Seating system

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional seating systems often encourage incorrect posture, leading to health issues such as back pain, spinal abnormalities, and breathing difficulties due to their standard sizing and support configurations.

Innovation Solution

An ergonomic seating system with a reduced seating surface and a sacral support surface, designed to maintain the pelvis in a neutral position, providing stable support at three anatomical points, thereby encouraging correct posture and minimizing pressure on internal organs, facilitating easier breathing and improved concentration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a standard-sized seat with broad seating surface is used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but incorrect posture is encouraged leading to health problems

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidhealth problems from incorrect posture
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The seat is divided into distinct functional zones: a reduced seating surface area and a separate sacral support surface. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function - the reduced seat prevents pelvic reclining while the sacral support provides targeted support at the sacrum, together promoting correct posture without requiring complex manufacturing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of providing uniform support across the entire seat, the invention applies support locally at specific anatomical points. The sacral support surface provides localized support at the sacrum, while the reduced seating surface provides support only where needed. This local quality approach promotes correct posture while maintaining manufacturing simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of operation

If a traditional lumbar support area is provided, then backrest support is enhanced, but natural lumbar lordosis becomes kyphosis and incorrect posture is encouraged

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebackrest supportVSAvoidspinal curvature
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the lumbar support function from the traditional broad lumbar support area and relocates it to a specific sacral support surface. By taking out the support function and placing it at the sacrum rather than the lumbar region, the invention prevents the pelvis from reclining and maintains natural lumbar lordosis, avoiding the development of kyphosis

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of supporting the lumbar region as in traditional seats, the invention inverts the approach by supporting the sacrum. This inversion changes the support mechanism fundamentally - by supporting the sacrum and preventing pelvic reclining, the natural lumbar curvature is maintained rather than encouraged to become kyphotic

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Ease of operation

If the pelvis leans back on the backrest, then support comfort is increased, but thoracic kyphosis becomes more pronounced and shoulders rotate forward

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesupport comfortVSAvoidthoracic kyphosis and shoulder position
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The reduced seating surface area creates a preliminary anti-action by making it uncomfortable for the pelvis to lean back. The limited seat depth and reduced surface area prevent the user from reclining onto the backrest, thereby preventing the chain reaction that would lead to thoracic kyphosis and forward shoulder rotation before these postural deviations can occur

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

4Stability of the object's composition

If a broad seating surface is used, then seating stability is improved, but pressure on internal organs increases and diaphragmatic breathing is restricted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveseating stabilityVSAvoidpressure on internal organs
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The seating surface is segmented into a reduced seat area and a separate sacral support surface. This segmentation provides stability through the three-point contact (two ischial tuberosities on the reduced seat surface, one point on the sacral support) while leaving the abdominal region uncompressed. The reduced seat surface area specifically prevents downward pressure on internal organs while maintaining seating stability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3195761B1Seating system
Publication Date: 2021.01.06 ERCKERT LUKAS
  • EP3195761B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP3195761B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3195761B1 patent drawingFigure 4A~5

AI summary

The present invention relates to an ergonomic seating system configured in such a way as to induce an individual to adopt a correct posture when sitting.