My 'beef': BMW made an armrest that had the look, feel, and functionality shared with other parts of the interior. However, like many interior parts, it was made from plastic. Many pieces of plastic glued, screwed, or snapped together.
-Every time I lean on it with any weight it creaks.
-The phone cradle area is exactly where my elbow lands in the best position.
-The trays for "oddments" (as BMW calls them) are small, shallow, and offer no place for me to really hide anything (is he talking about drugs?) and I just feel that there is room for improvement.
-Oh, and the cupholders in these cars suck. Everyone knows that.
...So I set out to solve all four of those issues, AND achieve OEM quality fitment and finish. I also was inspired by some newer models, and the L7, to include a Rear Seat DVD system.
I've looked at all the various options and diagrams- the L7 with it's absurdly huge rear armrest and entertainment system:
The various add-ons for the 740iL/750iL like the rear climate control console, and the LCD TV monitor....
I've seen only one compatible unit from BMW that even begins to address any of the design issues I have with the stock armrest, and that is the "Euro" Armrest. It is virtually identical, except my elbow would not have a middle tray to fall into. Price: $200, used. Not really doin' it for me...
People have been messing around with this thing for a while. Several makeshift solutions were formed, including the one shown above, as well as this one for the E39 Armrest:
I began my BFA as an Industrial Design major. I took a modelmaking course on how to build prototypes. This, I think, is a great chance to put that education to the test, and see if I can design and build my own, "Highline" armrest, including RSE (rear seat entertainment.. Much like the new E70 X5, but without the bench-like discomfort of the rear of an X5.
So I began drawing one ideation after another, with each developing a more honed concept of what I wanted.
All images copyright 2011 James Weinberger, Patent Pending
Then I had to start thinking about MATERIALS: Maybe the biggest challenge.
First, I needed a center console to work on- not the one in my own car. I need that for driving and whatnot. Off to the junkyard... half an hour and a few bucks later I had a perfect console with all brackets, frames, and fixtures.
It has to be strong enough for someone to lean almost their whole weight on, if they are leaning into the back seat to reach something. I found, like water in a desert, a perfect reinforcement panel: an aluminum door threshold from the hardware store: exactly twice as long as I needed, and half as wide. Cut it in half, lay the two parts side by side: support base complete.
It has to be long enough to provide comfort, but not long enough to prevent access to the lock and hazard buttons on the center console. It has to be malleable- that is, I have to be able to shape it by hand or with a basic woodworking shop. I have to make it to my own specs, and it must be able to conform to the limitations of the interior space. A inch too wide and the front seats will rub. Too narrow and I may not be able to fit my DVD rig into it.
Solution: High-Density Modeling Foam. Available only from the Art Center College of Design's Tool Crib. At ACCD, I paid $84.00 for a 19"x8"x4" block of this stuff. No room for mistakes!
So We have to choose the right DVD set up first. This choice is deterministic of the rest of the design. Two options I am considering are the
Armrest DVD and the
Swivel-Screen notebook style. I looked into a Netbook for rear-seat internet browsing, but they won't fit, and everyone who will ever sit back there has an iPhone or Droid in their pocket.
Available on eBay in spades, the cheaper Armrest DVD, Chinese-made devices fit the bill perfectly. They release control of the design process back to me, the designer, and allows the space inside the armrest to be used for other things.
Swivel Screen Clamshell DVD player:
However, I am concerned about 1) reliability of the device 2) orientation of in-out ports; preferably on the rear or most concealable side of the unit. 3) screen size; the larger the better.
The eBay unit seals the deal on all but ONE criteria: Wiring orientation. I figure in the worst case, I can open up the unit and splice into the 12v power in, and route the cable down the swivel arm. I see a wire coming out down there already, but I have yet to ask the seller if that is a hard power line, an antenna, or what.
Also, the Headphone jack is on the side too, and if I can't live with the wire, I'll have to splice that in too. There is only one jack, but that's no problem, because I am planning to use this:
Bluetooth/Mini Jack wireless dongle: converts analog output to a digital Bluetooth Signal.
This device will allow the use of wireless headphones with digital sound quality.
TBD: It would be nice to use the car speakers for movie sound if desired. I will likely split the mini jack's signal before it goes Bluetooth, and send the other line to the BMW Business Tape Deck, using this modification, or something similar: http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/134100. I will run the input under the console, and I guess I can forgo the AM radio... although a little traffic-and-weather-together is nice sometimes.
OPEN to suggestions on how this should be done....
