Vehicle Seat Side Support Width Adjustment Without Upholstery Wrinkling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicular seat devices with side supports struggle to vary the widths of protruding portions effectively without causing wrinkles on the surfaces, leading to aesthetic issues and inadequate restraint during vehicle collisions.
Innovation Solution
A vehicular seat device design featuring movable assemblies with flexible members and pressure bearing members that allow the ends of the upholstery cover layers to displace, enabling adjustable protrusion widths while preventing wrinkles and enhancing rearward load absorption during collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the widths of the protruding portions of side supports are increased to enhance passenger restraint, then the restraint capability is improved, but the upholstery cover layers become wrinkled and aesthetically poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a movable assembly that allows the upholstery cover layer ends to be displaced relative to the frame. This dynamic adjustment mechanism enables the cover layer to accommodate width changes of the protruding portions without resistance, preventing wrinkles while allowing the widths to be varied for enhanced restraint capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the state of the upholstery cover layer from fixed to movable by introducing the movable assembly. This parameter change allows the cover layer to be displaced along with the protruding portions, enabling width adjustment without surface deformation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the tension of the upholstery cover layers is decreased to reduce resistance when increasing protrusion widths, then the width variability is improved, but the surfaces of the side supports become wrinkled
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of decreasing tension, the patent introduces a dynamic displacement mechanism that moves the cover layer ends with the protruding portions. This allows the cover layer to maintain appropriate tension while accommodating width changes, preventing wrinkles.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable assembly acts as an intermediary between the frame and the upholstery cover layer, allowing relative displacement. This mediator enables width adjustment without the cover layer resisting through tension, thus preventing wrinkles.
3Shape
If the ends of the upholstery cover layers are fixed to the frame to prevent wrinkling, then the surface appearance is maintained, but the widths of the protruding portions cannot be increased adequately
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the fixed connection into a movable connection through the movable assembly. This allows the cover layer ends to be displaced relative to the frame, enabling width adjustment of the protruding portions while maintaining surface smoothness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent separates the frame and the upholstery cover layer through the movable assembly, allowing independent movement. This segmentation enables the protruding portions to change width while the cover layer is displaced accordingly, maintaining surface appearance.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a movable assembly is introduced to allow cover layer displacement, then the width variability and appearance are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible member within the movable assembly to connect the cover layer ends to the frame. This flexible connection allows simple displacement without requiring complex mechanical structures, minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces a complex mechanical adjustment system with a simpler movable assembly that allows passive displacement of the cover layer ends. This substitution reduces the complexity increase while achieving the desired width variability.
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 design allows for increased variability in protrusion widths without wrinkling the side supports, providing enhanced restraint and improved impact absorption by allowing the backrest to displace rearwardly during collisions.
Implementation Method 1
a flexible member mounted on the pressure bearing member, wherein the ends of the covering layers of the side supports are engaged by the flexible member
Implementation Method 2
the movable assembly is mounted on the frame for displacement in a thicknesswise direction of the backrest, and for bearing a rearward load applied to the backrest
Data Source
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AI summary
Vehicle seat devices (10, 300) are provided with: a backrest (18); side supports (20L, 20R) that are disposed on both sides of the backrest (18), and that have protruding sections (66L, 66R) that protrude further forward than the backrest (18); a mechanism for adjusting the degree of restrain (68) that changes the width of the protruding sections (66L, 66R); a frame (28) disposed inside the side support (20L, 20R); and a movable member (86) that is disposed on the frame (28), and that displaceably holds the ends of a side surface leather material (80L, 80R) of the side supports (20L, 20R) in relation to the frame (28).