Athletic chair with adjustable heating and height
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seating arrangements for athletes often restrict venous blood flow due to unfavorable positioning of lower limbs, which can hinder athletic performance, particularly for taller individuals like basketball players.
Innovation Solution
A seating assembly with adjustable height and heating elements that allow for a reclined position (between 110 and 120 degrees) and controlled temperature (38-45°C) to facilitate venous blood flow, featuring heating pads in the back and seat portions and a height adjustment mechanism to accommodate taller users.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional seating arrangements are used, then athletes can rest, but venous blood flow is restricted due to unfavorable positioning of lower limbs
Solution Approach 1:
The seat back angle is made adjustable rather than fixed, allowing the seating assembly to adapt to different user heights and preferences. This dynamic adjustment capability enables optimization of the popliteal angle to facilitate venous blood flow while maintaining rest functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The heating elements change the thermal parameter of the seating surface, providing controlled heat transfer to the user's lower limbs. This temperature adjustment (controllable heating) helps vasodilation and improves venous blood flow return from the lower extremities
2Adaptability or versatility
If standard seating height is used, then the seating assembly is simple, but it does not accommodate taller athletes like basketball players who need greater popliteal height
Solution Approach 1:
The seat height is made adjustable through a height adjustment mechanism that allows the seat to be raised or lowered. This dynamic height adjustment enables taller athletes to achieve the necessary popliteal height for proper lower limb positioning and venous blood flow
Solution Approach 2:
The seating assembly incorporates multiple adjustment functions (height and back angle) in a single device, making it universally adaptable to users of different heights including tall basketball players, while maintaining simplicity through integrated adjustment mechanisms
3Temperature
If heating elements are added to the seating assembly, then muscle temperature is maintained optimally, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating elements provide controlled thermal energy to maintain optimal muscle temperature. By adjusting the heating parameter, the system promotes vasodilation and improves venous blood flow return from the lower extremities, enhancing athletic performance during rest periods
Solution Approach 2:
The heating function is integrated into the seating assembly structure, combining the support function with thermal therapy in a single unified device. This merging reduces overall system complexity compared to separate heating equipment
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
Improves venous blood flow and athletic performance by maintaining optimal muscle temperature and popliteal height, as demonstrated by improved shuttle run times, vertical jump heights, and skin temperatures in testing compared to standard seating.
Implementation Method 1
The back heating member is configured to provide heat to a torso of a user. The lower limb heating member is configured to provide heat to lower limbs of the user.
Implementation Method 2
The heat provided to the torso and the heat provided to lower limbs are each provided at a temperature value between 38 and 45 degrees Celsius to facilitate venous blood flow
Data Source
AI summary
A seating assembly for athletes includes seats having a back and seat portion, a base, an adjustable element, a user interface device, and a controller. The back portion includes a back heating member that provides heat to a user's torso. The seat portion includes a lower limb heating member that provides heat to the user's lower limbs. The base supports each seat. The adjustable element is coupled to the base and one of the seats and adjusts height of the seat. The user interface device receives an input regarding a desired temperature of the back heating member and the lower limb heating member. The controller receives the input and adjusts an operation of the back heating member and the lower limb heating member to achieve the desired temperature. The user interface device receives a second input to adjust the a height of the seat relative to the floor surface.