Articulating Armrest for Multi-Config Vehicle Seating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicles require seating arrangements that offer greater occupant freedom of movement, challenging conventional seating design and placement, as they need to adapt to various configurations such as captains' chair, loveseat, and bed configurations.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seating arrangement featuring a seat-base with an articulating armrest that can move forward, rearward, upward, and downward, including a bolster and support member, allowing the seating assembly to transition between different configurations by adjusting the armrest's position and orientation, thereby creating a substantially planar and continuous surface for multiple seating configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional fixed seating arrangements are used, then structural simplicity is maintained, but occupant freedom of movement and seating versatility are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The armrest is designed as a dynamic component that can articulate between multiple positions (upward, downward, forward, rearward) relative to the seat-base. This dynamic capability allows the seating assembly to transform between different configurations (captains' chair, loveseat, bed) without requiring completely separate seating units, thus improving versatility while controlling structural complexity through a single movable component per seat
Solution Approach 2:
The armrest serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, defines seating configuration boundaries, and acts as a transformation mechanism between different seating modes. By making the armrest multi-functional and articulating, the design achieves configuration versatility without proportionally increasing overall device complexity
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate seating assemblies are used to provide configuration flexibility, then seating versatility is improved, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Each seating assembly with its articulating armrest serves as a universal unit that can function in multiple configurations. By positioning these multi-functional units adjacent to each other and coordinating their armrest positions, the system achieves configuration flexibility (captains' chair, loveseat, bed) using compact seating units rather than requiring large dedicated spaces for each configuration type
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple seating assemblies are merged in close proximity with their armrests articulating to complementary positions. The armrests of adjacent seats can be positioned to create continuous surfaces or defined boundaries, allowing the combined assembly to function as different seating configurations without requiring the seats themselves to be widely spaced
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle seating arrangement includes at least one seating assembly. The at least one seating assembly includes a seat-base and an armrest. The armrest is operably coupled to the seat-base and configured for articulation in at least one of a forward, rearward, upward, and downward direction relative to the seat-base. The armrest enables the seating assembly to transition between captains' chair, loveseat, and bed configurations.