Office Chair Armrest Assembly for Tool-Free Ergonomic Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing armrests for office chairs are complex assemblies of small metal and plastic parts, requiring specialized labor and tools for assembly, and are bulky, making them difficult to store and transport, resulting in high costs.
Innovation Solution
The armrest features a tubular L-shaped bracket with a slotted hole for adjustment and a plug with toothed strips, a sliding tube with a flange and locking element, and a pad with flexible ribs and grooves, allowing for tool-free assembly by sliding and rotating components to adjust width, height, depth, and angularity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional factory-assembled armrests are used, then ergonomic adjustability is achieved, but assembly complexity increases requiring specialized labor and tools
Solution Approach 1:
The armrest is divided into two main separable components: a bracket assembly and a pad assembly. The bracket assembly includes the L-shaped bracket with integrated plug and tube, while the pad assembly includes the pad with flange and locking element. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured, stored, and transported separately, then quickly assembled together without tools using the sliding and locking mechanism.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional factory-assembled armrests are used, then ergonomic adjustability is achieved, but storage and transport costs increase due to bulky assembled form
Solution Approach 1:
The armrest is divided into two main separable components: a bracket assembly and a pad assembly. The bracket assembly includes the L-shaped bracket with integrated plug and tube, while the pad assembly includes the pad with flange and locking element. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured, stored, and transported separately, then quickly assembled together without tools using the sliding and locking mechanism.
3Adaptability or versatility
If traditional factory-assembled armrests are used, then ergonomic adjustability is achieved, but assembly time increases requiring specialized labor
Solution Approach 1:
The armrest assembly is designed to be self-servicing through its tool-free assembly mechanism. The locking element with tooth engages with slots on the tube to automatically secure the pad assembly to the bracket assembly through simple sliding and locking motions. This eliminates the need for specialized assembly labor, tools, and complex assembly procedures, allowing rapid assembly by any user.
Data Source
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AI summary
An armrest, in particular for office chairs, comprising a support bracket (16) connected to the chair, a tube (34) connected to the vertical part (24) of said bracket, and an arm support pad, characterised in that the tube presents at one end a flange (36) comprising rotation guides for a plate (66), said plate presenting an aperture (66) for the insertion of the lower end of the tube and being provided with rotation guides (38) cooperating with said flange (36) for the rotation of said plate (66) about said tube (34), said plate (66) and said pad (80) being constrained by mutually cooperating slide guides (74, 78) which enable said pad (80) to translate relative to said plate (66) with said flange (36) interposed between them.