Slide Rail Reinforcing Structure for Collision Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional slide rails face issues where the reinforcing structure can deform under large loads during collisions, preventing the movable-side rail from sliding due to localized deformation of the lower-side hook, which impedes the sliding movement and restricts the enlargement of the entrance/exit opening for rear seats.
Innovation Solution
The slide rail design incorporates a reinforcing structure with a fixed-side engaging portion and a movable-side engaging portion, featuring a contact surface with surface regions of different heights to allow sliding even after deformation, ensuring the movable-side rail can continue to move forward by preventing impeded movement and maintaining structural strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the lower-side hook is formed into a shape that is elongated in the sliding direction to widely cover the slide range, then the slide range is increased, but the hook is prone to localized deformation under large loads which prevents the movable-side rail from sliding
Solution Approach 1:
The contact surface of the lower-side hook is divided into multiple surface regions (first, second, and third surface regions) at different height positions in the detaching direction. This local differentiation allows the hook to accommodate deformation at one region while maintaining sliding capability through other regions, resolving the contradiction between long slide range and reliability after collision.
2Strength
If the lower-side hook is made structurally strong to prevent deformation under large loads, then the reinforcing structure is improved, but the movable-side rail cannot slide forward due to blocking by the deformed hook
Solution Approach 1:
The contact surface is designed with height differences in the detaching direction (vertical dimension), creating multiple levels (first, second, third surface regions). This dimensional variation allows the structure to maintain strength while providing clearances in the sliding direction when deformation occurs, resolving the contradiction between strength and ease of operation.
3Reliability
If the contact surface is designed with multiple surface regions at different heights, then sliding is allowed after deformation, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The contact surface is segmented into multiple surface regions (first, second, third surface regions) with different height positions. This segmentation allows each region to independently handle deformation scenarios, ensuring sliding capability is maintained while keeping the overall structure relatively simple through systematic division.
Data Source
AI summary
A slide rail includes a fixed-side rail, a movable-side rail, and a reinforcing structure that prevents detachment of the movable-side rail from the fixed-side rail. The reinforcing structure includes a fixed-side engaging portion attached to the fixed-side rail, and a movable-side engaging portion attached to the movable-side rail. The fixed-side and the movable-side engaging portions are configured, while allowing sliding of the movable-side rail, to come in contact with each other due to an action by a large load in a detaching direction input between the fixed-side rail and the movable-side rail, and to be engaged with each other to restrict movement of the movable-side rail in the detaching direction. A contact surface, that comes in contact with the movable-side engaging portion, of the fixed-side engaging portion includes surface regions that have mutually different positions in the detaching direction and are provided side by side in a sliding direction.