Vehicle Seat Air Spring Pressure Control Without Compressor Noise
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle seat level control systems rely on compressors, which generate loud background noise, causing discomfort and potential health issues for vehicle drivers due to prolonged operation.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat system that uses a fluid delivery unit to adjust the internal pressure of an air spring by shifting fluid between an auxiliary volume and an additional volume, eliminating the need for a compressor and reducing noise levels by utilizing a vane pump or deformation device to maintain a predetermined seat height.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a compressor is used to control the internal pressure of the air spring, then the seat height can be maintained under all operating conditions, but loud background noise is generated causing driver discomfort and potential health issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful compressor component from the system and replaces it with a quiet fluid delivery unit (vane pump). The fluid delivery unit is connected to an auxiliary volume that can store fluid, allowing the system to maintain seat height stability without the noisy compressor operation. This separates the fluid transfer function from the noisy compression function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an auxiliary volume as an intermediary storage chamber between the fluid delivery unit and the air spring. This auxiliary volume acts as a buffer that can store excess fluid and release it when needed, enabling the quiet vane pump to achieve the same pressure control function as the noisy compressor would provide directly.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the compressor operates frequently to maintain constant seat height, then the distance between seat elements remains stable, but the background noise becomes unbearable and causes health problems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-fills the auxiliary volume with fluid during system initialization or when the compressor is briefly operated. This preliminary action stores fluid in the auxiliary volume so that subsequent seat height adjustments can be made using the quiet fluid delivery unit without activating the noisy compressor, thereby maintaining stability without continuous noise.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the fluid delivery unit to perform periodic, small-volume fluid transfers between the auxiliary volume and the air spring to maintain seat height. This periodic action from the quiet vane pump replaces the frequent, noisy compressor operations, achieving the same stabilizing effect with minimal noise disturbance.
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 system effectively maintains a constant seat height without compressor noise, providing a quieter and more comfortable driving experience by automatically adjusting internal pressures in response to weight shifts using a fluid delivery unit or deformation mechanism.
Implementation Method 1
a first air spring (3) arranged between the lower (4) and the upper seat element (5)
Implementation Method 2
an internal pressure of the first air spring (3) can be controlled
Implementation Method 3
changing the distance (6) due to a shift in weight on the upper seat element (5) by conveying a fluid through the fluid conveying unit (12) between the auxiliary volume (10) and the additional volume (8)
Implementation Method 4
utilizing a vane pump or deformation device to maintain a predetermined seat height
Data Source
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AI summary
Vehicle seat (1) with a device for leveling the vehicle seat, wherein the vehicle seat has an upper seat element which can be displaced relative to a lower seat element by means of a first air spring (3) and on which a mass can be arranged, wherein the lower and the upper seat elements are arranged at a predefinable distance from each other and wherein the first air spring is fluidically connected to an additional volume (8) of an additional volume module by means of a first fluid connection and an internal pressure of the first air spring can be controlled by means of the additional volume module, wherein the device has a limited auxiliary volume (10) which is fluidically coupled to the additional volume by means of a fluid conveying unit and a second fluid connection,where, in the event of a change in the distance due to a shift in the mass on the upper seat element by means of a fluid conveyed by the fluid conveying unit between the auxiliary volume and the additional volume, the internal pressure of the additional volume and indirectly of the first air spring can be changed in order to compensate for the change in the distance.