Rate-Sensitive Vehicle Seat Damper for Impact Differentiation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle seat dampers fail to differentiate between accidental impacts and minor external forces, leading to either unnecessary movement of the headrest during slight forces or failure to move during accidental impacts due to weak force requirements.
Innovation Solution
A damper with a cylindrical chamber, slider member, turn member, viscous fluid, and coiled spring that differentiates between external force rates, utilizing throttle resistance at low rates and rigid coupling at high rates to activate the headrest movement mechanism only during significant impacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the damping force is increased to prevent headrest movement during slight external forces, then the headrest stability is improved, but the headrest cannot be moved forward during accidental impacts
Solution Approach 1:
The damper employs a rate-sensitive damping mechanism where the damping force dynamically adjusts based on the speed of compression. During slight external forces (low compression rate), the damping force is high to maintain stability. During accidental impacts (high compression rate), the damping force decreases to allow headrest movement forward, thus resolving the contradiction between stability and impact response capability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the damping parameter (damping force) based on the compression rate of the spring. By making the damping force a variable parameter that depends on the rate of external force application, the system achieves both high stability during normal conditions and adequate mobility during impacts
2Adaptability or versatility
If the damping force is decreased to allow headrest movement during accidental impacts, then the impact response is improved, but the headrest moves during slight external forces like hand-pushing
Solution Approach 1:
The damper uses a dynamic damping mechanism where the damping force automatically adjusts based on the compression rate. During slight external forces, the low compression rate results in high damping force that prevents unnecessary movement. During accidental impacts, the high compression rate causes the damping force to decrease, allowing the headrest to move forward for protection
3Device complexity
If a simple spring mechanism is used for headrest energizing, then the device complexity is reduced, but the system cannot differentiate between impact rates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a damper as an intermediary component between the external force and the headrest energizing mechanism. This damper contains a shock-absorbing element with rate-sensitive characteristics that mediates the force transmission, allowing the system to differentiate between impact rates without requiring complex sensors or control systems
Solution Approach 2:
The damper exploits the rate-sensitive parameter of the shock-absorbing element, where the damping characteristic changes based on the compression rate. This natural parameter change allows the simple mechanical system to automatically differentiate between slow external forces and rapid impacts
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
The damper effectively attenuates external forces at low rates and rigidly couples to move the headrest forward during high-rate impacts, ensuring protection during rear-end collisions while preventing unnecessary movement during minor forces.
Implementation Method 1
a viscous fluid filled in the chamber; when the turn member is turned by an external force applied to the turn member at a turning rate less than a predetermined rate, the slider member is moved in the cylindrical room of a vessel by turn of the turn member, and the external force is attenuated by throttle resistance caused by the flow of the viscous fluid through the communication path
Implementation Method 2
a coiled spring for energizing the slider member toward the turn member
Data Source
Figure 1(a)~1(b)
Figure 2(a)~2(b)
Figure 3(a)~3(b)
AI summary
A damper is provided which damps an applied external force in accordance with the strength of the external force (impact strength). The damper 10 comprises a vessel 20 having a cylindrical chamber 21 filled with a viscous fluid, a turn member 60 turned by the external force, a slider member 40 which is moved in the chamber 21 of the vessel 20 by turn of the turn member 60, partition member 80 engaged with the slider member 40, a coiled spring 100 for energizing the slider member 40 toward the turn member 60, and a resin cap 100 blocking an opening of the vessel 20.