Adjustable Support Profiles for Variable-Stiffness Slatted Frames
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing furniture suspension systems, particularly those with slatted frames, lack individual adjustability in support profiles, which limits their ability to adapt to varying loads and comfort preferences.
Innovation Solution
The base suspension system features support profiles with adjustable reinforcement, allowing rotation about their longitudinal axis or parallel axes to change bending stiffness, with options for continuous or stepped adjustments, and combinations of materials like glass fiber reinforced plastic and carbon fiber for varying stiffness, enabling customizable firmness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If support profiles are made with uniform structure throughout, then manufacturing is simple, but individual adjustability of bending stiffness is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The support profile is divided into different sections along its length, with each section having different reinforcement characteristics. This allows the bending stiffness to vary at different positions, enabling individual adjustability while maintaining a manageable structural complexity through modular segmentation.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the support profile are provided with different reinforcement densities and orientations. Specifically, first sections have reinforcements at a first angle while second sections have reinforcements at a second angle, creating local variations in mechanical properties that enable position-dependent adjustability without requiring complete structural redesign.
2Adaptability or versatility
If support profiles are made rotationally symmetrical, then manufacturing is easier, but adjustability of bending stiffness through rotation is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The support profile is designed with rotational asymmetry by providing reinforcements at different angles in different sections. This asymmetric geometry enables the bending stiffness to be adjusted by rotating the support profile to different orientations, while the asymmetry is achieved through systematic reinforcement patterns that remain manufacturable.
3Adaptability or versatility
If all support profiles have the same bending stiffness, then manufacturing is simplified, but adaptability to varying loads and comfort preferences is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The bending stiffness parameter of support profiles is varied systematically by changing the reinforcement angle parameter in different sections. This allows different support profiles to have different bending stiffness characteristics tailored to specific load conditions and comfort preferences, while the variation is achieved through a controlled parameter change rather than complete redesign.
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
This solution provides a highly adjustable and customizable suspension system that can be tailored to different load conditions and comfort preferences, offering a wide range of firmness settings from hard to soft, enhancing user experience.
Implementation Method 1
The support profiles are provided with at least one reinforcement spaced from the longitudinal axis and can be rotated about the longitudinal axis or about an axis parallel thereto in order to change their bending stiffness against a force in the direction perpendicular to the preferably common plane
Implementation Method 2
The reinforcements are in particular tensile-resistant inserts in walls or supports on walls of the support profiles. The tensile-stiff inserts can be formed by selecting special materials or by increasing the density of already existing tensile-stiff materials.
Implementation Method 3
When pressure is applied to the upholstery, the support profiles give way elastically or bend resiliently.
Data Source
Figure 1(a)~1(c)
Figure 2(a)~2(c)
Figure 3(a)~3(f)
AI summary
The invention relates to a supporting spring system for furniture for sleeping, sitting or reclining, comprising a plurality of elongated, resilient carrier elements which have a longitudinal axis and which run parallel to each other, forming a common plane, and are mounted preferably on a frame or on longitudinal members. According to the invention, the carrier elements have at least one reinforcement that is spaced from the longitudinal axis and can be rotated about the longitudinal axis or about an axis parallel thereto so as to change the flexural stiffness of the elements against a force in the direction perpendicular to the common plane.