Vehicle Seat Internal Support Member Sensor Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle seat designs with internal support members and pressure sensors face challenges in accurately detecting the presence of occupants due to pressure diversion from inclined portions, leading to incorrect differentiation between occupants and objects.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat design featuring an internal support member with inclined portions and a pressure sensor positioned to avoid pressure diversion, utilizing wire insert molding for enhanced stiffness and secure mounting of the sensor, ensuring accurate occupant detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a pressure sensor is placed on an inclined portion of the internal support member, then the pressure sensor can detect pressure from the occupant, but the pressure sensor cannot accurately detect the presence of an occupant due to pressure diversion
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure sensor is extracted from the inclined portions and placed on the flat main body portion of the internal support member. This extraction removes the sensor from the area where pressure is diverted laterally, allowing it to accurately detect vertical pressure from the occupant's buttocks without the interference of lateral pressure diversion.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor placement transitions from a lateral/diagonal orientation (on inclined portions) to a vertical orientation (on the flat main body). This dimensional change in sensor positioning allows the sensor to capture vertical pressure components directly from the occupant's weight, improving detection accuracy.
2Ease of manufacture
If openings are provided in the internal support member for sensor mounting, then the pressure sensor can be mounted, but the stiffness of the internal support member is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
A connecting portion is introduced as an intermediary element between the openings and the sensor mounting location. This connecting portion acts as a structural bridge that transfers loads around the openings, compensating for the stiffness reduction caused by the openings and maintaining the overall structural integrity of the internal support member.
Solution Approach 2:
The internal support member exhibits different local qualities: the main body and connecting portions maintain high stiffness to support structural loads, while the openings provide localized flexibility for sensor mounting. This spatial variation in structural properties allows simultaneous achievement of sensor accessibility and structural strength.
3Measurement precision
If the pressure sensor is positioned on the main body ahead of the inclined portions, then accurate occupant detection is achieved, but the sensor placement becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The internal support member is segmented into distinct functional zones: the flat main body for sensor mounting, the connecting portions for structural linkage, and the inclined portions for lateral support. This segmentation allows the pressure sensor to be optimally positioned on the main body for accurate detection while the other segments handle structural functions.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle seat includes an internal support member for supporting a seat occupant. The internal support member includes a main body in plate or sheet form positioned within a seat cushion frame, a pair of inclined portions extending laterally from a part of either lateral side of the main body with an upward slant, and front and rear mounting portions engaged by front and rear cross members of the seat cushion frame. A pressure sensor is mounted on a part of an upper surface of the internal support member located ahead of the inclined portions. The main body of the internal support member is provided with a pair of openings located on either side of the pressure sensor, and a connecting portion connecting the pressure sensor with a part of the front mounting portion. The pressure sensor and the openings are spaced from the front edge of the main body.