Vehicle Seat Inflatable Bladder Flat Fold Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Adjustable vehicle seats with air-suspended surfaces often have contours and thicknesses that prevent the seatback from folding to a substantially flat orientation, limiting usable cargo space and the ability to place objects reliably on the sloped surface.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat design featuring first and second inflation bladders interconnected by supply lines with valve assemblies that allow for controlled air flow between them, enabling the seatback to fold flat by transferring air pressure from one bladder to another, facilitated by a cam surface that opens and closes the valves based on the seatback's position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the seatback is designed with contours and thicknesses for ergonomic support, then passenger comfort is improved, but the ability to fold the seatback to a substantially flat orientation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the inflation bladders compressible and flexible, allowing them to adapt their shape dynamically. When the seatback needs to fold flat, the bladders can compress to accommodate the folding motion, and when the seatback is upright, they inflate to provide ergonomic support. This dynamic adaptability resolves the contradiction between maintaining ergonomic contours and achieving flat folding.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and parameters of the inflation bladders - specifically their volume and pressure - to resolve the contradiction. By controlling the inflation/deflation cycles of the bladders, the system can transition between providing ergonomic support (inflated state with specific contours) and enabling flat folding (deflated state with reduced volume), thus allowing both comfort and flatness at different operational states.
2Area of stationary object
If the seatback is folded to increase cargo space, then usable cargo area is improved, but the loading surface becomes angled upward from the trunk surface
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic nature of the inflation bladders allows the seatback to achieve a substantially flat folded position. When deflated, the bladders compress sufficiently to allow the seatback to fold nearly parallel to the trunk floor, creating a flat loading surface rather than an angled one, thus maximizing usable cargo space while maintaining a level surface for object placement.
3Shape
If inflation bladders are compressed during seatback folding, then flat folding is enabled, but resistance to folding movement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the inflation system into multiple independent bladders (first and second inflation bladders) with separate control valves. This segmentation allows selective deflation of specific bladders during folding operations, reducing the overall resistance to folding movement while still enabling the seatback to achieve a flat position. Not all bladders need to be compressed simultaneously, distributing the folding action across multiple segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic control of bladder compression through timed deflation sequences reduces folding resistance. By controlling when and how each bladder deflates during the folding process, the system minimizes the force required to fold the seatback while still achieving the desired flat position, rather than requiring all bladders to compress simultaneously against high resistance.
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 allows for a substantially flat loading surface when the seatback is folded, increasing cargo space and ensuring reliable object placement without resistance from compressed bladders.
Implementation Method 1
first and second supply lines interconnect the first and second inflation bladders. A first valve assembly disposed on the first supply line is openable towards the first inflation bladder under pressure from the second inflation bladder
Implementation Method 2
Each inflation bladder includes one or more outwardly extending pilot stems. Compression of the second inflation bladder opens the valve assembly, and compression of the first inflation bladder closes the valve assembly
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle seat includes a sealed inflation system having first and second inflation bladders interconnected by first and second supply lines for exchanging an inflation medium therebetween. Each inflation bladder includes one or more outwardly extending pilot stems. A first valve assembly is operably coupled to the pilot stems and first the supply line. Compression of the second inflation bladder opens the first valve assembly, and compression of the first inflation bladder closes the first valve assembly. A second valve assembly is disposed on the second supply and is configured to open and close as a seatback of the vehicle seat moves from a folded position to an upright position. The first and second valve assemblies are external components to the sealed inflation system.