Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
  • B60N2/50—Seat suspension devices
  • B60N2/52—Seat suspension devices using fluid means
  • B60N2/522—Seat suspension devices using fluid means characterised by dampening means
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
  • B60N2/50—Seat suspension devices
  • B60N2/52—Seat suspension devices using fluid means
  • B60N2/527—Seat suspension devices using fluid means using liquids

Definitions

• the invention relates to a device for damped transmission of a load acting thereon.
• damped load- transmitting devices are already known in a large number of variants.
• the damped transmission of loads is of great importance in many technical fields, particularly where the object is to save people from discomfort or even injury or to protect vulnerable machines and objects from damage.
• An important application is vehicle engineering, where damping systems are used on a large scale in order to limit as far as possible damage and injury resulting from collisions.
• the invention has for its object to propose a device for damped transmission of loads, which has a compact and simple construction, can be manufactured at low cost and is able to protect people from the consequences of relatively strong impact loads, such as for instance occur during an accident.
• the invention provides for this purpose a damped load-transmitting device, comprising at least one member for taking up the load, at least one member for relinquishing the damped load, and at least one element arranged therebetween and deformable under the influence of the load, wherein the or each deformable element is formed such that the resistance of the device remains at least the same as the deformation thereof increases.
• the or each deformable element is preferably even formed such that, as the deformation increases, the resistance of the device not only remains the same, but even increases. Such a progressive action results in a very effective reduction of forces in the case of relatively small deformations or displacements .
• a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention is provided with a number of deformable elements which, as the deformation increases, successively transmit at least part of the load from the take-up member to the relinquishing member.
• An excellent damping is thus achieved over a wide range of loads.
• a very well controllable damping is then obtained when only one of the deformable elements at a time transmits the load from the take-up member to the relinquishing member. This can be achieved in that each deformable element transmits the load until its failure load is . reached, whereafter the load is transmitted by a subsequent deformable element.
• the deformable elements In order to be able to successively connect the deformable elements for the purpose of transmitting the load, they are fixed in each case with one end to the relinquishing member, while the other end is in engagement with the take-up member or is brought into engagement therewith as deformation increases.
• the deformable elements have different lengths.
• the deformable elements preferably have differing rigidity.
• the deformable elements are each fixed to the relinquishing member via a substantially non-deformable assembly part, and that these assembly parts have different lengths.
• the deformable elements can thus even have equal lengths and therefore equal deformations.
• a readily predictable deformation and a simple integration of the device into a construction is achieved when the deformable elements are pull elements or push elements and thus perform a substantially linear movement.
• the deformable elements can herein be arranged parallel to each other between the take-up member and the relinquishing member. Particularly in the case of push elements it is also readily possible to envisage these being arranged concentrically.
• the device In order to prevent an excessive movement of the device under the influence of a load, it is preferably provided with at least one stop member for bounding the relative displacement of the take-up member and the relinquishing member.
• the load is transmitted further undamped.
• the device according to the invention is provided with at least two take-up members placed on either side of the relinquishing member and connected thereto by associated deformable elements, it can be used to damp loads in two opposite directions.
• the invention further relates to an installation for mounting a seat in a vehicle. Seats have heretofore been mounted rigidly in vehicles, optionally via a rail system to allow adjustment of the position of the seat in longitudinal direction. Such a rigid mounting has the drawback that loads on the construction of the vehicle, for instance as a result of collisions, are transmitted directly to the seat and from there to the body of a passenger. These loads can quickly cause serious injury.
• an installation for mounting a seat in a vehicle comprises for this purpose at least one damped load-transmitting device of the above described type arranged between a part of the construction of the vehicle and the seat.
• the mounting installation according to the invention is preferably provided with at least two load- transmitting devices acting in opposite directions, so that the passenger is protected in both rear-end collisions and head-on collisions.
• a single double- action device can of course also be applied for this purpose.
• Fig. 1 is a side view of an installation for mounting a seat in a vehicle, wherein use is made of two oppositely acting devices according to the invention
• Fig. 2 shows a schematic longitudinal section of one of the devices of fig. 1, wherein the deformable elements are pull elements
• Fig. 3 shows a view corresponding with fig. 2 of an alternative embodiment of this device
• Fig. 4 is a view corresponding with fig. 2 and 3 of an embodiment of the device wherein the deformable elements are push elements .
