Vehicle Seat Shell Profile with Guide Elements for Cushion Attachment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing seat shells for vehicles are difficult to produce and install, and the attachment or replacement of seat cushions is not straightforward, lacking in ease of use and flexibility.

Innovation Solution

A seat shell design featuring a profile element with hollow areas and a web-shaped connecting area, allowing for flexibility and stability while reducing mass, with guide elements for easy cushion attachment and recesses for weight reduction, formed in one piece for efficient production and installation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Weight of moving object

If a seat shell is constructed with hollow profile areas and connecting areas, then weight is reduced and flexibility is improved, but structural complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveweight of seat shellVSAvoidstructural complexity of profile element
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The profile element is divided into distinct functional areas: hollow profile areas for weight reduction and flexibility, web-shaped connecting areas for structural stability, and guide elements for cushion attachment. This segmentation allows each area to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the profile element have different structural properties tailored to their specific functions. The hollow profile areas provide flexibility and weight reduction where needed, while the web-shaped connecting areas provide rigidity and stability where structural support is required. This local differentiation of structural quality resolves the contradiction between weight reduction and structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Productivity

If the profile element is formed in one piece in the longitudinal direction, then production efficiency is improved and manufacturing complexity is reduced, but the ability to attach and replace seat cushions becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction efficiency of seat shellVSAvoidease of cushion attachment and replacement
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

While the profile element itself is formed as a single piece for production efficiency, the seat cushion is designed as a separate, detachable component. The guide elements in the profile element provide standardized attachment points that enable easy coupling and decoupling of the cushion, thus maintaining productivity while improving ease of operation for cushion replacement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The guide elements act as intermediary structures that facilitate the connection between the monolithic profile element and the detachable seat cushion. These guide elements provide a standardized interface that enables easy attachment and replacement of cushions without compromising the integrity of the one-piece profile structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If guide elements are added to the profile element for cushion attachment, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of cushion attachmentVSAvoidcomplexity of profile element structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The guide elements are integrated directly into the profile element structure during the extrusion process, merging the attachment function with the structural framework. This combination approach improves ease of cushion attachment while minimizing the increase in device complexity, as the guide elements become an inherent part of the profile element rather than separate additions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3201060B1Seat shell and method for producing a seat shell
Publication Date: 2018.12.12 BOMBARDIER TRANSPORTATION GMBH
  • EP3201060B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1c
  • EP3201060B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3201060B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a seat shell (1), having a profile element (2; 20) with a backrest region (3) and a seat surface region (4) which is angled away therefrom, wherein the profile element has – a first hollow profile region (10; 100) which is arranged in a first side region (9) of the profile element and in which at least one hollow chamber (11; 110, 111) is formed, - a second hollow profile region (13; 130) which is arranged in a second side region (12) of the profile element and in which at least one hollow chamber (14; 140, 141) is formed, - a web-shaped connecting region (15; 150) which extends in the longitudinal direction (L) and in the transverse direction (Q), forms a surface on a front side (40) of the seat shell and forms a surface on a rear side (50) of the seat shell (1), via which connecting region (15; 150) the first and the second hollow profile region are connected to one another, and via which connecting region (15; 150) the first hollow profile region (10; 100) and the second hollow profile region (13; 130) are spaced apart from one another in the transverse direction (Q), wherein the seat shell has, in the first side region (90) and the second side region (120), in each case at least one guide element (71, 81) which runs in the longitudinal direction and into which a seat cover (180) can be introduced, and to a method for producing a seat shell.