Vehicle Seatback Flexible Ribs Collapsible Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle seatbacks with existing collapsible designs often have limited folding capabilities due to ergonomic and structural constraints, resulting in an angled cargo surface that reduces usable cargo space and makes it difficult to place objects reliably.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat with a rotatable seatback and a unitary, flexible internal support unit featuring a connecting member and flexible ribs, coupled with a linking cable that allows the seatback to move from an expanded to a collapsed configuration, reducing thickness and improving cargo area utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the seatback is designed with traditional rigid support structures to maintain ergonomic contours and thickness, then passenger comfort and support are improved, but the degree of folding is limited resulting in a rear surface angled significantly upward from the trunk surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies flexible ribs made of elastomeric material that can bend and deform during folding while maintaining the seatback's ergonomic shape when expanded. These flexible ribs provide structural support in the expanded position but allow significant deformation during folding, enabling the seatback to fold flatter than traditional rigid structures would permit.
Solution Approach 2:
The internal support structure transitions from a static rigid framework to a dynamic flexible system where the ribs can change their degree of flexion based on the seatback's position. This dynamic behavior allows the structure to maintain ergonomic contours during use while enabling greater folding angles when needed.
2Ease of operation
If the seatback thickness is increased to provide adequate support and comfort, then seating comfort is improved, but the cargo area space is reduced due to the angled upward surface
Solution Approach 1:
The internal support structure is divided into multiple flexible ribs rather than a single rigid component. This segmentation allows each rib to independently deform during folding while collectively maintaining the necessary support thickness when expanded, optimizing both comfort and cargo space.
3Volume of moving object
If a collapsible internal support unit is introduced to enable greater folding, then cargo space utilization is improved, but the structural complexity increases with additional components like flexible ribs and connecting members
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the support function and the collapsible function into a single integrated flexible rib structure. Rather than adding separate collapsible mechanisms to a traditional support structure, the flexible ribs themselves provide both structural support when expanded and collapsibility when folded, reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible ribs serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide structural support to maintain ergonomic contours, enable the collapsible action during folding, and allow the seatback to achieve a flatter folded position. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional specialized components.
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 solution enables a more compact seatback arrangement in the folded position, aligning the cargo surface with the trunk floor, increasing usable cargo space and enhancing the ability to place objects securely, while maintaining comfortable and supportive seating in the expanded position.
Implementation Method 1
a unitary, flexible internal support unit positioned between the frame and the coverstock. The support unit is moveable between an expanded configuration, in which the seating surface is supported over the frame at a first distance, and a collapsed configuration
Data Source
AI summary
A seatback for a vehicle seat includes a frame and a coverstock defining a seat surface. The seatback also includes a unitary, flexible internal support unit positioned between the frame and the coverstock. The support unit is moveable between an expanded configuration, in which the seating surface is supported over the frame at a first distance, and a collapsed configuration, in which the seating surface is supported over the frame at a second distance that is less than the first distance.