Vehicle Seat Backrest Floor Support Segmentation
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle seats are heavy due to the need for a stable construction to support the backrest and absorb forces, leading to suboptimal force distribution and high production and material costs.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat design where the backrest extends to the floor surface, allowing forces to be dissipated directly, with a pivot axis that enables the backrest to pivot relative to the seat part, and using lightweight materials like GRP or CFRP for a one-piece frame, optimizing force distribution and reducing weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the backrest is pivotably connected to the seat part with the pivot axis below the seat cushion surface, then the seat provides stable support for the backrest, but the seat becomes relatively heavy and requires stable construction with high material costs
Solution Approach 1:
The seat is divided into functionally independent support elements: front support elements for the seat part and rear support elements for the backrest. This segmentation allows each element to be optimized independently, reducing the need for over-engineering the entire structure for stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The backrest support is extended to a new dimension by reaching down to the floor surface, creating a distributed support system that spans from the seat cushion level down to the floor, thereby achieving stability without increasing horizontal structural mass.
2Reliability
If the pivot axis is positioned below the seat cushion surface, then the backrest can be held permanently on the seat part, but the force distribution becomes suboptimal and requires heavy stable construction
Solution Approach 1:
The force transmission path is segmented into separate channels: vertical forces from the seat part go to front support elements, while forces from the backrest go to rear support elements on the floor. This segmentation optimizes force distribution by directing loads along their natural paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The rear support elements act as intermediaries between the backrest and the floor, providing a direct force transmission path that bypasses the seat part structure. This mediator role allows optimal force distribution without requiring the seat part to bear backrest loads.
3Strength
If a stable construction is used to support the backrest and absorb forces, then the seat maintains structural integrity, but production and material costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is segmented into independent front and rear elements that can be manufactured separately and assembled. This reduces manufacturing complexity and material costs while maintaining structural integrity through the distributed support system.
Solution Approach 2:
Strength is applied locally where needed: the rear support elements provide structural strength at the backrest-floor interface, while the front support elements handle seat part loads. This localized strength approach avoids the need for uniformly heavy construction throughout the entire seat.
4Force
If the seat part is supported on the floor at the front and the backrest extends to the floor at the rear, then optimal force distribution is achieved, but the construction complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support system is segmented into simple, discrete front and rear support elements rather than a complex integrated structure. This segmentation achieves optimal force distribution through clear separation of force paths while keeping individual elements simple to construct.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3
AI summary
The vehicle seat (1) has a seat main portion (2) that includes a seat surface (3) and a floor area (4) supported in the region the front edge of the seat side poriton (5). A seat rear portion (7) is swingably connected with the seat main portion by a pivotal axis (9). The lower portion of the seat rear portion is supported at the floor area. A lower end portion (12a) of the seat rear portion is extended to the floor area. The seat rear portion is continuously formed from an upper end portion (12b) to the lower end portion of the seat rear portion in height direction.