Conveyance Seat Skin Structure for Narrow Frame-Gap Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The size mismatch between the seat cushion and the gap between the seat back and the rear pipe of the cushion frame often results in the rear end of the seat cushion hitting the frame, making it difficult to pass through and reducing workability during conveyance seat assembly.
Innovation Solution
A conveyance seat design featuring two connected seat members, where one seat member has a protruding portion covered by an extending and grip portion from the skin, allowing easy insertion between the frame and another seat member, with the extending portion being thinner than the skin to reduce manufacturing costs and facilitate passage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the rear end portion of the seat cushion is passed through the gap between the seat back and the rear pipe of the cushion frame, then the seat cushion can be assembled to the frame, but the rear end portion may hit the rear pipe and may not pass through the gap, leading to a decline in workability
Solution Approach 1:
The skin is divided into a main body portion and an extending portion. The extending portion is separated from the main body and extends toward the rear pipe, allowing it to guide the protruding portion through the gap without the worker needing to directly press the protruding portion against the frame.
Solution Approach 2:
The extending portion acts as an intermediary between the protruding portion and the gap. Instead of directly pushing the protruding portion through the narrow gap, the worker pulls the extending portion, which in turn guides and pushes the protruding portion through the gap between the seat back and rear pipe.
2Ease of operation
If the protruding portion is made larger to facilitate insertion, then it may be easier to grip, but it will be more likely to hit the frame and cannot pass through the narrow gap
Solution Approach 1:
The extending portion has different properties from the main skin body. It is formed to be thinner than the main skin body, allowing it to pass through the narrow gap while the main skin body maintains its normal thickness for comfort and structure. This local variation in thickness solves the contradiction between needing a grippable protruding portion and being able to pass through the narrow gap.
3Strength
If the skin is made thicker to provide better coverage and protection, then the extending portion will be harder to pass through the narrow gap
Solution Approach 1:
The skin exhibits local quality variation where the main body portion maintains normal thickness for adequate coverage and protection, while the extending portion is specifically made thinner to facilitate passage through the narrow gap between the seat back and rear pipe. This resolves the contradiction between strength/coverage and passability.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a conveyance seat in which a protruding portion of a pad in one seat member can be easily inserted between a frame and the other seat member. A conveyance seat includes two connected seat members, in which each of the two seat members includes a pad, a skin covering the pad, and a frame configuring a skeleton of the seat member, the pad of the one seat member has a protruding portion disposed between the frame of the one seat member and the other seat member at a part connected to the other seat member, and the skin of the one seat member has an extending portion extending by a predetermined distance from an end portion and covering a surface of the protruding portion and a grip portion gripping the protruding portion and covering a back surface of the protruding portion on a side connected to the other seat member.