Foldable Chair Locking Structure for Compact Safe Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional foldable chairs face issues with misplaced or damaged separable components, expensive production due to telescoping members, and difficulty in determining proper locking for support, leading to user safety concerns.
Innovation Solution
A foldable chair design featuring pivotably attached components with a locking mechanism using a lever and pin system that securely locks the chair in the unfolded configuration, allowing easy reconfiguration between folded and unfolded states without the need for expensive telescoping members.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If separable components are used to allow compact storage, then the chair can be easily stored, but the components can be inadvertently misplaced and damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges previously separable components into a permanently attached configuration. The seat frame, backrest, and legs are connected through rigid joints and welding, eliminating the need for removable parts while maintaining foldability through hinged connections. This resolves the issue of misplaced and damaged components by making the structure integral yet reconfigurable.
2Volume of moving object
If telescoping members are used to achieve compact storage, then the chair can be folded, but the production cost increases and clothing/skin can be caught between sliding members
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the chair into distinct rigid members (front legs, rear legs, seat frame, backrest) connected by hinges rather than using telescoping tubes. Each segment remains structurally independent yet permanently attached, allowing folding without the complexity and cost of telescoping mechanisms while eliminating the pinching hazard between sliding surfaces.
3Volume of moving object
If telescoping members are used for folding, then compact storage is achieved, but it is difficult to determine when properly locked
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates visual feedback mechanisms through the locking system. When the chair is folded or unfolded, the rigid joints and hinges provide clear visual indicators of the locked position through alignment features and stop mechanisms that are visible to the user, eliminating ambiguity about whether the chair is properly secured for use.
4Ease of operation
If pivotably attached components are used, then the chair is easy to reconfigure, but the structural strength may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic hinge connections that allow controlled movement between folded and unfolded states while maintaining structural integrity. The hinges are designed with reinforced mounting points and robust pivot mechanisms that provide flexibility during reconfiguration but ensure rigid, load-bearing connections when the chair is in its supporting configuration, thus achieving both reconfigurability and structural strength.
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 design provides a structurally strong, cost-effective foldable chair that is easy to reconfigure and safe to use, with a locking mechanism that ensures stability and prevents accidental entrapment, while being simple to assemble and disassemble.
Implementation Method 1
The locking mechanism is connected to the first leg to releasably lock the chair in the unfoldable configuration
Implementation Method 2
The pin is movable between a lock position, wherein the pin extends through and out of the opening of the first member and an unlocked position, wherein the pin is retracted from the opening of the first member
Implementation Method 3
The second member includes a first end pivotably connected to the second end of the first member, and a second end opposite the first end extending upwardly and rearwardly from the first end in the unfolded configuration
Data Source
AI summary
A chair that is reconfigurable between a folded and an unfolded configuration includes a first leg having an intermediate portion located between a first end and an opposite second end of the first leg and a second leg having an intermediate portion located between a first end and an opposite second end of the second leg. The intermediate portion of the second leg is pivotally connected to the intermediate portion of the first leg. A support member has a first end pivotally connected to the first leg and an opposite second end. A seat frame has a first portion pivotally connected to the second end of the support member and a second portion pivotally connected to the second end of the second leg. The second end of the support member is adjacent the first end of both the first and second legs in the folded configuration.