Expanded Polypropylene Foam Vehicle Seat Weight Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional motor vehicle seats with foldable backrests are material-intensive, heavy, and require expensive kinematics components to ensure stability, leading to increased weight and fuel consumption, as well as safety concerns.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle seat configuration using expanded polypropylene foam or comparable materials to reduce weight, with a movable seat part connected to the vehicle body floor via a fixed foam unit, allowing for direct force transmission and simplified folding mechanisms, including a one-hand operable foldable backrest.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If conventional metal structures are used for the seat frame, then stability and strength are improved, but weight increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseat frame strengthVSAvoidseat weight

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the material parameter from metal to expanded polypropylene foam, fundamentally altering the density and weight characteristics while maintaining structural functionality through the foam's inherent properties

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses expanded polypropylene foam as a composite material that combines structural support functionality with weight reduction, replacing traditional metal composites with a foam-based composite structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Stability of the object's composition

If complex kinematics components are used for foldable mechanisms, then stability during folding is improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefolding mechanism stabilityVSAvoidkinematics component complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes the complex metal kinematics components from the folding mechanism, relying instead on the foam material's inherent flexibility and the simplified geometric relationships between seat parts to achieve stable folding

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention substitutes the mechanical kinematics system with a material-based solution, where the expanded polypropylene foam's viscoelastic properties and structural characteristics replace the need for complex mechanical linkages and joints

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If heavy metal structures are used, then safety during accidents is improved, but fuel consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccident safetyVSAvoidfuel consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the weight parameter of the seat structure by using expanded polypropylene foam instead of metal, directly reducing the vehicle's overall mass and consequently lowering fuel consumption while maintaining safety through alternative means

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS7874607B2Vehicle seat configuration

Publication Date: 2011.01.25 VOLKSWAGEN AG

AI summary

A motor vehicle seat has an element formed of expanded polypropylene foam or of a material with comparable properties with respect to its firmness and weight provided between a seat part and a vehicle body floor, wherein the seat part is directly or indirectly connected to the vehicle body floor via the element formed of expanded polypropylene foam or of the material with comparable properties with respect to its firmness and weight, or the seat part is formed essentially of expanded polypropylene foam or of a material with comparable properties with respect to its firmness and weight and is directly or indirectly connected to the vehicle body floor.