Kit for damping any seat

Abstract

A kit for damping any seat, adapted to comprise a plurality of components adapted to turn any already existing seat into a fully damped one, so as to absorb shocks and impacts due to the longitudinal stresses that any means of transport may undergo; said seat therefore being adapted to damp the stresses undergone by passengers when the means of transport or the carrier is involved in an accident where the impact force exceeds 2g; said seat being installed on an adjusting slide, necessary to customise the distance and position of the seat, subsequently installed on a damped rail, which is adapted to absorb the longitudinal shocks by means of a plurality of springs installed frontally and posteriorly.

Description

[0001] KIT FOR DAMPING ANY SEAT

[0002] DESCRIPTION

[0003] Field of the art

[0004] The invention relates to an innovative kit adapted to upgrade any seat used in the field of transport, so as to increase passenger safety by making said seats adapted to dampen the longitudinal shocks derived from accidents or sudden stops.

[0005] Known art

[0006] The automotive field has made great strides in the development of damping technologies for seats. Sophisticated systems have been implemented to absorb vibrations and stresses while driving, ensuring an increasingly pleasant travel experience. High-end cars and means of transport often adopt adjustable pneumatic suspensions that dynamically adapt to road conditions and driver preferences.

[0007] One of the keys to innovation is the use of advanced materials. High-density foams, high-quality leathers and breathable coverings are now the norm, ensuring durability and comfort without compromise. Modem seats are not only made to last, but also to adapt to the individual needs of drivers and passengers.

[0008] Electronic adjustments have become an integral part of modem seat design. Electronically adjustable lumbar support systems allow drivers to customise their sitting position, offering ergonomic comfort which reduces fatigue during longer journeys.

[0009] Heated and ventilated seats are also now widely available on the market, offering personalised thermal control to adapt to any climatic condition. These small luxuries, often present in luxury cars, are increasingly accessible in a wider range of vehicles.

[0010] Ergonomic design is at the heart of the current innovations. The seats are designed not only for immediate comfort, but also to promote correct posture while driving, thus reducing long-term fatigue.

[0011] However, in the current state of the art, the seats most commonly used on means of transport are not yet useful in improving passenger safety, as they cannot absorb the impact derived from the shocks suffered by the means of transport.

[0012] In fact, even today, the g force suffered by passengers can be fatal, given the stop time of any vehicle involved in a road accident. Today's seats, together with seat belts, do nothing but restrain the body of the passengers, preventing any movement thereof which could lighten and dampen the stopping force.

[0013] The result is that, even today, most of the injuries are derived from the serious stopping force perceived by passengers, derived from the safety belts and the seats which do not dampen the longitudinal impacts in any way.

[0014] Even patent CN116710319, published on 5 September 2023, does not solve the aforesaid problems as it claims a seat adapted to cushion the vertical stresses, derived from road imperfections and not from shocks caused by accidents, which in most cases involve longitudinal stresses.

[0015] The object of the patent is therefore to claim a kit adapted to upgrade any already existing seat, making it damped in order to dampen the violent shocks undergone by the passenger's body when involved in a road accident.

[0016] Description of the invention

[0017] According to the present invention, a kit for damping any seat is created which effectively solves the aforementioned problems.

[0018] The kit for damping a seat, described in the present patent application, is designed to transform any already existing seat into a fully damped seat in the longitudinal direction, reducing the impacts and shocks caused by longitudinal stresses during transport.

[0019] The seat is designed to attenuate the stresses undergone by passengers in the event of an accident with an impact force greater than 2g, increasing the stopping time of the passengers' body, obtaining a much lighter and more damped impact. The common seat can be mounted on an adjusting slide, which allows the customisation of the distance and position of the seat itself; said slide is subsequently installed on a damped rail, to which front and rear springs are constrained with differentiated elastic constants to absorb impacts of various magnitudes.

[0020] Said springs are then connected to the damped rail and to the frame of the means of transport in order to provide a solid constraint in the event of impact.

[0021] The kit which is the object of the invention also comprises bearings positioned below the damped rail to reduce friction and rubbing during movement, essential for braking and impact.

[0022] Moreover, the use of a safety belt damping system is envisaged, located at each link, adapted to use controlled pneumatic cylinders, to carry out a controlled release of the link during the impact, increasing the stopping time of the passenger's body and damping the g force deriving from the braking or impact.

