Vehicle Seat Cushion Layout for Stable Side-Load Support
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle seat designs with a bulging portion between supporting members can lead to insufficient support performance when the load of an occupant shifts, such as during cornering, as the contractile force of the backing acts on a specific portion of the cushion, resulting in decreased seating comfort.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat design with a frame member and cushion, featuring a pair of first supporting members that extend in the seat length direction, dividing the cushion into a center portion and side portions with semi-cylindrical bulges, and a second supporting member that crosses the first supporting members to further enhance support by distributing the contractile force around the occupant.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single bulging portion is formed between the pair of supporting members, then the seating comfort is maintained under normal conditions, but the support performance becomes insufficient when the occupant's load shifts (e.g., during cornering)
Solution Approach 1:
The cushion is divided into multiple bulging portions (first bulging portion between the supporting members, and second bulging portions at the side portions) rather than having a single bulging portion. This segmentation allows different regions of the cushion to provide support independently, enabling the seat to maintain support performance whether the occupant is centered or shifted to one side.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the cushion are given different structural characteristics - the center region has a first bulging portion while the side regions have second bulging portions. This local differentiation ensures that support is available at specific locations based on where the occupant's load is applied, improving adaptability to load position changes.
2Reliability
If the bulging portion is positioned centrally between supporting members, then it provides good support for centered occupants, but fails to provide adequate support when the load moves to side portions
Solution Approach 1:
The cushion structure is segmented into multiple bulging portions distributed across different locations - a central first bulging portion and lateral second bulging portions. This ensures that regardless of whether the occupant is centered or shifted to one side, there is always a bulging portion in the region where load is applied, thereby maintaining seating comfort and expanding support coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure transitions from a single centralized bulge to a multi-dimensional distribution of bulges across the cushion width and length. This spatial distribution in multiple dimensions allows the cushion to provide support across a broader area, accommodating occupants in various positions.
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
This design improves seating comfort by stabilizing the positions of bulging portions and distributing the contractile force around the occupant, effectively maintaining support performance even when the load shifts, thereby enhancing the overall support and comfort of the seat.
Implementation Method 1
the cushion is a member (made of polyurethane foam) that elastically supports an occupant
Implementation Method 2
the pressing force received by the cushion is canceled out as much as possible by the repulsion force of the bulging portion, i.e., the contractile force of the hacking
Data Source
AI summary
In a vehicle seat, a back side, that is a side opposite a seating side, of a cushion is covered by a backing that has less expandability than the cushion. The back side of the cushion is divided by a pair of first supporting members into a center portion arranged between the pair of first supporting members and a pair of side portions arranged on both sides of the center portion. The center portion and the side portions each have a semi-cylindrical outer shape that protrudes out from the back side of the cushion. First arranging portions that are recessed toward the seating side are formed between the center portion and each of the side portions. The first supporting members are arranged sinking into the cushion at the first arranging portions.