Retractable Vehicle Seat Armrest for Seatbelt Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fixed armrests in vehicle seats reduce hand space for accessing seatbelt buckles and further restrict access when a child seat is attached, making it difficult for occupants to easily latch or unlatch the seatbelt.
Innovation Solution
A retractable armrest design that moves between retracted and fully extended positions, allowing for increased space when accessing the seatbelt buckle by positioning the armrest to minimize interference with the buckle, ensuring a minimum spacing of at least 20 millimeters to facilitate easy access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed armrest is incorporated into the vehicle seat, then the seat provides a premium look and feel, but the hand space for accessing the seatbelt buckle is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The armrest is designed with a retractable portion that can move between extended and retracted positions. When retracted, it provides clear access to the seatbelt buckle; when extended, it provides arm support functionality. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between maintaining armrest functionality and ensuring ease of access to the buckle.
Solution Approach 2:
The armrest is divided into a fixed base portion and a retractable arm support portion. The retractable portion can be independently moved to adjust the available hand space, allowing the fixed portion to maintain structural integrity while the movable portion optimizes access to the buckle.
2Reliability
If a child seat is attached to the rear seat, then child safety is improved, but the available access space for the seatbelt buckle is further reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The retractable armrest portion can be moved to a retracted position to create additional clearance when a child seat is attached, allowing the adult occupant to access the buckle area despite the presence of the child seat. This dynamic adjustment maintains ease of operation while preserving child seat attachment capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle seat includes a seat base and a seatbelt buckle coupled to the seat base. An armrest is coupled to the seat base. The armrest includes a retractable arm support portion movable to positions between, and including, a retracted position and a fully extended position. The armrest is structured and coupled to the seat base such that, when the buckle is at a maximum forward position of the buckle and the retractable arm support portion is in the retracted position, a first plane extending perpendicular to a fore-aft axis of the seat and through a forward-most portion of the buckle is rearwardly spaced apart from a second plane extending parallel to the first plane and through a rear-most portion of the retractable arm support portion.