[0023] By way of non-limiting example, said safety belt damping system can be adjusted and managed by a control unit connected to the on-board computer, which has the purpose of adapting the movement perceived by the vehicle to the release movement of said safety belt links.

[0024] As regards the adjustment of the seat, by way of non-limiting example, the kit offers manual options by means of the use of levers which raise fixing pins, to allow the slide to slide along the rails. Alternatively, an electric option is claimed which uses buttons to control the sliding of the slide, exploiting an electric motor. The springs, in an embodiment thereof, can be of the oil-pneumatic type to counteract the acceleration of the seat respecting the settings and commands set by the manufacturer. Such springs, in a further embodiment thereof, can also be fixed to piezoelectric actuators, so as to alter the shock absorption capacity based on the deformation of the actuators, caused by the electrical voltage circulated. In that case, said springs are adapted to be controlled also when returning in position by the seat, following a shock, so as to manage the time that the spring takes to return to neutral position, using said piezoelectric actuators which are adapted to be deformed depending on the electric voltage introduced into their circuit.

[0025] Said springs, byway of non-limiting example, are designed to be easily replaceable or modulated, providing an access to the lower compartment of the seat, near the frame of the means of transport.

[0026] The advantages offered by the present invention are apparent in the light of the description set forth herein and will be further clarified by the accompanying figures and the detailed description.

[0027] Description of the figures

[0028] The invention will be described below in at least one preferred embodiment by way of non-limiting example and with the aid of the accompanying figures, in which:

[0029] -FIGURE 1 shows a profile view of a generic means of transport 10, in this case a vehicle, comprising therein two seats 11 which have been equipped with the damping kit which is the object of the invention. The present figure highlights how the overall dimensions of the kit do not affect the interior spaces of the passenger compartment.

[0030] -FIGURE 2 shows in more detail the components which make the present kit one of a kind; in particular, the damping system of a link 18 of the safety belt is illustrated in detail, which is advantageously managed by a control unit 17 that controls the release thereof in the event of sudden shocks.

[0031] Detailed description of the invention The present invention will now be illustrated by way of non-limiting or binding example, using the figures which illustrate some embodiments in relation to the present inventive concept.

[0032] With reference to FIG. l, the side view of two seats 11 is illustrated, which have been equipped with the damping kit described in the present patent application.

[0033] Each seat 11 can be moved forward or backward, longitudinally, at the discretion of the passenger, by lifting said fixing pins 15 by means of a manual system or an electrical system.

[0034] The seats 11 can then be moved thanks to an adjusting slide 12 which is adapted to slide on two rails, facilitating the movement of the entire seat 11 for the benefit of the passenger.

[0035] However, the seat 11, once its position is fixed, remains integral with the means of transport 10, thanks to the permanent constraint with a damped rail 13, which allows the movement thereof only in the event of serious impacts, in order to dampen the stopping blow that the passenger's body would be forced to undergo.

[0036] In fact, said damped rail 13 rests on a plurality of bearings, which allow an easy sliding thereof on the frame of the carrier 10.

[0037] Frontally and posteriorly of said damped rail 13, a plurality of springs 14 are installed, adapted to allow the damping of the stopping blow, optimising the impact for the passenger.

[0038] With reference to FIG.2, a generic seat 11 is illustrated, connected to the frame of the carrier 10 thanks to the use of a plurality of springs 14, which can be managed with an oil-pneumatic system or by means of a piezoelectric actuator, so as to adapt to the type of impact to which they will be subjected more frequently. Each spring 14 is therefore adapted to connect said frame to said damped rail 13, minimizing the dimensions thanks to the use of an inspectable compartment 16.

[0039] The installation of an adjusting slide 12 is envisaged on the rail 13, necessary to allow the personal positioning of the seat, according to the customer's preferences.

[0040] The seat 11, once equipped with the present kit, is advantageously adapted to dampen the longitudinal shocks derived from the most common accidents and unforeseen events.

[0041] The kit further comprises a damping system, installed at each link 18, adapted to employ a pneumatic cylinder for the controlled release of such a link 18 during the shocks, so as to dampen and lighten the load undergone by the passenger's body.

[0042] A control unit 17 can put said cylinder in communication with the on-board computer, so as to carry out a controlled release of the link 18, based on the motion and evolution of the means of transport 10.

