Seat Suspension Lateral Attenuation Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle operators face challenges in dampening or eliminating horizontal movement of seats relative to the vehicle floor, particularly in situations like traveling on hills or across gullies, where existing mechanisms do not provide adequate control over seat movement.
Innovation Solution
A seat suspension system with a lateral attenuation system that includes a reservoir casting, carrier casting, and seat top base plate, equipped with bumpers and an actuation mechanism to dampen or stop horizontal movement along multiple axes, allowing the seat to be fixed at any desired position within its range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If horizontal movement mechanisms are added to enable seat adjustment, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seat movement system is divided into independent linear actuators for fore-aft adjustment and separate mechanisms for recline angle control. Each actuator handles a specific degree of freedom, allowing modular design and independent operation of each movement function.
Solution Approach 2:
The seat incorporates dynamic damping mechanisms that automatically adjust resistance forces based on movement speed and direction. The dampers provide variable resistance during adjustment operations, enabling smooth controlled movement while preventing unwanted oscillations.
2Stability of the object's composition
If damping mechanisms are added to eliminate horizontal movement, then stability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The damping system uses velocity-dependent resistance that automatically reduces damping forces when actuation forces are applied. This allows the seat to remain stable during normal operation while becoming easily adjustable when the user applies sufficient force to overcome the damping resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The damping characteristics are made variable through controllable dampers that can change their resistance parameters based on operational conditions. This allows the system to switch between high-damping stable mode and low-damping adjustable mode, optimizing both stability and ease of operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multi-axis movement capability is added, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each degree of freedom (fore-aft movement, recline angle, lateral movement) is handled by dedicated linear actuators and linkage mechanisms. This segmentation allows independent control of each axis and simplifies the overall system architecture by avoiding complex multi-functional mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system uses a universal actuation interface that can drive multiple independent linear actuators through a common control architecture. This allows multi-axis adjustment capability while maintaining simplified control logic and reducing the complexity of the control system.
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 dampens or eliminates horizontal movement of the seat, enhancing operator comfort by allowing customizable control over seat position and movement, particularly in challenging driving conditions.
Implementation Method 1
A seat suspension system with a lateral attenuation system that includes a reservoir casting, carrier casting, and seat top base plate
Implementation Method 2
The reservoir casting can also include a first carrier casting bumper attached to a first reservoir casting rail, and a second carrier casting bumper attached to a second reservoir casting rail
Data Source
AI summary
A seat suspension system that includes a seat base that enables movement of the seat horizontally; and a lateral attenuation system that when activated, dampens movement of the seat horizontally. The seat base can move along first and second horizontal axes that are orthogonal. The seat base can include a carrier casting moveable along the first horizontal axis relative to a reservoir casting, and a seat casting moveable along the second horizontal axis relative to the carrier casting. The castings can move on rails. The lateral attenuation system can include an actuation mechanism, a stopper, and a connector that couples the actuation mechanism and stopper to the seat base. When the actuation mechanism is activated, the stopper can connect the reservoir and seat castings. The lateral attenuation system can be configured to stop movement of the seat along the first and second horizontal axes at any desired position.