Vehicle Seat Back Shell Segmentation for Frame Coverage and Comfort
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle seats with movable back shells struggle to completely cover frame members, resulting in an unfavorable appearance, and existing solutions complicate the design and increase costs.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat design featuring a movable back shell that moves up and down relative to a back frame, coupled with a non-movable back shell that covers the back frame, where the non-movable back shell extends beyond the movable back shell's perimeter, maintaining a favorable appearance and allowing for flexible design without additional components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a movable back shell is used to support the back of a seated person, then comfort is improved, but the appearance is worsened because frame members cannot be completely covered
Solution Approach 1:
The back shell is divided into two separate parts: a movable back shell that provides comfort by moving with the cushion shell, and a non-movable back shell that provides aesthetic coverage of the frame members. This segmentation allows each component to fulfill its specific function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable back shell is positioned within the structure defined by the non-movable back shell, creating a nested arrangement where the inner movable component benefits from the outer stationary component's aesthetic framing while maintaining its own mobility function.
2Shape
If a non-movable back shell is added to cover the back frame, then appearance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The back shell system is segmented into movable and non-movable portions, with the non-movable back shell serving purely as a cosmetic cover that simplifies the overall design by eliminating the need for complex mechanisms to hide frame members during movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The non-movable back shell acts as an intermediary element between the movable back shell and the external environment, providing aesthetic coverage without interfering with the mechanical movement of the movable components.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the non-movable back shell extends beyond the movable back shell perimeter, then design flexibility is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The non-movable back shell exhibits local quality by extending beyond the movable back shell's perimeter in specific regions, allowing design flexibility in areas where aesthetic coverage is needed while maintaining simpler dimensional relationships in other areas.
Data Source
AI summary
A favorable appearance can be achieved using a simple configuration, even when the configuration is provided with a back shell that moves up and down relative to a back frame. In a vehicle seat 10, the back of a seated person is adapted to be supported by a movable back shell 42 that is supported so as to be capable of moving in an up-down direction relative to a back frame 30. A non-movable back shell 46 that is attached so as to be incapable of displacement relative to the back frame 30 is disposed on a back face side of the movable back shell 42, and the back frame 30 is covered by the non-movable back shell 46.