[0043] Lastly, it is clear that the invention described up to now can be subjected to modifications, additions or variants obvious to those skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of protection outlined by the attached claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Seat (11) dampening kit characterised in that it comprises a plurality of components suitable for turning any already existing seat (11) into a fully dampened seat (11), in order to absorb shocks and impacts due to longitudinal stresses that any means of transport (10) may undergo; said seat (11) being therefore suitable for dampening the stresses undergone by passengers when the means of transport (10) is involved in an accident where the impact force exceeds 2g; said seat (11) being installed on an adjusting slide (12), necessary to customise the distance and the position of the seat (11), and being further installed on a dampened rail (13), which is apt to absorb longitudinal shocks by means of a plurality of springs (14) installed frontally and posteriorly; said springs (14) being characterised by different elastic constants, in order to absorb all types of impacts, and being suitable to be bound to said dampened rail (13) and to the structure of the means of transport (10), in order to provide an integral bond with the means of transport (10) in case of impact; said seat dampening kit (11) comprising:- at least one adjusting slide (12), suitable to be attached inferiorly to any seat (11), allowing its longitudinal movement by means of at least two rails, on which said slide (12) is suitable to run;- at least one dampened rail (13), fixed to the structure of the means of transport (10) by means of a plurality of springs, able to dampen the force g due to the impact, by means of a plurality of bearings facilitating its sliding on said structure; said dampened rail (13) being able to engage with the adjusting slide (12), in order to obtain a solid constraint necessary to transfer all the dampening of the force g on the springs (14);- a plurality of bearings, arranged inferiorly to said dampened rail (13), suitable to reduce the friction and rubbing due to the continuous vibrations to which said dampened rail (13) is subjected during motion; said bearingsbeing indispensable in braking and in the event of an impact, allowing the sliding of said dampened rail (13) along the frame, in order to dampen and cushion the impact for the passenger;- a plurality of springs (14), installed both on the front side and on the rear side of said dampened rail (13), suitable to be constrained with their second end on the frame of the means of transport (10); said springs (14) being arranged in series and being suitable to possess different elastic constants in order to absorb shocks of any entity;- at least one shock-absorbing system, installed in correspondence with each link (18) of the seatbelt, comprising a pneumatic cylinder intended to release in a controlled manner the link (18) of the belt during impact, in order to increase the stopping time of the passenger's body, consequently damping the force g resulting from braking or impact.

2. Seat (11) dampening kit, according to claim 1 above, characterised in that said adjusting slide (12) is suitable to be moved, in order to customise the passenger's seating space, in a completely manual manner, by means of a lever which is suitable to lift the generic fixing pins (15), allowing the sliding of said slide (12) along said rails.

3. Seat (11) dampening kit, according to claim 1 above, characterised in that said adjusting slide (12) is suitable to be moved, in an electrical manner, by employing a plurality of buttons which control the sliding of said slide (12) along said rails, using an electric motor.

4. Seat (11) dampening kit, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said springs (14), suitable for absorbing the load resulting from the longitudinal impact of the means of transport (10), are oleopneumatic; said springs (14) being therefore suitable for counteracting the acceleration of the seat (11) according to the setting established by the manufacturer or by the driver of the means of transport (10).

5. Seat (11) dampening kit, according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 3, characterised in that said springs (14) are suitable for being pegged to piezoelectric actuators, in order to alter the shock- absorbing capacity of said springs (14), depending on the deformation to which said actuators are subjected when a certain electrical voltage is applied.

6. Seat (11) dampening kit, according to claim 5 above, characterised in that said springs (14) are suitable for being controlled when the seat (11) returns to its position following an impact, by managing the time it takes for the spring to return to a neutral position thanks to said piezoelectric actuators which are capable of being deformed according to the electrical voltage fed into their circuit.

7. Seat (11) dampening kit, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said springs (14) are suitable for being easily replaceable or modulated, once access is obtained to a generic compartment (16) made inferiorly to said seat (11), thus in proximity to the structure of the means of transport (10).

8. Seat (11) dampening kit, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said shock-absorbing system, installed in correspondence with each link (18) of the seatbelt, is suitable to be adjusted and managed by a control unit (17) which is connected to the generic on-board computer, in order to dampen the impact of the passenger's body by following the movement perceived by the means of transport (10).

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