Vehicle Seat Back Frame with Elastic Opening for Impact Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seat back frames for vehicles compromise passenger comfort due to a concaved and convex terrain when seated, and fail to effectively absorb impact loads from the rear, leading to discomfort and inadequate protection for the head and neck during collisions.
Innovation Solution
A seat back frame design featuring a pair of side frames, a headrest supporting frame, a supporting plate with an upper opening, a planar elastic body, and a connection member, such as a wire member, that elastically connects the supporting plate to the side frames, allowing the lumbar and dorsal vertebrae to sink into the opening and absorb impact while maintaining comfort by deforming elastically when seated.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the seat back frame uses a rigid structure to provide strong support, then impact protection is improved, but passenger comfort deteriorates due to concaved and convex terrain sensation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by replacing the rigid seat back frame with a flexible structure comprising elastic members (first and second elastic members) that can dynamically adapt to passenger movement. These elastic members allow the seat back to deform elastically during normal sitting, providing comfort, while maintaining sufficient rigidity to protect against rear impacts by limiting excessive deformation under high load conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by using materials and structures with different stiffness characteristics for different portions of the seat back frame. The elastic members are designed with specific elasticity parameters that allow them to be compliant under normal use conditions but resist deformation during impact events, effectively changing the mechanical parameters based on the magnitude of applied force.
2Ease of operation
If the seat back frame uses a flexible structure to improve comfort, then passenger comfort is improved, but impact absorption capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible structure incorporates elastic members that exhibit dynamic mechanical behavior - remaining compliant during normal sitting to enhance comfort, but transitioning to a stiffer response during impact events. This dynamic characteristic allows the same structure to satisfy both comfort and safety requirements under different operating conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic members are designed with specific material and geometric parameters that enable them to change their effective stiffness based on the magnitude of applied load. Under normal conditions, they deform easily to provide comfort, but under impact loads, their resistance to deformation increases, maintaining impact absorption capability.
3Speed
If the upper pelvis supporting unit and chest part supporting unit are positioned close together, then impact response speed is improved, but seat comfort deteriorates due to concaved terrain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the upper pelvis supporting unit and chest part supporting unit with appropriate spacing and connects them through elastic members. This configuration allows the supporting units to move dynamically during impact to achieve rapid response, while the elasticity of the connecting members prevents the formation of concaved terrain that would cause discomfort during normal sitting.
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
Enhances impact absorption efficiency, reduces discomfort by eliminating the concaved and convex terrain, and effectively protects the head and neck by allowing early approach to the headrest during impacts, while also lowering manufacturing costs and simplifying assembly.
Implementation Method 1
a planar elastic body and a connection member elastically strung at an upper opening... when an impact load is entered from a rear part of the vehicle, the lumber vertebra and the dorsal vertebra may be sunk into the upper opening
Implementation Method 2
The connection member includes a wire member connected to the pair of side frames. In addition, the wire member is elongated along the width direction of the seat
Data Source
AI summary
A seat back frame for a seat of a vehicle includes: a pair of side frames placed at a left side and a right side in a width direction of a seat; a head rest supporting frame supporting a head rest; a supporting plate, a both ends of the supporting plate being connected to a lower portion of each of the side frames; an upper opening provided above the supporting plate, the upper opening being opened in a front-rear direction; a planar elastic body provided across the upper opening; and a connection member elastically connecting a lower portion of the planar elastic body and an upper portion of the supporting plate.