Vehicle Seat Assembly Load Limiter for Pelvic Displacement Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle seatbelts fail to effectively distribute the forces experienced by passengers during rapid deceleration or impact, leading to excessive forward and upward displacement, which can result in unbuckling and unwanted stress on the passenger's torso.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat assembly incorporating a load limiter supported by a seat support rail, which allows the seatbelt receptacle to move along the rail from a rest to an operated position upon receiving a predetermined force, limiting forward movement and distributing forces more evenly across the chest area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional fixed seatbelt system is used, then the structure is simple, but the seatbelt cannot effectively distribute forces during rapid deceleration, causing excessive forward and upward displacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the receptacle movable along the load limiter rail instead of fixed. The receptacle can dynamically adjust its position from a rest position to an operated position during impact, allowing the seatbelt system to adapt to force distribution requirements while maintaining structural simplicity through guided linear motion
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the positional parameter of the receptacle along the load limiter rail based on applied force. During normal conditions, the receptacle remains at the rest position providing standard restraint. During rapid deceleration, the receptacle moves to the operated position to distribute forces more effectively across the chest area, changing the geometric parameters of the restraint system
2Reliability
If the receptacle is made movable to distribute forces, then force distribution improves, but the risk of unbuckling increases due to increased movement
Solution Approach 1:
The load limiter rail serves as an intermediary element between the fixed seatbelt anchor and the movable receptacle. It provides a controlled guide path that allows the receptacle to move forward during impact while preventing lateral or rotational movements that could cause unbuckling. The rail acts as a mediator that translates uncontrolled movement into controlled linear displacement
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of receptacle movement (which could cause unbuckling) into a beneficial force distribution mechanism. The controlled movement along the load limiter rail during impact allows the seatbelt to better accommodate passenger displacement while maintaining restraint effectiveness, transforming what could be a safety hazard into a protective feature
3Reliability
If the receptacle moves forward during impact, then forward pelvic displacement is limited, but the latch and receptacle alignment may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the seatbelt restraint system into independent functional components: the fixed anchor point, the movable receptacle, and the connecting load limiter rail. This segmentation allows the receptacle to move independently along the rail to control pelvic displacement while the latch mechanism remains separate and can be designed with enhanced alignment features to maintain connection stability during movement
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 load limiter prevents unbuckling of the seatbelt and reduces unwanted stress on the passenger's torso by limiting forward pelvic displacement, ensuring more effective force distribution during impacts, thereby maintaining a more upright posture and enhancing safety.
Implementation Method 1
The receptacle is movable along the load limiter from a rest position to an operated position upon receiving a predetermined force
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle seat assembly for a vehicle includes a vehicle seat, a seat support rail, a load limiter and a seatbelt assembly. The seat support rail supports the vehicle seat within the vehicle. The vehicle seat is adjustably supported to the seat support rail. The load limiter is supported to the seat support rail. The seatbelt assembly has a latch and a receptacle that receives the latch. The receptacle is movably supported to the load limiter. The receptacle is movable along the load limiter from a rest position to an operated position upon receiving a predetermined force.