Deployable Seat-Mounted Restraint for Multi-Point Crash Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle occupant restraint systems, such as 3-point seatbelt systems, provide limited protection compared to 4-point, 5-point, or 6-point systems, while these more extensive systems compromise occupant comfort and convenience.
Innovation Solution
An occupant restraint system that includes a support extending from the vehicle seat to the roof, with straps that extend around the occupant and the seat, deploying from a stored condition to an expanded position upon sensing a collision, providing additional restraint without sacrificing comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a 4-point, 5-point, or 6-point seatbelt system is installed, then occupant protection is improved, but occupant comfort and convenience deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The restraint system is divided into a permanent 3-point seatbelt component and a deployable support structure with straps. The support structure segments into multiple restraining elements that only activate during collisions, separating the always-present comfortable seatbelt from the collision-specific restraint mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure transitions from a stored/retracted state during normal operation to an deployed/expanded state during collisions. This dynamic transformation allows the system to provide enhanced restraint only when needed, maintaining comfort during ordinary use while delivering protection during accidents.
2Reliability
If a 4-point, 5-point, or 6-point seatbelt system is installed, then occupant protection is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The deployable support structure with multiple straps is integrated with the existing 3-point seatbelt system. This merging allows the new restraint elements to work in conjunction with the familiar seatbelt, providing enhanced protection while leveraging the simplicity and familiarity of the original system.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex multi-point restraint functionality is extracted as a separate, deployable support structure rather than being permanently integrated into the seatbelt system. This extraction allows the complex restraint mechanisms to be stored compactly and only activated when needed, reducing everyday system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An occupant restraint system for retaining an occupant in a vehicle seat includes a support extending adjacent a back of the vehicle seat so that the back of the vehicle seat extends between the occupant and the support. At least one strap has first and second ends attached to the support. The at least one strap extends around the occupant and the back of the seat so that the back of the vehicle seat and the occupant are between the support and the at least one strap.