Adaptive Vehicle Seat Belt with Sequential Attachment Failure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seat belts in aircraft and vehicle seats do not adapt to varying loading conditions, leading to head impacts during rapid deceleration, which can cause trauma and injuries due to the occupant's upper body pivoting and impacting the seatback.
Innovation Solution
An adaptive belt system comprising multiple sections that change configuration in response to loading conditions, from a retracted to a fully extended state, with intermediate configurations, using stitching, adhesive, or mechanical fasteners to increase length and reduce head impacts by allowing the lower body to move forward, thereby reducing the rotation of the occupant and dissipating kinetic energy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the belt length is fixed in conventional designs, then the belt can maintain proper restraint during normal conditions, but the occupant's head impacts the seatback during rapid deceleration due to upper body pivoting
Solution Approach 1:
The belt transitions from a fixed-length conventional design to a dynamic system with multiple configurable lengths. The belt can be adjusted between a first length for normal restraint and a second extended length for crash conditions, allowing the system to adapt to different loading scenarios and prevent head impacts by accommodating upper body pivoting motion
Solution Approach 2:
The belt system is divided into multiple sections with different length configurations. The belt includes a first section and a second section that can be selectively engaged or disengaged, creating distinct length states (first length and second length) to address different safety requirements
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the belt is extended to allow lower body movement forward, then head impacts are reduced, but the belt must withstand both crash loads and typical less severe loads simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
Different sections of the belt have different strength requirements and failure characteristics. The first section is designed to fail at a first load threshold while the second section maintains integrity at higher loads, allowing the belt to provide extended length during crashes while still withstanding typical less severe loads without failing
3Adaptability or versatility
If the belt uses multiple sections with different failure loads, then the belt can adapt to varying loading conditions, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The belt is segmented into multiple sections (first section, second section) with distinct failure load characteristics. Each section is designed to fail at specific load thresholds, enabling the belt to automatically adapt to varying loading conditions through sequential failure modes rather than requiring complex active control systems
Data Source
AI summary
An adaptive belt is attached to a vehicle seat and includes a first section (101), a second section (102), and a third section (103). The adaptive belt includes a retracted configuration and a fully extended configuration. In the retracted configuration, the adaptive belt is folded between the first section and the second section such that a first attachment attaches the first section to a first portion of the second section. In the retracted configuration, the adaptive belt is also folded between the second section and the third section such that a second attachment attaches a second portion of the second section to a first portion of the third section. In the fully extended configuration, all of the attachments fail thereby increasing a length of the adaptive belt. In response to a threshold loading condition, the adaptive belt changes from the retracted configuration to the fully extended configuration.