Head Rest Battery Venting Structure for Occupant Safety

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional head rest devices pose safety risks when a secondary battery is used due to potential gas generation, overheating, and rupture, which can occur near the seated person.

Innovation Solution

A head rest device design that includes a partitioned accommodation space for the secondary battery with a guiding port to discharge gas externally, a protective cushioning material, and optional features like grooves to weaken the accommodation space or a protective plate to mitigate pressure increases and enhance safety.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If a secondary battery is placed inside the head rest device, then power supply for the control circuit board is enabled, but gas generation, firing, or rupture can occur near the seated person's head, impairing safety

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower supplyVSAvoidsafety

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The head rest device is divided into multiple compartments using a partitioning plate. The secondary battery is isolated in a dedicated accommodation space separated from the loudspeaker and control circuit board areas. This segmentation prevents harmful effects from the battery from affecting other components and the user, while maintaining all necessary functions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A partitioning plate acts as an intermediary structure between the secondary battery and other components. This partitioning plate with its groove configuration serves as a safety barrier that contains potential harmful effects within the accommodation space while allowing the battery to function normally.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Strength

If the accommodation space is made robust to contain the battery, then structural integrity is improved, but gas pressure buildup from electrolyte evaporation can cause rupture

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidgas pressure

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The partitioning plate is designed with a groove that creates a predetermined weak point before any rupture could occur. This preliminary structural feature ensures that when gas pressure builds up from electrolyte evaporation, the accommodation space will break at the groove location first, releasing pressure safely before it can cause dangerous rupture elsewhere.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The groove in the partitioning plate serves as a pre-prepared safety mechanism that cushions against catastrophic failure. By designing this weak point in advance, the system ensures controlled pressure release before harmful rupture can occur, protecting the user from gas buildup effects.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the accommodation space is positioned at the lower part of the core material, then gas discharge away from the user is improved, but the battery placement flexibility is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegas dischargeVSAvoidbattery placement flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The partitioning plate structure provides localized accommodation spaces at the lower part of the core material specifically designed for battery placement. This local structural feature enables gas discharge away from the user's head while maintaining flexibility in battery positioning within that designated area, as the partitioning plate can be configured to accommodate different battery sizes and shapes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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

Prevents impairment of safety by allowing gas to escape and reducing the risk of fire or rupture, thereby protecting the seated person from potential battery-related hazards.

Implementation Method 1

a configuration may be taken in which a groove for causing a wall face of the accommodation space to break when an internal pressure increases

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPressure increase: Pressure Increase

Implementation Method 2

a guiding port opening toward a lower side of the core material

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGas discharge:

Implementation Method 3

a protective cushioning material is provided on a surface of the core material and on a front side of the accommodation space

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCushioning: Damping

Data Source

PatentUS10064496B2Head rest device

Publication Date: 2018.09.04 FAURECIA CLARION ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

There is provided a head rest device 10 that does not impair safety of a seated person even when a secondary battery 35 is accommodated therein.An accommodation space 28 partitioned by a partitioning plate part 25 is provided inside a cushioning core material 12 of a head rest main body, and a secondary battery 35 is accommodated inside the accommodation space 28.