manipulation of the handle, each seat track 3 is capable of switching the associated upper rail to a locking state and an unlocking state by selectively engaging and disengaging the lock lever with respect to the lower rail. In a support portion, projections of arm plates of the lock lever are engaged with the support holes of the side plates. The support portion pivotally supports the lock lever in the upper rail. The top plate of the upper rail has a stopper plate, that is held between stopper plates of arm plates of the lock lever.