Van/RV Sofa-Bed Lay-Flat Mechanism to Eliminate Sleeping Surface Gaps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sofa-beds in vehicles often leave a gap between the seat and back cushions when converted into a bed, resulting in an incomplete lay-flat orientation, which is uncomfortable for sleeping.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable sofa-bed assembly with a base that can be permanently mounted or removable, featuring scissor arms and a slide mechanism to align the seat and back portions completely flat, and optionally powered by a motor for transformation between configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If conventional sofa-bed design is used, then the sofa can be converted into a bed, but a gap remains between the seat cushion and back cushion preventing complete lay-flat orientation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic mechanisms including scissor arms that allow the back portion to pivot and extend beyond the seat portion, and a slide mechanism that enables the seat portion to move forward. These dynamic elements allow the system to transition from a conventional sofa configuration to a completely flat bed configuration, eliminating the gap between cushions that plagues static designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The sofa-bed is divided into distinct functional segments: a base portion, a seat portion mounted on a slide mechanism, and a back portion mounted on scissor arms. This segmentation allows each component to move independently and achieve the lay-flat configuration where the back portion extends beyond the seat portion, ensuring complete contact between the sleeping surface and no gap formation.
2Ease of manufacture
If the base is permanently mounted, then installation is simple, but flexibility for additional equipment installation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The base is designed with dynamic mounting options - it can be permanently affixed to the vehicle floor for simple installation, or the leg portion can be removed to create an open configuration. This dynamic mounting system allows the same base structure to serve both as a permanently mounted simple installation and as a flexible platform for installing power elements or other equipment beneath the sofa-bed.
Solution Approach 2:
The base serves multiple functions: it provides structural support when permanently mounted, and it serves as a mounting platform for power elements or other equipment when the leg portion is removed. This universal design allows a single base structure to fulfill both the simplicity of permanent installation and the versatility of adaptive equipment mounting.
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable sofa-bed assembly for use within a vehicle such as a van or RV. The sofa-bed includes a seat portion, a back portion, and either a permanently fixed base or a removable leg portion which allows the legs to be installed into the vehicle prior to installing the seat and back portions to allow for additional elements to be installed beneath the sofa-bed, such as power elements for a powered sofa-bed assembly or for other equipment. The sofa-bed can be transformed from a sofa configuration with an upright back portion to a bed configuration with a laid-flat back portion. When in the bed configuration, the seat portion and back portion are aligned such that there is no gap between the two portions and the two portions lie completely flat, forming a complete bed assembly.