Vehicle Leg Support with Inflatable Bladder and Telescoping Lift
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle seating assemblies lack adaptability and comfort for passengers, particularly in terms of leg support, as they do not efficiently transition between sitting and standing positions or provide customizable support for varying passenger preferences and body types.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seating assembly featuring a leg support rotationally coupled to a seat with a lift mechanism and inflatable bladder assemblies that can move between stored and deployed positions, allowing for customizable support and easy transition between sitting and standing positions through a telescoping mechanism and shingled bladder arrangement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a leg support is rotationally coupled to a seat with a lift mechanism, then the seating assembly can transition between sitting and standing positions, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lift mechanism employs a telescoping structure where one component is nested within another, allowing the leg support to extend and retract between sitting and standing positions. This nested design enables position transition while maintaining a compact form when retracted, managing the complexity through hierarchical integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The leg support is designed with rotational coupling and telescoping members that enable dynamic adjustment between fixed positions (sitting and standing). The system transitions from a static support to a dynamically adjustable structure, allowing smooth position changes while maintaining stability at each position through controlled mechanical movement.
2Adaptability or versatility
If bladder assemblies are added to provide customizable support, then passenger comfort and adaptability improve, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bladder support system is divided into multiple independent bladder assemblies, each capable of independent inflation and deflation. This segmentation allows different regions of the leg support to be adjusted independently, providing customizable support for varying passenger preferences and body types while maintaining modular complexity that is easier to manage and control.
Solution Approach 2:
Different bladder assemblies are positioned at specific locations on the leg support to provide localized support where needed. Each bladder can be inflated to different pressures and volumes, creating varying levels of support density and firmness in different areas, thereby achieving personalized comfort without requiring a complete redesign of the entire support system.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the leg support is positioned in a stored position against the carrier, then the seating assembly can rotate between sitting and standing positions, but the leg support cannot provide support simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The leg support is designed to dynamically transition between a stored position (angled inward under the seat) and a deployed position (angled outward). During position transitions of the seating assembly, the leg support remains in the stored position, and during normal seating operations, it can be deployed to provide support. This dynamic positioning allows the system to accommodate both transition requirements and support requirements at different operational phases.
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
Enhances passenger comfort by providing adjustable leg support and increased mobility, allowing for convenient ingress and egress by enabling the seating assembly to move along a track and adapt to different positions, thus improving the overall travel experience.
Implementation Method 1
The lift mechanism includes a telescoping member; the telescoping member includes a pair of telescoping members; wherein, in a retracted position, the telescoping member maintains the leg support in a stored position, and wherein, in an extended position, the telescoping member maintains the leg support in a deployed position
Implementation Method 2
the bladder assembly is inflatable between a deflated state and an inflated state; each of the first bladder subassembly and the second bladder subassembly includes at least one bladder having an interior cavity, and the interior cavity is inflatable to inflate the bladder from a deflated position to an inflated position
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle seating assembly includes a leg support rotationally coupled to a seat and including a bladder assembly at least partially disposed on the leg support, and a lift mechanism disposed between the seat and the leg support, wherein the lift mechanism is configured to move the leg support between a stored position and a deployed position, and wherein the bladder assembly is inflatable between a deflated state and an inflated state.