Segmented Seat Back Cover for Airbag-Driven Posture Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seat structures with embedded airbags have a limited deformable area in the seat back, which restricts the ability to fully support the posture and body shape of an occupant, especially when the airbag inflates forward.
Innovation Solution
A seat structure with a top-surface and contact-surface seat cover, cushion pads, and an adjustable airbag, where the top-surface seat cover is fixed to a first anchorage and the contact-surface seat cover is fixed to a second anchorage within the seat back, allowing for a larger deformable area and improved support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the seat cover is formed continuously as a single member from the top end surface to the lower end of the contact surface, then the structural simplicity is improved, but the deformable area of the seat back is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The seat cover is divided into multiple independent portions: a top-surface seat cover portion disposed on the top surface, a contact-surface seat cover portion disposed on the contact surface, and a side-surface seat cover portion connecting them. This segmentation allows each portion to deform independently when the airbag inflates, significantly increasing the deformable area while maintaining structural coherence through the side-surface connection.
2Reliability
If the airbag is arranged on the back side of the contact-surface seat cover, then the support function is improved, but the deformable area is limited by the continuous seat cover structure
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the seat cover into top-surface, contact-surface, and side-surface portions, the invention enables the contact-surface seat cover portion to deform freely in response to airbag inflation while the top-surface portion remains relatively stable. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by allowing localized deformation where needed while maintaining overall structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The seat cover structure is designed to be dynamically responsive to airbag inflation. The contact-surface seat cover portion is positioned and constructed to deform actively when the airbag inflates, creating a dynamic support surface that adapts to the occupant's body shape, thereby enhancing the support function within the available space.
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 enhances the deformable area of the seat back, enabling better support for the occupant's posture and body shape by allowing the contact-surface seat cover to expand more effectively when the airbag is inflated, thereby improving the overall support and stability of the seat.
Implementation Method 1
an airbag arranged on the back side of the contact-surface seat cover and having adjustable internal air volume
Data Source
AI summary
A seat back includes: a top-surface seat cover disposed on the top surface; a top-surface cushion pad arranged on a back side of the top-surface seat cover; a contact-surface seat cover disposed on the contact surface; a contact-surface cushion pad arranged on a back side of the contact-surface seat cover and under the top-surface cushion pad; and an airbag having adjustable internal air volume, wherein a lower end portion of the top-surface seat cover is fixed to a first anchorage within the seat back, while covering a lower surface of the top-surface cushion pad, and an upper end portion of the contact-surface seat cover is fixed to a second anchorage within the seat back, while covering an upper surface of the contact-surface cushion pad.