Dual-Shell Seating Structure With Independently Deflectable Edges
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seating structures have rigid frames or shells that limit flexibility and comfort by creating hard contact points, restricting the ability of the body support structure to adapt to user movement and providing inadequate ergonomic responsiveness.
Innovation Solution
A seating structure with a dual shell design featuring a load-bearing shell and a body-supporting shell, where biasing arrays with pivot joints allow for independent deflection of the outer peripheral edges and relative movement between support members, providing a soft edge and customizable support across different regions of the body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid frame or shell structure is used to provide structural support, then structural strength and stability are improved, but flexibility and comfort are worsened due to hard contact points and restricted movement
Solution Approach 1:
The shell structure is divided into multiple segments or zones with varying degrees of rigidity. The frame structure is segmented into rigid portions for structural support and flexible portions for comfort, allowing each segment to perform its specific function independently.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the seating structure are given different mechanical properties. The peripheral edges and contact areas are designed with higher flexibility while the central and structural areas maintain rigidity, creating local variations in stiffness to simultaneously provide support and comfort.
2Ease of manufacture
If a rigid frame with hard contact points is used, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but ergonomic responsiveness is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The seating structure incorporates dynamic elements that allow it to adapt to user movement and positioning. The flexible portions of the frame and shell can deform and reconfigure based on applied loads, providing ergonomic responsiveness while maintaining structural integrity through the rigid portions.
Solution Approach 2:
The structural parameters such as wall thickness, material density, and cross-sectional geometry are varied throughout the frame and shell to create regions of different stiffness. This allows the structure to be manufactured with standard processes while achieving complex mechanical behavior for ergonomic support.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the peripheral edges are made rigid to maintain structural integrity, then structural stability is improved, but user comfort is worsened due to lack of independent deflection
Solution Approach 1:
The peripheral edges are segmented into multiple independent deflection zones rather than a single rigid structure. Each segment can deflect independently in response to localized loads, allowing the edge to maintain overall structural stability while providing localized comfort through independent movement.
4Manufacturing precision
If a rigid shell structure is used, then manufacturing precision is improved, but adaptability to user movement is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The shell structure incorporates local variations in thickness, material composition, or internal reinforcement to create zones with different mechanical properties. Areas requiring precision and stability are manufactured with higher rigidity, while areas requiring adaptability are designed with flexible characteristics, all within a single shell component.
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 dual shell structure enhances user comfort by eliminating hard contact points and allowing for flexible, ergonomic support, enabling the seating structure to adapt to various loads and user positions without compromising structural integrity.
Implementation Method 1
biasing arrays with pivot joints allow for independent deflection of the outer peripheral edges and relative movement between support members
Implementation Method 2
The connectors provide for relative movement between the support members, and in one embodiment define pivot joints, for example living hinges, such that the support members are pivotable about the connectors relative to each other
Data Source
AI summary
A seating structure includes a shell having a central portion, opposite outer peripheral edges laterally spaced from opposite sides of the central portion, and at least one biasing array disposed between each of the opposite sides of the central portion and a respective outer peripheral edge. Each of the biasing arrays includes a plurality of spaced apart support members and at least one connector connecting adjacent support members within each array. The biasing array may include a plurality of biasing arrays, with at least one connector connecting adjacent biasing arrays. A second shell may be connected to the outer peripheral edges of the first shell, with an open space defined there between. Each of the opposite outer peripheral edges is independently deflectable in response to a load being applied to the second shell.