Vehicle Seat Backrest with Collapsible Bladder for Whiplash Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current vehicle seat backrests do not effectively manage occupant positioning during normal seating and rear-end impacts, leading to potential discomfort and injury from whiplash.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a collapsible bladder in the backrest that deflates upon rearward pressure, allowing the occupant's torso and head to move rearwardly and position closer to the headrest for improved comfort and impact protection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the backrest maintains a fixed structure during normal seating, then the occupant positioning is stable, but the occupant cannot move rearwardly to a favorable impact position during rear-end impacts

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoccupant positioning stabilityVSAvoidoccupant position adaptability during impact

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The backrest incorporates a collapsible member that transitions from a rigid state during normal seating to a collapsible state during impact. The collapsible member includes a bladder that can deflate and a frangible fastener that can break, allowing the backrest to dynamically change its structural properties based on the seating conditions, thus resolving the contradiction between stability and adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The backrest changes its physical parameters (rigidity, volume) in response to impact forces. During normal seating, the bladder is inflated maintaining the backrest's structural integrity. During rear-end impact, the frangible fastener breaks and the bladder deflates, changing the backrest's parameters to allow occupant movement to a safer position.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Strength

If the backrest uses a rigid structure, then the structural integrity is maintained, but the occupant experiences discomfort and potential whiplash injury during rear-end impacts

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebackrest structural integrityVSAvoidwhiplash injury risk

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The collapsible member is designed to collapse beforehand during rear-end impact to cushion the occupant's movement. The frangible fastener is pre-configured to break at a specific force threshold, and the bladder is pre-inflated to provide initial support that transitions to cushioning as it deflates, reducing whiplash injury risk while maintaining structural integrity during normal use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

The impact force that would normally cause whiplash injury is converted into a beneficial force that triggers the collapse mechanism. The rear-end impact force breaks the frangible fastener and deflates the bladder, which in turn allows the backrest to cushion the occupant's movement and reduce injury, thus converting the harmful impact force into a protective action.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the backrest allows occupant movement during impact, then whiplash injury is minimized, but the structural stability during normal seating is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewhiplash injury reductionVSAvoidbackrest structural stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The backrest is segmented into multiple components: a rigid support frame, a collapsible member with a bladder, and a frangible fastener. This segmentation allows different parts to serve different functions - the support frame maintains overall structure while the collapsible member provides impact-responsive movement, thus maintaining stability during normal use while enabling injury reduction during impact.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The collapsible member acts as an intermediary between the rigid backrest structure and the occupant's body. During normal seating, it maintains structural stability as part of the rigid assembly. During impact, it mediates the force transmission by collapsing, allowing controlled movement that reduces whiplash injury while protecting the overall structural integrity of the backrest.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 collapsible bladder enhances seating comfort by increasing the headrest distance during normal conditions and positions the occupant to minimize whiplash injury during rear-end impacts by moving the torso and head rearwardly into a favorable impact position.

Implementation Method 1

The force with which the torso of the occupant is pressed rearwardly into the front of the backrest compresses the bladder and vents gas from the bladder to thereby deflate and collapse the bladder

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGas venting through compression: Compression

Data Source

PatentUS11117537B2Backrest of a vehicle seat

Publication Date: 2021.09.14 FAURECIA AUTOMOTIVE SEATING LLC

AI summary

A vehicle seat for supporting an occupant in a vehicle. The vehicle seat includes a backrest and a headrest.