Pivotable Transport Seat Reducing Depth Requirement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seat arrangements in means of transport, such as rail vehicles and airplanes, are inefficient in space utilization and do not adapt to the needs of users, as they require a fixed sitting position and cannot accommodate small travel groups or families comfortably, and they often compromise on travel comfort by not allowing adjustable orientations.
Innovation Solution
A seat arrangement featuring a frame element with an integrated seat and backrest that can be pivoted or rotated using a single bearing axis, allowing for adjustable seating positions and orientations, thereby optimizing space usage and providing comfortable standing and sitting options.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional seating arrangements with bent legs are provided, then passengers can sit in a conventional sitting position, but each passenger occupies a comparatively large amount of space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a pivotable seat that can dynamically change its orientation and configuration. The seat is mounted on a pivot axis allowing it to rotate between different positions (e.g., facing forward, backward, or sideways), enabling the same physical space to serve multiple seating configurations and reducing the overall space requirement per passenger while maintaining comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes vertical space by positioning the pivot axis horizontally, allowing the seat to rotate in a vertical plane. This dimensional approach enables the seat to occupy different spatial positions without increasing the horizontal footprint, effectively using the third dimension (vertical height) to resolve the space-confort contradiction.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the seating arrangement is fixed in orientation, then the structure is simple, but the orientation cannot be changed to meet user needs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a pivot mechanism that allows the seat to dynamically adjust its orientation. The pivot axis enables rotation between multiple fixed positions (e.g., 0°, 90°, 180°, 270°), providing adaptability for different user needs while maintaining structural simplicity through a single rotational degree of freedom rather than complex multi-axis adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The pivotable seat design makes a single seating unit capable of serving multiple functions and orientations. The same physical seat can face different directions and accommodate various passenger configurations (individual, pairs, groups), eliminating the need for multiple fixed seating arrangements and reducing overall system complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional seating arrangements are used, then the structure is straightforward, but they cannot be modified to accommodate small groups of travelers or families
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple pivotable seats can be independently rotated to create different social configurations. Families or small groups can arrange seats facing each other for conversation, or all facing forward for shared viewing, providing dynamic adaptability to group needs without requiring reconfigurable mechanisms or complex control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The seating system divides the interior space into multiple independent pivotable units rather than a fixed continuous arrangement. This segmentation allows individual seats or groups of seats to be independently positioned, enabling flexible accommodation of different group sizes and configurations while maintaining simple individual seat structures.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a seating arrangement for a means of transport, in particular for a means of transporting persons, wherein the seating arrangement can be arranged on the means of transport by means of a fastening device, wherein the seating arrangement comprises at least one frame element with an upper area which is provided and suitable for supporting the back and comprises at least one seating area integrated in the at least one frame element.