Seat Armrest Spring-Cam Mechanism for Compact Angle Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional armrest adjustment mechanisms using coil springs are complex and require separate control members for returning to the initial position, leading to increased width and installation constraints in limited spaces.
Innovation Solution
A compact armrest apparatus with a drum, casing, coil spring, cam, and spring guide, where the cam and spring guide control the coil spring's displacement to enable smooth upward rotation and restrict downward rotation within an adjustable angle range, allowing the armrest to be returned to its initial position without additional control members.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a separate control member is provided to return the armrest to the initial position, then the armrest can be returned to the initial position, but the operation becomes complex and the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the control member with the armrest itself, making the armrest perform both the adjustment function and the return function. The armrest integrates the functions of the armrest body and the control member into a single structure, eliminating the need for separate control members and simplifying the overall device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The armrest is designed to perform multiple functions: it serves as both the support structure and the control mechanism. By making the armrest itself the control member, it can both adjust to different angles and automatically return to the initial position, reducing the need for additional specialized components.
2Reliability
If the drum is fixed to the fixed member side and the casing width is increased to ensure the number of turns of the coil spring, then the coil spring can be properly wound, but the width of the armrest increases and installation is constrained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional arrangement by fixing the drum to the armrest (moving side) and making the casing rotatable relative to the drum. This reversal allows the coil spring to be wound around the drum on the armrest side, enabling the casing to rotate and providing the necessary number of turns without increasing the armrest width, thus solving the space constraint problem.
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 solution simplifies operation, reduces component count, and allows for a more compact design, enabling easy assembly and enhanced safety by allowing the armrest to be used as the casing, reducing the protrusion of the drum and maintaining surface strength.
Implementation Method 1
a coil spring with one end of the coil spring fixed to the casing and wound around the drum and the other end of the coil spring in a free state
Data Source
AI summary
A position adjustable armrest for a seat, including a drum fixed to the seat or the armrest, a casing fixed to the armrest or the seat and rotatable relative to the drum, a coil spring with one end thereof fixed to the casing and wound around the drum and the other end being in a free state, a cam that acts on the free end of the coil spring and displaces the free end in an axial direction and peripheral direction of the coil spring according to the relative angular displacement between the drum and the casing, and a spring guide that acts on the free end of the coil spring and allows the displacement in the peripheral direction of the coil spring to be maintained and returned according to the relative angular displacement.