Contoured Collapsible Seat Assembly with Pivot Base Slot Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern vehicle seats that fold against the wall of a vehicle face design limitations, restricting the ability to modify the interior for comfort and storage due to their outward shape, unlike those that fold against the floor pan.
Innovation Solution
A contoured collapsible seat assembly with a pivot base and slot system allows the seat back to fold forward, reducing depth in the stadium position and height in the stowed position, maximizing cargo space while maintaining comfort and safety, featuring a seat bottom and seat back coupled to a pivot base with a moveable and fixed pivot point, and a cross member for rotational movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the seat back is designed to fold forward to reduce stowed height, then the stowed footprint is minimized, but the structural complexity increases due to the need for additional pivot points and constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the stadium position constraint and stowed position constraint into a single integrated pivot base structure. The slot in the pivot base simultaneously guides the moveable pivot point during both the stadium configuration (where the seat back folds forward) and the stowed configuration (where the seat bottom folds forward), eliminating the need for separate mechanical constraints for each position and reducing overall structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivot base with its slot design serves multiple functions: it acts as a constraint for the moveable pivot point during stadium positioning, provides a guide path for the seat bottom movement during stowing, and maintains structural support throughout the transformation. This multi-functional design reduces the number of separate components needed, thereby minimizing structural complexity while achieving the reduced stowed footprint.
2Volume of moving object
If the seat assembly uses a moveable pivot point constrained by a slot, then the seat can achieve compact stadium position, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a moveable pivot point that travels along a slot rather than being fixed at a single location. This dynamic constraint allows the pivot point to adapt its position during the transformation between open, stadium, and stowed configurations, accommodating manufacturing tolerances in the slot geometry and pivot point placement while still achieving the compact stadium position depth required.
Solution Approach 2:
The slot geometry is designed to change the effective constraint parameters during movement. As the seat assembly transitions between configurations, the position of the moveable pivot point along the slot changes, allowing the system to achieve the required compact stadium position depth without requiring extremely tight manufacturing precision at any single fixed pivot location.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the seat bottom center of gravity is positioned forward of the cross member pivot point, then the seat achieves stable open position, but the balance control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the center of gravity of the seat bottom forward of the cross member pivot point, creating a natural counterbalancing effect. This forward weight distribution acts as a counterweight that automatically stabilizes the seat in the open position, eliminating the need for additional springs, dampers, or active control mechanisms, thereby maintaining simplicity while achieving stable equilibrium.
Data Source
AI summary
A contoured collapsible seat assembly providing a compact size in the stadium position and also having the ability of the seat back to fold forward. More specifically, a collapsible seat having reduced overall height and depth in the stadium position and reduced height in the stowed position.