• An installation 1 for mounting a seat 2 in a vehicle 3 (fig. 1) comprises two rails 4 (only one of which is shown here) , over each of which two carriages 5 are slidable.
• Each rail 4 is fixed to a part of the construction of vehicle 3, here the base plate 6, and each carriage 5 is fixed to frame 7 of seat 2.
• Rails 4 and carriages 5 have means co-acting in known manner for fixing carriages 5 in determined positions, for instance in the form of spring-loaded pins 8 which can be placed into openings 9 of rails 4.
• a passenger can hereby set a desired position of seat 2.
• each carriage 5 is fixed according to the present invention to frame 7 of seat 2 via a device 10 for damped transmission of a load acting thereon.
• a device 10 for damped transmission of a load acting thereon there are thus four such damped load-transmitting devices 10, two on the left-hand side and two on the right-hand side.
• the two devices 10F and 10R herein act in opposite directions on each side.
• the foremost device 10F serves to damp a rearward-directed load F F which is transmitted from the front side of vehicle 3 via base plate 6 to seat 2 in the case of a head-on collision.
• the rearmost device 10R damps a forward-directed load F R which is transmitted to the seat from the rear through base plate 6 when vehicle 3 is struck from the rear.
• Each damped load-transmitting device 10 comprises a member 11 connected to carriage 5 for taking up the load, a member 12 connected to seat frame 7 for relinquishing the damped load, and a number of elements 13 arranged therebetween and deformable under the influence of the load.
• eleven deformable elements 13 x , 13 2 , ... , 13 n in the form of mutually parallel pull rods of different lengths, but more or fewer elements could of course also be used depending on the expected loads and the available space.
• the deformable elements 13,-13] ⁇ are embodied and dimensioned such that the resistance of device 10 increases as deformation thereof increases. In this manner an almost completely uniform displacement of seat 2 with the passenger thereon can be achieved.
• the deformable elements or pull rods 13 ! -13 u are each fixed at one end 14 1 -14 11 to relinquishing member 12, while the other end 15 x of the shortest pull rod 13 x is in engagement with take-up member 11, while the other ends 15 2 -15 n of the other pull rods 13 2 ⁇ 13 u are brought into engagement with the take-up member when the load increases.
• Take-up member 11 here takes the form of a beam 16 with a number of parallel openings ll l -'ll llr through which pull rods 13 ⁇ -13 u protrude.
• Each pull rod 13 3 -13 ⁇ is provided on its relevant outer end lSj-l ⁇ n with a widened head which engages on beam 16.
• the pull rods 13 are dimensioned such that only one of them at a time transmits the load from take-up member 11 to relinquishing member 12, until its failure load is reached, whereafter the load is transmitted by a subsequent pull rod 13.
• each pull rod is thus loaded until it collapses, wherein precisely at the moment of collapse of a pull rod 13 n the head 15 n+1 of the following pull rod 13 n+1 is in engagement with beam 16, so that the load is therefore taken up by this pull rod 13 n+1 .
• the length in unloaded state of this following pull rod 13 n+1 must be chosen to equal the unloaded length of the preceding pull rod 13 n increased by the elongation of this pull rod 13 n at the collapse thereof.
• each subsequent pull rod 13 n+1 is herein of course greater than that of the preceding pull rod 13 n . This can be achieved by increasing the cross-sectional area and/or choosing a stronger material. Instead of a single subsequent pull rod 13 n+1 with increased cross-sectional area, two subsequent pull rods 13 n+1 (l) and (2) of equal length could for instance be used, which could each have the same cross-sectional area as the preceding pull rod 13 n .
• Each device 10 is otherwise also provided with a stop member 18 for bounding the relative displacement of take-up member 11 and relinquishing member 12. Relinquishing member 12 comes to rest against this stop member 18 as soon as the final pull rod 13 12 has also collapsed. From that moment the load is of course further transmitted in undamped manner.
