Elastic Chair Seat and Backrest Panels Without Tilt Mechanisms

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing chair designs with deformable seat and backrest elements face limitations in adaptability due to limited elastic deformation capabilities, which affect comfort by not adequately accommodating user weight and backward thrust.

Innovation Solution

A chair with a metal frame and flexible seat and backrest panels made of molded plastic materials like nylon and polyoxymethylene, featuring lateral hollow portions and terminal portions that allow for elastic deformation and return to initial shape, providing adjustable support surfaces.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If weight-activated mechanisms with tilting and mutually-synchronized seat and backrest are used, then the chair adapts to user weight and backward thrust, but the structure becomes complex and costly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to user weight and thrustVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex mechanical weight-activated mechanisms with a purely elastic deformation system. The seat and backrest panels are made of elastic material that naturally deforms in response to applied forces (user weight and backward thrust), eliminating the need for articulated mechanisms, synchronizing devices, and tilting mechanisms while maintaining adaptability to user characteristics

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the physical state of the seat and backrest from rigid to elastically deformable. By selecting appropriate elastic materials and designing the panels with specific stiffness characteristics, the system achieves continuous adaptation to varying loads without mechanical adjustments, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and structural simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Device complexity

If deformable elastic elements such as stretched fabric sheets are used for seat and backrest, then the structure becomes simpler and cheaper, but the elastic deformation capability is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural simplicityVSAvoidelastic deformation capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs elastic panels made of molded plastic material that function as flexible shells. These panels are designed with optimized thickness and material properties to achieve significant elastic deformation capability while maintaining structural integrity. The panels can deform substantially in response to user weight and thrust, overcoming the limited deformation of fabric sheets while keeping the structure simple and cost-effective

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses composite construction combining elastic molded plastic material for the panels with a supporting metal frame. This composite approach allows the panels to achieve high elastic deformation capability while the frame provides necessary structural support, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and deformation capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

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 chair achieves enhanced adaptability and comfort by allowing the seat and backrest to deform elastically in response to user weight and thrust, mimicking the adjustment of articulated backrests while maintaining structural integrity and ease of use.

Implementation Method 1

The flexible seat panel 32 and the flexible backrest panel 34 formed of molded plastic material with high elasticity are capable of elastically deforming according to an arcuate shape and of returning to the initial shape when the force causing the deformation ceases

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3245901B1A chair with elastically-deformable seat and/or backrest
Publication Date: 2018.09.26 PRO CORD SPA
  • EP3245901B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3245901B1 patent drawingFigure 2~5
  • EP3245901B1 patent drawingFigure 3~6

AI summary

A chair comprising: - a metal frame (12) formed by a plurality of metal elements (18-30), including a seat portion (14) having two seat support elements (18) and a backrest portion (16) having two backrest support elements (20') extending upwardly from the seat portion (14), - a flexible backrest panel (34) and/or a flexible seat panel (32) of plastic material having two lateral hollow portions (42; 44) into which respective support elements (20', 18) are inserted, wherein, in a rest condition, there is a transverse clearance (Pb, Ps) between outer edges of said lateral hollow portions (42; 44) and the respective support elements (20'; 18) and wherein, in a deformed condition of the flexible backrest panel (34) and/or flexible seat panel (32) said transverse clearance (Pb, Ps) is reduced to zero.