Roll-Formed Seat Rail Structure for Crash Load Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seat rails in vehicles fail to effectively absorb high forces across various load cases, including crashes, while allowing for longitudinal adjustment across multiple rows of seats, especially in the context of autonomous driving, and are not cost-effectively produced with a high degree of freedom and structural integrity.
Innovation Solution
A seat rail profile produced by roll-forming with a two-layer structure, incorporating reinforcing portions and cavities, designed to absorb forces through a complex geometry that includes sheet-metal portions and reinforcing layers, ensuring structural strength and flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional single-layer seat rail profiles are used, then manufacturing is simple and cost-effective, but the structure cannot absorb high forces and prevents deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite material principles by creating a multi-layer seat rail profile consisting of a base layer and at least one reinforcing layer. The base layer provides structural support while the reinforcing layer(s) enhance force absorption capabilities. This composite structure allows the seat rail to withstand high forces and prevent deformation during crashes while maintaining a manufacturable design through roll-forming processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a conventional single-layer two-dimensional profile to a multi-layer three-dimensional composite structure. By adding reinforcing layers with specific geometries (including cavities and protrusions), the profile gains enhanced structural properties in multiple dimensions, improving force absorption and deformation resistance without compromising manufacturability.
2Reliability
If the seat rail structure is reinforced to absorb high forces, then safety improves, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies geometric parameters of the seat rail profile by incorporating cavities and protrusions in specific patterns within the multi-layer structure. These parameter changes optimize the balance between force absorption capability and manufacturability. The cavities and protrusions are designed to be integrated into the roll-forming process, allowing complex geometries to be produced efficiently without requiring additional manufacturing steps.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the seat rail allows longitudinal adjustment across multiple rows, then adaptability improves, but structural integrity under high forces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the seat rail profile into distinct functional layers: a base layer providing structural support and reinforcing layers enhancing force absorption. This segmentation allows the structure to maintain integrity under high forces while accommodating longitudinal adjustment mechanisms. The multi-layer design enables the rail to span multiple rows with reinforced sections at critical locations.
Data Source
AI summary
A seat rail (1) for connecting a vehicle seat (100) to a body of a vehicle. The seat rail (1) may have a seat rail profile which is produced by roll forming of sheet metal, the seat rail profile of the seat rail (1) having an accommodation cavity (11) for a sliding element (20) which can be displaced within the accommodation cavity (11) of the seat rail (1) in longitudinal extension within the seat rail (1), which is connected directly or indirectly to the vehicle seat (100), the seat rail profile having, in addition to the sheet-metal portions (11A, 11B, 11C, 11D, 11E, 11F) of the accommodation cavity (11) which form a first material layer, at least one upper and/or lateral reinforcing portion (12, 13) which is formed as at least one further second material layer which is produced by roll-forming and reinforces the accommodation cavity (11).