Chair with Forward-Adjustable Back Support for Front-Seat Posture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional chairs fail to provide adequate back support when occupants sit on the front portion of the seat cushion, leading to discomfort and fatigue, particularly for individuals like card dealers who frequently lean forward.
Innovation Solution
A reconfigurable chair with an adjustable lumbar back support mechanism that can be moved forward or rearward, allowing the back support to be positioned above the seat cushion, with an adjustment mechanism that biases the back support forward to provide quick and comfortable support when sitting on the front section of the seat.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the back support is positioned at the rear of the seat cushion, then it provides support for occupants sitting in the rear portion of the seat, but it fails to provide support when occupants sit on the front portion of the seat cushion
Solution Approach 1:
The back support is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to be repositioned between a rearward position (for occupants sitting in the rear portion of the seat) and a forward position (for occupants sitting on the front portion of the seat cushion). This dynamic adjustment capability resolves the contradiction by enabling the back support to adapt to different seating positions while maintaining ease of operation through a simple sliding mechanism on guide rails.
2Ease of operation
If the back support is fixed in a rearward position, then the chair structure is simple, but it causes lower back fatigue and discomfort when occupants sit on the front portion of the seat cushion
Solution Approach 1:
The back support incorporates a sliding mechanism that allows it to move forward and backward along guide rails, enabling it to be positioned directly above the seat support when occupants sit on the front portion of the cushion. This dynamic positioning eliminates lower back fatigue while maintaining relatively simple chair structure through the use of straightforward sliding components rather than complex mechanical systems.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the back support is made movable to accommodate front-seating positions, then comfort is improved for front-sitting occupants, but the mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The back support uses a sliding mechanism on guide rails that allows it to move between forward and rearward positions, providing adaptability for both front and rear seating positions. The complexity is minimized by using straightforward sliding components and a biasing mechanism rather than complex mechanical systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The back support incorporates a biasing mechanism that automatically biases the back support in the forward direction, allowing it to move forward without requiring active user input. The user simply needs to overcome the biasing force to move it rearward, and it automatically returns forward when released, reducing the complexity of control mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable chair can support an occupant that sits on a front portion of a seat cushion. When the user leans back, the chair can provide back support without requiring that the user slide rearwardly along the seat cushion, thereby providing back support to minimize, limit, or substantially eliminate lower back fatigue, discomfort, or the like. A back support of the chair can be located at a desired forward/rearward position based on the user's position on the seat. In some settings, the chair can be used by a card dealer who tends to sit on a forward portion of the seat when dealing cards. The back support can be positioned to comfortably support the dealer's back when, for example, the dealer sits generally upright. The chair can also be used by other individuals that frequently sit on the front of the seat cushion.