Vehicle Seat Coupling Device With Segmented Lever
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicle seats with motorized backrest inclination adjustment, defects in microswitches can lead to misalignment and blockage of backrest unlocking, preventing free swiveling, especially in emergency situations like crashes.
Innovation Solution
A coupling device with a pivotable lever having two areas that can change position relative to each other, featuring a spring for normal operation and elastic force for restoring alignment, ensures decoupling of backrest unlocking from rail unlocking, allowing emergency unlocking even in misalignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid one-piece lever is used in the pawl arrangement, then the coupling between backrest unlocking and rail unlocking is precise and reliable, but the system becomes vulnerable to blockage in case of misalignment or defects, preventing emergency unlocking
Solution Approach 1:
The lever is divided into two separable parts (first lever part and second lever part) that can move relative to each other. This segmentation allows the lever to adapt to misalignment situations while maintaining coupling functionality, enabling emergency unlocking when the parts can separate to accommodate defective or misaligned components
Solution Approach 2:
The lever transitions from a static rigid structure to a dynamic system where the two lever parts can change their relative positions. The spring provides dynamic adjustment capability, allowing the lever to automatically adapt to alignment variations and maintain functional coupling under varying operational conditions
2Measurement precision
If microswitches are used to control backrest inclination adjustment, then the adjustment can be precisely controlled within normal range, but defects in microswitches can lead to misalignment and blockage of backrest unlocking
Solution Approach 1:
The spring-loaded lever design provides a cushioning mechanism that absorbs misalignment caused by microswitch defects. The spring allows the lever to compensate for position errors before complete blockage occurs, maintaining unlocking capability even when microswitches fail
3Adaptability or versatility
If the lever is designed with two parts that can move relative to each other, then emergency unlocking is enabled even in case of misalignment, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lever is divided into two separable parts (first lever part and second lever part) that can move relative to each other. This segmentation allows the lever to adapt to misalignment situations while maintaining coupling functionality, enabling emergency unlocking when the parts can separate to accommodate defective or misaligned components
Solution Approach 2:
The spring automatically adjusts the relative positions of the two lever parts based on alignment conditions. The system self-regulates without external intervention, using the spring force to maintain proper coupling or allow separation when misalignment occurs, reducing the need for complex control mechanisms
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 the backrest to be actuated freely even in case of defects or misalignment, ensuring passenger safety by preventing blockage and allowing emergency unlocking.
Implementation Method 1
the relative movement of the two areas of the lever is preferably limited in one direction by an elastic force, which causes a restoring force, so that the first area of the lever is pressed into contact with the second area of the lever
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a vehicle seat (1) having a back (5), the angle of which is adjustable, particularly having an electric motorized seat back angle adjuster that can capture an “easy entry position”, wherein the longitudinally adjustable vehicle seat (1) is disposed in a front position and the freely pivoting back (5) is pivoted forward, a seat back release for releasing the back (5) for freely pivoting, a track release for adjusting the longitudinal position of the vehicle seat (1), and a coupling device (39) for coupling the actuation of the seat back release and the track release for capturing the “easy entry position”, wherein part of the coupling device (39) is a pawl arrangement (21) comprising a lever (25) pivotally disposed about an axis, wherein the lever (25) has two regions that can be changed in the positions thereof relative to each other.