Plastic-Covered Suspension Mat Hooks for Quiet Seat Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing suspension mats for motor vehicle seats experience noise and abrasion issues due to metal-to-metal contact when hooks chafe against the seat frame, and current coating methods are costly and prone to damaging the plastic tube during bending.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for manufacturing suspension mats with plastic-covered hooks, where a plastic tube is pushed onto an initially straight wire end, bent to form an uncovered hook, and then reversed onto the hook to cover it, avoiding material damage and allowing for small hook radii without additional securing measures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the hook is covered with a hollow plastic tube during bending, then noise and vibration problems are prevented, but the plastic tube is damaged or deformed due to heavy compression stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The plastic tube is pushed onto the straight wire end portion before the hook bending operation. This preliminary positioning allows the tube to be in place during bending, and the subsequent reverse shifting covers the bent hook without exposing it to damaging compression stresses during the forming process
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of bending the wire while the plastic tube is already in position (which causes damage), the method reverses the sequence: the tube is pushed on first, then the wire is bent to form the hook, and finally the tube is shifted in reverse direction to cover the completed hook. This inversion avoids the damaging compression stresses on the tube during bending
2Object-affected harmful factors
If coating hooks with plastic material is done by injection moulding, then the hooks are protected from abrasion and noise, but the process becomes complicated and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The coating process is segmented into separate steps: first pushing the plastic tube onto the wire end, then bending the hook, and finally shifting the tube into position. This segmentation avoids the need for complex injection moulding equipment while achieving the same protective function
Solution Approach 2:
The plastic tube acts as an intermediary element that is temporarily positioned on the wire, allows the bending operation to complete, and then shifts into its final protective position. This intermediary approach simplifies the manufacturing process compared to direct injection moulding
3Manufacturing precision
If a small bending radius of the hook is required, then mounting precision is improved, but the plastic tube is likely to be damaged or deformed during bending
Solution Approach 1:
The plastic tube is pushed onto the straight wire end portion before the hook bending operation with small radius. This preliminary positioning, combined with the reverse shifting method, ensures the tube does not suffer from compression stresses during the tight bending process, enabling precise small radius hooks without tube damage
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing a suspension mat 1, the suspension mat 1 comprising at least one wire 10 for mounting the suspension mat 1 to a seat frame 100; the method comprising the steps of (a) pushing a plastic tube 20 in a first direction 52 onto an initially straight end portion 12 of the wire 10, while setting free an uncoated outer end 14 of said straight end portion 12; (b) bending said uncoated outer end 14 of said straight end portion 12 to form an uncovered hook 16; and (c) shifting said plastic tube 20 in a second, reverse direction 54 onto said bent hook 16, such that said plastic tube 20 surrounds said bent hook 16 and forms a plastic covered hook 18. The present invention also relates to a suspension mat 1 produced in accordance with said method and an apparatus 70 for manufacturing a suspension mat 1.