• Table I below gives an example of the loads on the successive pull rods and the displacement of relinquishing member 12 relative to take-up member 11 occurring therein. Use is made of round pull rods 13.
• Table II shows at which speed difference the stated loads occur, wherein a duration of the collision of 0.078 sec. is taken as a starting point.
• Two cases are calculated here, i.e. a combination of seat 2 and passenger with a total mass of 100 kg, and a combination with a total mass of 150 kg.
• the loads are transmitted in each case from vehicle 3 to seat 2 by two devices 10.
• the deformable elements or pull rods 13 each have an equal length but they are fixed to relinquishing member 12 via substantially non-deformable assembly parts 19 (fig. 3) .
• the successive assembly parts 19 x , 19 2 , - 19 7 herein have increasing lengths.
• the pull rods further have a tensile strength which only increases slightly.
• Each subsequent pull rod 13 n can for instance have a diameter which is only 2% greater than that of the preceding pull rod 13 n . ! , so that its surface area is then about four percent larger.
• this ratio then of course also applies for the tensile strength. Owing to this configuration the elongation of each pull rod 13 is roughly equal at collapse, so that a uniform deformation occurs.
• the deformable elements 113 are adapted to absorb a pressure load instead of a tensile load.
• These push elements HSj-llS s are herein arranged concentrically, wherein the longest and thinnest element 113- L is embodied as a centrally placed rod, while the other push elements 113 2 -113 5 take the form of tubes of increasing diameter and decreasing length placed therearound.
• this embodiment of device 110 is largely the same as that of the first embodiment, in the sense that the load is first borne by the relatively long and thin element 113] , , until this buckles, whereafter the load will be borne by the longest and thinnest tube 113 2 , until this also buckles, and so on.
• the elements 113 which have already collapsed in this embodiment continue to carry the load to some extent, since they remain in engagement with both take-up member 11 and relinquishing member 12.
• the failure behaviour of device 110 and the build-up of the loads therein is hereby slightly more difficult to predict as a whole and a resort has to be made to simulations for this purpose.
• This embodiment of device 110 can on the other hand take a more compact form, among other reasons because a separate stop member can be omitted.
• the device according to the invention thus makes it possible to transmit relatively high loads, such as for instance occur in a vehicle during a collision, in well- damped manner.
• loads such as for instance occur in a vehicle during a collision
• This device so-called “whiplash” injury can be avoided by applying this device.
• the loads occurring in a head-on collision can be so greatly reduced by this device that the effectiveness of the other provisions for protecting the passengers of the vehicle, such as seatbelt tensioners and air bags, is improved. It will probably even be possible to suffice with smaller air bags.
• the device is furthermore maintenance-free.
• the device is also very suitable for later incorporation into existing constructions .
• tension cables could thus be used which could therefore already be fixed with one outer end to the take-up member in the unloaded state, and could hang slack until loaded.
• concentric push elements instead of concentric, tubular push elements, adjacently placed push rods could also be applied.
• the separate, concentric push members could also be replaced with a single integrated push member with a resistance increasing in the direction of deformation.
• Such a push member could for instance take a conical or stepped form.
• deformable element for instance torsion elements
• deformable element could also be used if they could be integrated into the construction in logical manner. It is not otherwise necessary for a subsequent deformable element to be loaded only when the preceding element has collapsed. Also during the phase of elastic deformation of the one element a subsequent element could already be loaded. A more even transition is hereby obtained.
• the application of the device according to the invention is not limited to vehicle seats.
• Other components intended to absorb energy by means of deformation or displacement in the case of collisions, such as vehicle bumpers, could also be mounted via such a device.
• This also applies for protection systems in the doors of a vehicle.
• This damping principle could even be applied in the deformable parts themselves, for instance in a so-called crushable zone.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Seats For Vehicles (AREA)
• Motor Power Transmission Devices (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=32986044

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Family Cites Families (9)

• 2003
  • 2003-02-25 NL NL1022773A patent/NL1022773C2/nl not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2004
  • 2004-02-25 WO PCT/NL2004/000143 patent/WO2004081407A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2004-02-25 EP EP04714518A patent/EP1599358A2/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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