Child Seat Lock Guide Hardness Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing child seat lock devices are costly to manufacture and assemble due to their complex design and require additional components to prevent the tip end of the catch from biting into the skin, compromising safety and ease of use.
Innovation Solution
A child seat lock device with a guide portion harder than the cushion pad, integrated into the blind member or groove portion, which guides the catch from the insertion slit to the anchor, reducing the risk of biting and simplifying assembly, using a hard plate or different hardness molding to create a stable and secure locking mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a guide member in C shape is used to guide the catch from the slit to the anchor, then the catch is prevented from biting into the skin and ruining the cushion pad, but the manufacturing cost and assembly cost increase due to the complicated shape and additional assembly steps
Solution Approach 1:
The guide portion is integrated directly into the cushion pad structure, merging the guiding function with the existing cushion pad rather than being a separate component. This eliminates the need for additional assembly steps and reduces manufacturing complexity while maintaining the safety function of guiding the catch from the insertion slit to the anchor.
Solution Approach 2:
The guiding function is extracted from the complex C-shaped guide member and implemented as a simpler guide portion within the cushion pad. This extraction simplifies the overall structure by removing the complicated external guide member while retaining the essential guiding capability through the groove portion and guide surface.
2Reliability
If a guide member is assembled into the anchor, then the catch is guided properly, but the assembly cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide portion is merged with the cushion pad structure, eliminating the need for separate assembly of a guide member into the anchor. The guide surface and groove portion are formed as integral parts of the cushion pad, significantly reducing assembly complexity and cost.
3Ease of operation
If the guide portion is harder than the cushion pad, then the catch is guided smoothly without biting into the skin, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guide portion is made of a material with different hardness properties than the surrounding cushion pad material. This local quality difference ensures that the guide portion remains rigid enough to guide the catch smoothly while the softer cushion pad material provides comfort and cushioning. The hardness difference is achieved through material selection rather than precise hardness control during manufacturing.
Data Source
AI summary
A child seat lock device has an anchor that is secured to a vehicle body frame and retains a catch of a child seat in a removable manner. A seat cushion is attached to the vehicle body frame independently of the anchor. The seat cushion has a cushion pad that is provided with a groove that houses the catch retained by the anchor and extends in a front-rear direction of the seat. A skin is provided for covering the cushion pad and has, at a location in front of the groove, an insertion slit into which the catch is inserted. A guide is provided for guiding the inserted catch from the insertion slit toward the anchor at the position of the groove. The guide is harder than the cushion pad.