Vehicle Seat Armrest Support with Segmented Lightweight Covers
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing aircraft seats with decorative covers covering support members for armrests increase in size, weight, and material cost, leading to potential deterioration of appearance.
Innovation Solution
Aircraft seat design with a support member having a pivot shaft attachment portion with a substantially smooth lateral side exposed, accompanied by a cover member that covers only non-smooth surfaces and accommodates cables in recesses, reducing the cover's size and weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a decorative cover is attached to cover the entire support member, then the appearance is improved, but the cover member increases in size and weight, and material cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cover member is divided into an upper cover portion and a lower cover portion that are attached separately to the support member. This segmentation allows the cover to exclude the pivot shaft attachment portion, reducing the cover's size and weight while maintaining appearance quality on the visible surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The lateral side of the pivot shaft attachment portion is given a substantially smooth surface finish to maintain appearance quality even when exposed. This local quality improvement allows the cover member to be reduced in size without compromising the overall appearance of the support member.
2Shape
If a decorative cover is attached to cover the entire support member, then the appearance is improved, but the material cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cover member is segmented into upper and lower portions, reducing the total amount of material required. This segmentation allows exclusion of the pivot shaft attachment portion from coverage, thereby reducing material cost while maintaining appearance quality on visible surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
By providing a substantially smooth surface on the lateral side of the pivot shaft attachment portion, the appearance quality is maintained locally without requiring additional cover material, thus reducing material cost.
3Weight of stationary object
If the cover member is reduced in size to exclude the pivot shaft attachment portion, then the weight is reduced, but the appearance may deteriorate if the exposed surface is not smooth
Solution Approach 1:
The lateral side of the pivot shaft attachment portion is specifically designed with a substantially smooth surface finish. This local quality improvement ensures that the exposed surface maintains appearance quality even when the cover member is reduced in size to exclude this portion.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle seat includes a seat cushion, a seat back, an armrest provided on a lateral side of the seat back and extending in a front-rear direction of the vehicle seat, a support member supporting the armrest, and a cover member covering the support member from a lateral side of the vehicle seat. The support member includes a side portion and a connecting portion connecting a rear end portion of the side portion and a rear end portion of the armrest, and a pivot shaft attachment portion is formed on a part of the connecting portion. The cover member includes an upper cover portion and a lower cover portion, and the upper cover portion and the lower cover portion are attached to the support member in a state where a substantially smooth surface is exposed.