Vehicle Seat Shoulder Air Cell Layout for Stable Shoulder Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle seats with expandable/contractible bag bodies, such as those described in Japanese Patent No. 2664599 and Japanese Patent Publication JP 2001-112565, lack a clear configuration for stabilizing the fixed state of the bag body to properly adjust seating posture and provide a favorable feeling of fitting, particularly in stabilizing the direction of expansion and pressing force on the shoulders of the seated passenger.
Innovation Solution
The vehicle seat includes a shoulder support portion with a bag body that expands by fluid injection, fixed at end portions in the extending direction to stabilize its state, with fixing positions differing in the width direction to avoid overlapping with the passenger's shoulder blades and trapezius, and a plate-shaped member supported by a seat back frame to control expansion and pressing force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the bag body is made expandable/contractible to adjust seating posture, then the adaptability of the seat is improved, but the stability of the bag body's fixed state deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a bag body made of flexible material that can expand and contract to adjust seating posture. The bag body is fixed to the seat back at multiple positions to stabilize its state during expansion and contraction, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the bag body with a plate-shaped member to form an integrated shoulder support structure. This merging provides both the flexibility needed for posture adjustment and the structural stability required to maintain a fixed state during operation.
2Ease of operation
If the bag body expands to push the shoulders of the seated passenger, then the seating posture adjustment function is improved, but the comfort of the passenger deteriorates due to potential overlap with sensitive areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the bag body and plate-shaped member to provide support at specific locations on the passenger's back while deliberately avoiding sensitive areas such as the shoulder blades and trapezius. This localized approach ensures effective posture adjustment without causing discomfort.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the plate-shaped member is used to push the shoulders through expansion of the bag body, then the seating posture adjustment is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The plate-shaped member serves multiple functions: it provides a rigid surface to push against the passenger's shoulders, structural support for the bag body, and integration with the seat back framework. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby managing device complexity.
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
The configuration stabilizes the fixed state of the bag body, reduces discomfort by avoiding overlap with sensitive areas, and allows for proper adjustment of seating posture while minimizing the size and complexity of the bag body and supporting structure.
Implementation Method 1
a bag body configured to expand by injection of fluid
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is to stabilize a fixed state of each bag body provided at a vehicle seat and configured to expand to push a corresponding one of the shoulders of a seated passenger. Of a seat back provided at the vehicle seat, each shoulder support configured to support a corresponding one of the shoulders of the seated passenger includes an air cell configured to expand by injection of air. The air cell includes protrusions extending in a predetermined direction and provided at respective end portions of the air bag in the extending direction thereof. The air cell is attached to the inside of the seat back in such a manner that each of the protrusions provided at respective end portions in the extending direction is fixed to a corresponding one of fixing positions separated from each other in the width direction of the vehicle seat.