Integrated Vehicle Seat Structure With Built-In Height Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle seats often have complex structures and excessive weight due to separate components, which complicates assembly and increases material usage.
Innovation Solution
The seat face and lateral members are integrated, produced from fiber-reinforced plastics, and include resilient elements and a self-locking height adjustment mechanism, simplifying assembly and reducing weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the seat face and lateral members are produced as separate components, then assembly flexibility is improved, but the structure becomes more complex and weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the seat face and lateral members into a single integral component produced from fiber-reinforced plastics material. This eliminates the need for separate components and their associated connections (welding, riveting, or screwing), thereby reducing structural complexity while maintaining manufacturing capability through mold filling methods with inserted reinforcement materials.
2Manufacturing precision
If the seat face and lateral members are produced as separate components, then manufacturing precision can be optimized for each part, but the overall assembly weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple components into one integral structure, eliminating the need for additional connection materials (welds, rivets, screws) and reducing the total material quantity required. This merging approach reduces the overall weight while the mold filling process with inserted reinforcement materials ensures the necessary manufacturing precision is achieved.
3Strength
If connections between lateral members and seat face are used, then structural integrity is improved, but the assembly process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates an integral structure where the seat face and lateral members are formed as one piece from fiber-reinforced plastics material. This eliminates all connections between these components, removing assembly steps involving welding, riveting, or screwing, thereby reducing assembly complexity while maintaining structural integrity through the monolithic construction.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate components are used for the seat structure, then functional adaptability is improved, but the production time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent produces the seat face and lateral members as a single integral component in one manufacturing process using mold filling with inserted reinforcement materials. This eliminates multiple assembly steps and reduces production time, while the design can still incorporate resilient elements and adjustment mechanisms to maintain functional adaptability.
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
This integration simplifies the assembly process, reduces weight, and enhances the seat's resilience and adjustability, providing improved comfort and safety features like crash resistance and adjustable backrest inclination.
Implementation Method 1
The seat face and the lateral members and optionally the upper rail and/or the backrest connection are preferably produced from a plastics material, in particular a fiber-reinforced plastics material
Implementation Method 2
at least one resilient element is provided on each lateral member, in particular in an integral manner
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle seat including a seat member, having a seat face and two lateral members. The seat face may be provided between the lateral members in an integral manner. The vehicle seat may further include a height adjuster for adjusting a height of the seat face, and the height adjuster may be integrated in the lateral members. Each of the lateral members may have a recess, the shape of which may change during the height adjustment. The height adjuster may include a drive element. The drive element may include a rotor with helical slots. The lateral members may have projections provided which cooperate in a positive-locking manner with the helical slots. During rotation of the rotor, the projections may be moved away from each other or toward each other. Height adjustment of the seat face may be carried out.