Adjustable Backrest Structure for Stable Anatomical Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional backrests for seated individuals, particularly those who sit for prolonged periods, often fail to provide anatomically correct and stable support, leading to issues like shoulder pain, back pain, and decubitus due to inadequate posture correction.
Innovation Solution
A backrest design featuring a first stiff back part that adjusts to a determined angle and a second flexible back part that shapes continuously to the user's back, allowing for anatomically correct support through adjustable stiffness and flexibility, with options for fixation using chemical, thermoplastic, or thermosetting methods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a backrest uses a single rigid structure, then it provides stable support, but it cannot adapt to different back shapes and postures
Solution Approach 1:
The backrest is divided into multiple independent adjustment elements including headrest, lumbar support, and side supports, each capable of separate adjustment. This segmentation allows each element to adapt to different anatomical requirements while maintaining overall structural stability through their coordinated arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
The backrest employs dynamic adjustment mechanisms that allow users to modify the position, angle, and shape of various support elements during use. This includes adjustable lumbar support depth, side support angle, and headrest position, enabling the rigid structure to adapt dynamically to different postures and back shapes.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a backrest is highly adjustable for different users, then it improves comfort and posture correction, but it increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The backrest is designed with self-adjusting features where the user's body weight and position automatically influence the configuration of support elements. The mechanism allows users to make adjustments themselves without requiring external assistance or complex control systems, simplifying the overall device complexity while maintaining high adaptability.
3Ease of operation
If a backrest uses flexible materials to conform to the back, then it improves comfort, but it reduces the ability to provide anatomically correct rigid support
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the backrest are designed with different properties - the main support structure uses rigid elements for anatomically correct positioning, while contact surfaces use softer materials for comfort. The lumbar support, side supports, and headrest combine rigid adjustment mechanisms with compliant contact areas, providing both structural integrity and user comfort.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a backrest for supporting the back of a seated person, the backrest comprising mounting means for mounting the backrest on a frame of a seating device; comprising : - a first back part for supporting at least a part of the back of the person at a determined angle, which first back part has a stiffness such that during use the part of the back shapes itself substantially to the first back part, and wherein the backrest comprises adjusting means for adjusting the angle and/or the position of the first back part relative to the frame; and - a second back part which has a flexibility such that during use the second back part shapes itself substantially continuously to another part of the back of the person. The invention further relates to a method for adjusting such a backrest and a (wheel) chair provided with such a backrest.