One-Piece Child Seat Bracket with Anti-Rotation Pin
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fastening devices for child seats in motor vehicles, particularly the one-piece top tether bracket, are complex, cost-intensive, and lack adjustment aids and coverings, making them difficult to install and assemble reliably.
Innovation Solution
A one-piece bracket part consisting of a U-shaped bracket element and an adjoining fitting element with a positioning pin and spacer block, allowing easy installation and secure attachment to the carrier, where the positioning pin serves as an anti-twist device and the spacer block provides additional support for screwing the fitting element to the carrier, with a plastic cap for protection and aesthetics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a one-piece welded bracket assembly is used, then the structural strength is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the bracket body and mounting flange into a single one-piece stamped metal component, eliminating the need for separate welding operations. This merging of parts maintains structural integrity while significantly reducing assembly complexity and manufacturing cost compared to multi-component welded assemblies.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket is designed with integrated mounting flanges that are segmented from the main body through stamping operations, allowing the flanges to be formed separately in the stamping process while remaining part of the one-piece structure. This segmentation enables simplified manufacturing while maintaining structural strength.
2Strength
If a one-piece welded bracket assembly is used, then the structural strength is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket body and mounting flanges are merged into a single stamped component, eliminating expensive welding operations and reducing manufacturing steps. This one-piece construction maintains structural strength while significantly lowering production costs through simpler, more efficient manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical welding process with a stamping process to create the one-piece bracket. This substitution eliminates the complexity and cost of welding operations while maintaining the structural integrity of the bracket assembly.
3Ease of operation
If positioning pins with cylindrical shape are used, then the ease of assembly is improved, but the positioning precision and anti-rotation capability worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning pins are designed with asymmetric cross-sectional shapes (such as rectangular or D-shaped profiles) rather than cylindrical shapes. This asymmetry prevents rotation of the bracket relative to the mounting surface, ensuring precise positioning while remaining easy to install by simply aligning and pressing the pin into the corresponding recess.
4Ease of manufacture
If the bracket lacks a cover, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but the safety and aesthetics worsen due to exposed sharp edges
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a thin metal cover sheet that is stamped and formed to enclose the bracket assembly. This cover acts as a protective shell that masks sharp edges and protrusions, improving safety and appearance while adding minimal cost and complexity to the overall assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket assembly is segmented into the structural bracket component and a separate protective cover component. This segmentation allows the cover to be manufactured independently as a simple stamped piece, minimizing additional manufacturing cost while effectively addressing the sharp edge hazard.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a fastening device for a child seat in a motor vehicle, having a one-piece bracket part (4) as a top-tether bracket for fixing to a support (13) of a rear seat back (3). According to the invention, the one-piece bracket part (4) comprises a U-shaped bracket element (6) and a fitting element (9) connecting with the U-arms (7, 8). Said fitting element has a connecting surface (10) which, when mounted, faces the support (13), wherein at least one positioning pin (11) protrudes from the connecting surface (10) towards the support (13), wherein said positioning pin can be inserted into a diameter-modified positioning recess (12) of the support (13), and wherein at least one spacer block (14) is arranged facing the support and offset to the positioning pin (11) on the connecting surface (10), which spacing block rests against the support (13) when mounted and through which the fitting element (9) can be bolted to the support (13).