Deformable Vehicle Seat Shell for Adaptive Lumbar Support
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle seats with fixed shapes fail to provide comfortable support for diverse occupant postures, as they do not adapt to changes in seating position, leading to improper fit and support for passengers who shift or sit in different positions.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat with a deformable seat shell and a compliant shell-motion controller that allows the seat back to change shape from an initial lordosis position to a final kyphosis position in response to passenger loads, using upper and lower motion-control links with spheroidal joints and pivotable struts to maintain customized support regardless of posture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed shape seat back is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but it cannot adapt to different occupant postures and provides improper support
Solution Approach 1:
The seat back incorporates a deformable shell coupled to the support frame through a compliant mechanism with motion-control links. This dynamic structure allows the shell to change shape and position in response to varying occupant loads and postures, transitioning between different curvature states to maintain proper spinal support regardless of whether the occupant sits upright or slumped
Solution Approach 2:
The compliant mechanism is divided into discrete motion-control links (upper and lower links) that can independently pivot and adjust. This segmentation allows each link to contribute to the overall shape-changing capability, enabling the shell to achieve multiple contoured positions through coordinated movement of the segmented components
2Ease of operation
If a deformable seat shell with motion control is implemented, then customized support for various postures is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The deformable shell system is designed to automatically adapt to occupant posture changes without requiring manual adjustment. The compliant mechanism with motion-control links self-regulates the shell's shape and position in response to varying occupant loads, eliminating the need for user intervention while maintaining proper spinal support across different seating positions
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 seat provides predictable, customized lumbar support for passengers in various positions, enhancing comfort by adapting to changes in posture without requiring manual adjustments, ensuring proper pressure distribution and spinal support across a range of seated postures.
Implementation Method 1
The upper motion-control link is a spheroidal (ball-and-socket) joint comprising a ball coupled to the link foundation and a ball-receiving socket coupled to the deformable seat shell
Implementation Method 2
The lower motion-control link is a pivotable strut coupled at an inner end thereof to a gusset included in the deformable seat shell for pivotable movement about a first pivot axis and coupled at an outer end thereof to the link foundation for pivotable movement about a second pivot axis
Implementation Method 3
a deformable seat shell adapted to assume various shapes between an initial lordosis position and a final kyphosis position in response to variable rearward loads applied by the torso of a seated passenger
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A
Figure 3B
AI summary
A vehicle seat includes a seat back having a support frame coupled to a seat foundation. The seat back also further includes a deformable seat shell adapted to assume various shapes between initial position and final positions in response to variable rearward loads applied by a seated passenger. The seat shell is coupled to the support frame by a compliant shell-motion controller via upper and lower motion-control links. The motion-control links allow pivotal motion, and at least one of the links includes a spheroidal joint. A link foundation extends between and interconnects the upper and lower motion-control links and is coupled to the support frame so that the link foundation does not move during seat shell deformation. The shell-motion controller may be pre-assembled as part of a backrest or the motion-control links may be formed after the link foundation is attached to the support frame.