Ball-Filled Chair Structure for Calming Sensory Pressure

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current treatments for neurological diseases, psychiatric disorders, and sensory integration issues often fail to effectively stimulate the proprioceptive and tactile sensory systems to achieve a calming effect, as existing equipment does not provide sufficient sporadic pressure for comfort and relaxation.

Innovation Solution

A calming chair design featuring a supportive region with displaceable balls of varying diameters, filled with materials like polymer, glass, or metal, which adapt to the user's body shape, providing sporadic pressure and thermal isolation, along with stabilizing elements and adjustable compartments for optimal support and comfort.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If existing equipment is used to stimulate sensory systems, then treatment for neurological and psychiatric disorders is provided, but the equipment fails to provide sufficient sporadic pressure for effective stimulation and comfort

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveeffectiveness of sensory stimulationVSAvoidcomfort and relaxation effect
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The supporting surface is segmented into multiple discrete balls instead of a continuous surface. Each ball acts as an independent element that can be pressed into the user's body, creating sporadic pressure points that effectively stimulate the proprioceptive and tactile sensory systems while maintaining comfort through distributed contact points.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The balls are made displaceable within the chair structure, allowing them to move and adapt dynamically to the user's body shape and position. This dynamic adjustment ensures that the balls can exert sporadic pressure where needed while automatically conforming to maintain comfort, resolving the contradiction between effective stimulation and ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If displaceable balls are used to provide sporadic pressure, then sensory stimulation and calming effect are achieved, but the chair structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecalming effectVSAvoidchair structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The balls are enclosed within a flexible bag or container that forms the supporting region of the chair. This flexible enclosure allows the balls to move and displace freely while maintaining the overall chair structure, achieving the calming effect through sporadic pressure without requiring a complex rigid mechanical system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The balls are simple, inexpensive elements that can be easily replaced if needed. Using numerous simple spherical objects instead of complex mechanical components reduces the overall device complexity while maintaining the therapeutic effectiveness through their collective sporadic pressure action.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Adaptability or versatility

If balls of varying diameters are used to accommodate different users, then adaptability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccommodation of different user sizesVSAvoidball diameter variation
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The diameter of the balls is varied as a parameter to accommodate different user sizes and requirements. By changing this single geometric parameter while maintaining the spherical shape and material properties, the chair can adapt to children, adults, and different body types without requiring fundamentally different designs, balancing adaptability with manufacturing simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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

The chair effectively stimulates the proprioceptive and tactile sensory systems, offering a calming effect and comfortable positioning through sporadic pressure, while maintaining dimensional stability and ease of maintenance.

Implementation Method 1

the balls, due to the weight of the user, displace and form according to the shape of the body of the user

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDeformation: Deformation

Implementation Method 2

The balls are thermally isolating as the isolated ball filling is warmed up by heat from the body of the user

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 3

The balls are thermally isolating as the isolated ball filling is warmed up by heat from the body of the user

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal insulation: Thermal Insulation

Implementation Method 4

exerting a sporadic pressure on the body of the user through said supporting region and said at least one supportive part

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPressure: Pressure Increase

Data Source

PatentEP2129350B1Chair with balls
Publication Date: 2015.10.28 PROTAC
  • EP2129350B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2129350B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2129350B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The present invention relates to a chair enclosing balls that stimulate the proprioceptive sensory system and the tactile sensory system of the person sitting in it. The balls provide a sporadic pressure on the body and are mutually displaceable, whereas the chair is shaped to the body of the person sitting in it. If the person seated in the chair changes position, the balls will displace again and provide a different sporadic pressure on the body. These stimuli give an increased feeling of the body and its boundary, whereby a calming effect is achieved. The balls can have a diameter in the range of 10mm to 100mm.