Folding and Fixing Device for Electric Walk Vehicle Seat Assembly
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current electric walk-substituting vehicles are cumbersome for transportation and storage due to their inability to be easily folded or reduced in size, making them inconvenient for users with mobility issues, such as the elderly and physically disabled individuals.
Innovation Solution
A folding and fixing device for the seat assembly of an electric walk-substituting vehicle, which includes connecting rods, a pivotal steering mechanism, and a pressing and moving mechanism with position-limiting plates, allowing the vehicle to be easily folded and fixed in different positions, enabling it to be dragged like a luggage trolley when folded.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the electric walk-substituting vehicle is designed with a fixed seat assembly, then the vehicle maintains structural stability and reliability, but the vehicle occupies excessive space for transportation and storage
Solution Approach 1:
The seat assembly is designed with dynamic characteristics, allowing it to pivot between a raised in-use position and a lowered not-in-use position. The connecting rods enable the seat assembly to move relative to the chassis, transforming the structure from static to dynamic. This allows the vehicle to maintain structural stability during use while reducing occupied space during transportation.
Solution Approach 2:
The vehicle structure is segmented into movable components, specifically the seat assembly that can be independently positioned. The seat assembly is separated from the main chassis through connecting rods, allowing independent movement and positioning. This segmentation enables the vehicle to compromise between structural stability and compactness by positioning the seat assembly in different states.
2Volume of moving object
If the seat assembly is made separable into major components, then the vehicle can be reduced in size, but it requires significant time and labor to separate the components
Solution Approach 1:
The folding mechanism utilizes dynamic movement of the seat assembly along the connecting rods, allowing smooth transitions between folded and unfolded states. The pivotal connections enable continuous motion rather than discrete assembly/disassembly steps, significantly reducing the time and effort required to fold the vehicle compared to completely separable designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The folded configuration allows the seat assembly to nest closer to the chassis by pivoting downwards along the connecting rods. The compact folded state positions the seat assembly in a nested arrangement near the main body, reducing overall vehicle dimensions without requiring complete component separation.
3Length of stationary object
If the connecting rods are made longer to support the seat assembly, then the seat can be positioned higher for better ergonomics, but the vehicle becomes more difficult to fold and store
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting rods are designed with pivotal connections that enable dynamic adjustment of the seat assembly position. The rod length is optimized to provide sufficient seat height when extended, while the pivotal mechanism allows the same rods to be folded compactly when not in use. The dynamic capability of the connecting rods resolves the contradiction between achieving ergonomic height and maintaining foldability.
Data Source
AI summary
An electric walk-substituting vehicle includes a chassis, a seat assembly pivoted on upper ends of the connecting rods, a pivotal steering mechanism, and a folding and fixing device, which will fix the connecting rods after the seat assembly is moved to either of raised in-use and lowered not-in-use positions; the seat assembly includes connecting rods pivoted on the chassis; the folding and fixing device includes two position-limiting plates, which are secured on the connecting rods to pivot together with the connecting rods; the position-limiting plates each have first and second holes; the folding and fixing device includes a pressing and moving mechanism with two insertion rods; the insertion rods will pass into the first holes to engage the position-limiting plates after the connecting rods are pivoted to the raised in-use position; the insertion rods will pass into the second holes after the connecting rods are pivoted to the not-in-use position.