Vehicle Seat Arranging Structure for Occupant Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle seat arranging structures do not adequately consider the relationship between occupants, leading to suboptimal comfort and communication within the passenger compartment, as they primarily focus on fixed orientations and do not account for individual occupant preferences or needs.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seat arranging structure that incorporates sliding and swiveling mechanisms allowing seats to be positioned in various configurations, such as oblique orientations and staggered arrangements, to reduce or increase the sense of distance between occupants based on their preferences, thereby enhancing comfort and communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the driver's seat is allowed to swivel inward in the vehicle-width direction by the swiveling mechanism, then the driver can take a good rest in the passenger compartment, but the relationship between occupants seated in the driver's seat and the passenger's seat is not taken into account
Solution Approach 1:
The seat is equipped with a swiveling mechanism that allows dynamic adjustment between frontward-oriented and obliquely-inward positions. This enables the seat to adapt to different situations: swiveled to the frontward-oriented position for normal driving, and obliquely-inward position for the driver to rest or communicate with rear-row occupants
Solution Approach 2:
The swiveling mechanism provides more movement range than traditionally needed, allowing the seat to swivel beyond the standard frontward-facing position into oblique inward positions. This excessive angular adjustment capability enables partial swiveling for comfort while maintaining communication capability with rear occupants
2Adaptability or versatility
If the second-row driver-side seat and the second-row passenger-side seat are allowed to swivel around to face the third-row seats, then the seats can face rearward-oriented positions, but the relationship between occupants seated in the second-row driver-side seat and the second-row passenger-side seat is not taken into account
Solution Approach 1:
The second-row seats are equipped with swiveling mechanisms that allow dynamic adjustment between frontward-oriented and rearward-oriented positions. This enables the seats to adapt to different situations: swiveled to the frontward-oriented position for normal driving and communication between second-row occupants, and rearward-oriented position for facing third-row seats
Solution Approach 2:
The swiveling mechanism provides bidirectional adjustment capability beyond traditional single-direction swiveling. The seats can be partially swiveled to oblique positions or fully swiveled to rearward-facing positions, providing excessive angular adjustment capability that accommodates both second-row occupant communication and third-row interaction needs
3Adaptability or versatility
If the vehicle seat is swiveled about the longitudinal and lateral center of the seat cushion, then the seat can be positioned in various orientations, but the contact with interior members positioned on the outer side of the vehicle seat increases
Solution Approach 1:
The swivel center is deliberately positioned asymmetrically inward from the geometric center of the seat cushion. This asymmetric positioning causes the seat to swivel in a way that minimizes the outward movement of the seat exterior, thereby reducing contact with interior members positioned on the outer side of the vehicle while still achieving the desired seating orientations
Data Source
AI summary
With a vehicle seat arranging structure (10), a second-row passenger-side seat (18) may be placed in a rearward slide position by sliding the second-row passenger-side seat (18) toward the rear of a vehicle by 150 millimeters so that the second-row passenger-side seat (18) is closer to the rear of the vehicle than the second-row driver-side seat (16). In addition, each of the second-row driver-side seat (16) and the second-row passenger-side seat (18) may be placed in an obliquely-inward frontward-oriented position by swiveling each of the second-row driver-side seat (16) and the second-row passenger-side seat (18) from the frontward-oriented position 10 degrees inward in the vehicle-width direction. In this way, the sense of distance between the occupants seated in the second-row driver-side seat (16) and the second-row passenger-side seat (18) is reduced. As a result, it is possible to promote communication between these occupants (to make it easier for these occupants to communicate with each other).