Vehicle Floor Panel with Undulating Edge and Recessed Seat Rail
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing floor systems in vehicle and aircraft cabins face complexity in force direction and moisture sealing, making them difficult to manufacture, mount, and provide a simplified load path.
Innovation Solution
A floor system featuring a seat rail with a recessed design that vertically clamps a floor panel with an undulating or serrated connection edge, providing a form-fit engagement and incorporating a honeycomb structure with core filling material for stability, along with sealing components to prevent moisture ingress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If floor panels are connected to seat rails via bolt connections at edges, then the connection can handle complex force directions, but the manufacturing and mounting process becomes complex and requires multiple sealings
Solution Approach 1:
The connection edge of the floor panel is segmented into multiple engagement elements (protrusions or teeth) that interact with corresponding recesses in the seat rail. This segmentation allows the connection to handle complex force directions through distributed contact points while simplifying the overall connection mechanism by eliminating the need for traditional bolt connections and multiple sealing points.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection interface combines form-fit mechanical engagement (through the undulating edge geometry) with material-level bonding (through adhesive or interlocking material properties). This composite approach provides both the strength to handle complex forces and the simplicity of a single integrated connection method without requiring separate bolts and sealings.
2Reliability
If multiple sealings are used to prevent moisture ingress, then moisture protection is improved, but the manufacturing and mounting process becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is merged with the structural connection function. The undulating connection edge creates a continuous sealing interface as part of the form-fit engagement mechanism, eliminating the need for separate sealing components and multiple sealing points. This single integrated solution provides both mechanical connection and moisture protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing interface utilizes a flexible sealing element (such as an elastomeric strip or membrane) that conforms to the undulating connection edge geometry. This flexible film provides effective moisture sealing while accommodating the complex edge shape, simplifying manufacturing compared to rigid multi-point sealing systems.
3Ease of manufacture
If a straight connection edge is used, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but the engagement with the seat rail lacks stability
Solution Approach 1:
The connection edge features an undulating or wavy curvature pattern rather than a straight line. This curved geometry increases the surface area of contact with the seat rail and creates multiple interlocking points, significantly improving engagement stability and resistance to withdrawal forces while remaining manufacturable through standard forming processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection edge geometry is optimized by varying parameters such as wave amplitude, wavelength, and profile shape to achieve the desired balance between manufacturing simplicity and engagement stability. These parameter adjustments allow the same basic undulating pattern to be manufactured efficiently while providing superior mechanical interlocking compared to straight edges.
Data Source
Figure 1~2e
Figure 3~5
Figure 6~7
AI summary
A floor system (32, 78) for a cabin of a vehicle (92) is proposed, comprising a floor panel (2, 22, 26, 88), a seat rail (34) having an installation surface (52, 64), a base surface (46) underneath the installation surface (52, 64) in a distance thereto, and at least one recess (45) between the installation surface (52, 64) and the base surface (46) and extending along the seat rail (34), wherein the floor panel (2, 22, 26, 88) has a top surface (12), a bottom surface (14) and at least one connection edge (10) extending between the top surface (12) and the bottom surface (14), wherein the seat rail (34) is adapted to vertically clamp the floor panel (2, 22, 26, 88) inside the at least one recess (45), wherein the at least one connection edge (10) has a continuously undulating or serrated edge surface, and wherein the at least one recess (45) comprises an outwards-facing lateral receiving surface (47, 74) that is at least partially complementary to the edge surface of the at least one connection edge (10) to provide a form-fit engagement with the floor panel (2, 22, 26, 88).