Foldable Seat Latching Mechanism for Rapid Stowage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing compact personal transport devices, such as electric scooters, require significant time for setup and collapse, hindering their widespread use.
Innovation Solution
A latching mechanism with a pivot mechanism, clamp, latch arm, and catch receiver secures the seat in a riding configuration, allowing quick transition between riding and stowed configurations through a downward clamping force and release mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a latching mechanism with pivot mechanism, clamp, latch arm, and catch receiver is used to secure the seat, then the seat stability in riding configuration is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The latch arm is pivotally attached to the clamp assembly, creating a nested configuration where the latch arm rotates within the clamp structure. The hooked catch engages with the catch receiver in a nested manner, with the catch fitting into the receiver's engagement surface. This nesting approach provides stable locking while minimizing the spatial footprint and complexity of the overall mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The downward clamping force applied to the catch receiver automatically engages the hooked catch with the catch receiver to secure the seat in the riding configuration. The mechanism self-actuates through the applied force, eliminating the need for separate actuators or complex control systems, thus improving stability without proportionally increasing complexity.
2Reliability
If a latching mechanism with downward clamping force is used to secure the seat, then the reliability of seat securing is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using an upward lifting force to engage the latch, the mechanism uses a downward clamping force on the catch receiver. This inverted approach leverages gravity and the natural downward motion to reliably engage the hooked catch with the catch receiver, improving securing reliability while maintaining simple, intuitive operation.
3Reliability
If a clamp positioned above the pivot mechanism is used to apply downward clamping force, then the seat securing reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp is integrated with the latch arm assembly, combining the clamping function and the latching function into a single unified mechanism. The downward clamping force is applied by the same structure that provides the latch arm's pivot point, eliminating the need for separate clamping and latching mechanisms. This merging approach improves reliability through coordinated action while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A foldable seat assembly for a personal transport device is described. The seat assembly includes a seat having a seat surface and a seat post attached to an underside of the seat. The seat assembly also includes a latching mechanism having a pivot mechanism, a clamp located above the pivot mechanism, a latch arm attached to the pivot mechanism at a pivot end of the latch arm, a hooked catch disposed at a catch end of the latch arm opposite the pivot end, and a catch receiver associated with the underside of the seat. The catch receiver engages with the hooked catch of the latch arm. When the clamp is in a locked position, the hooked catch exerts a downward clamping force on the catch receiver to secure the seat in a riding configuration so that the seat surface has a horizontal orientation.