Chair having open shoulder backrest
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ergonomic chair designs often fail to provide adequate support for the thoracic region of the spine without putting pressure on non-skeletal areas, leading to discomfort and fatigue during prolonged sitting, and are often expensive due to complex adjustment mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A chairback design featuring a narrow, flat, or moderately convex thoracic cushion that primarily supports the thoracic region of the spine without lateral support, combined with a proportionately larger lumbar support cushion and optional neckrest, using materials like molded urethane or polyurethane foam with varying firmness and elevation to concentrate support on the spine.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a wide chairback is used to support the thoracic region, then support coverage is improved, but pressure is applied to non-skeletal areas (shoulder blades and lateral dorsal regions)
Solution Approach 1:
The chairback employs different firmness levels in different regions: a firmer central region (30-40 ILD) that concentrates support on the spine, and softer lateral regions (20-30 ILD) that reduce pressure on non-skeletal areas. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction between providing adequate thoracic support and avoiding pressure on shoulder blades and lateral dorsal regions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple adjustment mechanisms are added to accommodate varying spinal curvatures, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves adaptability through material parameter changes rather than mechanical adjustments. By using foam materials with specific ILD ranges (20-40 ILD) that can deform and conform to different spinal curvatures, the chairback accommodates varying user anatomies without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms, thereby resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a curved chairback surface is used to complement spinal curvature, then support distribution is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than relying on precisely fabricated curved surfaces, the patent uses the inherent deformability and conformability of foam materials (parameter: ILD 20-40) to adapt to spinal curvature. The material's physical properties allow it to naturally conform to different spine shapes, eliminating the need for high-precision curved surface manufacturing while maintaining proper spinal support alignment.
Data Source
AI summary
An ergonomically improved chair in which the user's thoracic region is supported by a narrow and generally flat or moderately convex thoracic cushion in the midrest region of the chairback. The design omits or greatly minimizes support for the user's scapulae and other areas of the back outside the thoracic region, excepting lumbar and cervical support features in some embodiments. The design differs from the prior art at least in that the thoracic cushion is narrow and configured not to complement that user's spinal curvature. By appropriate selection and design, a chair incorporating the invention may comprise a fabric covering portions of the chairback without significantly affecting functionality. Other embodiments include a chairback comprising regions having differing levels of firmness and/or differing cushion height at appropriate regions to promote concentrated support of the user's thoracic region.