Modular Vehicle Seat Backrest Reinforcement Design

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle seat designs lack a simplified modular structure that can accommodate varying strength requirements for different backrests, particularly in scenarios where one backrest must absorb belt forces during a crash while another is subjected to lower loads.

Innovation Solution

A modular vehicle seat design featuring backrests reinforced with longitudinal beams made from identical frame parts and additional reinforcement parts, allowing for adjustable strength and reduced part variability, with mirror-symmetrical and adaptation reinforcement parts to optimize load distribution and manufacturing efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If different reinforcement structures are used for first and second backrests to meet different strength requirements, then crash safety is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecrash safetyVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The reinforcement structure is segmented into a common base frame part and an additional reinforcement part. The base frame part is identical for both backrests, while the additional reinforcement part is selectively added to the first backrest to meet higher strength requirements for crash safety, thus reducing overall complexity while maintaining safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The reinforcement is applied locally where needed - the additional reinforcement part is attached only to the first backrest that requires higher strength for automatic seat belt force absorption, while the second backrest uses only the base frame part, optimizing material usage and structural efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple different parts are used for backrests with different strength requirements, then adaptability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestrength variation adaptabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The backrest reinforcement system is divided into two manufacturable segments: a standard base frame part that can be mass-produced identically for both backrests, and an optional additional reinforcement part that is added only when required. This segmentation enables standardized manufacturing processes while providing adaptability for different strength requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The base frame part serves as a universal component for both first and second backrests, enabling standardized production. The additional reinforcement part provides optional enhancement for the first backrest, allowing a single base design to serve multiple functional requirements through selective augmentation rather than requiring entirely different components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Strength

If a non-modular design is used for backrests, then structural optimization is improved, but manufacturing efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural optimizationVSAvoidmanufacturing efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The modular segmentation allows the base frame part to be manufactured once and reused for both backrests, significantly improving manufacturing efficiency. The additional reinforcement part can be selectively added during assembly or in a separate manufacturing step, maintaining structural optimization while enabling efficient production through component reuse.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The common base frame part merges the essential structural functions for both backrests into a single standardized component. This merging eliminates redundant manufacturing of identical structural elements and allows for economies of scale in production, while the selective addition of reinforcement parts maintains the necessary structural differences for different safety requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP2925562B1Vehicle seat
Publication Date: 2016.08.17 JOHNSON CONTROLS COMPONENTS GMBH & CO KG
  • EP2925562B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2925562B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2925562B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a vehicle seat (1) comprising a first seat (11) with a first backrest (21) and a second seat (12) with a second backrest (22). The second backrest (22) is reinforced with at least one second longitudinal side piece (42, 44) formed from a frame part (52, 54) and the first backrest (21) is reinforced with at least one first longitudinal side piece (41, 43) having an identical frame part (52, 54) and in addition a reinforcement part (51, 53, 55).