Vehicle Seat Group With Table-Integrated Airbags for Facing Seats
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the context of automated and autonomous driving, vehicle occupants need flexible seating arrangements where they can face each other while ensuring proper protection in all positions, including during restraints.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat group with at least two seats aligned toward each other, featuring a center console with a pivotable table and integrated airbag modules, along with additional restraint elements in the seats and console, allowing adaptive protection based on seating configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If vehicle seats are aligned toward each other to enable occupants to face each other, then flexibility and social interaction are improved, but occupant protection during restraint becomes more difficult to ensure
Solution Approach 1:
The restraint system is segmented into multiple independent airbag modules distributed across different locations (center console, table, vehicle seats). This segmentation allows selective deployment of specific modules based on the seating configuration, enabling effective restraint protection even when seats are arranged in flexible facing configurations rather than traditional parallel arrangements.
Solution Approach 2:
The restraint system dynamically adapts to different seating configurations through sensor detection of seat positions and corresponding activation of appropriate airbag modules. The system transitions from a static restraint design to a dynamic one that adjusts protection based on whether seats are in parallel or facing arrangements, ensuring reliability across varying configurations.
2Reliability
If multiple airbag modules are distributed across table and center console to provide adaptive protection, then occupant restraint effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple airbag modules are designed with universal functionality to provide restraint protection across different seating configurations. Each module can serve multiple purposes depending on activation conditions, reducing the need for configuration-specific components and managing complexity through standardized multi-functional units rather than specialized parts for each scenario.
Solution Approach 2:
Airbag modules are pre-positioned in strategic locations (center console, table, vehicle seats) before a restraint event occurs. Sensors detect the seating configuration in advance and pre-determine which modules should be activated, allowing the system to respond effectively without requiring complex real-time decision-making during the restraint event itself.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates a vehicle seat group (10) for a vehicle (100) having at least two vehicle seats (12, 14, 16, 18), a table (22) and a vehicle occupant restraint system (20) having at least one restraint element, wherein at least two vehicle seats (12, 14, 16, 18) of the vehicle seat group (10) can be aligned toward each other in their seat length direction (S), wherein the table (22) is arranged between the vehicle seats (12, 14, 16, 18), in particular at a center console (30), wherein at least one restraint element of the vehicle occupant restraint system (20) is disposed in and/or at the table (22). In addition, the invention relates to a vehicle comprising such vehicle seat group.