Integrated Rear Seat Flap Structure for Package Shelf Gap Concealment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seat assemblies in automotive vehicles often feature a visible gap between the rear seat back and the package shelf due to design constraints, and existing solutions, such as pivoting flaps, require manual operation and increase complexity and cost.
Innovation Solution
A fixed flap with a front wall and an upper wall, including nonparallel segments, is secured to the rear seat back to conceal the gap between the seat back and the package shelf, accommodating the pivotal movement of the seat back without manual operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a pivoting flap is used to conceal the gap, then the gap can be concealed, but manual operation is required and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the flap pivot independently to chase the seat back movement, the invention inverts the approach by making the flap fixed to the seat back. This allows the flap to move automatically with the seat back, eliminating the need for manual operation and complex pivot mechanisms while maintaining gap concealment functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The flap is designed to automatically follow the seat back's pivotal movement by being fixedly secured to it. The seat back's own movement serves to position the flap correctly, eliminating the need for separate actuation mechanisms or manual operation by the user
2Ease of manufacture
If a pivoting flap is used to conceal the gap, then the gap can be concealed, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the conventional approach by fixing the flap to the moving seat back rather than having it pivot independently. This simplifies the overall mechanism, reducing assembly complexity and manufacturing cost while achieving the same gap concealment effect
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the unnecessary pivot mechanism from the flap design, keeping only the essential function of gap concealment. By removing the complex pivoting hardware and its associated costs, the solution achieves cost-effectiveness without sacrificing functionality
3Ease of operation
If the flap is fixed to the seat back, then manual operation is eliminated, but the flap must accommodate pivotal movement
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the flap with the seat back by fixedly securing it to the rear surface. This combination ensures that the flap automatically follows the seat back's pivotal movement across multiple seating positions, achieving both automatic operation and adaptability to movement
Data Source
AI summary
A rear seat assembly is for use in an automotive vehicle having a package shelf includes a generally horizontal seat cushion, a seat back and a flap. The seat cushion is fixedly secured to the vehicle. The seat back is pivotally coupled to the vehicle for movement between a plurality of seating positions relative to the seat cushion. The seat back has a rear surface spaced apart from the package shelf to define a gap therebetween. The flap is fixedly secured to the rear surface of the seat back. The flap has a front wall adapted to be fixedly secured to the rear surface of the seat back. The front wall has an upper edge. An upper wall extends outwardly from the upper edge of the front wall for substantially concealing the gap while the seat back is in any one of the seating positions.