Vehicle Seat Pressure Sensor and Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seat adjustment systems for vehicles have long dead times in determining body size, are inaccurate, and fail to account for load distribution on flat surfaces, leading to inefficient and uncomfortable ergonomic adjustments.
Innovation Solution
The use of pneumatic and hydraulic sensors to determine pressure distribution on the seat and backrest, allowing for quick and unobtrusive adjustments by comparing the pressure profile with ergonomic target values and adjusting the seat components accordingly, with lifting elements acting as both actuators and pressure sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If mechanical adjustment with electric motor drive is used to determine body size, then the seat can be adjusted to the driver, but the measurement has a long dead time until conclusions about body size are available
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical measurement system (electric motor drive measuring body size through mechanical resistance) with a pneumatic or hydraulic sensor system that directly measures pressure distribution on the seat. This substitution eliminates the need for mechanical movement and current measurement, providing immediate pressure data for rapid body size determination and seat adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces pneumatic or hydraulic sensors that detect pressure distribution on the seat surface. These sensors convert mechanical pressure from the user's body into pneumatic or hydraulic signals, enabling quick and accurate measurement of body size and shape without the time delays associated with mechanical adjustment systems.
2Force
If mechanical adjustment is used, then the seat can be adjusted, but it is not possible to determine a load on the seat by the user along the largely flat surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the inadequate mechanical current measurement approach with pneumatic or hydraulic pressure sensors that directly measure the force distribution across the seat surface. These sensors provide accurate pressure data that reflects the actual load on the seat, enabling precise determination of user weight and pressure distribution on flat surfaces.
3Measurement precision
If additional pressure sensors are added to the seat, then pressure distribution can be measured accurately, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the lifting elements serve dual functions: they act as both actuators for seat adjustment and as pressure sensors for measurement. By integrating pressure sensing capability into the existing lifting elements, the system achieves accurate pressure distribution measurement without adding separate sensor components, thereby maintaining device simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the lifting element structure with pressure sensing functionality. The lifting elements are integrated with pneumatic or hydraulic sensors, merging the actuation function and measurement function into a single component system, which reduces overall device complexity while enabling accurate pressure measurement.
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
Enables rapid, accurate, and ergonomic seat adjustments that are comfortable and adaptable to various user sizes and positions, improving seating comfort and reducing user effort in finding optimal settings.
Implementation Method 1
at least one sensor being connected to at least one pneumatic lifting element and/or at least one hydraulic lifting element... The contact force applied by the user to the seat causes a change in the pressure inside the lifting element. This internal pressure of the lifting element is detected by a pressure sensor.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for adjusting a seat (201) as a function of a pressure that is exerted by a user on the seat (201), wherein the pressure is determined based on at least one pneumatic sensor (11 to 18; 31 to 34) and/or at least one hydraulic sensor (11 to 18; 31 to 34). The invention further relates to a device for carrying out said method.