Seat Cushion Panel Assembly With Front-Access Plug-In Fastening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seat designs require the entire seat to be removed from the vehicle to facilitate the attachment and removal of cushion components, making the process cumbersome and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A seat design featuring a cushion body with a main top panel and side top panels that utilize a snap-fitting mechanism and plug-in type fastening structures, allowing easy attachment and removal without the need to detach the seat from the vehicle, with support members and frame fastening portions that enable tool access through an installation space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the main top panel and side top panels are fixed to the seat frame using bolt-fastening from the back side, then the connection strength is improved, but the ease of assembly and disassembly deteriorates because the seat must be removed from the vehicle to access the fastening points
Solution Approach 1:
The cushion body is divided into three separate elements (main top panel and two side top panels) that can be individually assembled and fixed to the seat frame. This segmentation allows each panel to be independently fastened using the plug-in type fastening structure, improving both assembly ease and connection strength
Solution Approach 2:
A plug-in type fastening structure with a tool engaging portion is introduced as an intermediary mechanism. This fastening structure includes a support member on the panel and a corresponding frame fastening portion on the seat frame, allowing tool-based fastening from the front side of the seat without removing the seat from the vehicle
2Ease of operation
If the seat is designed with a snap-fitting mechanism for the main top panel, then the ease of assembly and disassembly is improved, but the connection strength may deteriorate compared to bolt-fastening
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges two fastening mechanisms: a snap-fitting mechanism for easy attachment and a plug-in type fastening structure with tool engaging portion for strengthened connection. The main top panel uses snap-fitting for initial easy attachment, while the plug-in structure provides additional mechanical fastening strength when needed
3Strength
If the fastening points are located on the back side of the seat, then the connection strength is improved, but the workspace accessibility deteriorates because tools cannot easily access the fastening points without removing the seat from the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening mechanism is redesigned to access the connection points from the front side of the seat (another dimension) rather than requiring access from the back side. The plug-in type fastening structure with tool engaging portion allows vertical insertion and fastening operations from the front, eliminating the need to remove the seat from the vehicle for assembly or maintenance
Data Source
AI summary
A seat has a cushion body divided into three parts: a main top panel and two side top panels. Each side top panel has a side top panel resin member disposed on the back side of its pad. Fastening brackets extend from respective tilt arms of the cushion frame. The side top panel resin members are overlaid on the fastening brackets and fastened by a plug-in type fastening structure. Each plug-in type fastening structure has a head of a bolt that is engaged with a fastening tool. The head is exposed in the opening, which is an installation space for the main top panel.