Vehicle seat core material

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional techniques for coupling a surface cover to a vehicle seat core material made of in-mold foamed molded products with embedded insert materials are inefficient, leading to potential operator injury, incorrect coupling, and reduced passenger comfort.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle seat core material configuration that includes a hollow space in the in-mold foamed molded product, an insert material exposed portion, a protrusion extending through the hollow space, and a gap between the protrusion and the insert material exposed portion, allowing for easy and quick coupling of the surface cover without the need for piercing or complex mold structures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional coupling methods are used to attach surface cover to in-mold foamed molded product, then coupling strength may be adequate, but coupling process complexity and operator safety are worsened due to piercing operations and complex mold structures

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoupling strengthVSAvoidmold structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention divides the coupling structure into distinct segments: the insert material with exposed portions and the surface cover with coupling holes. This segmentation allows the surface cover to be coupled to the insert material through simple insertion and friction fit, eliminating the need for complex piercing operations or elaborate mold structures while maintaining reliable coupling strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If conventional coupling methods involving piercing are used, then surface cover can be attached, but operator safety is worsened due to risk of injury from piercing operations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveattachment securityVSAvoidoperator injury risk
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the coupling function from the molding process itself and relocates it to a separate assembly stage. The insert material is molded with exposed portions that serve as coupling points, and the surface cover is attached by inserting coupling members through holes in the cover and fitting them onto the exposed portions. This extraction eliminates dangerous piercing operations from the production line while ensuring secure attachment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The insert material is preliminarily prepared during the molding process with exposed portions that are specifically designed to receive coupling members. This preliminary action creates ready-to-use coupling points before the surface cover attachment step, allowing operators to simply insert coupling members without any piercing operations, thereby eliminating injury risk while maintaining attachment security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If conventional coupling methods are used, then surface cover can be attached, but productivity is worsened due to time-consuming coupling processes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoupling securityVSAvoidcoupling speed
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The insert material is designed to be self-serving by incorporating exposed portions that automatically serve as coupling points. When the surface cover is positioned over the insert material, the coupling members inserted through the cover's holes naturally engage with the exposed portions through friction fit and geometric constraint. This self-service design eliminates the need for complex coupling mechanisms or multi-step processes, enabling rapid attachment while ensuring secure coupling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3603457B1Vehicle seat core material
Publication Date: 2025.06.04 KANEKA CORP
  • EP3603457B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3603457B1 patent drawingFigure 3(a)~3(b)
  • EP3603457B1 patent drawingFigure 4(a)~4(d)

AI summary

It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle seat core material which allows a surface cover of a vehicle seat to be coupled thereto in a way that makes the surface cover easily attached and less likely to become detached and allows for production by a simple mold structure. A vehicle seat core material (2) of the present invention has formed therein a hollow space (7) provided in a surface of an in-mold foamed molded product (3) which constitutes the vehicle seat core material (2), and includes, in the hollow space (7), an insert material exposed portion (8) and a protrusion (9) protruding toward the insert material exposed portion (8), and a gap (D) is provided between the insert material exposed portion (8) and the protrusion (9).