Seat Cover Anchor System with Rigid Drawstring
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seat covers fail to securely anchor to vehicle seats due to inadequate resistance from foam inserts and cumbersome drawstring mechanisms, often resulting in the covers shifting or being pulled back through the seat gap.
Innovation Solution
A seat cover design featuring a rigid anchor system with a drawstring mechanism that includes a drawstring sleeve and catch, which secures the anchor behind the seat, preventing it from slipping back and providing a stable fit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a foam insert is used in the gap flap to prevent it from being pulled back through the seat gap, then the gap flap is intended to keep the seat cover in place, but it provides little resistance and thus often fails to do so
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from soft foam to rigid material, and changes the dimensional parameters by providing specific size requirements (at least 0.5 inches in height and width, and at least 1 inch in length). This transforms the gap flap from a flexible foam insert with insufficient resistance into a rigid structural element that can withstand pulling forces and reliably prevent the seat cover from being pulled back through the seat gap.
2Reliability
If the gap flap is made too short, then it may not be fully anchored behind the seat, but if it is made too long, then it may not be snug against the back of the seat
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes specific dimensional parameters for the anchor (at least 0.5 inches in height and width, and at least 1 inch in length) that optimize both anchoring completeness and fit. These parameter specifications ensure the anchor is sufficiently large to be fully anchored behind the seat while maintaining a snug fit against the back of the seat, resolving the contradiction between length requirements.
3Device complexity
If a small cam lock is used to hold the drawstring in a drawn configuration, then the drawstring mechanism can be compact, but it can't withstand much force and that is difficult to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the locking function from a small cam lock mechanism and replaces it with a simple drawstring that can be tied into a knot. This removes the problematic cam lock component entirely, providing both greater force resistance through the knot structure and improved ease of operation through a simple tying action, while maintaining compactness through the absence of complex mechanical parts.
Data Source
AI summary
A seat cover comprises a seat bottom overlay configured to cover a seat bottom of a seat; a seat back overlay configured to cover a seat back of the seat; and an anchor system the keeps the seat bottom and back overlays in position on the seat. The anchor system comprises a rigid anchor; a drawstring sleeve on the seat bottom overlay or the seat back overlay; and a drawstring connected to the anchor and passing through the drawstring sleeve. When tightened, the drawstring urges the anchor against a rear of the seat to help hold the seat bottom overlay and seat back overlay in place on the seat.