Vehicle Armrest Fabric Substrate to Limit Side-Impact Intrusion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Vehicle armrests can pose a hazard during side impacts as they project into the cabin space and may be forced further in, causing injury to occupants.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle armrest design featuring an inner and outer substrate with a gap defined by buckling members, where a fabric member provides vertical support and is tensioned across the gap, allowing the buckling members to deflect in a collision, minimizing the armrest's intrusion into the cabin.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the armrest is designed with solid substrate structure, then vertical support and comfort are improved, but intrusion into cabin during side impact increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevertical supportVSAvoidintrusion into cabin

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The armrest substrate is divided into inner and outer substrates with a gap between them, creating a segmented structure that allows relative movement during impact while maintaining vertical support through the fabric member spanning the gap

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A fabric member spans the gap between inner and outer substrates, providing flexible vertical support that allows the substrates to move relative to each other during side impact, reducing intrusion while maintaining armrest functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Reliability

If the armrest structure is made more complex with multiple substrates and fabric members, then safety during impact is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafety during impactVSAvoidstructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The fabric member serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides vertical support for the armrest, spans the gap between substrates, and enables energy absorption during impact, combining structural support with safety functionality in a single element

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 design provides vertical support to occupants while minimizing the armrest's intrusion into the cabin during side impacts, enhancing safety by allowing the buckling members to absorb lateral forces and reduce the risk of injury.

Implementation Method 1

A fabric member extends across the gap and is attached to the inner and outer armrest substrates

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTension: Tension

Implementation Method 2

at least one buckling member extending to an outer armrest substrate

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBuckling:

Implementation Method 3

allowing the buckling members to deflect in a collision, minimizing the armrest's intrusion into the cabin

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDeformation: Deformation

Data Source

PatentUS9254765B2Vehicle armrest with structural fabric substrate

Publication Date: 2016.02.09 FORD GLOBAL TECH LLC

AI summary

A vehicle armrest includes an inner armrest substrate having at least one buckling member extending to an outer armrest substrate. A gap is defined by the inner and outer armrest substrates and the at least one buckling member. A fabric member extends across the gap and is attached to the inner and outer armrest substrates. A cover member extends over and is vertically supported by the fabric member.