Vehicle Seat Neck-Burden Reduction Element for Rear-End Collision
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle seat designs fail to adequately reduce the load on the neck region during rear-end collisions, as they either complicate the structure with moving headrests or require numerous components, leading to increased weight and reduced rigidity, and often result in a change in the angle between the head, neck, and torso, which can exacerbate neck strain.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat with a neck-burden reduction element that allows greater backward movement of the connection point between the neck and torso regions, incorporating a lower back advancement inhibiting member that suppresses the lower back region's movement, ensuring the upper torso region sinks into the seat back, thus maintaining the original angle and reducing neck load without complex mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a fixed headrest is installed, then the structure is simple, but the head region cannot be quickly supported during rear-end collision
Solution Approach 1:
The headrest is designed to move dynamically from a retracted position to a protruding position during rear-end collision. The mobile plate moves backward under occupant load, causing the headrest to protrude forward and support the head region, transforming a static structure into a dynamic protective system.
2Reliability
If active headrest mechanisms are added to quickly support the head, then protection effectiveness improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The headrest system utilizes the occupant's own backward movement during collision as the driving force. The mobile plate moves backward under the occupant's load, which automatically causes the headrest to protrude forward through the linkage mechanism, eliminating the need for external actuators or power sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile plate serves multiple functions: it moves backward under occupant load during collision, transmits this movement to the headrest mechanism, and simultaneously causes the headrest to protrude for protection. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components.
3Reliability
If pressure receiving member moves significantly backward, then upper body sinks into seat back, but requires numerous components increasing weight
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile plate is integrated with the seat back frame structure, combining the pressure receiving function with the structural support function. This merging eliminates the need for separate heavy components while maintaining the ability to move backward under load and support the upper body.
4Adaptability or versatility
If link members are used to attach pressure receiving member, then mobility is achieved, but device complexity and component quantity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile plate is asymmetrically connected to the seat back frame, with one end fixed and the other end free to move backward. This asymmetric configuration provides the necessary mobility for the pressure receiving function while minimizing the number of components and simplifying the attachment mechanism.
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 configuration effectively reduces the load on the neck region during rear-end collisions by allowing the upper torso to move backward more than the lower torso, maintaining the original angle and distributing impact, resulting in a simpler, lighter, and more cost-effective seat design that withstands excessive loads.
Implementation Method 1
During a rear-end collision, where the rear of a vehicle such as an automobile is impacted, the vehicle experiences a large collision while traveling in reverse, or the like, there is a risk that the neck region (neck) of an occupant will receive a large load. Generally speaking, the primary cause of such a load is that the head region alone suddenly moves backward relative to the chest region of the seated occupant, which causes the neck region to bend to an excessive degree.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a vehicle seat which has a simple structure, prevents the lower back region of an occupant from sinking into the seat back, induces backward rotation of the entire upper body when a rear-end collision occurs, and reduces the degree to which the neck region of the occupant independently tilts backward, and is therefore able to effectively reduce the load on the neck region and so on of the occupant. A vehicle seat is provided with a neck-burden reduction element that, during a rear-end collision, causes a greater amount of backward movement of a connection point between the neck region and a torso region of the occupant than the amount of backward movement of a lower torso region of the occupant, and causes an upper torso region of the occupant to sink into the seat back.