Rotatable Elongated Member for Vehicle Occupant Inboard Movement Blocking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle safety measures, such as impact testing standards, do not effectively prevent occupants from moving inboard during frontal or side collisions, which can lead to increased injury severity due to impacts with other objects within the vehicle.
Innovation Solution
A seat assembly with a rotatably supported elongated member, pyrotechnic device, and wire system that deploys the elongated member to a raised position during impacts, blocking the occupant's torso from moving inboard and combining with other functions like serving as an armrest or controlling the seatback tilt, while integrating with seatbelt pretensioning systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional seatbelt systems are used, then basic restraint function is provided, but occupants can still move inboard during collisions leading to increased injury severity
Solution Approach 1:
The elongated member is positioned in a retracted state during normal operation and automatically deploys to a forward position upon detection of a collision, preliminarily blocking the path for inboard movement before the collision forces act on the occupant. This preliminary action prevents the harmful inboard movement that traditional seatbelts alone cannot stop.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety system is segmented into multiple functional components: the traditional seatbelt restraint system, the pyrotechnic deployment mechanism, and the elongated blocking member. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally while working together to provide comprehensive protection against inboard movement.
2Reliability
If a deployable blocking mechanism is added to prevent inboard movement, then occupant safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The elongated member is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as a blocking member to prevent inboard movement, serves as an armrest for occupant comfort, and can function as a lever for controlling seatback tilt. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while maintaining improved safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the safety function of blocking inboard movement with the comfort function of an armrest and the control function of a seatback tilt lever into a single integrated elongated member. This merging consolidates multiple functions into one component, reducing overall system complexity compared to having separate components for each function.
3Reliability
If the elongated member is always in the raised position to block inboard movement, then safety is maximized, but ease of operation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The elongated member transitions from a static design to a dynamic one, remaining in a retracted position during normal operation to allow full occupant movement freedom and comfort, and automatically deploying to a forward blocking position only when a collision is detected. This dynamic behavior maximizes safety when needed while maintaining ease of operation during normal use.
Solution Approach 2:
The blocking function is activated periodically or event-driven rather than continuously. The elongated member remains retracted during normal operation and is deployed only during the specific event of a collision, as detected by sensors. This periodic activation ensures safety during collisions while maintaining operational freedom during normal vehicle use.
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 solution effectively reduces the likelihood and severity of occupant injuries by preventing inboard movement during collisions, enhancing safety by blocking impacts with other objects within the vehicle.
Implementation Method 1
a pyrotechnic device rotatably supporting the elongated member. The pyrotechnic device is configured to rotate the elongated member to the raised position
Data Source
AI summary
A seat assembly includes a seatback, an elongated member, a pyrotechnic device, and a wire. The seat assembly may be in a vehicle. The elongated member is rotatably supported by the seatback. The pyrotechnic device is fixed relative to the seatback. The wire is connected to the elongated member and deployably attached to the pyrotechnic device.