Vehicle Seat Spring Mounting via Cover Extension
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle seat frame mounting technologies for spring members, such as S springs, often result in misassembly due to incorrect clipping methods, leading to inadequate support for seat occupants and increased processing costs from diameter-expanding processes.
Innovation Solution
A spring member mounting structure that uses a cover member with an extension portion to engage with the connecting rod, eliminating the need for special processing and ensuring correct positioning without misassembly, while maintaining firm support and reducing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a diameter-expanding process is applied to the connecting rod to enable spring member mounting, then the spring member can be securely clipped, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cover member is divided into a main body and an extension portion that protrudes toward the central side. This segmentation allows the extension portion to specifically engage with the connecting rod without requiring modification to the entire connecting rod structure, thus maintaining manufacturing simplicity while achieving reliable spring member mounting.
Solution Approach 2:
The extension portion of the cover member acts as an intermediary element between the spring member and the connecting rod. It provides the necessary engagement structure without requiring diameter expansion of the connecting rod itself, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process while ensuring secure mounting.
2Ease of manufacture
If the connecting rod structure is simplified without diameter expansion, then manufacturing cost decreases, but the spring member positioning precision may deteriorate leading to misassembly
Solution Approach 1:
The extension portion of the cover member is designed to automatically position the spring member through its geometric relationship with the connecting rod. The spring member self-aligns with the extension portion during assembly, eliminating the need for complex positioning features on the connecting rod while preventing misassembly through inherent geometric constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of modifying the connecting rod in one dimension (diameter expansion), the solution adds a new dimensional element - the extension portion protruding toward the central side. This new dimension provides the necessary positioning precision without altering the connecting rod's basic structure or requiring expensive manufacturing processes.
3Reliability
If both ends of the retainer are clipped on the connecting rod, then assembly correctness is ensured, but the device complexity increases due to requiring precise positioning features
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning function is extracted from the connecting rod and transferred to the extension portion of the cover member. This allows the connecting rod to maintain its simple cylindrical structure while the extension portion provides the necessary positioning features, thereby reducing overall device complexity while ensuring assembly correctness.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a spring member mounting structure, which is a structure for mounting a spring member on a cushion frame connecting side frames by use of a rear pipe. The spring member has rear clipping portions engaged with the rear pipe. Cover members, which are provided at seat central sides of connecting portions of the side frames and the rear pipe, have extension portions extending toward the seat central sides. The rear clipping portions abut on ends of the seat central sides of the extension portions, and are mounted to the rear pipe by width direction positioning of the spring member.