Vehicle Seat Belt Frame with Nested Safety Element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing passenger restraint systems in vehicles face challenges in meeting safety and stability criteria while being economically and technologically advantageous, particularly in designing for maximum stress situations such as accidents.
Innovation Solution
A belt frame for vehicle seats comprising vertical supports and a horizontally running cross brace, with a safety element encasing the cross brace to enhance stability and absorb forces during crashes, is designed to be lightweight yet robust, incorporating attachment means for secure installation within the vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the belt frame is designed with robust structure to meet safety and stability criteria, then the strength and stability are improved, but the weight and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The safety element is arranged around the cross brace in a nested configuration, where the safety element forms a protective enclosure around the cross brace structure. This nesting approach allows the safety function to be integrated within the existing frame geometry without requiring separate, additional structural components, thereby achieving enhanced strength without proportional weight increase
Solution Approach 2:
The safety element is designed as a thin-walled structural component that provides protective enclosure and force absorption capabilities. This thin-film approach allows the safety function to be achieved with minimal material thickness, reducing weight while maintaining the necessary strength and stability characteristics for crash protection
2Strength
If the belt frame is designed with robust structure to meet safety and stability criteria, then the strength and stability are improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety element is integrated directly into the cross brace structure, merging the safety function with the existing frame component. This integration eliminates the need for separate safety components and their associated assembly operations, reducing manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining the required strength characteristics
Solution Approach 2:
The cross brace is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides the primary structural support for the belt frame and simultaneously serves as the mounting structure for the safety element. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of components required, simplifying manufacturing and reducing costs while achieving the necessary strength and safety performance
3Stability of the object's composition
If the safety element encases the cross brace, then the stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety element is designed as a modular component that can be independently manufactured and then integrated with the cross brace. This segmentation allows for simplified manufacturing of individual components and reduces assembly complexity, while the final nested configuration provides the required stability enhancement
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
Belt frame (1) for a vehicle seat or vehicle bench seat, wherein the belt frame (1) comprises a vertical support (2 - 4) and a horizontally extending crossbar (5), wherein the crossbar (5) is arranged on the vertical support (2 - 4), wherein a component of a person restraint system is attached to a connecting element of the crossbar (5) in an assembled state of the vehicle seat with belt frame (1), and the belt frame (1) comprises a safety element (12), wherein the safety element (12) is present on the crossbar (5) along a longitudinal axis of the crossbar (5), wherein the safety element (12) together with the crossbar (5) encloses the vertical support (2 - 4).