Chair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing office chairs with movable parts for supporting seats and backs face issues with deformation and increased cost due to the mismatch in hardness between shafts and guide grooves, leading to rattling and damage, especially when the seat moves in multiple directions under load.
Innovation Solution
A chair design featuring a flange part with a guide surface extending laterally on a metal plate member, allowing the rolling body to move independently and distribute load evenly, enhancing durability and strength without thickening the plate member, and using a metal bearing for smooth rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the guide groove is formed by opening a hole in a guide plate which forms a vertical wall to secure required strength, then the guide plate becomes thicker, but this increases the number of parts and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The guide groove and guide plate are merged into a single integrated component. The guide groove is formed by bending a portion of the guide plate itself, eliminating the need for separate guide groove components and reducing the total number of parts while maintaining structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide plate is segmented into different functional regions: a vertical wall portion providing structural support and a bent guide groove portion providing guidance. This segmentation allows each region to optimize its function without requiring separate components.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If the shaft has a higher hardness than the guide groove to endure severe use, then the shaft is more durable, but the softer guide groove may be deformed or scraped, leading to rattling or damage
Solution Approach 1:
The hardness parameter of the guide groove is changed by forming it from the same material as the guide plate through bending, rather than using a softer separate component. This ensures the guide groove has comparable hardness to the shaft, preventing deformation and scraping while maintaining durability.
3Device complexity
If the guide groove is made thinner to reduce the number of parts, then cost decreases, but the pressure receiving area is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The guide groove is formed by bending the guide plate in another dimension, creating a three-dimensional structure that provides sufficient pressure receiving area without increasing the number of parts. The bent portion of the guide plate forms a groove with adequate depth and width to distribute pressure effectively.
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 chair effectively supports seat movement in multiple directions with improved durability and strength, maintaining smooth operation even under high loads and unbalanced forces, while reducing the number of parts and costs.
Implementation Method 1
a rolling body 45 is provided so as to roll independently on the left and right along the guide surface 31b1
Data Source
AI summary
A flange part 31b is provided on a vertical surface 31a on the plate member PM of the front-rear swing part 3, the flange part 31b has a guide surface 31b1 extending to lateral direction and moving the rolling body 45 in the longitudinal direction, a lateral direction dimension of the guide surface 31b1 is greater than a thickness of the plate member PM, the flange part 31b and the portion of the plate member PM forming the vertical surface 31a around the flange part 31b are integrally formed of metal; and the flange part 31b has a shape that goes around the circumference of the guide hole 34 opened in the vertical surface 31a, and then, the rolling body 45 are provided independently to the left and right, to be able to a roll along the guide surface 31b1.