Upper Thoracic Support Paddle Assembly for Level Sleeping Platform
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional motor vehicle seating assemblies lack the ability to effectively transition from a sitting position to a reclined sleeping position while maintaining adequate support for the occupant, particularly in providing a level surface for resting when the vehicle is not in operation.
Innovation Solution
A seatback assembly with a moveable thoracic back support system, featuring a pair of mounting lugs and bosses, and a moveable upper thoracic support bracket that can be selectively positioned between stowed and raised configurations, allowing for easy assembly and secure attachment to the seatback assembly, enabling the thoracic back support to be raised above the seatback insert for improved comfort and support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional seatback assembly is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but it cannot effectively transition from sitting position to reclined sleeping position while maintaining adequate support
Solution Approach 1:
The seatback assembly is divided into multiple independent segments: a lower seatback insert and an upper thoracic support bracket that can move relative to each other. This segmentation allows each part to perform specific functions - the lower insert provides stable support while the upper bracket enables position transitions, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper thoracic support bracket is designed with moveable mounting lugs that can transition between stowed and raised positions, allowing the seatback to dynamically adapt between different configurations (sitting, reclining, sleeping). This dynamic capability enables position transition while maintaining relative structural simplicity through a single moveable component.
2Ease of operation
If a moveable upper thoracic support bracket is added, then comfort and support are improved, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting lugs are designed with alignment features that allow the upper thoracic support bracket to be easily positioned and attached to the lower seatback insert. The lugs fit into corresponding receptacles in a straightforward manner, eliminating complex alignment procedures and making the assembly process as simple as snap-fitting components together, thus resolving the contradiction between improved comfort and assembly simplicity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the moveable bracket is selectively positioned, then support adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning mechanism is extracted from a complex multi-component system and simplified to a single moveable upper thoracic support bracket with mounting lugs that can be selectively positioned. This extraction reduces device complexity while maintaining the ability to provide multiple support configurations (stowed, partially raised, fully raised) through the simple vertical movement of the bracket.
Data Source
AI summary
A seatback assembly includes a pair of lateral seatback assembly frame members and a moveable thoracic back support defining a support surface operably coupled with an upper thoracic support bracket. An attachment assembly operably couples the thoracic back support to the upper thoracic support bracket, and includes a pair of mounting lugs disposed on either of one of the upper thoracic support bracket or the moveable thoracic back support, and a pair of mounting bosses disposed on the other of the upper thoracic support bracket or the thoracic back support. The seatback assembly is assembled by aligning the pair of mounting lugs with the pair of mounting bosses as the moveable thoracic back support is horizontally positioned above the lower seatback insert, whereby the pair of mounting lugs are received within the pair of mounting bosses, and vertically lowering the moveable thoracic back support relative the lower seatback insert.