Vehicle Seatback Height Adjustment via U-Notch Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle seats fail to adjust the seatback position in accordance with the occupant's physique, leading to a mismatch between the seat surface and the occupant's body, which affects comfort and fit.
Innovation Solution
The seatback is designed as a single, integral component that moves up and down relative to the seat cushion, with a U-notch in the seat cushion to securely hold the narrower lower half of the seatback, preventing gaps and allowing for adjustment in position to match the occupant's height, while the upper half supports the shoulder blades.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the seatback is divided into upper and lower halves with the lower half coupled to the seat cushion, then the seatback can be adjusted in height, but a gap is created between the upper and lower halves causing poor fit
Solution Approach 1:
The seatback is divided into upper and lower halves, but the coupling mechanism is designed differently. The lower half has a narrower width that fits into a U-shaped recess in the seat cushion, creating a nested relationship rather than a gap-prone joint. This segmentation allows height adjustment while maintaining continuous surface contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The lower half of the seatback is nested within the U-shaped recess of the seat cushion. The narrower lower half fits inside the cushion's recess structure, eliminating gaps and creating a seamless appearance while allowing vertical movement for height adjustment.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the seatback is coupled to the seat cushion at the lower edge, then structural stability is improved, but the seatback cannot be lifted or lowered
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling between the seatback and seat cushion is designed to be dynamically adjustable in the vertical direction. The U-shaped recess allows the lower half of the seatback to move up and down relative to the cushion while maintaining structural connection, enabling height adjustment without compromising stability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the seatback is isolated from the seat cushion, then the seatback can be lifted and lowered, but gaps are created between the seatback and cushion
Solution Approach 1:
The seat cushion features a localized U-shaped recess at its rear end, creating a specific geometric interface that accommodates the narrower lower half of the seatback. This local structural feature enables gap-free coupling while allowing vertical adjustment, resolving the contradiction between isolation and continuity.
Data Source
AI summary
A seat cushion is arranged on a riser. A strut is coupled, at lower end, to the rear end of the riser, and is provided at the back of the seat cushion. The seatback is secured to the strut, and is isolated from the seat cushion. The seatback and the seat cushion can therefore move, independent of each other. The seatback or the seat cushion, or both are lifted or lowered by a lifting/lowering means. Thus, the seatback and the seat cushion are lifted or lowered relative to each other. The lower half of the seatback, which supports the hips and lower ribs in the main, is made narrow than the upper half that supports the shoulder blades in the main. The seat cushion has, in the middle part of the rear end, a U-notch which loosely holds the narrow lower half.