Collapsible Chair with Hinge Joints for Compact Storage and Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for furniture designs that minimize storage footprint, accommodate minimalist aesthetics, and allow for customization without requiring extensive woodworking expertise or materials, particularly for smaller living spaces and unique pieces.
Innovation Solution
The design includes collapsible chairs with hinge joints for easy transition between expanded and collapsed configurations, stackable stool assemblies for compact storage, and a system of joints with slots for assembling custom furniture pieces, enabling flexible and space-efficient furniture construction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If furniture is designed to be collapsible with hinge joints, then storage footprint is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The chair is divided into multiple rigid structural members (seat, backrest, legs, armrests) connected by hinge joints, allowing each segment to fold independently during collapse and stack in an organized manner during expansion
Solution Approach 2:
The structural members are designed to nest within each other when collapsed, with the backrest folding over the seat and legs folding inward, creating a compact package similar to nested dolls
2Volume of moving object
If stools are made stackable, then storage footprint is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The stacking surfaces of the stools are designed with specific local geometric features (flat seats, uniformly spaced legs) that ensure precise alignment when stacked, while other parts of the stool can have more variation
Solution Approach 2:
The stools are designed with universal stacking characteristics that allow any stool in the set to stack with any other stool of the same model, creating a standardized interface that simplifies manufacturing while ensuring precision
3Ease of manufacture
If furniture is designed for easy assembly without woodworking expertise, then ease of manufacture increases, but manufacturing precision may decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge joints and connection mechanisms are designed to be self-aligning and self-locking, allowing users to assemble the furniture by simply connecting pre-configured components without requiring woodworking skills or specialized tools
Solution Approach 2:
The structural members are pre-cut, pre-drilled, and pre-finished with precise dimensions and connection points during manufacturing, so that the final assembly requires only simple connection operations, transferring the precision requirements to the manufacturing phase rather than the assembly phase
Data Source
AI summary
Chairs, stool assemblies, and systems for constructing furniture. Such a chair including structural members having hinge joints at ends thereof pivotally coupling each of the members to one or more adjoining members. The chair is configured to be arranged in a collapsed configuration wherein all of the members are in the same plane and define a substantially planar shape, and configured to be arranged in an expanded configuration to define a seat, armrests, support legs, and leg braces of the chair. Such a stool assembly includes at least first and second stools configured to be stackable such that the seats of the stools abut face to face and in combination define a composite base. Such a system for constructing furniture includes multiple joints each having slots configured to receive and retain structural members and configured to be assembled with the structural members to form a piece of furniture with the multiple joints defining corners of the piece of furniture.