Vehicle Seat Back Frame Layout for Swivel-Free Direction Changes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle seats with swivel-type rotation structures face interference with surrounding components due to limited space, restricting the freedom of seating direction.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat design featuring a seat back frame divided into an upper and lower frame, each independently movable via actuators, allowing for face-to-face seating, leg rest, and reclining modes without a swivel device, utilizing drive motors to adjust the frames' angles and orientations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a swivel-type rotation structure is used to enable seating in multiple directions, then seating freedom is improved, but interference with surrounding components occurs due to limited vehicle space
Solution Approach 1:
The seat back frame is divided into an upper frame and a lower frame that can move independently relative to each other. The upper frame is connected to the seat cushion frame at a first connection point, while the lower frame is connected at a second connection point. This segmentation allows each frame to adjust its position and angle independently, enabling multi-directional seating arrangements without requiring the entire seat to rotate, thus avoiding interference with surrounding vehicle components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic adjustability by connecting the upper frame and lower frame through actuators that enable independent movement. The upper frame can rotate around the first connection point, and the lower frame can rotate around the second connection point. This dynamic configuration allows the seat to adapt to various seating directions and configurations within the limited vehicle space without fixed rotational constraints that would cause interference.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the entire seat is rotated to change seating direction, then seating arrangement flexibility is improved, but the driving radius increases causing space limitations
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the seat back into upper and lower frames with independent movement capabilities, the system achieves seating arrangement flexibility without rotating the entire seat assembly. The upper frame adjusts via actuators connected to the first connection point, while the lower frame adjusts via actuators connected to the second connection point. This localized adjustment reduces the spatial footprint and driving radius compared to full-seat rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of achieving seating direction change through horizontal rotation (two-dimensional movement), the patent utilizes vertical and angular adjustments of the upper and lower frames independently. The upper frame can tilt and rotate around the first connection point, while the lower frame tilts around the second connection point, creating seating direction changes through multi-dimensional movement that requires less horizontal space and reduces the driving radius.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle seat includes a seat cushion frame; a seat back frame including an upper frame and a lower frame, wherein the upper frame is connected to the seat cushion frame at a first connection point and a second connection point, and the lower frame is connected to the seat cushion frame at a third connection point; and a plurality of actuators, each having an end portion connected to any one of the first connection point to the third connection point, and configured to implement movement of at least one of the upper frame or the lower frame by actuation.