Vehicle Seat Sidewall Bladder With Torsion Spring Preload
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor vehicle seat systems with fluid-fillable bladders for active sidewall adjustment require expensive and complex pneumatic systems to ensure quick response times, leading to significant delays and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A motor vehicle seat system with a torsion spring preload mechanism and a fluid-fillable bladder that allows for rapid adjustment of sidewalls, using a controller and valve to fill or empty the bladder, enabling quick response times without the need for powerful pump devices, with the preload force ensuring no play between components and accelerating filling and evacuation processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fluid-fillable bladders are used for adjusting sidewalls, then active support against centrifugal force is provided, but the system requires expensive pneumatic systems with high delivery rate to ensure quick response times
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex pneumatic system from the solution and replaces it with a simple manual valve mechanism. The bladder adjustment is achieved by connecting the valve directly to the bladder, eliminating the need for expensive pump devices while maintaining the ability to adjust sidewalls for active support
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces expensive, complex pneumatic systems with simple, inexpensive components including manual valves and basic bladder mechanisms. This substitution achieves the same functional outcome (sidewall adjustment) with significantly reduced system complexity and cost
2Reliability
If fluid-fillable bladders are used for adjusting sidewalls, then active support is provided, but significant delays occur in filling and evacuating the bladders
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-positions the manual valve in a ready state connected to the bladder, allowing immediate filling or evacuation when needed. The valve mechanism is designed to enable rapid fluid transfer without requiring complex pump activation sequences, thus reducing response time delays
3Loss of time
If powerful pump devices are used to fill and empty bladders quickly, then response time is reduced, but the system becomes expensive and requires significant apparatus outlay
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes powerful pump devices from the system entirely, replacing them with simple manual valve mechanisms that achieve sufficient filling and evacuation speeds for the application without requiring complex, expensive pump apparatus
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the vehicle's existing pneumatic infrastructure and simple valve mechanisms to self-regulate bladder filling and evacuation without requiring external powerful pumps. The manual valve allows the system to service itself using available resources
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 achieves response times of less than 5 seconds for complete filling or evacuation, enhancing the dynamics of active support by providing immediate and cost-effective sidewall adjustments, reducing idle times and supporting vehicle occupants more quickly than prior art solutions.
Implementation Method 1
a preload spring, in the form of a torsion spring, engages by a first spring portion on the stationary portion, and engages by a second spring portion on the second wing portion, of the lever portion, such that it exerts a preload force which pushes the first spring portion in the direction of the stationary portion
Implementation Method 2
at least one fluid-fillable bladder which is arranged between the stationary portion and the lever portion for the purpose of adjusting the relative angular position thereof
Data Source
AI summary
A motor vehicle seat having a backrest and a seat part and an adjustable sidewall arranged on the backrest and/or the seat part, which sidewall comprises an adjustment mechanism having a stationary portion and a lever portion pivotable about a pivot axis, and having at least one fluid-fillable bladder arranged between the stationary portion and the lever portion for adjusting the relative angular position thereof, wherein the lever portion comprises two wing portions which are arranged on either side of the pivot axis, and the bladder is arranged between a first wing portion and the stationary portion, wherein a preload torsion spring engages by a first spring portion on the stationary portion, and engages by a second spring portion on the second wing portion, of the lever portion, such that it exerts a preload force which pushes the first spring portion in the direction of the stationary portion.