Vehicle Seat Adapter for Restrained Occupant Spinal Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Individuals with their hands tied behind their backs during transport in vehicles face increased risk of spinal injuries due to lack of support from the vehicle seat's backrest and headrest during collisions, as their anatomy restricts proper alignment with the seat's design, leading to uneven distribution of forces and increased stress on the cervical and thoracic spine.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle seat adapter with a cuboid back part and adjustable fastening structure that creates space between the seat surface and the occupant's back, providing additional support and alignment with the seat's design, and includes a head part that compensates for the forward offset of the head relative to the back, ensuring proper positioning and distribution of forces during collisions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the hands are tied behind the body, then the range of motion is limited and the person cannot lash out or run away easily, but the person cannot sit properly on the vehicle seat and lacks support from the backrest and headrest

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity of restrained personVSAvoidseating comfort
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary device (a positioning aid with a recess) that mediates between the restrained person's hands and the vehicle seat backrest. This positioning aid creates a space that allows the hands to be positioned behind the backrest without preventing the person from sitting properly against the seat, thus resolving the contradiction between security (hands restrained) and seating comfort (backrest support).

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the hands are tied behind the body, then the person is more secure and cannot easily run away, but the pelvic area is spaced apart from the backrest causing improper alignment during collisions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity of restrained personVSAvoidalignment precision
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The positioning aid acts as an intermediary that precisely positions the restrained person's hands behind the backrest while maintaining proper alignment of the pelvic area with the backrest during collisions. The recess in the positioning aid is specifically designed to accommodate the hands at the correct position, ensuring both security and alignment precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by creating a specific localized feature (the recess in the positioning aid) that addresses the alignment issue at the hand position, while the rest of the body maintains proper alignment with the seat. This localized intervention resolves the alignment precision issue without compromising overall security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If the hands are tied behind the body, then the person cannot easily lash out, but the head and back are offset from the backrest and headrest increasing risk of whiplash injuries

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity of restrained personVSAvoidrisk of spinal injuries
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The positioning aid serves as an intermediary device that corrects the offset position of the head and back relative to the backrest and headrest. By providing a properly positioned recess for the hands, it ensures that the upper body aligns correctly with the seat structure, thereby reducing the risk of whiplash injuries while maintaining security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The positioning aid implements preliminary anti-action by pre-positioning the hands in a correct location behind the backrest, which prevents the harmful offset alignment from occurring in the first place during collisions. This proactive measure counteracts the potential harmful effect before it can manifest.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

4Reliability

If the hands are tied behind the body, then the person is more secure during transport, but the anatomy of shoulder and elbow joints limits range of motion causing improper seating position

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity of restrained personVSAvoidadaptability to seat design
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The positioning aid mediates between the anatomical constraints of the shoulder and elbow joints and the vehicle seat design. The recess in the positioning aid is specifically designed to accommodate the hands at a position that respects joint limitations while still allowing proper seating alignment, thus resolving the adaptability issue.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2815916B1Vehicle seat adapter
Publication Date: 2017.09.27 EL EMBABI ADEL
  • EP2815916B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP2815916B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP2815916B1 patent drawingFigure 2A

AI summary

The invention relates to a vehicle seat adapter (1) for a vehicle seat (20) of a vehicle, comprising a fastening device (3; 10) for attachment to a vehicle seat (20), and a main body with a main body vehicle seat side and a main body passenger side as well as a main body vehicle seat surface side and a main body vehicle seat head end side, wherein the distance between the main body vehicle seat surface side and the main body vehicle seat head end side is less than the distance between the seat surface (21) of the vehicle seat (20) and the vehicle seat head end of the vehicle seat (20) and/or the fastening device (3;10) is designed for the attachment of the main body to the vehicle seat (20) such that the main body vehicle seat surface side is spaced away from the vehicle seat surface (21) of the vehicle seat (20) so that a space can be created between the main body vehicle seat surface side and the vehicle seat surface side of the vehicle seat (20).