Damped Floor Assembly for Heavy Vehicle Driving Place

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Solution Overview

Problem

Commercial and heavy vehicles face challenges in maintaining driver comfort and control due to unpredictable damping system behavior, which can lead to loss of contact with vehicle controls, especially when the combined damping systems of shock absorbers, cabin, and seat interact with varying loads.

Innovation Solution

The driving seat, steering wheel, and pedal unit are rigidly connected and fastened to a single damped floor portion within the vehicle cabin, forming a rigid body that reacts to road irregularities through a hinged connection with shock absorbers, ensuring consistent damping and reducing weight-related dynamic issues.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If multiple damping systems (vehicle shock absorbers, cabin shock absorbers, and driving seat damping system) are combined to protect the driver's body, then driver comfort is improved, but the damping behavior becomes unpredictable and can lead to loss of contact with pedal unit

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriver comfortVSAvoidcontact with pedal unit
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The damping function is segmented into two independent systems: one for the driving place components (seat, steering wheel, pedal unit) and another for the cabin. This segmentation eliminates the unpredictable interaction between multiple damping systems while maintaining driver comfort and reliable pedal contact through dedicated damping mechanisms for each zone.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If driving seat, steering wheel and pedal unit are rigidly connected and fastened to a single damped floor portion, then control reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol reliabilityVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The driving seat, steering wheel, and pedal unit are merged into a single rigidly connected assembly fastened to a common damped floor portion. This merging simplifies the overall structure by reducing the number of separate mounting points and damping mechanisms needed, while maintaining reliable control through the unified rigid connection that prevents loss of contact with pedals.

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

This configuration enhances driver comfort by stabilizing the driving position and maintaining control over vehicle controls, preventing loss of contact with pedals, while allowing for adjustable seat settings and integrated instrumentation, thereby improving vehicle handling and safety.

Implementation Method 1

one or more shock absorbers BP, BP1, BP2 having a first end hinged to said floor portion and a second end, opposite to the first, hinged to a fixed point of the cabin to damp the oscillations of said floor portion

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDamping: Damping

Data Source

PatentEP3515793B1Driving place of a commercial or heavy vehicle and commercial or heavy vehicle comprising said driving place
Publication Date: 2020.11.04 IVECO SPA
  • EP3515793B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3515793B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A driving place of a commercial or heavy vehicle comprising a driving seat (S), a steering wheel (SW) and a pedal unit (PD), rigidly connected to each other and fastened to a single floor portion (PF), wherein said floor portion (PF) is connected to a vehicle cabin in a damped manner to react to road surface irregularities.