Contoured Vehicle Seat Trim Component with Flexible Outer Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle seat trim components, such as planar toe kicks, limit floor space behind the seat due to their rigid structure and require specialized tooling for manufacturing, making them bulky and inflexible for various seat designs and vehicle programs.
Innovation Solution
A contoured trim component with flexible fabric outer panels and reinforcing plastic inner panels, featuring a center portion and side portions that wrap around the seat frame, allowing for adjustable angles and universal applicability without the need for specialized tooling, thereby maximizing foot space and reducing foam volume for weight optimization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a planar trim component is used, then the structure is simple to manufacture, but the floor space behind the seat is limited and the appearance is bulky
Solution Approach 1:
The trim component is formed with a contoured three-dimensional shape that wraps around the seat frame, creating a sculpted appearance while maximizing floor space. The contoured configuration includes a top surface, front surface, and rear surface that conform to the seat frame geometry, eliminating the bulky planar design while maintaining ease of manufacture through moldable thermoplastic material.
Solution Approach 2:
The trim component transitions from a two-dimensional planar design to a three-dimensional contoured structure that wraps around the seat frame. This dimensional change allows the trim to occupy space more efficiently, providing both aesthetic appeal and maximum floor space utilization behind the seat.
2Strength
If a rigid structure is used, then the structural integrity is maintained, but the adaptability to various seat designs is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The trim component is made from a moldable thermoplastic material that can be formed into different contoured configurations to adapt to various seat frame designs. The material properties allow for structural integrity while enabling customization of the trim shape and wrap-around configuration to suit different vehicle programs and seat designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The contoured trim component is designed as a universal solution that can be adapted to multiple seat frame configurations and vehicle programs. The wrap-around design and contoured shape provide both structural support and aesthetic coverage, making it applicable across different seat designs without requiring specialized tooling for each application.
3Manufacturing precision
If specialized tooling is used for manufacturing, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The trim component manufacturing process uses universal molding tooling that can produce various contoured configurations from a single tooling system. This eliminates the need for specialized tooling for each seat design, reducing device complexity and cost while maintaining manufacturing precision through controlled material forming and cooling processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing process controls the thermoplastic material properties and molding parameters to achieve precise contoured shapes without requiring complex specialized tooling. By controlling material temperature, pressure, and cooling rates, the process achieves high manufacturing precision using standardized equipment.
4Ease of operation
If foam is used for the trim component, then the flexibility and comfort are improved, but the weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The trim component uses a composite construction with a thermoplastic outer shell providing structural integrity and a foam core providing flexibility and comfort. This composite approach optimizes the weight-to-comfort ratio by using lightweight materials strategically - the rigid thermoplastic where structural support is needed and the soft foam where passenger contact and comfort are required.
Data Source
AI summary
A trim component for a vehicle seat base includes a center portion and first and second side portions. The center portion includes a center inner panel that can face a frame of the seat and a center outer panel that can to be visible within a passenger cabin of the vehicle. The center outer panel includes a flexible material and covers the center inner panel. The first and second side portions are fixed on opposite sides of the center portion. Each of the first and second side portions includes a side inner panel that can face the frame of the seat and a side outer panel that can be visible within the passenger cabin. The side outer panel includes the flexible material and covers the side inner panel. The trim component can be fixed to a back of the seat to conceal at least a portion of the frame.