X-Shaped Seat Support Structure for Lightweight Stiffness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seat supports for public transport vehicles face challenges in balancing low mass, sufficient stiffness, resistance to acceleration, fatigue resistance, modularity, and aesthetic design while adhering to industrial constraints such as torque capture and assembly order, particularly when adapting to different seat dimensions and classes.
Innovation Solution
A seat support with an X-shaped leg made of high-pressure injected aluminum, featuring U-shaped branches with internal stiffening ribs and a thermoformed polycarbonate cover, allowing for modular adaptation to various seat pitches and pitches, while ensuring mechanical strength and aesthetic appeal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the seat support uses a traditional solid structure to ensure sufficient stiffness and mechanical strength, then the structural integrity is improved, but the mass increases
Solution Approach 1:
The leg is divided into multiple branches (first and second branches) that are interconnected, creating a segmented structure that distributes mechanical loads across multiple paths while using less material than a solid monolithic structure
Solution Approach 2:
The seat support combines aluminum material with an optimized X-shaped geometric structure, creating a composite system that achieves high strength-to-weight ratio by leveraging both material properties and structural configuration
2Weight of moving object
If the seat support uses a compact design to reduce mass, then the weight is reduced, but the stiffness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The X-shaped configuration introduces a diagonal dimension to the structure, creating load paths that span across the seat support in multiple directions, thereby achieving high stiffness with reduced material through three-dimensional structural efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The curved surfaces and optimized cross-sectional shapes of the branches are designed to distribute stresses more evenly, enhancing stiffness while minimizing material usage compared to straight, bulky structures
3Strength
If the seat support is designed as a single specific type for a particular seat interface, then the mechanical fit is optimized, but the adaptability to different seat dimensions is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The X-shaped leg design with its symmetric configuration and standardized connection points enables the same seat support structure to accommodate multiple seat types and interface configurations, making it a universal solution for different seat dimensions and classes
Solution Approach 2:
The seat support incorporates adjustable elements that allow modification of connection positions and angles, enabling the structure to adapt dynamically to different seat interfaces while maintaining optimal mechanical fit for each configuration
4Reliability
If the seat support uses complex stiffening structures to resist acceleration and fatigue, then the durability is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The X-shaped configuration merges the functions of multiple structural elements into a single integrated leg structure, providing fatigue resistance and acceleration resistance through the inherent geometric stability of the X-shape without requiring additional separate stiffening components
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The seat support (10) has a leg (12) intended to be fixed on a rail (14) of a ground of the public transport vehicle, wherein the leg (12) has an X shape, comprising a central area (12a) with two lower branches (12b) intended to be fixed to said rail (14) and with two upper branches (14c) intended to be fixed to said seat.