Vehicle Seat Side Frame Low-Rigidity Portion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle seats face deformation and potential damage to the recliner mechanism when a large moment is applied, due to excessive load concentration, especially when the seatback rigidity is high, leading to buckling and energy absorption issues.
Innovation Solution
The vehicle seat design incorporates a low-rigidity portion between fasteners in the first side frame, with a gap between reinforcers, allowing energy absorption and deformation to prevent recliner damage, while reinforcing critical areas to inhibit deformation and distribute load effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the seatback rigidity is increased to prevent deformation, then the seatback stability is improved, but the load concentration on the recliner increases causing potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The side frame is designed with non-uniform thickness, featuring a thick first portion at the front end for high rigidity to maintain seatback stability, and a thin low-rigidity portion at the rear end to reduce load concentration on the recliner. This local variation in structural properties allows simultaneous achievement of both stability and protection against overload damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The low-rigidity portion is strategically positioned beforehand to act as a cushioning zone that absorbs and distributes the moment load before it reaches the recliner mechanism, preventing excessive force concentration and potential damage to the recliner during seatback rotation or impact events.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the side frame rigidity is increased to prevent buckling deformation, then the structural stability is improved, but the energy absorption capability during impact decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The side frame employs local quality variation with a thick first portion for structural stability and buckling prevention, while the thin low-rigidity portion provides energy absorption capacity during impact events, allowing the structure to deform controllably and dissipate energy without catastrophic failure.
Solution Approach 2:
The low-rigidity portion converts the potentially harmful impact energy into beneficial deformation, allowing the side frame to absorb impact energy through controlled deformation rather than rigid transmission, thereby protecting the recliner and improving overall energy management during collision events.
3Strength
If the side frame thickness is uniformly increased to prevent all deformations, then the structural strength is improved, but the device complexity and material usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniform thickness increase, the design applies local quality variation where only the first portion is thickened for essential structural support, while the low-rigidity portion remains thin. This approach achieves the necessary strength requirements without unnecessarily increasing overall complexity or material consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The side frame is segmented into distinct functional zones: a thick first portion for structural integrity, a thin low-rigidity portion for energy absorption and load distribution, and a second portion with intermediate properties. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function efficiently without requiring the entire structure to be uniformly thick and complex.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a vehicle seat including a first side frame, a second side frame, a first coupling member, a second coupling member, a recliner, a coupling plate, a first fastener and a second fastener to fix the coupling plate to the first side frame by fastening, a first reinforcer to reinforce a first portion, of the first side frame, located in an extending direction center thereof, and a second reinforcer to reinforce a second portion, of the first side frame, surrounding the second coupling member. The first side frame has a low-rigidity portion provided between the first fastener and the second fastener. A thickness of the low-rigidity portion is smaller than a sum of a thickness of the first portion and a thickness of the first reinforcer and than a sum of a thickness of the second portion and a thickness of the second reinforcer.