Active Seating Chair With Tilt-Restore Ball-and-Shell Seat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional chairs contribute to health issues due to sedentary lifestyles, and alternatives like exercise balls lack stability and mobility, failing to provide a balanced solution for extended sitting periods.
Innovation Solution
A chair design featuring a seat assembly with a resilient, elastomeric seating surface that rotates about an axis, allowing limited tilt and featuring biasing means with elastomeric members to restore neutral alignment, combined with castor assemblies for mobility, mimicking the freedom of an exercise ball while preventing bodily movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If an exercise ball is used as a seat, then core muscle strengthening and spinal mobility are improved, but stability and control over bodily movement deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The exercise ball is segmented into two functional parts: an inner ball that provides mobility and muscle engagement, and an outer shell that provides stability and control. The bearing assembly connects these segments, allowing the inner ball to rotate independently while the outer shell remains stable on the floor.
Solution Approach 2:
A bearing assembly acts as an intermediary mechanism between the inner ball and outer shell, enabling controlled rotation while maintaining overall stability. This intermediary component allows the user to benefit from both the mobility of the ball and the stability of a conventional chair.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a conventional office chair is used, then stability and mobility across the floor are improved, but health detrimental effects from sedentary posture worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The chair transitions from a static conventional design to a dynamic structure where the seat can rotate and tilt. The castor assemblies enable the entire chair to move across the floor, while the bearing assembly allows the seat to rotate independently, encouraging continuous micro-movements that reduce sedentary harm.
Solution Approach 2:
The chair changes the physical parameters of the seating experience by introducing rotational freedom and tilt capability. The elastomeric material provides variable resistance that changes with displacement, creating dynamic feedback that encourages active posture maintenance.
3Ease of operation
If the seat assembly is allowed to rotate freely about its axis, then ease of movement and core muscle engagement are improved, but control over excessive displacement worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomeric material and biasing means are pre-configured to provide restoring forces that counteract excessive displacement before it occurs. This preliminary anti-action ensures that while free movement is encouraged, excessive rotation or tilting is automatically restrained.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastomeric material provides continuous tactile feedback to the user through variable resistance during rotation and tilting. The biasing means create a restoring force that guides the seat back toward neutral alignment, giving the user feedback about their position and encouraging controlled movement.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The chair promotes user mobility and core muscle strengthening while minimizing strain on the lower back, allowing for continuous rotation with low friction and adjustable restoring force, enabling prolonged sitting with reduced detrimental effects.
Implementation Method 1
the biasing means include a plurality of elongate elastomeric members that are connected between the seat assembly and the support assembly to apply a balanced force to the seat assembly when the axis is in the neutral alignment
Implementation Method 2
Rotation about the axis is free - that is, it can be continuous and take place with little friction
Implementation Method 3
the support assembly is carried on a plurality of castor assemblies whereby it can be displaced across a surface on which it is supported
Data Source
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AI summary
A chair is disclosed that comprises a seat assembly and a support assembly. The seat assembly has a deflectable body (50) disposed about an axis that provides resilient convex seating surface. The deflectable body (50) may be formed by a pneumatically inflatable, deflectable ball retained in a hemispherical shell (40) that can be supported on spherical bearings (30). The support assembly retains the seat assembly and allows the seat assembly to rotate about its axis and allows the seat assembly to rotate to cause limited displacement of the axis from a neutral alignment. Resilient elements (48) may be provided to urge the seat assembly towards the neutral alignment.