Chair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing chair designs face issues with local load on elastic members during frequent tilting, instability in tilting motion, and potential for foreign matter entry and appearance deterioration due to gaps between the leg column and installation base.
Innovation Solution
A chair design featuring a tilting allowance hole with a spherical guide surface and slide guide on the installation base, allowing the leg column to tilt around the center of the spherical guide surface, distributing the load and maintaining stability, while a cover member closes the gap to prevent foreign matter entry and stress on the cover member.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the rubber-like elastic member is accommodated in the accommodating chamber and allowed to swell outward through the gap, then deformation of the elastic member and tilting of the leg column are permitted, but when the leg column tilts frequently, a local load repeatedly acts on the portion of the elastic member that swells outward from the gap, reducing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a reaction force generating member (coil spring) as an intermediary element that works in parallel with the rubber-like elastic member. This intermediary component shares the load during tilting operations, preventing the elastic member from bearing the full local load repeatedly, thus improving reliability while maintaining smooth tilting motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the structural parameters by providing a gap in the accommodating chamber that allows controlled swelling of the elastic member. This parameter change enables the elastic member to deform smoothly during tilting while the reaction force generating member compensates for repeated local loads, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.
2Reliability
If the rubber-like elastic member and auxiliary reaction force generating member are interposed in parallel between the abutting wall and installation base, then tilting is permitted with reaction force, but the elastic member and auxiliary member having different reaction force characteristics are disposed apart from each other, making it difficult to stably obtain smooth tilting and natural elastic reaction force
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the rubber-like elastic member and the coil spring into a closely integrated parallel arrangement between the abutting wall and installation base. This merging allows both components with different reaction force characteristics to work together seamlessly, stably producing smooth tilting motion and natural elastic reaction force simultaneously.
3Ease of operation
If the abutting wall and elastic member are disposed inside the tilting allowance hole, then the lower part of the leg column is tiltably supported, but a gap may form between the tilting allowance hole and leg column when the leg column tilts, causing deterioration of appearance and potential entry of foreign matter
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a cover member that can flexibly close the gap between the tilting allowance hole and the leg column when the leg column tilts. This flexible covering prevents foreign matter entry and maintains appearance while allowing the leg column to tilt freely, resolving the contradiction between tilting freedom and protection against harmful factors.
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
This design reduces local loads on the elastic member, ensures smooth and stable tilting, and maintains the chair's appearance and performance over time by distributing the reaction force and preventing foreign matter entry.
Implementation Method 1
a rubber-like elastic member which is interposed between the leg column and the installation base and urges the leg column to take a vertical posture which is an initial tilted posture
Implementation Method 2
a slide guide which comes into slidable contact with a lower surface of a peripheral edge portion of an insertion hole of the coming-off restriction portion is provided on the support wall, and the guide surface comes into contact with the slide guide
Data Source
AI summary
A chair (1) includes an installation base (10), a leg column (11) supported by the installation base (10) in a tiltable manner, a seat body (12) supported on an upper part of the leg column (11), an elastic member (19) which urges the leg column (11) to an initial tilted posture, and a coming-off restriction member (22) which restricts coming-off of the leg column (11) from the installation base (10). On a support wall (16) of the installation base (10) having an insertion hole (20) through which part of the coming-off restriction member (22) is inserted, a slide guide (21) coming into slidable contact with a slide guide (21) at a peripheral edge portion of a lower surface side of the insertion hole (20) is provided. The coming-off restriction member (22) has an upwardly protruding spherical guide surface (23) which is slidably brought into contact with the slide guide (21) below the insertion hole (20).