Vehicle Seat Back Support With Flex-Limiting Abutment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle seat designs lack effective means to restrict excessive flexing of the pressure-receiving member, leading to potential deformation and load concentration on support positions, especially under excessive loads from occupants.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an abutment member on the pressure-receiving member that abuts against a linking member to limit flexing, with features such as bent portions and integral reinforcement to stabilize the structure and prevent excessive sinking, while maintaining seating comfort and dispersing loads between side frames.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the pressure-receiving member is made flexible by stretching linking wires to alleviate impact on the occupant, then comfort and impact absorption are improved, but under excessive load the pressure-receiving member flexes without limit causing deformation at support positions
Solution Approach 1:
The abutment member is pre-positioned on the pressure-receiving member to provide preliminary counteraction against excessive rearward flexing. When normal loads occur, the pressure-receiving member flexes freely for comfort, but when excessive loads threaten to cause unlimited flexing and deformation, the abutment member engages with the linking member to provide opposing force that prevents structural failure
Solution Approach 2:
The abutment member is installed in advance on the pressure-receiving member at a predetermined position, ready to restrict flexing before excessive deformation occurs. This preliminary arrangement ensures that when excessive load acts on the system, the flexing is already constrained by the pre-positioned abutment member, preventing deformation at support positions
2Ease of operation
If the pressure-receiving member is made flexible to receive and alleviate load from the occupant, then comfort is improved, but the load becomes concentrated on support positions causing potential deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The abutment member acts as an intermediary element between the pressure-receiving member and the linking member. It distributes the excessive load more evenly across the structure by providing a controlled engagement point, preventing concentration of stress at critical support positions while maintaining the flexibility needed for seating comfort
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
The solution effectively restricts excessive flexing and deformation of the pressure-receiving member, stabilizes the support structure, and enhances seating comfort by evenly distributing loads, ensuring efficient protection of the occupant's thorax and lumbar regions.
Implementation Method 1
the pressure-receiving member is made to flex rearwardly by stretching of the linking wires 21 and 22 to thus alleviate the impact acting on the occupant
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle seat is provided in which a pressure-receiving member receiving the back of an occupant through an upper linking wire is supported on a seat back frame of a seat back, and an abutment member is provided on the pressure-receiving member, the abutment member restricting an amount of flexing of the pressure-receiving member by abutting against the upper linking wire when the amount of flexing exceeds a predetermined amount. This enables the amount of flexing of the pressure-receiving member for supporting the back of the occupant to be restricted, thereby stabilizing the support of the occupant.