Sliding Vehicle Armrest Structure to Clear Door Travel
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicles with sliding door trims, the armrests installed parallel to the driving direction interfere with the operating path of second-row doors, leading to potential damage and hindered door operation when the sliding structure is applied.
Innovation Solution
An armrest apparatus that combines with a mounting area in a second-row seat space via a rail, allowing slidable movement and selective withdrawal to prevent interference with the door's opening and closing path, featuring a body with a C-shape, movement guides, and adjustable mounting units with guide grooves for height and angle adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the armrest is provided inside the door trim in parallel to the driving direction, then the armrest can be used for passenger convenience, but the armrest interferes with the operating path of the sliding door
Solution Approach 1:
The armrest is designed to be movable along the sliding door trim rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position. The armrest can slide along the trim and be repositioned to avoid interfering with the door's operating path while maintaining accessibility for passengers.
Solution Approach 2:
The armrest is divided into multiple segments or sections that can independently move along the sliding door trim. This segmentation allows different portions of the armrest to be positioned at different locations, enabling the armrest to clear the door's operating path while remaining usable.
2Ease of manufacture
If the armrest is made as an integrated structure with the door trim, then the manufacturing is simplified, but the armrest cannot be adjusted to avoid door interference
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated structure is segmented into the door trim and the armrest as separate components. The armrest is designed as a detachable module that can be independently positioned and adjusted along the sliding door trim, providing both manufacturing simplicity and position adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The armrest is designed as a universal component that can be installed at multiple positions along the sliding door trim. It serves multiple functions: providing arm support for passengers and being adjustable to clear the door's operating path, achieving both ease of manufacture and adaptability.
3Device complexity
If the armrest is fixed in position, then the structure is simple, but the armrest interferes with the door's opening and closing path when sliding structure is applied
Solution Approach 1:
The armrest transitions from a fixed structure to a dynamic, movable structure that can slide along the door trim. This simple dynamic mechanism allows the armrest to automatically or manually adjust its position to clear the door's operating path without adding significant structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The armrest is designed to automatically adjust its position in response to door movement or user input. When the door approaches the operating path, the armrest can autonomously slide to a clear position, eliminating the need for complex control systems while preventing interference.
Data Source
AI summary
An armrest apparatus for vehicles includes a body that is combined with a mounting area provided on a side surface of an interior of a vehicle to be slidably movable and on which a passenger rests an arm. A movement guide of the apparatus protrudes from the body and is inserted into a mounting groove provided in the mounting area to guide movement of the body along the mounting groove. A mounting unit is provided in the mounting area and supports the body and fixes a position of the body withdrawn from the mounting area through sliding movement.