An Integrated Restraint Seat (IRS) improves occupant protection, comfort, ease of rear seat ingress and egress, and eliminates special restraint packaging issues normally associated with convertible top vehicles.
Two years ago, seven companies formed a Consortium which is now known as the Lear Seat Consortium. The goal of the Consortium is to provide cost and mass effective Integral Restraint Seats.
A composite seat frame consisting of high modulus metal stabilized by low modulus plastic results in a low mass, cost effective seat. A unique insert extrusion blow molding process is utilized to form the composite structure.
This paper describes the design, materials, process, load criteria, structural analysis and testing of the composite IRS.