Conveyance Seat Cover Segmentation to Prevent Pad-Molding Wrinkles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Integrally molded seat covers and pads can lead to excessive deformation and wrinkles, impairing the appearance of conveyance seats.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating an interrupting portion, such as a sheet-shaped felt member, in the seat cover that inhibits integration with the seat pad at specific areas, preventing deformation and maintaining the benefits of integral molding elsewhere.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the seat cover and seat pad are integrally molded, then the shape of the seat cover can be easily formed along the shape of the seat pad, but excessive deformation occurs causing wrinkles that impair the appearance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of forming seat cover shapeVSAvoidappearance quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The seat cover is divided into multiple regions: an integrated region where the seat cover is integrally molded with the seat pad to facilitate manufacturing, and a non-integrated region where the seat cover is separated from the seat pad to prevent excessive deformation and wrinkles. This segmentation allows simultaneous achievement of manufacturing ease and appearance quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the seat cover are given different integration characteristics with the seat pad. The integrated region allows full integration for manufacturing simplicity, while the non-integrated region maintains separation to preserve appearance quality. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between ease of manufacture and appearance quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Strength

If the seat cover and seat pad are fully integrated, then structural firmness is improved, but deformation occurs causing large wrinkles at visually recognizable areas

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural firmnessVSAvoidwrinkle formation

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The seat cover is segmented into an integrated region that provides structural firmness and a non-integrated region that prevents wrinkle formation. By strategically placing the non-integrated region at visually recognizable areas such as inclined side portions, the design maintains structural strength while eliminating the harmful effect of wrinkles.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention converts the potential harm of incomplete integration (reduced structural firmness) into a benefit by strategically positioning the non-integrated region at areas where wrinkles would be most visually noticeable. This transforms a structural compromise into an aesthetic solution, preventing wrinkles at critical visual areas while maintaining overall structural integrity through the integrated region.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Data Source

PatentUS9211825B2Conveyance seat

Publication Date: 2015.12.15 TOYOTA BOSHOKU KK

AI summary

A conveyance seat includes: a seat cover; a seat pad foamed so as to be integrated with part of the seat cover; and an interrupting portion provided in part of the seat cover and inhibiting integration of the seat pad with the seat cover.