Dual-Position Office Chair With Sliding Support Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional office chairs with horizontal seating surfaces lead to fatigue and health issues due to prolonged use, and existing solutions that offer alternative, healthier sitting positions like a saddle shape are not stable or practical for office environments, lacking the ability to maintain stability and comfort in both conventional and inclined positions.

Innovation Solution

A chair design featuring two stable seating positions with a conventional flat surface and a saddle-like section, where the seat can be adjusted to an inclination of 15° to 30°, utilizing a central support column and adjustable sliding connection to maintain stability by shifting the weight distribution, allowing users to switch between positions without compromising stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If the seat is adjusted to an inclined position with the saddle-like portion, then the health benefits and spinal alignment are improved, but the stability of the chair decreases due to the shifted centre of weight

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehealth issues from prolonged sittingVSAvoidchair stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The support column is made movable along the longitudinal axis of the seat, allowing it to dynamically reposition between a first position (for conventional seating) and a second position (for saddle-like seating). This dynamic adjustment enables the support column to track the shifting centre of weight, maintaining stability across different seating configurations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the positional parameter of the support column along the longitudinal axis in response to seat inclination changes. When the seat is inclined to the saddle-like position, the support column moves forward to compensate for the backward shift of the centre of weight, thereby maintaining stability through parameter adjustment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If the seat depth of both conventional and saddle-like portions is increased, then the comfort is improved, but the offset distance between the centre of weight line and support column axis increases, sharply decreasing stability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveseating comfortVSAvoidchair stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The movable support column dynamically adjusts its position along the longitudinal axis to compensate for changes in seat depth and configuration. This allows the system to accommodate increased seat depth for comfort while maintaining stability through realignment of the support column with the centre of weight.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Device complexity

If a central support column is used to evenly distribute weight among leg branches, then the structural simplicity is maintained, but the stability decreases when the seat is in horizontal position due to centre of weight shift

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesupport system complexityVSAvoidchair stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The support column is designed to move along the longitudinal axis, transforming from a static central support to a dynamic support that can reposition. This adds minimal complexity to the structure while significantly improving stability in both conventional and saddle-like seating positions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP2735248B1Chair with two stable seating positions
Publication Date: 2015.03.25 ANTARES HUNGARY KFT
  • EP2735248B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~2c
  • EP2735248B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3c
  • EP2735248B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

Chair with two stable seating positions, especially for office or working place applications, comprising a seat with a conventional seat portion, a chair support that has a vertical central support line, and a position adjusting assembly placed between the chair support and the seat to enable adjustment of the position of the seat, wherein the seat comprises a saddle shaped seat portion attached and fitted to a front end of the conventional seat portion, and the position adjusting assembly (30) can be used to place the seat in a first stable conventional sitting position, wherein a central portion of the conventional seat portion is substantially horizontal and the load is predominantly held by the conventional sitting portion, and the vertical central support line of the chair support substantially falls in the extension of a central weight line (32) of a subject when sitting on the chair (1), and in a second stable position, the seat is inclined in forward direction, the load is predominantly held by the saddle shaped seat portion and the chair support is shifted in forward direction relative to the seat so that the vertical central support line of the chair support falls substantially again in the extension of the weight line of the subject.