Variable Buckle Guide for Four-Way Seat Belt Slack Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
In four-way seat vehicles, the pivoted levers in the seat belt system are prone to distortion and slack creation during crashes due to the inboard buckle attachment, which compromises safety and comfort.
Innovation Solution
A variable buckle guide system that allows the inboard buckle to move with the seat while maintaining its position relative to the occupant, transferring occupant loads to the seat rails during crashes to prevent distortion and slack.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the inboard buckle is attached to the four-way seat to maintain convenient positioning for the occupant, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates because the pivoted levers distort and unfold during a crash, creating slack in the seat belt
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two functional segments: the variable buckle guide attached to the upper rail that maintains buckle positioning, and the seat mounting system that allows seat movement. This segmentation isolates the buckle positioning function from the seat adjustment mechanism, preventing crash forces from affecting buckle tension while maintaining operational convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The variable buckle guide acts as an intermediary component between the upper rail and the inboard buckle. It transfers the buckle positioning function to the rail system rather than the seat, serving as a mediator that decouples the buckle's positional stability from the seat's adjustable movement mechanisms.
2Ease of operation
If the inboard buckle is attached to the seat to remain positioned for convenient use, then the ease of operation is improved, but the object-generated harmful factors worsen as the seat motion creates slack in the seat belt
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the buckle attachment system from the seat structure and anchoring it to the upper rail instead, the invention eliminates the generation of harmful slack while preserving buckle accessibility. The segmented design allows the seat to move independently for adjustment while the buckle remains stably positioned.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the potential harm of seat movement into a benefit by redirecting the buckle attachment to the rail system. The seat's ability to move fore-aft and up-down is preserved for comfort, while the buckle's attachment to the stable rail system converts what would have been harmful motion into beneficial positional stability.
3Device complexity
If the inboard buckle is attached to the four-way seat, then the device complexity is reduced, but the stability worsens due to seat motion from lever distortion during crashes
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into the buckle guide assembly attached to the upper rail and the seat mounting assembly. This segmentation transfers the stability requirement from the seat structure to the rail system, reducing the stability burden on the complex lever mechanisms while maintaining overall system simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The variable buckle guide serves as an intermediary that stabilizes the buckle position by anchoring it to the upper rail rather than the seat. This intermediary component absorbs the stability requirement, allowing the seat to maintain its adjustable complexity without compromising buckle stability during crashes.
Data Source
AI summary
The inboard buckle for a four-way seat is attached to the seat through a variable buckle guide. Attaching the inboard buckle to the seat allows the buckle to move with the seat and obviates the need for a long buckle which introduces undesirable slack into the seat belt system during a crash event. Since the buckle moves with the seat, it remains in a location that is convenient for the occupant and provides the maximum occupant protection. The variable buckle guide is attached to the upper rail supporting the seat, and in a crash event, the variable buckle guide transfers the occupant load on the belt to the upper rail, avoiding distortion of the seat or the height adjusting levers supporting the seat, and thus precludes slack in the belt caused by such distortion.