Seat Back Impulse Generator for Spinal Tension Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current seat belt systems fail to adequately protect passengers from high spinal tension loads during sudden deceleration events, particularly in high-speed accidents where front row passengers lack an aft seatback to absorb momentum, leading to potential severe spinal, pelvic, and head/neck injuries.
Innovation Solution
A safety seat system incorporating a seat frame, seat back, and an impulse generator that delivers a controlled compression load to the passenger's spine during deceleration events, activated by a controller receiving signals from an inertial sensor, which can utilize airbags, mechanical energy, solenoids, or rotating cam assemblies to apply a longitudinal force, reducing spinal tension.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If 3-point or 5-point harness systems or passenger-containing airbags are used to protect free flail passengers, then spinal protection is improved, but device weight and structural complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of force application from tension (seat belts pulling forward) to compression (impulse device pushing backward). This parameter change allows protection against spinal tension loads using a mechanism that does not require heavy structural reinforcement, thereby reducing system weight while maintaining protective effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the passive mechanical restraint system (seat belts and airbags) with an active impulse generation system that uses controlled energy release (chemical, mechanical, or electrical) to create a counteracting compressive force. This substitution eliminates the need for heavy structural components required by traditional restraint systems.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If 3-point or 5-point harness systems or passenger-containing airbags are used to protect free flail passengers, then spinal protection is improved, but device complexity and structural reinforcement requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the protective function from the complex restraint system infrastructure (seat belts, airbags, structural reinforcements) and implements it through a standalone impulse generator that can be integrated into the existing seat structure. This extraction simplifies the overall system by removing the need for multiple interconnected safety components.
Solution Approach 2:
The impulse device is designed to serve multiple protective functions within a single component: it provides spinal protection during free flail events, can be integrated with existing seat structures, and works across different vehicle configurations. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized restraint systems.
3Reliability
If seat belts are used to prevent serious injury in vehicle accidents, then basic restraint is provided, but they fail to protect against high spinal tension loads during sudden deceleration
Solution Approach 1:
The impulse device applies a preliminary counteracting force in the opposite direction of the harmful motion. When sudden deceleration occurs and the passenger jerks forward creating spinal tension, the impulse generator rapidly delivers a compressive force backward onto the spine, preemptively counteracting the tension load before it can cause injury.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the traditional approach to restraint by instead of pulling the passenger forward with seat belts, pushing the passenger backward with an impulse device. This inversion of force direction fundamentally changes how spinal loads are managed during deceleration events.
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 mitigates spinal tension loads by applying a controlled compression load, reducing the risk of injury during sudden decelerations, as illustrated by the comparison of lumbar tension profiles with and without the impulse, demonstrating a safer distribution of forces across the spine.
Implementation Method 1
delivering a compression load to counter a spinal tension load that occurs during a free flail incident
Implementation Method 2
an inertial sensor, which can utilize airbags, mechanical energy, solenoids, or rotating cam assemblies
Data Source
AI summary
A safety seat system and method for delivering a compression load to a passenger during a frontal deceleration event is disclosed. The system may include a seat frame, a seat back, and an impulse generator coupled to the seat back configured to provide a compression load onto a spine of a sitting passenger during a forward deceleration event. The system further includes a controller configured to receive a forward deceleration signal from the inertial sensor and activate the impulse generator based on the forward deceleration signal. The impulse generator may generate the compression load via an airbag, mechanically stored energy, a solenoid switch, or via a rotating cam assembly.