Composite Body Support Grid With Fabric for Adaptive Contouring

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing body support structures, such as chair backrests and seats, face challenges in providing a comfortable, adaptive, and frameless contour while maintaining structural integrity and flexibility, with suspended membrane structures being too rigid at the edges and molded polymer structures being less adaptive to loads.

Innovation Solution

A composite body support structure featuring a molded polymeric grid with a three-dimensional contour and a fabric layer bonded to the grid, where the fabric covers openings and provides tension to maintain the structure's shape, allowing for increased adaptivity and reduced material volume, and a method for manufacturing and recycling the structure using infrared heating and chemical miscibility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a suspended membrane structure is used, then adaptivity and aeration are improved, but the structure becomes too rigid at the edges and difficult to contour

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveadaptivityVSAvoidcontour

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The invention combines a suspended membrane with a molded polymer structure to create a composite body support. The membrane provides adaptivity and aeration, while the molded polymer portion provides structural support for contouring and edge stability, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and shape control

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The body support is divided into distinct functional regions: a suspended membrane portion for adaptivity and a molded polymer portion for structural contour support. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its specific function without compromising the other

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Stability of the object's composition

If a molded polymer structure is used, then frameless contour and structural integrity are improved, but adaptivity to applied loads deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidadaptivity to loads

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

By combining molded polymer with suspended membrane, the invention achieves both structural integrity from the polymer framework and load adaptivity from the membrane portion, eliminating the need for additional framing while maintaining both properties

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Strength

If fabric is secured around peripheral portion of molded back, then fabric support is improved, but flexibility of the structure deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefabric supportVSAvoidflexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The fabric is selectively supported only in regions where structural reinforcement is needed, while leaving other areas free to deflect and adapt to loads, achieving local optimization of both strength and flexibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

4Adaptability or versatility

If material volume is reduced by adding openings, then adaptivity and aeration are improved, but structural integrity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveadaptivityVSAvoidstructural integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The molded polymer structure incorporates openings that provide aeration and reduce material volume while maintaining structural integrity through the distributed framework of the polymer grid, which continues to provide load-bearing capacity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The combination of molded polymer with suspended membrane allows for greater opening sizes in the polymer structure, as the membrane provides additional structural support that compensates for the reduced polymer material volume

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

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 composite structure offers enhanced user comfort with a frameless, adaptive, and aeration-friendly design, reducing material costs and volume by up to 40%, while ensuring safety and aesthetic appeal, and enabling recycling of the materials for further use.

Implementation Method 1

The surface layer is melted using an infrared emitter

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectInfrared radiation: Infrared Radiation

Implementation Method 2

the adhesive is heated, for example by way of an infrared emitter or by conducting heat through the fabric as it is pressed against the adhesive

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 3

The collected material is then cooled and pelletized to form recycled polymeric material

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCooling: Cooling

Data Source

PatentUS9211014B2Composite body support member and methods for the manufacture and recycling thereof

Publication Date: 2015.12.15 MILLERKNOLL INC

AI summary

A body support structure includes a molded polymeric support grid having a three-dimensional molded contour. The support grid includes a body support region having a plurality of through openings separated by a plurality of lands. In one embodiment, an area of the openings is greater than an area of the lands. In another embodiment, the ratio of a surface area of the lands relative to an area defined by an outer peripheral edge is less than or equal to 0.74. A fabric layer is bonded to the plurality of lands and covers the plurality of openings. Methods of manufacturing and recycling the body structure are also provided.