Helically Deformable Vehicle Seat Backrest Frame

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Solution Overview

Problem

Vehicle seats often lack ergonomic adaptation, leading to restricted comfort and potential back pain due to inadequate support from the backrest frame, especially during rotational movements.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle seat design featuring a backrest frame with pivotable left and right longitudinal struts and a central strut, arranged to deform helically, providing consistent support and mimicking human spinal movement, along with a divided upper transverse strut for enhanced shoulder mobility, and a pivotable lower transverse strut for adjustable inclination.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If the backrest frame is made rigid to provide stable support, then structural stability is improved, but ergonomic adaptability during rotational movements deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidergonomic adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The backrest frame is divided into multiple longitudinal struts (at least three: left, center, and right struts) that can pivot independently relative to each other. This segmentation allows each strut to adapt to different parts of the user's back during rotational movements while maintaining overall structural support.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The longitudinal struts are designed to be pivotable relative to each other, transforming the rigid structure into a dynamic system. This enables the backrest frame to adapt its shape during rotational movements of the user's torso, providing ergonomic support while maintaining structural integrity through controlled movement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If the backrest frame is made flexible to adapt to user movement, then ergonomic adaptability is improved, but structural stability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveergonomic adaptabilityVSAvoidstructural stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the backrest into multiple independent longitudinal struts connected by transverse struts, the design achieves flexibility through controlled relative movement of segments rather than through overall frame flexibility, maintaining structural stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The backrest frame combines rigid components (longitudinal and transverse struts) with pivot joints, creating a composite structure that exhibits both stability and adaptability. The rigid struts provide structural support while the pivot joints enable ergonomic movement adaptation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Device complexity

If the backrest frame uses a simple rigid structure, then device complexity is reduced, but seating comfort deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural complexityVSAvoidseating comfort
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The backrest frame is segmented into multiple longitudinal struts (left, center, and right) connected by transverse struts, creating a structured yet adaptable system that provides ergonomic support while maintaining reasonable structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The pivotable connections between longitudinal struts introduce dynamic adaptability to the structure, allowing the backrest to conform to user movements and provide enhanced seating comfort without requiring overly complex mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Adaptability or versatility

If the backrest frame is designed with multiple pivotable struts to mimic spinal movement, then ergonomic support is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveergonomic supportVSAvoidframe complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The backrest is segmented into longitudinal struts corresponding to different regions of the human back (lumbar, thoracic, cervical areas), with each strut capable of independent pivoting to mimic natural spinal movement patterns during rotation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The dynamic pivotable connections between struts enable the frame to replicate the complex movements of the human spine during torso rotation, providing anatomically correct ergonomic support through controlled mechanical movement rather than static structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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

The design enhances seating comfort by maintaining continuous contact with the backrest and reducing back pain through optimized ergonomic alignment and load distribution, supporting rotational movements effectively.

Implementation Method 1

the right and left backrest longitudinal struts being pivotable in this way against resistance so that the backrest frame is helically deformable

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP2719575B1Vehicle seat with variable backrest shape
Publication Date: 2016.02.24 GRAMMER AG
  • EP2719575B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2719575B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2719575B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to a vehicle seat comprising a seat frame (11) with a seat surface frame (12) and a backrest frame (13), wherein the backrest frame (13) has a left backrest longitudinal strut (15) and a right backrest longitudinal strut (16) as well as a lower cross strut (17) and an upper cross strut (18), wherein the right and the left backrest longitudinal struts (15, 16) are arranged pivotably against a resistance on the lower cross strut (17) such that the backrest frame (13) is helically deformable.