Vehicle Seat Layout With Switchable Flat-Surface Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seat systems lack sufficient variation in forming a flat seat surface spanning a front seat and a rear seat, limiting the flexibility and utility of vehicle interior space.
Innovation Solution
A seat system with a posture switching mechanism that allows selective switching of seat portions and a front-rear slide mechanism to align seat portions, combined with a turning unit and slide mechanisms, enabling various configurations and alignments of front and rear seats.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the backrest of the front seat is tilted to be horizontal and made flush with the cushion of the rear seat, then a flat seat surface spanning the front and rear seats is formed, but the variation in forming the flat seat surface is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The backrest is divided into an upper half portion (first seat portion) and a lower half portion (second seat portion), allowing independent positioning of each segment. This segmentation enables multiple configurations for forming the flat seat surface by selectively making portions flush or folding them, directly addressing the need for variation while maintaining manageable structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The seat system incorporates a posture switching mechanism that dynamically changes the configuration of seat portions between different states (flush position and folded position). This dynamic capability allows the same structural components to achieve multiple variations of flat seat surfaces, improving adaptability without proportionally increasing device complexity
2Adaptability or versatility
If only the seating portion of the front seat is made flush with the backrest of the rear seat, then the seat surface is expanded, but the configuration options are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the backrest into upper and lower portions with independent positioning capabilities, the system enables multiple flush-making options (upper half flush, lower half flush, or both flush) beyond the single configuration of making only the seating portion flush, thereby increasing configuration options while maintaining operational simplicity through standardized switching mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The posture switching mechanism serves multiple functions: it can make the upper half portion flush, make the lower half portion flush, or fold portions downward. This multi-functionality allows a single mechanism to provide various configuration options, improving adaptability without requiring multiple separate operating systems
Data Source
AI summary
A seat system includes a front seat including a first seat portion and a second seat portion, a rear seat arranged in a front-rear direction and including a third seat portion and a fourth seat portion, a posture switching mechanism configured to implement a first switching for selectively switching to a rear end flat seat portion of the front seat facing the rear seat, and a second switching for selectively switching to a front end flat seat portion of the rear seat facing the front seat, and a front-rear slide mechanism configured to slide at least one of the front seat and the rear seat in the front-rear direction relative to a floor to align the rear end flat seat portion of the front seat to be flush with the front end flat seat portion of the rear seat in the front-rear direction.