Vehicle Seat Recliner Plate Structure for Collision Load Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle seats lack an effective mechanism to proactively absorb and distribute impact loads during collisions, particularly those with a downward component, which can lead to significant deformation and potential detachment of components.
Innovation Solution
The vehicle seat design incorporates a recliner plate with a specific configuration, including a stepped portion and a recessed area that concentrates stress on a plastically deformable region, allowing it to absorb impact energy and prevent significant rearward displacement of the back frame.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the recliner plate is made with uniform thickness and structure, then manufacturing is simple, but stress distribution during impact is uneven and structural integrity is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The recliner plate employs local quality by varying the thickness of different regions. Specifically, the plate has a first region with a first thickness and a second region with a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness. This non-uniform thickness distribution allows the plate to have different mechanical properties in different areas, enabling it to withstand impact loads more effectively while maintaining manufacturability.
2Device complexity
If the recliner plate uses a simple flat structure, then device complexity is low, but impact energy absorption capability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The recliner plate applies the dimensionality change principle by transitioning from a simple flat two-dimensional structure to a three-dimensional structure with varying thickness. The plate includes a first region and a second region with different thicknesses, creating a stepped configuration. This dimensional variation allows the structure to absorb impact energy more effectively by distributing stresses across different volumes and creating progressive deformation zones, thereby improving energy absorption without significantly increasing manufacturing complexity.
3Manufacturing precision
If the recliner plate has uniform thickness throughout, then manufacturing precision requirements are lower, but stress concentration occurs during collision leading to component detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The recliner plate employs local quality by varying the thickness of different regions. Specifically, the plate has a first region with a first thickness and a second region with a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness. This non-uniform thickness distribution allows the plate to have different mechanical properties in different areas, enabling it to withstand impact loads more effectively while maintaining manufacturability.
Solution Approach 2:
The design converts the potential harm of stress concentration into a beneficial progressive deformation mechanism. The stepped structure with varying thicknesses creates controlled stress distribution zones that absorb impact energy through progressive plastic deformation, preventing catastrophic failure and component detachment while utilizing the stress concentration effect in a controlled manner.
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 effectively reduces the load on the recliner and inhibits the back frame from falling rearward, maintaining structural integrity during collisions by preferential deformation of the stepped portion, while preventing detachment of the recliner plate from the recliner.
Implementation Method 1
a dimension of a stepped portion, which is a portion of the third portion connecting to the second portion, in a seat front-rear direction be smaller than a dimension of a remaining portion of the third portion in the seat front-rear direction, to thereby render a sectional area of the stepped portion smaller than a sectional area of the remaining portion of the third portion
Implementation Method 2
when a large load including a downward component acts on the recliner plate, stress is likely to concentrate on the stepped portion, and this causes the stepped portion to be plastically deformed preferentially
Implementation Method 3
the recliner plate containing an impact absorbing hole arranged below a rotation center shaft of the recliner
Implementation Method 4
The impact absorbing hole is configured for, when a large load including a downward component acts on the recliner plate, proactively causing plastic deformation of a specific portion provided in the recliner plate to thereby cause the specific portion to absorb a load energy
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle seat includes a back frame, a cushion frame, a recliner, and a recliner plate containing an impact absorbing hole. The recliner plate includes a first portion fixed to the recliner, a second portion fixed to the cushion frame, and a third portion located between the first portion and the second portion and located rearward of the impact absorbing hole. The third portion includes a stepped portion connecting to the second portion, and the third portion includes a portion located on an inside with respect to the second portion.