Railway Seat Backrest Segmentation for Comfort and Space
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional passenger seats in railway vehicles, particularly in high-speed trains, face challenges in providing adequate comfort and accessibility for passengers with reduced mobility due to limited seat pitch and restricted space, which cannot be resolved by increasing the distance between seats without increasing travel costs per passenger.
Innovation Solution
A passenger seat design featuring a structural frame with an articulated backrest comprising upper and lower parts hinged together, allowing for a greater opening angle in the rest position while maintaining a straight posture in the working position, and incorporating guide grooves and pneumatic cylinders to facilitate precise angular adjustments and seat movement, enabling reduced projection and improved accessibility without increasing seat pitch.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the seat pitch is increased to allow greater backrest inclination and improve passenger comfort, then passenger comfort is improved, but the number of passenger seats per car decreases and travel cost per passenger increases
Solution Approach 1:
The backrest is divided into two separate parts: a lower backrest part and an upper backrest part, which can move independently relative to each other. This segmentation allows the lower part to incline significantly for comfort while the upper part remains relatively vertical, reducing the overall space required and enabling tighter seat pitch without compromising passenger comfort.
2Ease of operation
If the seat pitch is increased to allow passage of people with reduced mobility, then accessibility is improved, but the number of passenger seats per car decreases and travel cost per passenger increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seat cushion is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to translate forward and backward along the longitudinal axis of the seat. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the seat to clear the aisle space when needed, facilitating easy access for passengers with reduced mobility while maintaining a compact seat pitch that maximizes the number of seats per car.
3Ease of operation
If the backrest inclination is increased to improve rest position comfort, then passenger comfort is improved, but the projection of the seat increases and more space is required
Solution Approach 1:
The backrest is divided into two separate parts: a lower backrest part and an upper backrest part, which can move independently relative to each other. This segmentation allows the lower part to incline significantly for comfort while the upper part remains relatively vertical, reducing the overall space required and enabling tighter seat pitch without compromising passenger comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of increasing backrest inclination in a single rotational movement that increases seat projection, the invention uses a two-stage mechanism where the lower backrest part inclines while the upper part moves independently. This dimensional separation allows significant inclination angles to be achieved without proportionally increasing the horizontal projection of the seat.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4A~4B
AI summary
The seat (1) has a backrest comprising a lower part (6) articulated on a base around a transverse axis (B) and guided in a structural frame formed of an upper crosspiece (2) and upper and lower frames (3, 5) between working and rest positions. An opening angle of the seat defined between the part and the base is greater in the rest position. The lower part includes guiding fingers (64, 65) mounted in guiding grooves (52, 53) of the lower frame. The fingers are arranged to be relocated in the grooves to define an angular position of the part during guiding of the part between the positions.