Track Adjuster Torsion Spring Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing track adjuster assemblies are complex and costly to assemble, often requiring numerous components and prone to rattling noises due to intermittent contact between actuation and lockset components.
Innovation Solution
A track adjuster design featuring a pair of tracks, a lockset, and a torsion spring with dual legs that apply balanced biasing forces to maintain levers in rest positions, simplifying assembly and reducing rattling by ensuring consistent contact between actuation and lockset components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a traditional track adjuster assembly uses multiple separate components for actuation and locking, then the assembly is more complex and costly to manufacture, but the structural integrity and reliability are improved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the actuator and lockset components into an integrated assembly where the actuator body directly engages with the lockset mechanism. This merging eliminates intermittent contact between separate components, preventing rattling noises while reducing the total number of parts and simplifying assembly procedures.
2Reliability
If the spring applies strong biasing force to maintain lever contact, then the reliability of consistent contact is improved, but the force required to actuate the mechanism increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring applies biasing force locally at specific contact points between the lever and actuator components, ensuring consistent contact only where needed for reliability. The force is concentrated at the engagement surfaces rather than distributed throughout the entire mechanism, maintaining reliable contact without requiring excessive actuation force.
3Reliability
If the first leg of the spring is shorter than the second leg, then the biasing force distribution is optimized for reliability, but the structural symmetry is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The spring is designed with asymmetric leg lengths where the first leg is shorter than the second leg. This asymmetry creates an optimized distribution of biasing forces that improves reliability by ensuring proper contact pressure at different engagement points. The shorter first leg provides sufficient biasing force for initial engagement while the longer second leg maintains consistent contact during operation.
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 design simplifies assembly by reducing the number of components required and effectively eliminates rattling noises by maintaining consistent contact between actuation and lockset components, enhancing the overall functionality and reliability of the track adjuster.
Implementation Method 1
a spring configured to apply a first biasing force to the first lever in a first rotational direction and apply a second biasing force to the first lever in a second rotational direction. The spring is a torsion spring and is wrapped at least partially around a cross member connecting the pair of tracks with a second pair of tracks.
Data Source
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AI summary
A track adjuster (10) includes a pair of tracks (20), a lockset (26) configured to selectively restrict movement of the pair of tracks, a first lever (60) configured to actuate an actuator of the lockset, a second lever (80) configured to actuate the first lever, and a spring (90) configured to apply a first biasing force to the first lever in a first rotational direction and apply a second biasing force to the first lever in a second rotational direction. The spring may be a torsion spring that may be wrapped at least partially around a cross member connecting the pair of tracks with a second pair of tracks.