External Rigid Support Frame for Bus Passenger Seat Legroom
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle seats for buses are complex to manufacture, heavy, and limit available space due to integrated support structures and rotary joints, which restrict legroom and hinder equipment retrofitting and backrest adjustment without causing the table to incline.
Innovation Solution
A passenger seat design featuring a rigid support frame externally attached to the seat and backrest, eliminating the need for integrated support structures within the seat or backrest, allowing for adjustable backrests without swivel joints, and incorporating a hollow structure for ventilation, heating, and cable management, while maintaining compact dimensions and enhancing legroom.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If support structures are integrated into the backrest or seat part, then the backrest can absorb forces acting on the vehicle seat, but the backrest becomes complex to manufacture, heavier, and limits available installation space
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is separated from the backrest and seat part, forming an independent external frame. This segmentation allows the backrest to be manufactured simply while the support structure provides the necessary force absorption capability, resolving the contradiction between strength and manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure is extracted from the integrated design and placed as an external component. This extraction simplifies the backrest manufacturing process while maintaining the force absorption function through the separate support frame, directly addressing the manufacturing complexity issue.
2Ease of operation
If an outer rotary joint is attached between the backrest and seat cushion to adjust backrest inclination, then the backrest can be adjusted, but the knee room for a person behind the vehicle seat is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The rotary joint is removed from the design entirely. Instead of using a rotary joint mechanism, the backrest is directly coupled to the support structure, enabling inclination adjustment through the support structure's geometry rather than a mechanical joint, thereby eliminating the space occupation by rotary joints and increasing knee room.
3Ease of operation
If the backrest inclination is adjusted using a rotary joint, then the backrest angle can be changed, but the available installation space is limited and equipment elements cannot be retrofitted simply
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is designed as a separate, modular external frame that can be independently configured and installed. This segmentation allows equipment elements to be retrofitted to the support structure without affecting the backrest adjustment mechanism, simplifying both installation and future modifications.
4Strength
If a shell structure is used to support the seat device, then the seat can be supported, but the dimensions of the seat device become comparatively large, severely limiting space for passengers behind
Solution Approach 1:
The support function is segmented from the seat components and provided by an external support structure. This allows the seat device itself to maintain compact dimensions while the support structure, positioned externally, provides the necessary strength without increasing the seat's volume, thus preserving passenger space.
Data Source
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AI summary
A vehicle seat, in particular a passenger seat for a bus, comprising a seat section (10) including a seat cushion support (11) and a seat cushion (12) rigidly arranged on the seat cushion support (11); a backrest (20) comprising a back cushion support (21) and a back cushion (22) rigidly arranged on the back cushion support (21); and a support structure for absorbing forces acting on the vehicle seat. The support structure is designed as a rigid support frame (30) arranged circumferentially outside the seat section (10) and the backrest (20), which is connected to the seat cushion support (11) and the back cushion support (21), and which has paired support rails (31, 32) extending along opposite side edges (13, 23) of the seat section (10) and the backrest (20).