Foldable Chair with Telescoping Backrest and Nested Accessories
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional foldable chairs are heavy, cumbersome, and difficult to operate, failing to easily transition between unfolded and folded states, and often lack desirable features like sun shades, storage volumes, and recline functions due to weight and foldability constraints.
Innovation Solution
A foldable chair design featuring a front support, rear support, central beams, a backrest, and a hub that allows the backrest to rotate and telescope, with a torsion spring biasing the backrest toward a folded position, and includes features like a silicone wiper, high-friction grip pads, and adjustable sun shades, enabling easy conversion between seating and storage configurations while maintaining user comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional foldable chairs use metal frame and fabric covering, then structural strength is maintained, but weight increases and portability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters from traditional metal and fabric to aluminum alloy extrusions with integrated plastic components. This parameter change reduces weight while maintaining structural strength through optimized aluminum alloy profiles and integrated molding techniques that eliminate the need for heavy metal frames and separate fabric coverings.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite construction by integrating plastic components directly into aluminum alloy extrusions. The chair frame combines aluminum alloy structural elements with molded plastic parts, creating a composite structure that leverages the high strength-to-weight ratio of aluminum while reducing overall weight compared to traditional metal-framed chairs.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional foldable chairs are designed for foldability, then portability improves, but ease of operation deteriorates due to difficult transition between folded and unfolded states
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the chair into modular components connected by hinge joints at strategic locations. The seat, backrest, and legs are divided into separable sections that can independently fold and unfold. This segmentation allows each component to move smoothly through hinge mechanisms, making the transition between folded and unfolded states easier compared to monolithic conventional designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates dynamic hinge mechanisms that enable smooth rotational movement between folded and unfolded configurations. The hinges are designed with pivot points and articulation that allow natural folding motion, reducing the force required for transition and improving ease of operation while maintaining adaptability between storage and use states.
3Volume of moving object
If conventional foldable chairs are folded for storage, then occupied space decreases, but desirable features like sun shades and storage volumes must be omitted due to space constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nesting by integrating the sun shade and storage pouch directly into the chair structure. The sun shade folds flat against the backrest, and the storage pouch is attached to the frame in a collapsed state. When the chair is folded for storage, these features nest within the overall chair volume, allowing them to be included without significantly increasing the occupied space during compact storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the third dimension by designing features that fold or collapse in multiple directions. The sun shade can be folded flat against the backrest or positioned at various angles, and the storage pouch can be collapsed along the chair's length. This multi-dimensional folding capability allows inclusion of additional features while maintaining compact overall volume when stored.
4Device complexity
If conventional foldable chairs use simple hinge connections, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to gap formation and instability during rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the hinge connection with rounded end features on the tubular members. Instead of separate hinge pins and gaps, the rounded ends are integrated into the hinge joint design, creating a continuous rotational path that eliminates gaps. This merging maintains relatively simple device complexity while significantly improving reliability by preventing instability and gap formation during rotation.
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 provides a lightweight, ergonomic solution that easily transitions between seating and storage positions, incorporating desirable features like sun shades and storage without increasing occupied space, enhancing user comfort and portability.
Implementation Method 1
the hub may include a torsion spring that biases the backrest toward the folded position
Implementation Method 2
the hub and/or rear support may include a silicone wiper configured to brush off any sand, water, or other particles from the rear support as the rear support is translated
Data Source
AI summary
A folding chair includes front and rear supports that fold and/or retract into central beams to reduce the space occupied by the chair in a folded configuration. A backrest is coupled to the central beams with a hub that allows an angle of the backrest relative to the central beams to be selected and for the backrest to be folded flat relative to the central beams. One or more actuators and pin actuators may control the relative movements of the backrest, front support, rear support, and central beams.