Seat Back Frame Reinforcement Using Hat-Type Profile and Beads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seat back frames in vehicles have insufficient stiffness, leading to noise issues due to vibration when the vehicle is in motion, as the circular tube frame material has a small contact area with the panel material, resulting in inadequate structural support.
Innovation Solution
A reinforcement structure for the seat back frame featuring a hat-type frame material with a web portion and flange joined to the panel material, along with beads formed in the panel material to enhance stiffness, including beads projecting towards the frame material and extending along its length, and non-joining portions to improve joining accuracy and noise suppression.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If circular tube frame material is used, then the structure is simple to manufacture, but the contact area with panel material is small resulting in insufficient stiffness
Solution Approach 1:
The frame material cross-section is changed from a circular tube (one-dimensional symmetry) to a hat-type shape with web portion and flange (two-dimensional asymmetric shape). This dimensional change increases the contact area with the panel material from a small circular interface to a larger rectangular interface formed by the web and flange, thereby improving stiffness while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through stamping processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The hat-type frame material concentrates the reinforcement function in specific local areas: the web portion provides vertical support and the flange provides horizontal support and large contact area with the panel material. This local quality optimization allows the frame to achieve high stiffness without requiring a complete structural redesign, maintaining ease of manufacture while improving local contact characteristics.
2Device complexity
If frame material is simply joined to panel material, then the joining process is simple, but the stiffness of the entire seat back frame is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
Beads are pre-formed on the panel material surface in positions opposing the frame material before the final assembly. These beads create predetermined reinforcement locations that work synergistically with the hat-type frame material, enhancing stiffness without requiring complex joining processes. The preliminary formation of beads allows the simple joining process to achieve superior stiffness results.
Solution Approach 2:
The seat back frame combines two different structural elements: the hat-type frame material (metallic frame) and the beads (protruding structures on the panel). This composite approach integrates two reinforcement mechanisms into a single system, where the frame provides structural support and the beads provide localized reinforcement at contact points, achieving high stiffness through material and structural combination rather than through complex joining alone.
3Device complexity
If insufficient stiffness is present, then the structure remains simple, but noise due to vibration occurs when the vehicle is running
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the frame cross-section from circular to hat-type with web and flange portions, the structural dimensionality is increased, creating a more rigid three-dimensional framework. This dimensional enhancement provides better resistance to vibrational forces and reduces the amplitude of vibrations that generate noise, while the added structural complexity remains manageable through standard manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The beads are pre-formed on the panel material to create reinforcement locations before assembly. These preliminary reinforcements work with the hat-type frame to suppress vibrations at their source, preventing the generation of vibration noise rather than addressing it after it occurs. This preliminary action approach reduces noise without requiring additional noise control components or complex damping structures.
Data Source
AI summary
A reinforcement structure for a seat back frame includes a panel material; and a frame material joined to the panel material. The frame material is formed as a hat-type frame material including a web portion which is formed as a substantial U shape from a cross-sectional view and which forms a closed cross-sectional shape with the panel material, and a flange which is formed as one with the web portion and which is also joined to the panel material. A bead is formed in the panel material in a position opposing to the frame material.