Seat Adjustment Relay Control for Collision Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seat adjustment systems in motor vehicles face issues with unintentional actuation during collisions, leading to potential harm and requiring expensive smart control devices or pyrotechnic measures that hinder rescue efforts.
Innovation Solution
A seat adjustment system with a normally open relay downstream of the motor switch, controlled by a microchip that monitors load-switching switches and collision signals, preventing unintended actuation during collisions while allowing easy reactivation and monitoring for rescue purposes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a smart seat control device with bus system monitoring is used to prevent unintentional actuation during collisions, then safety is improved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the collision monitoring function from the complex smart seat control device and implements it using a simple microchip that reads collision signals directly from the vehicle's airbag control unit. This separates the safety monitoring function from the main seat control system, achieving safety without requiring a complex integrated smart control device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a simple microchip as an intermediary component that mediates between the vehicle's collision detection system and the seat adjustment motors. This microchip acts as a gateway that selectively enables or disables motor operation based on collision signals, providing safety without the complexity of a full smart control device.
2Reliability
If pyrotechnic measures are used to interrupt power supply during collisions, then unintentional actuation is prevented, but rescue operations are hindered and system repair is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic control system where the relay closure is temporarily inhibited during collisions but can be reactivated by the control unit after the collision event. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt to different phases of the collision scenario - blocking during impact but enabling rescue operations afterward, unlike permanent pyrotechnic interruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent temporarily discards the ability to actuate seats during collisions by keeping the relay open, but provides a mechanism to recover this functionality after the collision through control unit intervention. This allows the system to sacrifice temporary operation for safety during the collision while preserving the ability to restore function for rescue operations.
3Reliability
If a relay is kept open during collisions to prevent actuation, then safety is improved, but operational delays occur for legitimate adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the control unit monitors the collision signal status and automatically closes the relay when the collision condition no longer exists. This feedback loop ensures that temporary operational delays during collisions do not become permanent, allowing the system to resume normal operation once the collision event is resolved.
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
This solution provides a reliable, cost-effective, and reversible method to prevent unintentional seat adjustments during collisions, ensuring occupant safety and facilitating rescue operations by avoiding unnecessary delays and damage.
Implementation Method 1
a relay (16) is provided downstream of the switch (15) to the motor (9, 10) in the line, said relay being open in the non-energized state
Data Source
AI summary
A seat adjustment system for a seat of a motor vehicle, including at least one motor driving the adjustment and at least one operating element, which can be actuated by an operator, for at least one adjustment function, and the actuation of which closes a switch provided in a line from the motor associated with the adjustment function to a power supply, wherein a relay is provided downstream of the switch to the motor in the line, said relay being open in the non-energized state, and the seat adjustment system has a control unit which is designed to close the relay when an operating element is actuated and there is no collision signal indicating a collision of the motor vehicle and leaves the relay open at least temporarily if there is a collision signal when an operating element is actuated.