Headrest Guide Protrusion Design for Backlash Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional headrest guide structures require additional manufacturing cost and labor to suppress backlash, and simplifying these structures while maintaining effective backlash suppression is challenging.
Innovation Solution
A headrest guide with a tubular portion featuring protrusions on its inner surface, where the protrusions extend along the longitudinal direction and have a longer vertical length than lateral or fore-aft length, to securely abut and stabilize the pillar, thereby reducing backlash without the need for a separate pressing piece.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a pressing piece is inserted into an opening in the tubular portion to suppress backlash, then headrest backlash is suppressed, but manufacturing cost and labor increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing function is merged with the tubular portion itself by forming protrusions directly on the inner peripheral surface of the through-hole. This eliminates the need for a separate pressing piece while maintaining the backlash suppression function. The protrusions are integrated into the tubular portion's structure, combining the support and pressing functions into a single component.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressing function is extracted from a separate component (pressing piece) and integrated into the tubular portion's structure through protrusions. This extraction of the pressing function from a separate component eliminates the need for additional parts while preserving the essential backlash suppression capability.
2Ease of manufacture
If the pressing piece structure is eliminated to simplify manufacturing, then manufacturing cost and labor are reduced, but headrest backlash suppression becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The tubular portion is designed to perform both support and pressing functions through integrated protrusions. By merging these functions into a single component with optimized geometry, the patent achieves both manufacturing simplicity and effective backlash suppression without requiring separate pressing pieces.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner peripheral surface of the through-hole features localized protrusions with specific dimensional characteristics (vertical length greater than lateral or fore-aft length). This local quality modification provides the necessary pressing action at critical locations while maintaining overall structural simplicity and ease of manufacture.
3Reliability
If protrusions with longer vertical length are provided on the inner peripheral surface, then backlash suppression is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protrusions are designed with specific dimensional characteristics (vertical length greater than lateral or fore-aft length) at localized positions on the inner peripheral surface. This local quality approach provides effective backlash suppression through targeted geometric features rather than complex overall structure, maintaining simplicity while achieving the desired functional outcome.
Data Source
AI summary
This headrest guide 52 for holding a pillar 43 protruding from a headrest 4 is provided with cylindrical section 61 having formed therein a through-hole 63 which extends in a longitudinal direction and into which the pillar 43 is inserted. The cylindrical section 61 has a protrusion 64 provided on the inner peripheral surface of the through-hole 63 and coming in contact with the pillar 43 inserted in the through-hole 63. The protrusion 64 extends in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical section 61, and the length of the protrusion 64 in the top-bottom direction is set to be greater than the length thereof in the left-right or front-rear direction. The configuration makes it possible to suppress the rattling of the headrest because of an increase in the region of contact with the pillar inserted in the through-hole.