Cowl Cross Unit Mounting for Seat Belt Retractor Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current seat belt retractors in autonomous vehicles, when mounted on the dash panel, often interfere with HVAC systems and duct paths, limiting their installation and increasing production complexity and costs.
Innovation Solution
Mounting the seat belt retractor on a cowl cross unit, which includes a cowl cross bar and mounting bracket, positioned further forward in the vehicle body, allowing stable installation without additional reinforcement, reducing interference with HVAC systems and simplifying production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the seat belt retractor is mounted on the dash panel, then the installation is possible in general EVs and ICE vehicles, but it interferes with HVAC systems and duct paths
Solution Approach 1:
The seat belt retractor is extracted from the dash panel mounting location and relocated to the cowl cross unit. This separation removes the conflicting element (retractor) from the problematic area (dash panel) where it interferes with HVAC systems, while preserving the mounting functionality on a different structural component.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting location is changed from the vertical dash panel surface to the horizontal cowl cross unit structure. This dimensional shift in mounting location allows the retractor to be positioned in a different spatial plane that does not conflict with HVAC duct paths while maintaining accessibility and structural support.
2Ease of manufacture
If the seat belt retractor is mounted on the dash panel, then installation is possible, but additional reinforcement is required which increases production complexity and costs
Solution Approach 1:
The cowl cross unit is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides structural support for the vehicle body, serves as a mounting location for the seat belt retractor, and maintains HVAC duct clearance. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate reinforcement structures that would be required if the retractor were mounted on the dash panel.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting function for the seat belt retractor is merged with the existing cowl cross unit structure. Instead of adding a separate reinforcement component to the dash panel, the retractor mounting is integrated into the cowl cross unit's design, combining structural support and mounting functions into a single element.
3Volume of moving object
If rear-facing seats are used to increase space utilization, then space efficiency improves, but additional reinforcement of the seat is required for BIS type configuration
Solution Approach 1:
The seat belt retractor mounting function is extracted from the seat structure itself and relocated to the cowl cross unit. This separation removes the load-bearing requirement from the seat, allowing rear-facing seats to provide space utilization benefits without needing additional reinforcement for BIS type configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
A seat belt retractor mounting structure for a vehicle includes a cowl cross unit arranged in the width direction of a vehicle body and includes a seat belt retractor mounted on the cowl cross unit.