Cornering Seat Back Swing for Driver Shoulder Pressure Relief
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seat apparatuses for vehicles do not effectively relieve pressure on the driver's shoulders during steering operations, leading to a feeling of strangeness and reduced operability during cornering, while maintaining holding ability.
Innovation Solution
A seat apparatus with a seat back frame and cornering sensor that controls a swing mechanism to adjust the position of the backboard's side parts relative to the cornering direction, using a control unit to tilt the backboard inward during cornering, thereby reducing shoulder pressure and improving steering operability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If side support frames are moved to improve holding ability during cornering, then driver holding ability is improved, but pressure on shoulders increases and steering operability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The seat back frame is divided into multiple independent components: left and right side frames that can move laterally, and a backboard that can swing independently. This segmentation allows the side frames to provide holding force while the backboard swings to relieve shoulder pressure, resolving the contradiction between holding ability and steering operability.
Solution Approach 2:
The backboard is designed to swing dynamically in response to cornering forces. During cornering, the backboard swings to allow the driver's shoulders to move forward, relieving pressure while the side frames maintain lateral support. This dynamic adjustment maintains both holding ability and steering operability.
2Reliability
If side support frames are moved to hold the driver during cornering, then safety is improved, but a feeling of strangeness occurs and operability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The swing mechanism allows the backboard to dynamically adjust during cornering, creating a more natural feeling for the driver. The backboard swings to accommodate shoulder movement while maintaining overall support, eliminating the strange feeling associated with fixed side frame movement while preserving safety.
3Ease of operation
If the backboard swings to relieve shoulder pressure, then steering operability is improved, but holding ability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented design allows the backboard to swing independently for operability while the side frames maintain lateral support for holding ability. The left and right side frames can move laterally to provide holding force even as the backboard swings to relieve shoulder pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the seat back frame perform different functions: the backboard provides swing motion to relieve shoulder pressure and improve operability, while the side frames provide lateral movement to maintain holding ability. This local differentiation of function resolves the contradiction.
Data Source
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AI summary
In order to improve steering operation operability during cornering while maintaining a driver holding property, a seat apparatus is provided with: a seat back frame; a cornering sensor for detecting a cornering direction of a vehicle; and a control unit that controls the seat back frame on the basis of the result of detection by the cornering sensor. The seat back frame is provided with: left and right side frames disposed on both sides of the seat back frame; a back plate disposed between the left and right side frames; and a swinging mechanism for swinging the back plate with respect to the direction of movement of the vehicle. The control unit controls the swinging mechanism such that, upon detection of a cornering direction of the vehicle by the cornering sensor, the inner one of the sides of the back plate with respect to the cornering direction is positioned rearward of the outer one of the sides with respect to the cornering direction.