Vehicle Door-Mounted Seat and Storage Positioning for Easier Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
The design of passenger vehicles and goods transportation vehicles is not ergonomically optimized for easy entry and exit by older individuals or for efficient loading and unloading of goods, leading to difficulties and time-consuming processes.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle with a movable door and an equipment positioning mechanism that allows a seat cushion, shelves, or boxes to move into an open position, facilitating easier access and loading/unloading by positioning equipment relative to the door, which can be motorized and equipped with vital signs monitoring and posture detection systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the seat cushion is rigidly fastened to the door, then the structure is simple and stable, but it is difficult for older people to get in or out of the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The seat cushion is made movable relative to the door through an equipment positioning mechanism, allowing it to transition between a retracted position (when door is closed) and an extended position (when door is open). This dynamic adjustment enables older people to easily step onto the seat cushion for entry and use it as support for exit, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The seating function is segmented from the fixed vehicle structure and attached to the movable door, creating an independent adjustable component. This segmentation allows the seat cushion to be positioned optimally for different operations (entry, exit, loading), improving ease of operation while maintaining overall system simplicity through modular design.
2Productivity
If the shelves or box are rigidly fastened to the door, then the structure is simple, but loading and unloading goods is time-consuming and tiring
Solution Approach 1:
The shelves and boxes are equipped with positioning mechanisms that allow them to move relative to the door, extending outward when the door is open to create optimal loading positions. This dynamic positioning reduces the distance workers must reach and bend, significantly improving loading and unloading efficiency while adding only minimal mechanical complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the piece of equipment is moved to an open position outside the vehicle body, then ergonomics is improved, but the equipment must be securely mounted to prevent loss
Solution Approach 1:
The equipment positioning mechanism is designed to automatically secure the seat cushion, shelves, or boxes in their extended positions before door opening is complete, and to retract them before door closing begins. This preliminary positioning and securing action ensures equipment remains reliably mounted during door operation while maintaining optimal ergonomic positions during use.
Data Source
AI summary
Vehicle (100) having a body (1), the body comprising a door (2R) movable between a closed position and an open position. A piece of equipment (3R, 90R) is mounted at an inner side of the door in such a manner that when the door opens, said piece of equipment moves to take up an open position in which at least part of said piece of equipment is outside the body of the vehicle (100). The piece of equipment (3R, 90R) may comprise a seat cushion (36), a plurality of shelves, or a box. The vehicle further comprises a equipment positioning mechanism (60) capable of moving said piece of equipment relative to the door (2R).