Lower leg support device for a vehicle seat, and vehicle seat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle seats lack a compact and efficient mechanism for transitioning a lower leg support from a non-use to a use position, particularly in autonomously driving vehicles, while also allowing for an inclined seating position and seat height adjustment.
Innovation Solution
A lower leg support device with a two-part cushion carrier system, driven by a coupling gear activated by a single drive device, which transitions between use and non-use positions, and integrates with a vehicle seat that can assume an inclined position and provide seat height adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a lower leg support device is integrated into a vehicle seat, then leg support comfort is improved, but the device occupies additional space and increases structural complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The lower leg support device is nested within the vehicle seat structure, with the cushion carrier integrated into the seat's existing framework. The support part folds into the seat when not in use, utilizing the seat's internal space rather than occupying additional external volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The lower leg support device employs a dynamic folding mechanism that allows the support part to transition between extended and retracted positions. The articulated connection between the first and second cushion carriers enables the structure to adapt its volume based on operational requirements.
2Device complexity
If a single drive device controls both lower leg support transition and seat inclination, then device complexity is reduced, but control precision for each function may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
A single drive device is designed to perform multiple functions: it controls both the transition of the lower leg support between use and non-use positions and the inclination of the seat. The coupling gear mechanism allows one drive device to actuate both the first and second cushion carriers, achieving multi-functionality without requiring separate drive units for each function.
3Ease of operation
If the lower leg support transitions smoothly between positions, then user comfort is improved, but the mechanism requires more complex drive components
Solution Approach 1:
A coupling gear acts as an intermediary mechanism between the drive device and the cushion carriers. This coupling gear transfers and coordinates the motion from the single drive device to both the first and second cushion carriers, enabling smooth coordinated transitions while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A lower leg support device for a vehicle seat may have a first cushion carrier, a second cushion carrier, which is connected in an articulated manner to the first cushion carrier, and a coupling gear for transferring the first cushion carrier and the second cushion carrier from a non-use position to a use position. The coupling gear is able to be driven by a drive device. A vehicle seat may have the lower leg support device.