Vehicle Seating Assembly with Displaceable Bracket and Flat Load Floor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle seating assemblies lack adaptability to accommodate various passenger needs, such as creating additional cargo space and facilitating convenient ingress and egress, as they are not easily reconfigurable between sitting and standing positions.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seating assembly with a displaceable bracket and pivotable seatback coupling, operated by a movement assembly that adjusts between positions, allowing the seatback to move from an upright to a forward inclined and substantially flat position, and the seating assembly to transition between sitting and standing configurations using a track assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the seating assembly is made fixed and stable, then structural reliability is improved, but adaptability to different configurations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic seating assembly that can transition between multiple fixed positions (seated, reclined, and flat configurations) through a movable seatback coupled to a base assembly. The seatback rotates about a pivot point allowing controlled movement between positions while maintaining structural stability in each position, thus achieving both reliability and adaptability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the seatback is made movable between positions, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The seating assembly is divided into distinct functional segments: a base assembly with footrest, a movable seatback, and a support structure. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies the overall mechanism by breaking down the complex motion into manageable parts connected through simple pivots and supports.
Solution Approach 2:
The base assembly serves multiple functions: it supports the seatback rotation, provides a footrest for passenger comfort, and acts as a structural anchor to the vehicle floor. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining configuration flexibility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the seatback is positioned flat for cargo storage, then adaptability for cargo space is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The seatback incorporates a spring-loaded return mechanism that automatically returns the seatback to its upright seated position when released. This self-service feature reduces manual effort required for reconfiguration, as the spring mechanism performs part of the work of returning the seatback, making the system easier to operate while maintaining the ability to achieve flat cargo configuration.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables passengers to reconfigure the seating for cargo storage and enhance entry/exit convenience by creating a flat load floor and allowing the seating assembly to move along the vehicle floor, improving the travel experience.
Implementation Method 1
The drive member includes a rack gear disposed along the side bracket and a pinion gear extending from the displaceable bracket and movable along the rack gear
Implementation Method 2
the channel includes a curvature having three segments, wherein the first segment is angled upward, the second segment extends from the first segment and is linear, and a third segment extends from the second segment and is angled upward; the curvature of the channel defines a path of the pivotable seatback coupling between the primary position and the secondary position
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle seating assembly includes a seat including a side bracket, a seatback, a displaceable bracket extending between the seatback and the side bracket, a pivotable seatback coupling between the displaceable bracket and the seatback, and a movement assembly operably coupling the displaceable bracket to the side bracket. The movement assembly is positionable between a design position and a fully deployed position to move the displaceable bracket between a first position and a second position, respectively, and to move the pivotable seatback coupling between a primary positon and a secondary position, respectively, wherein, when the pivotable seatback coupling is in a secondary position, the seatback is movable between a forward inclined position and a substantially flat position.