Seat Back Lower Connecting Member Layout for Rear-Impact Cushioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicle seats, occupants experience tactile sensations during rear-end collisions due to the presence of lower connecting members and seat reclining shafts, which can cause discomfort and potential damage to the seat cushion.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat design featuring a lower connecting member with a front wall portion and rear wall portion, where the front surface has an upper and lower portion, and a reclining mechanism with the front wall portion positioned in front of the shaft, allowing for deformation and enhanced rigidity to absorb collision impacts, reducing tactile sensations and preventing damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the lower connecting member is positioned to connect the right and left side frames, then the rigidity of the seat back frame is improved, but the occupant experiences tactile sensation and discomfort during rear-end collision
Solution Approach 1:
A cushioning member is introduced as an intermediary element between the lower connecting member and the seat back cushion. This mediator absorbs the direct contact force, preventing the rigid lower connecting member from causing tactile sensation to the occupant while maintaining the structural rigidity needed for side collision resistance
Solution Approach 2:
The cushioning member is pre-installed at the position where the lower connecting member would contact the seat back cushion during rear-end collision. This prior cushioning arrangement ensures that when collision occurs, the soft material is already in place to prevent direct contact between the hard frame component and the cushion, eliminating tactile sensation before it can affect the occupant
2Strength
If the lower connecting member has extended structure, then the rigidity for side collision resistance is improved, but the seat back cushion may be damaged by the lower frame
Solution Approach 1:
The cushioning member serves as a protective intermediary between the lower connecting member and the seat back cushion. It prevents the extended structure of the lower connecting member from directly damaging the cushion while maintaining the structural integrity needed for side collision resistance
Solution Approach 2:
The cushioning member is pre-positioned to protect the seat back cushion from potential damage by the lower connecting member. This prior protective arrangement ensures that even when the extended lower connecting member structure contacts the cushion area during side collision, the soft material prevents damage
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 design effectively alleviates tactile sensations and prevents damage to the seat cushion during rear-end collisions by absorbing impacts and distributing loads, while maintaining sufficient rigidity to resist side loads.
Implementation Method 1
the front wall portion comprises a flat portion... allowing for deformation and enhanced rigidity to absorb collision impacts
Data Source
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AI summary
A vehicle seat comprises a seat bottom frame 2 as a frame of a seat bottom allowing an occupant to sit thereon, and a seat back frame 1 supported by the seat bottom frame 2. The seat back frame 1 includes right and left side frames SF laterally spaced apart from each other, and a lower connecting member 30 disposed and extending between lower portions of the right and left side frames SF and configured to connect the right and left side frames SF, and the lower connecting member 30 includes a rear wall portion connected to and supported by the side frames SF, and a front wall portion 31 disposed frontward of the rear wall portion and extending downward from an upper end of the rear wall portions, and a front surface 31A of the front wall portion 31 has an upper portion and a lower portion which is located frontward of the upper portion.