Vehicle Seat Hinge Structure to Suppress Seatback Torsion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Foldable vehicle seats requiring large forces to raise seatbacks from a forward tilting posture to an upright posture due to torsion caused by reverse rotation springs, leading to displacement of fork sections from strikers.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat design with a first and second seatback framework, each supported by hinges with a weld part joining hinge brackets at a higher position than the shafts, distributing the urging force to suppress torsion and reduce the required engagement force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a reverse rotation spring is provided to a hinge to keep the seatback in a forward tilting posture, then the seatback can be kept in the forward tilting posture, but the seatback experiences torsion when raising to upright posture requiring large engagement force
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the hinge brackets of adjacent hinges (first hinge and second hinge) into a single integrated structure. This combining of previously separate components allows the urging force from the reverse rotation spring to be distributed across both hinge locations, reducing torsion on the seatback framework and enabling engagement without large forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new spatial dimension by extending the hinge bracket in the vehicle width direction. Instead of simply strengthening individual hinge brackets vertically, the solution extends horizontally to span across multiple hinge locations, creating a distributed support structure that eliminates torsion through spatial redistribution of forces.
2Ease of operation
If the fork section is displaced from the striker during raising, then engagement cannot occur smoothly, but large force is required to achieve proper alignment
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the hinge brackets into an integrated structure, the patent ensures that both hinges move in unison during seatback raising. This synchronized movement prevents differential displacement between fork sections and strikers, allowing smooth engagement without requiring large alignment forces.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple seatbacks are arranged in the vehicle width direction, then comprehensive seat coverage is achieved, but each seatback requires large force to engage with the vehicle body
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges adjacent hinge brackets into a shared structural element that serves multiple seatbacks simultaneously. This integrated hinge structure distributes the engagement forces across multiple seatbacks, reducing the force required for each individual seatback to engage with the vehicle body while maintaining comprehensive seat coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The merged hinge bracket structure serves multiple functions: it acts as the hinge for the first seatback, the hinge for the second seatback, and provides structural support for both. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate hinge structures, reducing overall engagement forces while maintaining adaptability across multiple seat 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
The design requires no large force to engage seatbacks with the vehicle body, minimizing torsion and ensuring smooth transition from a forward tilting to an upright posture.
Implementation Method 1
a reverse rotation spring provided to a hinge
Implementation Method 2
a joining part joining an upper end of a first hinge bracket and an upper end of a second hinge bracket
Data Source
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AI summary
A vehicle seat includes a first hinge rotatably supporting a left seatback framework and a second hinge rotatably supporting a center seatback framework. The first hinge includes a first base bracket and a first hinge bracket continuous to the first bracket, and the second hinge includes a second base bracket and a second hinge bracket continuous to the second base bracket. Each of the first hinge and the second hinge has a frame bracket coupled to the corresponding seatback framework and a shaft about which the hinge rotates. An urging member is wound on the shaft. A joining part joins a distal end of the first hinge bracket of the first hinge to a distal end of the second hinge bracket of the second hinge.