Vehicle Seat Sleeper Mode with Upper Thoracic Cushion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current seating assemblies lack a seamless and aesthetically pleasing upper back support that is adjustable and integrated with the seat, failing to provide optimal comfort and support for occupants transitioning to a sleeper mode, especially in vehicles.
Innovation Solution
The seating assembly includes an upper thoracic cushion with a rotatable base and extendable leg support, a rear seat lift device, and an occupant detection system, which, when the vehicle is in park, activates the seatback to recline, extends the leg support, and raises the seat to minimize height differences, allowing for a comfortable sleeper mode by providing adjustable upper back support and optimal rest conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the seatback is made adjustable between vertical and horizontal positions to enable sleeper mode, then comfort and versatility are improved, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seatback is divided into multiple segments including an upper seatback, lower seatback, and upper back support that can independently articulate between vertical and horizontal positions. This segmentation allows each portion to be adjusted separately to achieve optimal sleeper configuration while maintaining manageable structural complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The seatback incorporates dynamic adjustment capabilities allowing it to transition between vertical driving position and horizontal sleeper position. The movable upper back support and articulating seatback sections provide flexible positioning to adapt to different usage modes, enhancing versatility while using standardized mechanical joints to control complexity
2Ease of operation
If an upper back support is added to provide seamless aesthetic appearance and support, then comfort and appearance are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The upper back support is merged with the upper seatback structure, forming an integrated assembly that provides both aesthetic continuity and functional support. This combination eliminates the need for separate head restraint components while maintaining seamless appearance, and the shared mechanical linkage reduces overall structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The upper back support serves multiple functions: providing aesthetic continuity with the seatback, offering upper back support during transitions, and enabling sleeper mode positioning. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate components, reducing device complexity while enhancing comfort and appearance
3Adaptability or versatility
If the head restraint is made removable to facilitate sleeper mode, then sleeper comfort is improved, but safety control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The head restraint is extracted as a removable component from the seat assembly, allowing it to be taken out to facilitate sleeper mode configuration. This extraction provides the necessary adaptability for comfortable sleeper positioning while the simple removal mechanism avoids adding control system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The removable head restraint allows occupants to easily configure the seat for sleeper mode without complex control systems. The simple removal and reinstallation process provides self-service adaptability, avoiding the need for electronic controls or complex mechanical systems to manage head restraint positioning
4Ease of operation
If the seat is made adjustable to minimize height difference between seat and seatback, then sleeper comfort is improved, but mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seat and seatback are adjusted to achieve equipotential positioning where the height difference is minimized, creating a level surface for comfortable sleeper positioning. This height equalization uses coordinated adjustment of the seat pan and seatback angles through shared mechanical linkages, providing comfort while controlling mechanism complexity through integrated design
Data Source
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AI summary
A seating assembly for a vehicle includes a seat having an extendable leg support. A seatback is operably coupled with the seat. The seating assembly includes an occupant detection system. A rear seat lift device is disposed in the seat and operable between a lowered position and a heightened position. A rear portion of the seat is elevated relative to the seatback to minimize a height difference between the rear portion of the seat and a bottom portion of the seatback when the seatback is in a fully reclined position. A control module is in communication with the occupant detection system, the seat, and the seatback. The control module is configured to activate an actuation assembly of the seatback to rotate the seatback rearward, extend the extendable leg support forward, and raise the rear seat lift device to provide optimal rest conditions for the occupant.