Seat provided with armrest
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicular armrests that pivot between stored and deployed positions often allow foreign matter to enter the pivot mechanism, and there is a lack of clear operational feedback for displacement completion.
Innovation Solution
The armrest design includes a pivot center shaft and a stopper shaft that pass through elongated holes in a guide member, with a plate member covering the gap between the guide member and the armrest to prevent foreign matter entry, and features like press-fitting and slits to enhance assembly and load distribution, ensuring accurate operation and preventing over-pivoting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the armrest is configured to pivot about one end side as a pivot center, then the armrest can be displaced between stored and deployed positions, but foreign matter can enter the interior through gaps formed between the armrest and storage portion
Solution Approach 1:
A plate member is introduced as an intermediary component between the armrest and the guide member. This plate member covers the second hole (through which the stopper shaft passes) and prevents foreign matter from entering the pivot mechanism through the gap between the armrest side surface and the guide member, while still allowing the armrest to pivot freely between stored and deployed positions
2Ease of operation
If the armrest pivots about one end side, then the armrest can be stored along the seat back, but there is no clear operational feedback for displacement completion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms through the stopper shaft and elongated hole configuration. When the armrest reaches the deployed position, the stopper shaft contacts the end of the elongated hole, providing tactile feedback (operational feeling) that indicates complete displacement. This allows the user to recognize when the armrest has fully extended without requiring visual confirmation or complex sensors
3Ease of operation
If a pivot shaft and bearing member are disposed in the vicinity of the pivot center, then the armrest can rotate smoothly, but the complexity of the pivot mechanism increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the pivot shaft and stopper shaft functions into a single integrated shaft structure that passes through both the armrest and the guide member. This combined shaft serves dual purposes: enabling rotation (pivot function) and providing displacement feedback (stopper function), thereby reducing the number of separate components and simplifying the overall pivot mechanism while maintaining smooth rotation capability
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure describes, in an armrest capable of being displaced between a stored position and a deployed position, a vehicular seat capable of preventing foreign matter from entering the interior thereof through a gap formed between the armrest (in particular, the vicinity of the center of displacement thereof) and a mounted portion. The present disclosure relates to a vehicular seat provided with an armrest. Both ends of a first shaft are pivotably supported by first holes formed in a plurality of guide members, and both ends of a second shaft are inserted into second holes to be movable along the holes. Between a side surface side of the armrest and the guide members, a plate member which covers at least a part of the second holes is provided.