Vehicle Seat Inner Board Latching Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing seat device for vehicles requires a special securing member like a tacker to prevent disengagement of the inner board, which is difficult to operate in confined spaces and necessitates skill.
Innovation Solution
The seat device incorporates a latching projection and groove mechanism on the retaining groove and inner board, allowing the inner board to be securely fitted without additional securing members, with the latching projection molded as a rib for enhanced stiffness and engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a tacker is used to secure the inner board to the board support member, then disengagement of the inner board is suppressed, but the assembly operation becomes difficult and requires skill due to the confined space beneath the seat back
Solution Approach 1:
The board support member is designed with an integrated latching projection that automatically engages with the latching groove on the inner board during assembly. This self-latching mechanism eliminates the need for separate securing members like tackers, allowing workers to simply fit the inner board into place without requiring specialized tools or skills to operate in the confined space beneath the seat back.
Solution Approach 2:
The securing function is merged into the board support member itself by forming the latching projection as an integral part of its structure. This combines the support and securing functions into a single component, eliminating the need for separate securing members and simplifying the assembly process while maintaining reliable disengagement suppression.
2Reliability
If a tacker is used to secure the inner board, then disengagement is suppressed, but the device complexity increases due to the need for special securing members
Solution Approach 1:
The securing function is merged into the board support member itself by forming the latching projection as an integral part of its structure. This combines the support and securing functions into a single component, eliminating the need for separate securing members like tackers and reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The separate securing member (tacker) is extracted from the system and replaced by the integrated latching projection. This removes the need for additional components and simplifies the overall structure while maintaining the essential function of preventing inner board disengagement.
3Strength
If the latching projection is molded as a rib shape integrally with the board support member, then structural integrity is enhanced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The latching projection is designed with a rib shape that optimizes the balance between structural strength and manufacturability. The rib configuration provides enhanced stiffness and engagement capability while remaining compatible with standard injection molding processes, avoiding the need for complex secondary operations or assembly steps.
Data Source
AI summary
A seat device for a vehicle includes a seat back, an auxiliary member supported on the seat back and can pivot between a storage position at which the auxiliary member is housed in a housing recess part and a projecting position at which the auxiliary member projects forward of the seat back, and an inner board that closes a rear opening face of the housing recess part, a board support member having a retaining groove into which a lower end part of the inner board is fitted from above, wherein a latching projection and a latching groove are formed respectively on one and the other of opposing faces of the retaining groove and the lower end part of the inner board fitted thereinto, the latching projection and the latching groove being engaged with each other for suppressing upward movement of the inner board.