Tiltable Vehicle Seat Frame With Post-Foam Bracket Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle seat designs require larger molds for foaming due to protruding brackets, limiting the ability to adjust seat modes like walk-in, fully tilted, and tip-up, and exposing hard objects that can be uncomfortable for users.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat with a seat frame and pad integrated through foaming, where the adjusting bracket is formed separately and mounted after foaming, allowing for a smaller mold size and eliminating protrusions, enabling adjustments like the tip-up mode without exposing the seat frame.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If brackets are integrated into the seat frame before foaming, then seat mode adjustment is enabled, but mold size increases and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is separated from the seat frame, allowing the seat frame to be foamed in a smaller mold while the bracket is added as a separate component afterward. This segmentation enables mode adjustment functionality without increasing mold size.
Solution Approach 2:
The seat frame is foamed first in a reduced-size mold, and then the bracket is mounted to the foam seat frame in a subsequent step. This preliminary action allows the main body to be formed efficiently before adding adjustment components.
2Adaptability or versatility
If brackets protrude from the seat cushion, then seat mode adjustment is enabled, but user comfort deteriorates due to exposed hard objects
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is embedded within the foam seat frame structure rather than protruding outward. The foam material surrounds and encloses the bracket, hiding the hard object while preserving its adjustment function, thereby maintaining user comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The foam seat frame acts as a flexible, compliant shell that encapsulates the rigid bracket. This flexible outer layer softens the interaction between the user and the hard bracket, eliminating discomfort while maintaining functionality.
3Adaptability or versatility
If brackets are mounted before foaming, then seat mode adjustment is enabled, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seat frame is foamed first in a simpler process without brackets, and then the bracket is mounted in a separate, straightforward assembly step. This preliminary action simplifies the foaming process while adding adjustment functionality through a basic post-assembly operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing process is segmented into two independent stages: foaming the seat frame without brackets, and then mounting the bracket separately. This segmentation simplifies each individual step compared to attempting to integrate bracket mounting into the foaming process itself.
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 solution allows for efficient adjustment of seat modes with a reduced mold size and enhances user comfort by keeping the seat frame hidden within the pad, improving the overall design and functionality of vehicle seats.
Implementation Method 1
The pad is formed through foaming so as to cover the seat frame and as to be integrated with the seat frame
Data Source
AI summary
A tiltable vehicle seat has a seat frame, a pad formed in a mold associated with the seat frame and a bracket attaching a seatback to the seat frame. The pad is formed through foaming to expand and engulf the seat frame and is integrated with the seat frame. The bracket allows for the seat frame and the pad contained therein to be tilted relative to the seatback to provide multiple vehicle seat modes. The bracket is formed separately from the seat frame and attached to the seat frame thus allowing for the pad to be formed from a relatively compact mold.