Seat Bottom Cross Beam Reinforcement for Impact Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automotive seat systems face challenges in providing adequate structural reinforcement and occupant support, particularly when the seat bottom is positioned forward of a structural reinforcement beam, which can lead to instability during vehicle impacts.
Innovation Solution
A seat system design that includes a seat bottom with a support block, cushion, and trim cover, where a cross beam extends laterally across the seat bottom and is positioned on top of the support block's rear flanges, preventing it from passing through the seat bottom, thus providing additional reinforcement without engaging the cushion or trim cover, and is secured to the vehicle body structure using mounting hooks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the seat bottom is positioned forward of the structural reinforcement beam, then the seat system can be installed with flexible positioning, but the structural integrity and stability during impacts deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The support block is divided into multiple functional segments: a front portion that extends forward for flexible installation positioning, and a rear portion with flanges that engage the cross beam for structural reinforcement. This segmentation allows the seat bottom to achieve both installation flexibility and impact stability by distributing different functions to different segments of the same component.
2Strength
If a cross beam extends through the seat bottom for reinforcement, then structural strength improves, but the cushion and trim cover engagement is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The cross beam is extracted from the traditional design where it passes through the entire seat bottom structure. Instead, it is positioned only on the rear flanges of the support block, leaving the front portion of the seat bottom free to engage the cushion and trim cover. This extraction resolves the conflict by providing structural reinforcement where needed while preserving comfort function where required.
Solution Approach 2:
The cross beam engagement is applied locally only at the rear flanges of the support block rather than uniformly across the entire seat bottom. This localized reinforcement provides structural strength at the critical rear mounting points while leaving the front cushion engagement area soft and compliant for occupant comfort.
3Strength
If the cross beam engages the cushion and trim cover, then structural reinforcement is enhanced, but occupant comfort deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cross beam is extracted from direct contact with the cushion and trim cover components. By positioning the cross beam exclusively on the rigid rear flanges of the support block, the design provides structural reinforcement through the beam while preventing it from interfering with the soft cushioning materials that directly contact the occupant.
Solution Approach 2:
The rear flanges of the support block serve as an intermediary element between the cross beam and the seat bottom structure. This intermediary allows the rigid cross beam to provide structural reinforcement while the flanges themselves absorb and distribute the forces, preventing direct transmission of rigid constraints to the flexible cushion and trim cover layers.
Data Source
AI summary
A seat system having a seat bottom and a cross beam. The seat bottom may include a support block, a cushion, and a trim cover. The cushion may be disposed on the support block. The trim cover may be disposed on the cushion. The cross beam that is disposed on the support block such that the cross beam does not extend through the seat bottom.