Vehicle Seat Inner Board Locking Claw and Stopper Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing vehicle seat device design, which uses a cross member to support the inner board, increases the number of parts and costs, making it difficult to restrict excessive forward movement and deformation of the inner board due to rear-side loads effectively.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat device with a locking claw bent forward on the upper end of the inner board and a stopper member on the seat back frame that engages with the locking claw to restrict forward and downward movement, eliminating the need for a cross member and utilizing the cushion pad and back panel for support, thereby simplifying the structure and reducing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cross member is provided to support the inner board, then the inner board can be supported and excessive forward movement can be restricted, but the number of parts increases and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the support function into the existing cushion pad structure. The cushion pad's rear surface directly supports the upper end portion of the inner board, eliminating the need for a separate cross member. This merging of support functions reduces part count while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cushion pad serves dual purposes: providing seating comfort and supporting the inner board structure. By making the cushion pad self-sufficient in bearing both functions, the patent eliminates the need for additional dedicated support components, thereby reducing device complexity.
2Reliability
If a cross member is provided to support the inner board, then forward movement of the inner board can be suppressed, but the structure becomes more complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the position stabilization function into the interaction between the locking claw-stopper member mechanism and the cushion pad support. This integration eliminates the need for a separate cross member, simplifying manufacturing and reducing costs while maintaining position stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the support function from the cross member and relocates it to the cushion pad's rear surface. This extraction eliminates the harmful element (cross member adding complexity) while preserving the useful function (supporting the inner board).
3Device complexity
If no load receiving member is provided in the rear opening portion, then the structure is simplified and cost is reduced, but the inner board may deform under load from the rear side
Solution Approach 1:
The patent shifts the load-bearing support from the rear opening portion (2D plane) to the rear surface of the cushion pad (3D volumetric support). By utilizing the depth dimension of the cushion pad structure, the inner board gains load resistance without adding components in the rear opening plane.
Solution Approach 2:
The cushion pad acts as an intermediary between the inner board and the external environment. It provides indirect support to the inner board's upper end portion, allowing the inner board to resist rear-side loads without requiring a direct load-receiving member in the rear opening portion.
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 solution effectively suppresses excessive forward movement and deformation of the inner board, enhances durability, and simplifies the vehicle seat device structure by eliminating the need for additional load-receiving members, resulting in cost reduction.
Implementation Method 1
a locking claw bent forward is provided in an upper end portion of the inner board, and a stopper member configured to suppress frontward and downward movement of the locking claw by engaging with the locking claw is provided in a frame of the seat back
Implementation Method 2
the upper end portion of the inner board is supported by a rear surface of the cushion pad of the seat back, and when the inner board is pressed and moved forward due to application of a load from a rear side, the locking claw deforms the cushion pad and then engages with the stopper member
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle seat device includes: a seat back; an attached member pivotally supported by the seat back and configured to be turnable between a retracted position at which the attached member is housed in a housing recessed portion formed to penetrate a cushion pad of the seat back and a protruding position at which the attached member protrudes toward a front side of the seat back; and an inner board closing a rear opening face of the housing recessed portion. In the vehicle seat device, a locking claw bent forward is provided in an upper end portion of the inner board, and a stopper member configured to suppress frontward and downward movement of the locking claw by engaging with the locking claw is provided in a frame of the seat back. Such vehicle seat device is capable of restricting excessive forward movement and deformation of the inner board.