Adjustable Chair Spring Layout for Body Weight Balance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seating furniture systems, particularly office chairs with synchronous mechanisms or pendulum systems, fail to effectively adjust for individuals with non-normal body weight, leading to instability and discomfort as the center of gravity is not adequately compensated, especially for overweight persons whose center of gravity is outside the chair's center, causing torque and imbalance.
Innovation Solution
A device with a continuously adjustable flat elastic connecting element between the foot and seat, featuring additional planar springs and adjustment elements to selectively increase spring tension in specific areas, allowing for customizable support to counteract shifts in the center of gravity, and an optional control unit to automatically adjust tension based on detected torque.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional pendulum system with a single elastic element is used, then normal weight persons can maintain balance, but overweight persons experience torque and instability because their center of gravity is outside the chair's center
Solution Approach 1:
The single elastic connecting element is divided into multiple segments (first, second, and third elastic connecting elements) arranged at different positions (front, rear, and lateral areas). Each segment can be independently adjusted to provide customized support for different body weight distributions and center of gravity positions, enabling the system to adapt to both normal and overweight persons.
Solution Approach 2:
Different areas of the seat base receive different spring tensions through the segmented elastic elements. The front, rear, and lateral areas can be independently adjusted to provide localized support where needed, allowing the system to compensate for various center of gravity positions of different body types while maintaining overall balance stability.
2Reliability
If the spring tension is increased to support overweight persons, then balance is improved, but the seat becomes too hard for normal weight persons
Solution Approach 1:
The spring tension of each elastic connecting element is made individually adjustable, allowing the system to dynamically adapt to different users. Normal weight persons can have softer tension settings for comfort, while overweight persons can have increased tension in specific areas to support their center of gravity, with each user's preferences being independently configured.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring tension parameter of each elastic connecting element can be independently changed through adjustment elements. This allows the system to modify the mechanical properties of different seat areas to match different body weights and center of gravity positions, optimizing both support and comfort for each user scenario.
3Adaptability or versatility
If additional adjustment elements and springs are added to the device, then adaptability to different body weights is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each elastic connecting element serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, enables pendulum movement, and allows independent tension adjustment. The adjustment elements are integrated into the existing seat structure, allowing a single component to perform multiple roles and reducing the need for separate adjustment mechanisms for each area.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustment elements are strategically positioned at specific locations (front, rear, lateral areas) where they only need to adjust tension in their local region. This localized adjustment approach reduces the complexity compared to a fully adjustable system, as each element only needs to handle a specific portion of the overall tension distribution.
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 device provides stable and comfortable seating by offering adjustable resistance to movements, ensuring balance and reducing torque, thereby enabling comfortable working and posture maintenance for individuals with varying body weights and asymmetrical centers of gravity, and can be retrofitted onto existing chairs.
Implementation Method 1
there is a flat elastic connecting element between the foot and the seat which compensates for the body movements of a person sitting on it
Implementation Method 2
additional planar springs coupled with adjustment elements for additional selective change of the spring tension
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The device has an elastic connecting unit that comprises a spring unit (3) between a foot and a seat surface. The connecting unit couples the foot with the seat surface, where preliminary tension of the spring unit of the elastic connecting unit is continuously adjustable. A bearing seat (6) is provided in the device, and spring tension of the elastic connecting unit is selectively changeable.