Seat Base Flexible Fingers for Straddle Vehicle Body Clearance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle seats for straddle vehicles, such as motorcycles, face challenges in securely mounting to the underlying frame while accommodating the shape of immovable body structures like fuel tanks, often requiring complex and visible fastening systems that compromise aesthetics.
Innovation Solution
A seat base with a partitioned peripheral edge featuring flexible fingers that conform to the shape of interfering body structures, allowing elastic deflection during assembly to facilitate secure mounting without visible fasteners.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid seat base is used to securely mount to the frame, then mounting stability is improved, but the ability to accommodate interfering body structures like fuel tanks deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The seat base is divided into multiple flexible fingers that can independently deflect and conform to the shape of interfering body structures such as fuel tanks, while maintaining overall structural integrity and mounting stability to the frame
Solution Approach 2:
The peripheral edge portion of the seat base is designed with flexible fingers that can dynamically deflect elastically during assembly to accommodate interfering body structures, allowing the rigid seat base to adapt to varying spatial constraints
2Reliability
If visible fasteners are used to secure the seat to the frame, then mounting reliability is improved, but aesthetic appearance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The visible fasteners are extracted from the assembly, with the flexible fingers themselves serving as both the mounting interface and the aesthetic surface, eliminating the need for separate visible fastening components
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible fingers serve dual functions as both structural mounting elements and aesthetic surface components, merging the fastening function with the appearance function to eliminate visible fasteners
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
Enables secure, aesthetically pleasing mounting of the seat assembly to the vehicle frame by accommodating the shape of immovable structures like fuel tanks, enhancing both functionality and appearance.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of flexible fingers provided in a peripheral edge portion of the seat base are elastically deflected to accommodate interference between the seat assembly and an interfering portion of the body structure
Data Source
AI summary
A straddle vehicle including a seat assembly with at least one seating area for a person straddling the vehicle. The seat assembly includes a seat base, and one or more upholstery layers disposed atop the seat base. A frame of the straddle vehicle supports the seat assembly. The seat base and the frame form a mount for securing the seat assembly into an assembled position with respect to the frame. A body structure is coupled to the frame in an assembled position directly adjacent to a peripheral edge portion of the seat assembly such that, in their respective assembled positions, the peripheral edge portion contacts an interfering portion of the body structure. The seat base, in the peripheral edge portion, is partitioned into a plurality of flexible fingers that conform to a shape of the interfering portion of the body structure.