Assistive device for standing tasks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing assistive standing devices are often cumbersome, motion-restrictive, and limit upper body reach, failing to effectively reduce fatigue and maintain proper spinal alignment during extended standing periods, and do not accommodate various body sizes and postures.
Innovation Solution
A free-standing assistive device that transfers body weight from the feet to the feet and shins, featuring a padded floor panel, adjustable support arms, and a padded knee panel with a pivot axis, allowing for vertical adjustment and accommodating different user postures, thereby reducing strain on bones, joints, and muscles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a user stands on a traditional standing platform without knee support, then the device structure is simple, but the strain on feet and lower leg muscles increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The device divides the support function into two separate components: a standing platform for foot support and a knee panel for knee support. This segmentation allows each component to address specific strain points independently, reducing overall fatigue without requiring a completely complex integrated structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The knee panel acts as an intermediary support element between the standing platform and the user's body. It transfers body weight from the feet through the knees to the support arms, reducing the strain on feet and lower leg muscles without requiring complete structural redesign.
2Ease of manufacture
If a device provides fixed support structure, then manufacturing is simple, but it cannot accommodate various body sizes and postures
Solution Approach 1:
The support arms are designed to be adjustable in height and position, allowing users to customize the device to their specific body dimensions and preferred postures. This dynamic adjustability maintains manufacturing simplicity while significantly improving adaptability to various users.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates adjustable parameters including support arm height, knee panel position, and platform orientation. These parameter changes allow the same basic structure to accommodate different body sizes and postures without requiring multiple custom-manufactured versions.
3Stability of the object's composition
If support arms are fixed in position, then device structure is stable, but user movement and posture adjustment are restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The support arms incorporate adjustable mechanisms that allow users to modify arm position and height while maintaining structural stability during use. This enables posture adjustment without compromising the overall stability of the device composition.
Solution Approach 2:
The support arms serve multiple functions: providing structural stability when fixed and enabling posture adjustment when modified. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction between stability and ease of operation by allowing the same component to fulfill both roles at different times.
4Volume of moving object
If the device has fixed support structure, then storage space is reduced, but user reach and movement freedom are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates collapsible or foldable support arms that can be compacted for storage while maintaining full functionality during use. This dynamic design allows the device to occupy minimal storage space while providing adequate arm reach and movement freedom when deployed.
Data Source
AI summary
An assistive device for standing tasks allows for a reduction of effort on the part of a user while engaged in tasks or activities that are stationary or nearly stationary that lessens the strain on the bones, joints, and muscles normally used for standing while ensuring a proper alignment of the pelvis and spine.