Vehicle Seat Airbag Bracket Fixation and Bolt Cover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automotive seat designs with airbag devices fixed to side frame members made of pipe materials face issues with bolt elongation or inclination, leading to rattling and safety concerns due to exposed bolt ends.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat design featuring an attachment bracket with an airbag fixing portion that protrudes laterally from the side frame member, allowing the airbag device to be securely fixed with bolts penetrating the bracket, and a side panel covering the airbag fixing portion and bolt ends to ensure safety and construct the external shape of the seatback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the airbag device is fixed directly to the side frame member made of pipe material with bolts, then the fixation is simple, but the bolts become elongated or inclined causing rattling and safety issues
Solution Approach 1:
An attachment bracket is introduced as an intermediary component between the airbag device and the side frame member. The bracket includes a bracket body fixed to the side frame member and a fixing portion that securely holds the airbag device, preventing bolt elongation and inclination while eliminating rattling issues.
2Reliability
If the airbag device is fixed to a bracket, then rattling is prevented, but the bolt ends become exposed on the outer side of the side frame member creating safety concerns
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment bracket is designed with a nested structure where the fixing portion is positioned within or integrated with the bracket body. The bracket body acts as a housing that contains the bolt ends, preventing them from protruding outward and creating safety hazards while maintaining secure fixation of the airbag device.
3Weight of moving object
If a pipe material side frame member is used, then weight is reduced and rigidity is improved, but the airbag device cannot be securely fixed without causing bolt issues
Solution Approach 1:
The fixation system is segmented into distinct functional components: the side frame member (made of pipe material for weight reduction), the attachment bracket (for secure fixation), and the fixing portion (for holding the airbag device). This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the pipe material frame maintains light weight and rigidity, while the bracket provides reliable fixation without the drawbacks of direct bolting.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle seat includes an airbag device, an attachment bracket with which the airbag device is fixed to the side frame member of a seat back, a cushion pad covering a front side and a lateral side of the back frame, and a side panel attached to the side frame member. The attachment bracket includes an airbag fixing portion that protrudes laterally from the side frame member. The airbag device is disposed on a front side of the airbag fixing portion and is fixed to the airbag fixing portion with bolts that penetrate the airbag fixing portion from the front side of the airbag fixing portion to a rear side of the airbag fixing portion. The side panel covers a lateral side and the rear side of the airbag fixing portion and constructs an external shape of the side surface of the seatback together with the cushion pad.