Side-Wall Hook Retaining Groove for Secure Seat Cover Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing retaining devices for motor vehicle seat upholstery fail to provide a reliable and secure attachment of coverings, as they are prone to detachment under tensile force and often damage the covering when attempting to undo the attachment.
Innovation Solution
A retaining device with hooks protruding from the side walls, oriented towards the base, which cooperate with hooks or loops, providing enhanced tensile strength and allowing for easy engagement and disengagement without damaging the covering, featuring retention cavities to secure the counterpart in both main and lateral directions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If abutment or clipping systems are used to fix the covering, then the attachment can be undone, but the fixing is not sufficiently reliable and the covering is damaged when attempting to undo
Solution Approach 1:
The hooks are designed to automatically engage with the covering material and lock into position through their own geometric configuration, creating a self-securing mechanism that requires no additional fastening steps while maintaining reliable attachment
Solution Approach 2:
The hooks feature curved geometries with specific radii of curvature that enable them to bend and flex during engagement, then lock into a stable locked position that resists detachment forces while allowing controlled release
2Reliability
If hooks are placed in the bottom of the retaining element, then attachment is achieved, but the covering easily detaches under tensile force
Solution Approach 1:
The hooks are repositioned from the bottom surface to the side walls of the retaining element, changing the spatial dimension of attachment. This side-wall positioning creates a mechanical interlock that effectively resists tensile forces by distributing loads across multiple engagement points along the side walls
3Force
If hooks protrude from side walls oriented towards the base, then tensile strength is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple hook features are integrated into a single molded retaining element structure, combining the side wall formation, hook protrusions, and retention cavities into one unified component that achieves enhanced tensile strength without requiring assembly of multiple separate parts
Data Source
Figure 1~17
Figure 2A~5
Figure 6~7
AI summary
The invention relates to a retaining device (100) having hooks, which is suitable for defining at least a portion of a receiving groove formed at the periphery of an object and which includes a retaining element (10) produced by injection molding. The retaining element comprises a first side wall (11) and a second side wall (12), which are spaced apart from one another in a side direction, and a base (20) connecting said side walls (11, 12) to one another therebetween. The side walls (11, 12) and the base (20) define a retaining groove (14) open in a main direction (z) for receiving a counterpart having hooks or loops. According to the invention, at least one of the side walls (11, 12) has a plurality of hooks (30) suitable for engaging with the counterpart, each hook (30) comprising at least one useful hooking portion oriented toward the base (20) of the retaining element (10).