Vehicle Seat Back Frame Load Transmission Beads
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing vehicle seat designs fail to efficiently transmit loads from the headrest to the coupling portions of the seat back frame during a rear impact, leading to inefficient energy distribution and potential discomfort for passengers.
Innovation Solution
The vehicle seat incorporates load transmitting portions, such as vertically extending beads or wall portions, that are formed in an L- or U-shape, connecting the fixing portions for the headrest to the coupling portions, allowing direct transmission of loads to the seat back frame, thereby enhancing load distribution and reducing the number of parts while maintaining passenger comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the seat back frame is formed in a panel shape with conventional support structures, then the manufacturing complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but the load transmission efficiency from the headrest to the coupling portions during rear impact deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The panel-shaped seat back frame is segmented into multiple functional regions: coupling portions at the lower end for attaching to the seat cushion frame, fixing portions at the upper end for securing the headrest, and load transmitting portions (beads) extending vertically between them. This segmentation allows the single panel structure to efficiently transmit impact loads from the headrest through dedicated load paths to the coupling portions while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
Load transmitting portions are formed as three-dimensional beads protruding from the panel surface in the width-direction outer side. These beads create additional load transmission paths in the lateral dimension, allowing impact forces to be distributed across multiple wall portions (first and second wall portions) that extend in different directions, thereby enhancing load transmission efficiency without adding separate components.
2Reliability
If load transmitting portions are added to the seat back frame, then the load transmission efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The load transmitting portions (beads) are integrated directly into the panel-shaped seat back frame as a unified structure. The beads are formed as continuous protrusions that connect the fixing portions to the coupling portions, merging the load transmission function into the existing frame structure rather than adding separate, discrete components. This reduces assembly complexity while maintaining enhanced load transmission capability.
3Ease of manufacture
If the seat back frame uses a panel shape with integrated load transmitting portions, then the number of parts is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The panel-shaped seat back frame exhibits local quality variations through strategically positioned beads with specific geometries. Each bead contains first and second wall portions with thicknesses optimized for their respective load transmission functions. The beads are located at specific positions between the coupling portions and fixing portions, creating localized structural enhancements without complicating the overall panel design or manufacturing process.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle seat (10) comprising a seat cushion frame (72) that configures a seat cushion (70); a seat back frame (14) that configures a seat back (12), the seat back frame (14) being formed in a panel shape and having, on a lower portion thereof on both sides in a seat width direction, coupling portions (46) that are coupled to the seat cushion frame (72); fixing portions (20) that are formed in an upper portion of the seat back frame (14) and fix a headrest (60); and load transmitting portions (40) that are disposed in the seat back frame (14), are each formed in a substantially L-shape opening toward the seat rear side and outward in the seat width direction, and couple together the fixing portions (20) and the coupling portions (46).