Articulating Salon Chair Footrest With Synchronized Exit Pedals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Salon chairs' fixed footrests create a tripping hazard, particularly for older individuals, as they must spread their legs wide to exit, making it difficult to maneuver safely.
Innovation Solution
A footrest assembly for salon chairs that includes a gear assembly and two pedals, allowing the footrest to move between an open configuration for resting and a closed configuration for easy exit, with the pedals cooperating to ensure simultaneous movement through a system of interlocking gears and stops.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the footrest is made fixed and stable, then the user's feet are supported securely, but it creates a tripping hazard and makes it difficult for users to exit the chair
Solution Approach 1:
The footrest is transformed from a fixed structure to a dynamic, movable one through the pedal and gear assembly mechanism. The footrest can switch between a stable extended position for foot support and a retracted position that clears the exit path, resolving the contradiction between stability and ease of exit.
Solution Approach 2:
The footrest assembly is divided into separable components (pedals, gears, footrest platform) that can move independently relative to each other. This segmentation allows the footrest to be repositioned without moving the entire chair structure, enabling easy transition between stable and clear configurations.
2Device complexity
If the footrest is positioned centrally for stability, then the chair structure is simplified, but it requires users to spread legs wide to exit
Solution Approach 1:
The centrally positioned footrest becomes dynamic through the pedal mechanism, allowing it to retract sideways or forward when needed. This maintains the simple central chair structure while improving maneuverability during exit, as the footrest can clear the path without requiring structural changes to the chair itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The pedal and gear assembly acts as an intermediary mechanism between the user's need to exit and the centrally positioned footrest. This intermediary allows the footrest to be temporarily displaced from its central position during exit, then returned to center, without permanently altering the chair's simple structure.
3Ease of manufacture
If the footrest is made unmovable for structural simplicity, then manufacturing is easier, but it presents a tripping hazard especially for older people
Solution Approach 1:
The footrest transitions from a static, potentially hazardous component to a dynamic one that can be actively repositioned. The pedal mechanism provides a simple, intuitive way for users to move the footrest out of the exit path, eliminating the tripping hazard while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through the use of basic mechanical components.
Solution Approach 2:
The footrest assembly becomes self-adjusting through the pedal mechanism, allowing users to independently reposition it as needed without requiring external assistance or complex control systems. This self-service capability eliminates the tripping hazard while keeping the manufacturing process simple.
Data Source
AI summary
A stylist chair is provided that includes a chair, a center bar and a footrest assembly. The center bar couples the footrest assembly to the chair. The footrest assembly includes a gear assembly, a first pedal and a second pedal. The first pedal and the second pedal move between an open configuration and a closed configuration, wherein in the open configuration, the first pedal and the second pedal form a footrest and in the closed configuration, the first pedal and the second pedal are moved toward one another to form a configuration that enables a user to easily exit the stylist chair. Also, the first pedal and the second pedal are coupled to the gear assembly so that when one of the first pedal and the second pedal moves, the other of the first pedal and the second pedal simultaneously moves.