Movable Vehicle Seats on Guide Tracks for Flexible Interaction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional motor vehicle seating arrangements discourage interaction among occupants by fixed forward-facing positions, limiting collaborative activities during journeys.
Innovation Solution
A seating system with movable seats coupled to a guide track, allowing seats to be rearranged between multiple positions, including rotatable and adjustable configurations, to facilitate interaction and collaborative activities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If seats are arranged in fixed forward-facing positions to maximize seating capacity, then the number of seats that can be provided is increased, but interaction between occupants is discouraged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the seats movable along guide tracks instead of fixed in position. Each seat can be moved manually by a user to different locations within the vehicle interior, allowing the seating arrangement to change from a fixed forward-facing configuration to various dynamic configurations that facilitate interaction, such as facing each other or forming a circle, while still maximizing seating capacity.
2Quantity of substance
If seats are arranged in fixed forward-facing positions, then seating capacity is maximized, but collaborative activities are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The seats are designed to be dynamically reconfigurable along guide tracks, enabling occupants to arrange themselves in configurations that support collaborative activities such as facing each other for conversation, forming a circle for group discussion, or positioning around a table, while maintaining the same seating capacity as fixed arrangements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a guide track system is introduced to allow seat movement, then seating flexibility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide track system is segmented into multiple independent tracks, with each seat having its own follower element that moves along a dedicated track. This segmentation allows each seat to be moved independently without affecting others, simplifying the overall system architecture compared to a centralized moving mechanism, and enabling straightforward manual operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The seats are designed to be manually movable by occupants themselves without requiring external actuators or complex control systems. The follower elements engage with the guide tracks and allow users to easily slide seats to desired positions, making the system self-service and avoiding the complexity of motorized seat adjustment mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A motor vehicle seating system is provided. The seating system comprises two or more seats and a guide track extending between three or more spaced apart seating positions within an interior of the motor vehicle, wherein each of the seats is movably coupled to the guide track, such that the seats are movable between the seating positions. A seat, suitable for use in the motor vehicle seating system is also provided.