Modular Vehicle Bench Seat with Foldable Central Backrest
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Solution Overview
Problem
In motor vehicles with three rows of seats, accessing the third row is often hindered by the need to navigate through a narrow axial passage created by a bench seat with three seats, which lacks efficient conversion mechanisms to facilitate easy access.
Innovation Solution
A modular vehicle seat design featuring a central seat and backrest that can be folded, raised, and rotated to create an axial passage, utilizing lifting and rotation mechanisms to reposition the assembly onto one of the side seats, thereby freeing up space for access to the third row.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the bench seat maintains a three-seat configuration, then seating capacity is maximized, but access to the third row is hindered due to lack of axial passage
Solution Approach 1:
The central seat is designed with dynamic movement capabilities, allowing it to transition between a functional seating position and a retracted position. The seat can be moved from its normal position to create an axial passage through the bench seat, enabling access to the third row while maintaining seating capacity when needed
Solution Approach 2:
The bench seat is divided into independent modular units, with the central seat able to move separately from the side seats. This segmentation allows the central seat to be repositioned to create an axial passage without affecting the overall bench seat structure or the side seats
2Ease of operation
If the central seat is moved to create an axial passage, then access to the third row is improved, but the seating configuration is altered
Solution Approach 1:
The central seat incorporates dynamic movement mechanisms that allow it to switch between different positions - a functional position for seating and a retracted position for creating an axial passage. This dynamic capability enables the seat to adapt to different usage scenarios, providing both access to the third row and maintaining seating configuration as needed
3Adaptability or versatility
If lifting and rotation mechanisms are added to the central seat, then the seat can be repositioned to create axial passage, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The central seat is equipped with lifting and rotation mechanisms that enable it to move from its normal position to a retracted position, creating an axial passage. These mechanisms provide the necessary adaptability for the seat to switch between functional and retracted positions while managing the complexity through integrated design
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A bench seat (1) having three aligned seats (2, 3, 4), one (4) of which is in a central position and the other two (2, 3) are in a lateral position, each of said seats (2, 3, 4) having a seat and a backrest. The main characteristic of a bench seat according to the invention is that the backrest (6) of the central seat (4) is capable of being folded against the seat (5) of said central seat (4), and in that it has lifting and rotation means allowing the assembly consisting of said backrest (6) folded against the seat (5) to be first raised, then to pivot around a longitudinal axis (17) of the vehicle to come into position on the seat of one of the two lateral seats (2, 3).