Vehicle Seat Force Converter for Side-Impact Occupant Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle seats for side impacts often fail to effectively protect shorter occupants due to their position relative to the lateral backrest, which can result in unintended contact and reduced protection from side airbags, and current solutions increase costs and complexity with the use of airbags, sensors, and electric motors.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat with a force converter system that includes an impact region, a deflecting region, and a thrust region, which converts the inertia of the occupant into an output force to move them away from the backrest, allowing them to slide past the lateral backrest and be protected by the side airbag without additional sensors or motors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a lateral backrest bulge is used to protect vehicle occupants in side impacts, then protection is provided for taller occupants, but shorter occupants cannot make contact with the backrest bulge and thus cannot be properly protected
Solution Approach 1:
The backrest is designed with a movable bolster that can dynamically change its position along the backrest. In normal conditions, the bolster remains in its original position. In the event of a side impact, the movable bolster is displaced toward the front of the seat, allowing it to contact occupants of various heights and effectively push them forward to ensure proper positioning for side airbag protection.
2Reliability
If airbags or electric motors are added to push occupants forward in side impacts, then occupant positioning for airbag protection is improved, but costs and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The movable bolster utilizes the force generated by the side impact itself to displace forward and push the occupant. The system is self-actuating, requiring no external power source, sensors, or control units. The impact force directly drives the bolster's movement, eliminating the need for complex actuation mechanisms while ensuring reliable occupant positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and utilizes only the necessary mechanical element (the movable bolster) from complex active systems. By removing sensors, electric motors, and control units, the solution achieves the desired function through a simple passive mechanical structure that responds automatically to side impacts.
3Reliability
If airbags are installed in the vehicle seat to push occupants forward, then occupant protection is improved, but weight and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The movable bolster is implemented as a simple, lightweight mechanical element without expensive materials or complex construction. It performs its protective function during the side impact event and returns to its original position, providing cost-effective protection without adding significant weight to the vehicle seat.
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 ensures effective protection for occupants during side impacts by utilizing the inertia of the occupant to move them away from the backrest, simplifying production and reducing costs by eliminating the need for additional airbags and electric motors, while maintaining effective restraint via the side airbag.
Implementation Method 1
the input force, which is caused at the same time by inertia of the vehicle occupant
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle seat for a motor vehicle has a backrest frame with a back region and at least one lateral region, and at least one force converter. The force converter has an impact region arranged on the lateral region for absorbing an input force, a deflecting region, and a thrust region arranged on the back region for outputting an output force. The force converter converts the input force into the output force. The impact region is designed such that in the event of a lateral impact, the impact region contacts a vehicle occupant, and the input force caused by the inertia of the vehicle occupant thus produces an input displacement of the impact region relative to the lateral region. The deflecting region is designed such that the input force absorbed by the impact region and the input displacement are deflected onto the thrust region. The thrust region is designed such that the input force and the input displacement produce an output displacement of the thrust region with an output force, whereby the vehicle occupant in contact with the thrust region is moved away from the back region.