Chair and chair control assemblies, systems, and methods
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing chair motion control systems lack a compact and effective design for synchronous raising and tilting motions, and secure tilt securement, with limited adjustment options for seating assemblies.
Innovation Solution
A chair control cartridge system featuring a seat support, link arm, and control body with pivotable riders and slots, allowing for synchronized raising and lowering of the seat support, along with a tilt lock assembly for secure positioning, and adjustable channels for forward and rearward motion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a chair control system uses traditional weight-activated or synchrotilt mechanisms, then basic chair motion is achieved, but the design lacks compactness and effectiveness for synchronous raising and tilting motions
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is divided into separate functional modules: a control body with slots, riders mounted on the seat support, and a link arm with pivot link. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently while working together to achieve synchronous raising and tilting motions, resolving the contradiction between compact design and effective operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The riders act as intermediaries between the seat support and the control body slots. As the link arm pivots, the riders traverse along the slots, translating the pivot motion into coordinated raising and tilting of the seat support. This intermediary mechanism enables effective synchronous motion while maintaining a compact overall design.
2Ease of operation
If the control body includes slots and riders for seat support movement, then synchronous raising and lowering is achieved, but the mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control body with its slots and the riders serve multiple functions simultaneously: they guide the motion path, transmit force, and enable both raising and lowering operations through a single pivoting action of the link arm. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate mechanisms for each operation, achieving synchronous motion without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses dynamic elements including pivoting link arms, sliding riders along slots, and a pivot link that rotates to control motion. These dynamic components allow the mechanism to adapt its configuration during operation, achieving smooth synchronous raising and lowering motions while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure compared to rigid multi-component systems.
3Reliability
If a tilt lock assembly is added for secure positioning, then tilt securement is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tilt lock assembly appears to be integrated into the existing control body and link arm mechanism, utilizing the same pivoting and slot-rider interactions to achieve locking. The mechanism likely uses the natural positions of the riders in the slots or specific pivot points to provide secure positioning without requiring entirely separate locking components, thus improving reliability while minimizing additional complexity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If forward and rearward adjustment channels are provided, then seating assembly adjustability is improved, but the mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system incorporates adjustment channels that allow the seat support to move not only vertically (raising/lowering) but also in forward and rearward directions. This adds a spatial dimension to the adjustment capability, enabling multi-directional positioning of the seat assembly. The slots and riders mechanism naturally accommodates these additional degrees of freedom without requiring fundamentally different control structures.
Data Source
AI summary
Chairs, seating systems, chair sub-assemblies and sub-systems, and associated methods of assembly and use. Aspects relate to chairs and methods of assembling chairs including chair controls of a relatively compact and effective design with desirable synchronous raising and tilting motions. Aspects also relate to tilt lock assemblies for achieving secure and effective tilt securement. Additional aspects relate to forward and rearward adjustment, or extension and retraction, of a seating assembly of the chair.