Rail Vehicle Seat Assembly Flat Surface Comfort Modification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing railway seat designs are expensive due to molding requirements, inflexible for comfort modifications, and poorly suited for aesthetic changes, as they are constrained by recess shapes.
Innovation Solution
A set of seats with flat surfaces for the seats and backrests, allowing for easy modification of comfort and aesthetic appearance, where comfort elements can be added or modified without molding new covers, and accommodating a variable number of passengers with continuous surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If recesses are formed in the cowl to house comfort elements, then the comfort elements are securely attached and surrounded by a rim, but the molding operations become necessary increasing cost and reducing adaptability
Solution Approach 1:
The seat assembly is divided into separate components: the cowl structure and the comfort elements. The comfort elements are detached from the cowl, eliminating the need for molded recesses while maintaining secure attachment through alternative means. This segmentation allows independent manufacturing and simplifies production.
Solution Approach 2:
The comfort elements are extracted from the molded recesses and made as separate attachable components. This removes the constraint of pre-formed recesses in the cowl, allowing comfort elements to be added or modified without remolding the entire cowl structure.
2Reliability
If recesses are formed in the cowl to house comfort elements, then the comfort elements are securely attached, but adaptability for comfort modifications is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The seat assembly transitions from a static molded structure to a dynamic configuration where comfort elements can be independently added, removed, or modified. This allows the seating system to adapt to different comfort requirements without changing the fundamental cowl structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The cowl structure serves as a universal base that can accommodate various comfort elements through standardized attachment mechanisms. Different comfort elements can be attached to the same cowl, providing versatility for comfort modifications without requiring custom molded recesses for each element.
3Reliability
If recesses are formed in the cowl to house comfort elements, then the comfort elements are securely attached, but aesthetic appearance modifications are constrained
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the comfort elements from the cowl structure, the aesthetic appearance can be independently modified by changing comfort elements without affecting the structural integrity or attachment security of the overall assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The aesthetic parameters of the seats can be changed by selecting different comfort elements with varying shapes, materials, or designs, while the attachment mechanism remains constant. This allows aesthetic customization without compromising secure attachment.
4Ease of manufacture
If the cowl forms the complete structure of seats and backrests, then manufacturing is simplified, but comfort and aesthetic modifications become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The seat system is segmented into the structural cowl component and the functional comfort elements. This maintains manufacturing simplicity for the cowl while enabling easy modification of comfort elements through separate attachment processes.
Data Source
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AI summary
The assembly (8) has a seat (10) i.e. bench seat, provided with a base (13) and a backrest (20), and another bench seat provided with a base (14) and another backrest. The seats are arranged in a back to back manner for receiving passengers. A comfort assembly is provided with a base comfort sub-assembly and a backrest comfort sub-assembly, and forms a single block. The comfort assembly is extended on surfaces of the bases and the backrests, where the surfaces do not have discontinuity of slopes. An independent claim is also included for a rail transit car comprising an assembly of seats.