Bus Seat Carrier Deformation Element for Frontal Impact Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercial vehicles and buses with cab-over designs face challenges in frontal impact safety, where the front bulkhead intrusion reduces survival space and increases the risk of injury to occupants, and existing seat support arrangements are complex and inefficient in energy absorption.
Innovation Solution
A seat support arrangement integrated into the vehicle structure at the front end, utilizing a deformation element like a bending and/or torsion beam, which absorbs energy and moves the seat counter to the collision direction, ensuring uniform acceleration and maintaining dimensional stability, along with a deformation zone and deformable front axle bridge to minimize intrusions and accelerations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the front bulkhead is made rigid to prevent intrusion and maintain survival space, then the structural strength is improved, but the seat occupants are subjected to excessive acceleration and whiplash effects increasing injury risk
Solution Approach 1:
The front bulkhead is segmented into a rigid outer shell and an inner energy-absorbing deformation element. The rigid outer shell maintains survival space while the deformable inner element absorbs impact energy through controlled deformation, reducing acceleration transmitted to occupants.
Solution Approach 2:
The deformation element is pre-positioned between the rigid bulkhead and the seat support to provide beforehand cushioning. Upon impact, this element deforms in a controlled manner to cushion the shock before it reaches the occupant, preventing excessive acceleration and whiplash effects.
2Strength
If a rigid structure is created in the front area to prevent bulkhead intrusion, then the survival space is maintained, but the seat support becomes overly complex with multiple deformation elements
Solution Approach 1:
The seat support structure is merged with the front bulkhead assembly, integrating the energy-absorbing function directly into the bulkhead structure. This eliminates the need for separate deformation elements and complex mounting mechanisms, simplifying the overall design while maintaining rigidity and energy absorption capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The front bulkhead structure serves multiple functions: it provides rigid protection against intrusion, incorporates energy absorption through its deformable elements, and directly supports the seat. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate components, reducing structural complexity.
3Loss of energy
If the seat support is displaceably mounted above the chassis to absorb energy, then the energy absorption capability is improved, but the vehicle frame cannot participate in energy absorption and the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The seat support is merged with the vehicle frame structure, allowing the frame itself to participate in energy absorption through controlled deformation. This eliminates the need for separate displaceable mounting mechanisms and enables the entire front structure to work together as a unified energy-absorbing system.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle frame structure serves its own energy absorption function through its inherent deformability. The frame members are designed to deform in a controlled manner during impact, absorbing energy without requiring additional active components or complex mounting systems.
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 solution significantly reduces the risk of injury to occupants by maintaining survival space, absorbing collision energy, and distributing forces uniformly, while ensuring the seat support remains dimensionally stable and contributes to the vehicle's reinforcement during normal driving.
Implementation Method 1
a deformation element (52) which, as a result of an accident-related application of force, is deformable
Implementation Method 2
the seat support (36) being supported towards the rear on an energy-absorbing deformation element
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a seat carrier arrangement for a vehicle seat (48) of a utility vehicle, especially a bus, said arrangement comprising a seat carrier (36) supported towards the rear on an energy-absorbing deformation element (52). The seat carrier (36) is embodied as a carrier part of a vehicle structure (10) on the front end of the utility vehicle. The invention also relates to a construction for a utility vehicle, especially a bus, comprising a vehicle structure (10) on the front end, with an upper and a lower absorber plane (12, 14). The invention also relates to at least one front axial bridge (58) of a base frame or a substructure (18) in the region of a front axle formed as a longitudinal deformation element.