Vehicle Seatback Frame Protrusions Prevent Sharp Edge Injury
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seatback frames in vehicles pose a risk of injury to passengers due to sharp edges at the joints of the side and upper frames during collisions, and existing solutions, such as using separate covers, increase costs and assembly complexity without effectively satisfying regulatory requirements.
Innovation Solution
The seatback frame design incorporates protrusions on the upper frame spaced apart from the edges of the side frames, ensuring that a sphere of 165 mm diameter does not contact the sharp edges, thereby preventing passenger injury without the need for additional covers or welding processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If separate covers are added to cover sharp edges, then passenger safety is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The protective function is merged with the upper frame itself by forming protrusions directly on the upper frame surface. This eliminates the need for separate cover components while maintaining the safety function of protecting passengers from sharp edges at joints.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful sharp edges are effectively removed by replacing them with protrusions that have rounded surfaces. The protrusions are positioned to prevent contact between the sharp edges and passengers, extracting the harmful geometric feature while preserving the structural integrity.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If separate covers are added to cover sharp edges, then passenger safety is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective function is integrated into the upper frame manufacturing process itself. By forming protrusions directly on the upper frame, the patent eliminates the need for separate cover components and their associated manufacturing costs, while maintaining the safety function.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper frame structure itself provides the protective function through its own geometric features (protrusions). The structure serves dual purposes: maintaining structural integrity and providing passenger protection, eliminating the need for additional protective components.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If welding processes are added to eliminate sharp edges, then passenger safety is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The protective geometric features (protrusions) are formed during the initial upper frame manufacturing process rather than requiring subsequent welding or modification steps. This preliminary formation of protective features simplifies the overall manufacturing process while achieving the safety objective.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the upper frame by adding protrusions with specific dimensions and positions. This geometric modification provides a simpler manufacturing approach compared to welding, as it can be achieved through forming operations during initial fabrication.
Data Source
AI summary
A seatback frame for a vehicle is capable of preventing a passenger seated on a seat from being injured by a sharp edge of a side frame in the event of a collision of the vehicle. The seatback frame includes side frames installed to extend longitudinally in a vertical direction at opposite sides of the seatback frame, respectively, an upper frame joined to the side frames, and a lower frame joined to the side frames. Protrusions are formed at a surface of the upper frame while being spaced apart, by a predetermined distance, from edges present at edge portions of the side frames, respectively, to prevent the passenger from being injured by the edges.