Dynamic adjustable armrest
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to design an ergonomically adjustable motor vehicle armrest that accommodates occupants with varying physical characteristics, ensuring comfort and safety while being producible at a low cost and accessible for long and short periods of use, reducing the risk of injuries.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic adjustable armrest featuring a bracket, a rod guide with detents, and a locking rod that moves between locked and unlocked positions, allowing vertical and lateral adjustments, supported by a biasing member and a button for easy operation, ensuring the armrest can be customized to fit different users.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the armrest is made fixed and non-adjustable, then the manufacturing cost is reduced and the structure is simplified, but the ergonomics and comfort for occupants with varying physical characteristics deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The armrest is designed with adjustable positioning capabilities, transitioning from a fixed structure to a dynamic one that can be repositioned by occupants. The rod guide with detents and locking rod mechanism enables the armrest to be adjusted to different heights and positions, allowing customization for various body types while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustment mechanism is divided into discrete components: the rod guide with multiple detent positions, the locking rod with engagement features, and the button for actuation. This segmentation allows for simplified manufacturing of individual parts while achieving the complex function of adjustable positioning when assembled
2Adaptability or versatility
If the armrest is made adjustable with multiple positions, then the ergonomics and comfort are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The armrest adjustment system is designed to be operated by the occupant themselves without requiring external assistance or complex electronic controls. The mechanical locking rod and button system allows users to independently adjust and lock the armrest position, reducing the need for sophisticated control mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The locking rod acts as an intermediary element between the rod guide and the armrest bracket. It provides a simple mechanical interface that translates the occupant's manual input into secure positioning at selected detent locations, simplifying the overall adjustment mechanism
3Ease of manufacture
If the armrest adjustment mechanism is simplified, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but the reliability and stability of the locked position deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The rod guide incorporates multiple pre-positioned detents that provide predetermined stable positions for the locking rod. This beforehand preparation of positioning points ensures that when the locking rod engages, it does so at a designed stable location, maintaining reliability without requiring complex active control systems
Solution Approach 2:
The detent features and locking rod engagement surfaces are designed with curved or rounded geometries that facilitate smooth engagement and provide mechanical advantage. This curvature ensures positive locking while using simple geometric forms that are easy to manufacture
4Duration of action of moving object
If the armrest is made adjustable, then the comfort for long periods of use is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to additional controls
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustment function is extracted as a separate, dedicated mechanical system independent of the vehicle's electronic control systems. This extraction allows for simpler operation through direct mechanical interaction, reducing the cognitive load and steps required compared to electronic controls, while still providing the comfort benefits of adjustability
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 provides enhanced comfort and safety by allowing precise adjustment to fit various users, reducing the risk of injuries and improving ergonomics, while being cost-effective and adaptable to different motor vehicle platforms.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing member biases the locking rod towards the first position
Data Source
AI summary
A dynamic adjustable armrest includes a bracket supporting the armrest, a rod guide having a plurality of detents, the rod guide in slidable communication with the bracket, a locking rod engageable with the rod guide and the bracket. The locking rod is movable between at least a first position and a second position, and the armrest is movable between at least an up position and a down position.