Air-Spring Vehicle Seat Damping for Variable Driver Weight
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle seat damper elements have a fixed or limited adjustable hardness level, which cannot adapt to changing operating conditions, such as varying driver weights and road surfaces, leading to suboptimal damping and comfort during vehicle travel.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat system where the air spring is connected to a damper element via an adjusting device, allowing damper hardness to be dynamically adjusted based on air pressure, using a pneumatic hose and valve device, with a return spring and throttle check valve for optimal damping response to weight changes and vibrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed damper stiffness level is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adaptability to different driving conditions and driver weights deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The damper system automatically adjusts its stiffness characteristic based on the air spring pressure, which reflects the current load on the vehicle seat. The control unit continuously monitors the air pressure and autonomously selects appropriate damper stiffness values without requiring manual intervention, enabling the system to adapt to varying driving conditions and driver weights while maintaining manageable complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The damper stiffness is dynamically changed by adjusting the damper characteristic curve based on measured air spring pressure. The control unit modifies the damping force parameter in response to changing load conditions, allowing the damper to provide optimal comfort and support across different driving scenarios without requiring a completely redesigned complex mechanism
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual adjustment of damper stiffness is provided, then the adaptability to different driver weights is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to requiring manual intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The system eliminates manual adjustment operations by implementing automatic damper stiffness control based on air spring pressure sensing. The control unit continuously monitors the air pressure and autonomously adjusts the damper characteristic curve to match the current load condition, providing adaptability to different driver weights without requiring any manual intervention from the user
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit continuously measures the air spring pressure and uses this feedback information to automatically adjust the damper stiffness. This closed-loop control system ensures that the damper characteristic always matches the current load condition, providing optimal comfort and support without manual adjustment operations
3Reliability
If the damper stiffness is increased for heavy drivers, then the reliability in preventing end-stop collisions is improved, but the comfort for light drivers deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The damper stiffness parameter is dynamically changed based on the measured air spring pressure, which reflects the driver weight. For heavy drivers, the system automatically selects higher damper stiffness values to prevent end-stop collisions, while for light drivers, lower stiffness values are selected to maintain comfort. This dynamic parameter adjustment ensures optimal performance across different driver weights without compromising either reliability or comfort
4Adaptability or versatility
If the damper stiffness is decreased for comfort, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability in handling large vibrations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The damper stiffness parameter is dynamically adjusted based on the measured air spring pressure and detected vibration conditions. When large vibrations or shocks are detected, the control unit automatically increases the damper stiffness to handle the extreme conditions reliably. During normal operation, lower stiffness values are maintained to provide optimal comfort for sprung vibrations, thus achieving both comfort and reliability across different operating conditions
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system automatically adjusts damper hardness in real-time to match the weight of the driver and road conditions, enhancing comfort and preventing end-stop collisions by dynamically changing the damping effect in response to weight and vibration inputs.
Implementation Method 1
at least one air spring (7) which exerts a resilient effect on a changing height-distance movement (12) between an upper part (3) and a lower part (4)
Implementation Method 2
at least one damper element (11) which dampens the changing height-distance movement (12)
Implementation Method 3
The air spring (7) is connected via an air pressure line (8) to a valve device (10) with which a damper characteristic curve of the damper element (11) can be changed
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
Vehicle seat, in particular for commercial vehicles, with an upper part (3) and a lower part (4) and with at least one air spring (7) which exerts a spring effect on a changing height difference movement (12) between the upper and lower parts (3, 4), and with at least one damping element (11) which dampens the changing height difference movement (12), wherein the air spring (7) is connected at an air spring outlet (7a) to an adjusting device (15) for adjusting a damping stiffness degree of the damping element (11), wherein the damping stiffness degree is adjustable and changeable by means of an air pressure of the air spring (7).