Lifting structure for armrest
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lifting structures for armrests on chairs require different spare parts for left and right sides, increasing manufacturing costs and complicating the lifting mechanism, which is inconvenient for operation.
Innovation Solution
A lifting structure featuring two drive members exposed outside the accommodation sleeve, with a swing arm and connection plate design that allows symmetric operation, reducing spare parts and simplifying the manufacturing process by enabling easy lifting and descending of both armrests using a unified mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional lifting structure with single drive member is used, then structure is simple, but left and right armrests require different spare parts increasing manufacturing cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry principle by designing the drive members to expose outwardly from opposite sides of the accommodation sleeve, creating a symmetric configuration that enables unified spare parts for both left and right armrests. This symmetric design resolves the manufacturing cost issue while maintaining operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The lifting structure achieves universality by using identical components for both left and right armrests. The symmetric arrangement of drive members and locking projections allows the same spare parts to be used on both sides, reducing manufacturing costs and simplifying inventory management.
2Ease of operation
If locking projection is at topmost position, then armrest is fully adjusted, but locking projection moves into dead point causing troublesome operation
Solution Approach 1:
The spring is pre-loaded to continuously push the locking projection toward the recesses. This preliminary action ensures that the locking projection is always biased toward the locked position, preventing it from remaining in the dead point at the topmost position and ensuring reliable operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring provides continuous feedback force on the locking projection, ensuring it remains engaged with the recesses. This feedback mechanism prevents the locking projection from staying in the dead point position and ensures reliable locking throughout the adjustment range.
3Ease of operation
If armrest seat is pressed to bottommost position, then full adjustment range is achieved, but armrest must be lifted again causing inconvenient operation
Solution Approach 1:
The spring automatically returns the locking projection to the recesses after the armrest is pressed to the bottommost position. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual lifting to reset the mechanism, allowing users to simply press the drive member to achieve full adjustment range without additional lifting actions.
Data Source
AI summary
A lifting structure for an armrest mounted on a left side or a right side of a chair contains: an accommodation sleeve, a fixer, a swing arm retained in one of multiple recesses of the fixer via a slidable seat, an extension located between two drive members of the swing arm and accommodated inside a receiving tab of the slidable seat, and a connection plate covered on the accommodation sleeve so that the fixer is connected with a holder, and the connection plate is coupled with an armrest seat, thus connecting the armrest. The accommodation sleeve includes two concave seats. The fixer includes a groove and two closed slots. The slidable seat includes the receiving tab, two ribs extending, two cutouts, and two elongated orifices. The swing arm includes a coupling rod, an oblique hole, a locking projection, a column, and an indentation.