Vehicle Seat Cushion Frame Concave Design for Energy Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Some vehicular seats are unable to deform sufficiently to absorb energy during a submarine phenomenon in vehicle collisions due to the front-side lateral frame body being positioned under a panel, which restricts the deformation of the panel and limits energy absorption.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a concave portion in the front-side lateral frame body to increase the distance from the panel, allowing for panel deformation and enhanced energy absorption, while maintaining the strength of the seat cushion frame by keeping the external cross-sectional areas of the coupling sections intact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the front-side lateral frame body is disposed under the panel to maintain structural strength, then the frame strength is maintained, but the panel deformation is blocked and energy absorption is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The concave portion is formed in advance on the front-side lateral frame body to pre-establish a deformation space. This preliminary structural modification allows the panel to deform effectively during collision without compromising the overall frame strength, as the concave portion is specifically designed to accommodate panel deformation while maintaining the integrity of the coupling sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The concave portion is localized to the panel-side region of the front-side lateral frame body, while the coupling sections maintain their original cross-sectional areas and strength. This local modification allows the frame to have different functional properties in different regions: the concave portion allows deformation for energy absorption, while the coupling sections maintain strength for structural integrity.
2Loss of energy
If the panel side of the front-side lateral frame body is modified to increase distance from the panel, then energy absorption is improved, but the coupling strength with longitudinal frame bodies may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The modification is applied locally only to the panel-side portion of the front-side lateral frame body, while the coupling sections that connect to the longitudinal frame bodies maintain their original external cross-sectional areas. This ensures that the coupling strength is preserved while the panel-side concave portion provides the necessary deformation space for energy absorption.
Solution Approach 2:
The front-side lateral frame body is effectively segmented into two functional zones: the coupling sections that maintain original dimensions and strength for structural connection, and the panel-side concave portion that is modified to increase distance from the panel and enable deformation. This segmentation allows each zone to fulfill its specific function without compromising the other.
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 design enables increased energy absorption during collisions, ensuring stable safety by allowing the panel to deform effectively and restricting passenger sliding, thus enhancing the energy-absorbing performance of the seat cushion.
Implementation Method 1
the panel can be deformed substantially when receiving an impact load accompanied by a submarine phenomenon, and thus it is possible to increase an energy-absorbing amount in a front side of a seat
Data Source
AI summary
Longitudinal frame bodies that are disposed on both sides are coupled to each other by lateral frame bodies at the front side and the rear side to form a seat cushion framework, and a panel is fixed to both of the longitudinal frame bodies to cover, from above, a space between front ends of the longitudinal frame bodies that includes the front-side lateral frame body. A panel side of the front-side lateral frame body includes a concave portion to increase a distance from the panel.