Dynamic Seatback Positioning for Airbag Deployment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle seat systems do not effectively deploy airbags between occupants and seatbacks during potential vehicle impacts, as they lack a mechanism to reposition the seatback to provide a suitable reaction surface for airbag deployment.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic seat positioning system with a pivotable seatback and a control system that automatically moves the seatback from an upright to a forward pivoted position when the seat is unoccupied and a potential impact is detected, allowing the airbag to deploy between the occupant and the seatback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the seatback remains in the upright use position, then the seat structure is simple and stable, but the airbag cannot deploy effectively between the occupant and the seatback during a vehicle impact
Solution Approach 1:
The seatback is designed to be dynamically repositionable between an upright use position and a forward pivoted position. A movement mechanism associated with the seatback enables it to move from the use position to the forward pivoted position upon detection of a potential vehicle impact, allowing the airbag to deploy effectively between the occupant and the seatback in the pivoted position
Solution Approach 2:
The movement mechanism pre-positions the seatback in a forward pivoted position before airbag deployment is needed. When a potential vehicle impact is detected, the seatback is automatically moved to the forward pivoted position in advance, ensuring that the airbag has the proper reaction surface geometry when it deploys during the actual impact event
2Reliability
If the seatback is made pivotable to provide a reaction surface for airbag deployment, then airbag retention is improved, but the mechanism requires additional components and control systems
Solution Approach 1:
The pivotable seatback mechanism serves multiple functions: it provides the reaction surface geometry needed for effective airbag deployment, improves airbag retention during impact, and can be integrated with existing seat adjustment mechanisms. The movement mechanism is associated with the seatback and can be controlled by a control system that detects potential vehicle impacts
Solution Approach 2:
The movement mechanism acts as an intermediary between the control system and the seatback. It receives control signals from the control system upon detection of a potential vehicle impact and executes the position change of the seatback, thereby mediating the interaction between the control system and the seatback structure
Data Source
AI summary
A seat arrangement for a vehicle includes a first seat including an airbag module having an inflatable airbag, and a second seat positionable adjacent to the first seat. The second seat includes a pivotable seatback that is pivotable between an upright use position and a forward pivoted position, and a movement mechanism associated with the seatback for moving the seatback from the use position to the pivoted position. The arrangement further includes a control system configured to actuate the movement mechanism to move the seatback of the second seat from the use position to the pivoted position when the second seat is unoccupied and upon detection of a potential vehicle impact, so that the airbag of the airbag module of the first seat may deploy between an occupant of the first seat and the seatback of the second seat.