Heated Seat Armrest Layout for Warmth in Lifted Positions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seat heating systems fail to effectively warm the arms and shoulders of users, especially when armrests are lifted, leading to discomfort and inefficiency in energy usage.
Innovation Solution
The seat incorporates heating elements in the top and bottom sides of armrests, with a switching function to adjust energization based on the armrest's position, ensuring that arms, palms, fingers, shoulders, and back are warmed regardless of arm placement, and optimizing energy usage by stopping unnecessary heating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If heating elements are installed only in the top sides of armrest portions, then the arms can be warmed when armrests are in normal position, but when armrests are lifted the cold sides face the user causing discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The heating device is divided into multiple independent heating elements positioned at different locations: top side heating elements and bottom side heating elements. This segmentation allows each heating element to serve specific functions based on armrest position, resolving the contradiction between warming effectiveness in normal position and adaptability when armrests are lifted.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between top side heating elements and bottom side heating elements based on the armrest position. When armrests are in normal position, top side heating elements are activated; when armrests are lifted, bottom side heating elements are activated. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by making the heating system responsive to different operational states.
2Adaptability or versatility
If heating elements are installed in multiple locations including bottom sides of armrest portions, then heating effectiveness is improved when armrests are lifted, but device complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control system dynamically activates only the heating elements needed based on armrest position. The switching mechanism ensures that either top side or bottom side heating elements are activated, but not both simultaneously. This dynamic control adds minimal complexity while achieving high adaptability across different armrest positions.
Solution Approach 2:
Different heating elements are positioned to provide localized heating based on specific needs: top side heating elements for normal armrest position and bottom side heating elements for lifted position. This local quality approach ensures that heating is provided precisely where needed, reducing the need for comprehensive heating coverage and thereby reducing overall system complexity.
3Temperature
If heating elements are continuously energized to ensure warmth, then user comfort is maintained, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically controls the energization of heating elements based on real-time armrest position detection. The switching mechanism activates only the heating elements corresponding to the current armrest position, ensuring consistent warmth while avoiding unnecessary energy consumption from activating all heating elements continuously.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating system operates in periodic cycles, switching between top side and bottom side heating elements based on armrest position changes. This periodic activation ensures that heating is provided only when and where needed, maintaining user comfort while significantly reducing overall energy consumption compared to continuous operation of all heating elements.
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
This configuration ensures consistent warmth for users' arms and shoulders, even when armrests are lifted, while reducing energy consumption by adjusting heating elements' energization according to their position, enhancing user comfort and energy efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
heating elements which are installed in areas of a top side, a side facing a side of the body of a user, a front end vertical side or another side of an armrest portion
Implementation Method 2
allowing a user to be seated comfortably in the seat 101 even in a cold season
Data Source
AI summary
A seat with a heating device is provided which realizes a configuration in which the arm, palms and finger tips of a user can easily be warmed when the user uses the seat with the heating device. When the user is seated in a seat with a heating device and feels cold due to it being winter, the user controls a switch to heat the seat, whereby energization of heating elements 3a, 3b, 3c is started which are connected to a power supply via electric wires. When the energization of the heating elements 3a, 3b, 3c is started, heat generated thereby is conducted to skin materials 2a, 2b, 2c and surfaces of the skin materials are warmed. When the user places his or her arm on an armrest portion 5, the arm is warmed via the skin material 2c, whereby the user can feel the sensation of comfortableness.