Adjustable Chair Foot Support With Non-Rotating Height Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional chair foot supports are difficult to adjust, requiring users to leave the seat, apply extra energy, and often result in improper height settings, leading to chronic uncomfortable positioning, especially in multi-shift applications where adjustments are not made daily.
Innovation Solution
A chair with a foot support that adjusts vertically with the seat when it is moved but remains stationary when the seat is rotated, featuring a control mechanism with a handle that allows height adjustment while seated, using a lead screw and gear system to facilitate infinitesimal increments in height adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the foot support is made adjustable, then the user can achieve comfortable positioning, but the user must leave the seat and apply extra energy to adjust it
Solution Approach 1:
The foot support adjustment mechanism is designed to be automatically coupled to the seat's vertical movement through a control arm connected to the seat's vertical adjustment mechanism. When the user adjusts the seat height, the foot support automatically follows and adjusts its height without requiring separate manual intervention, making the system self-adjusting and eliminating the need for users to leave the seat or apply extra energy.
2Ease of operation
If the foot support is made adjustable, then the user can achieve comfortable positioning, but the user must touch the foot support which creates cleanliness problems
Solution Approach 1:
The foot support adjustment is automatically coupled to the seat's vertical adjustment mechanism through a control arm. When the user adjusts the seat height, the foot support automatically follows and adjusts its height without requiring the user to touch it. This eliminates direct contact between the user's hands and the foot support, solving the cleanliness problem in laboratories and clean-room environments.
3Device complexity
If the foot support is coupled to rotate with the seat, then the adjustment mechanism is simplified, but the foot support rotates when the seat rotates which is undesirable
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling mechanism is segmented into two independent functions: vertical movement coupling and rotational decoupling. The control arm is connected to the seat's vertical adjustment mechanism to automatically follow vertical movements, while a separate rotational joint or bearing allows the foot support to remain stationary during seat rotation. This segmentation enables the foot support to independently maintain its orientation while the seat rotates around it.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the seat is vertically adjusted, then the seating position is optimized, but the distance from the seat to the foot support changes
Solution Approach 1:
The foot support is automatically coupled to the seat's vertical adjustment mechanism through a control arm connected to the seat's vertical adjustment mechanism. When the user adjusts the seat height, the foot support automatically follows and adjusts its height to maintain a constant distance from the seat, making the system self-adjusting and eliminating the need for separate foot support adjustment.
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
Enables comfortable and hygienic adjustment of foot support height without requiring users to touch the support, reducing frustration and maintaining consistent distance from the seat during vertical and rotational movements.
Implementation Method 1
using a lead screw and gear system to facilitate infinitesimal increments in height adjustment
Implementation Method 2
using a lead screw and gear system to facilitate infinitesimal increments in height adjustment
Data Source
AI summary
A chair includes a base and a seating structure rotatably coupled to the base and vertically moveable between at least a first position and a second position. A foot support is disposed a vertical distance from the seating structure. The foot support is rotatably coupled to the seating structure and non-rotatably coupled to the base. A control mechanism is operably coupled to the foot support for adjusting the vertical distance between the foot support and the seat. The control mechanism includes a control handle operably coupled to the seating structure. The control handle rotates with the seating structure when the seating structure is rotated and moves vertically with the seating structure when the seating structure is vertically moved between the first position and the second position.