Multi-Level Vehicle Restraint System for Rotating Seats
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle restraint systems fail to effectively retain occupants during vehicle impacts and seat rotations, particularly in autonomous vehicles where occupants may face each other and the seat is reclined, requiring a solution that maintains occupant safety across various seat positions and orientations.
Innovation Solution
A restraint system with retractable webbings and locking elements that are fixed relative to the seat, allowing the seat to rotate and recline while maintaining occupant retention through a combination of upper, middle, and lower retractors and webbings, ensuring safety in various orientations and positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the seat is allowed to rotate and recline to allow occupants to face each other and interact, then occupant comfort and social interaction are improved, but the ability of the restraint system to effectively retain occupants during vehicle impacts deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The restraint system is divided into multiple independent retractor units (upper, middle, and lower retractors on each side) that can function independently. Each retractor is positioned at different heights and can engage occupants at different body locations, allowing the system to maintain effectiveness regardless of seat orientation or occupant position.
Solution Approach 2:
The restraint system transitions from a traditional single-plane configuration to a three-dimensional multi-level configuration with retractors positioned at upper, middle, and lower heights. This spatial distribution creates multiple retention paths that remain effective whether the seat is upright, reclined, or rotated, solving the contradiction between seat flexibility and restraint reliability.
2Reliability
If multiple retractors are added to maintain occupant retention during seat rotation and impacts, then occupant safety is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each retractor unit is designed as a universal component that performs multiple functions: it provides restraint during normal operation, during seat rotation, and during vehicle impacts regardless of impact direction. The middle retractors specifically engage occupants during rotation while upper and lower retractors handle impact scenarios, allowing each component to be simple yet multi-functional.
Solution Approach 2:
The restraint system uses dynamic retractors that can extend and retract based on occupant movement and seat position changes. This dynamic capability allows the system to adapt to various seat orientations and impact scenarios without requiring complex mechanical linkages or adjustable mechanisms, maintaining component simplicity while achieving high reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A restraint system includes a seat defining a centerline and including a seat bottom and a seatback. A pair of upper retractors are disposed on the seatback, a pair of lower retractors are disposed on the seat bottom, and a pair of middle retractors are disposed on the seat between the pairs of upper and lower retractors. Each pair of retractors includes one retractor disposed on each side of the centerline.