Lean-in Vehicle Seat System for Lateral Acceleration Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle occupants experience discomfort due to disturbances caused by lateral accelerations during cornering, braking, and acceleration, as traditional vehicle seats do not effectively compensate for these movements, leading to an unnatural and uncomfortable ride.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat system with a controller that generates command signals to instruct an actuator to adjust the seat's angle based on cornering lateral acceleration, allowing the seat to lean in the direction of the turn, thereby matching the seat's movement with the vehicle's, providing a more natural and comfortable ride experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional fixed-position seat is used, then the device complexity is low, but the ride quality and comfort deteriorate due to uncompensated lateral accelerations during cornering
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by transforming the fixed seat into a dynamically adjustable seat that can actively change its angle and position in response to detected cornering lateral acceleration. The seat is mounted on a pivot allowing it to rotate, and an actuator dynamically adjusts the seat angle based on sensor feedback, enabling the seat to lean into corners and compensate for lateral forces, thereby improving ride quality while managing complexity through controlled adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by using a sensor (accelerometer) to detect cornering lateral acceleration, processing this information through a controller, and using the processed signal to drive an actuator that adjusts the seat position. This closed-loop feedback system continuously monitors vehicle dynamics and automatically adjusts the seat to maintain optimal positioning, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and ride quality by using intelligent control rather than complex mechanical structures
2Ease of operation
If an actuator system is added to adjust seat angle, then the ride quality improves through active compensation, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by designing a system where the seat automatically adjusts itself based on sensor feedback without requiring manual intervention. The controller processes acceleration data and commands the actuator to position the seat optimally, making the system self-regulating and adaptive to changing vehicle dynamics, thereby improving comfort while minimizing the need for complex control interfaces or manual adjustments
3Ease of operation
If the seat is allowed to move freely, then the comfort improves, but the stability and control precision deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses feedback control to maintain position precision while allowing natural movement. The sensor continuously monitors cornering lateral acceleration, and the controller adjusts the seat position in real-time based on this feedback, ensuring the seat moves naturally with the vehicle while maintaining accurate positioning relative to the occupant's center of gravity, thus resolving the contradiction between freedom of movement and position control precision
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems and methods for improving ride quality of an active payload support system. In one example, a seat system for a vehicle includes a seat, a support structure including an actuator configured to rotate the seat about an axis of a pivot, a first sensor positioned to detect movement of the vehicle, and a controller configured to receive a first input from the first sensor, determine a cornering lateral acceleration of the vehicle in a direction perpendicular to an axis parallel to a direction of travel of the vehicle around a turn, the cornering lateral acceleration determined based at least on the first input, generate a command signal based at least on the cornering lateral acceleration to instruct an actuator to rotate the seat about the axis of the pivot in a direction of the turn, and provide a force command to the actuator to move the seat.