Foldable Corrugated Event Chair for Rapid Assembly and Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing collapsible event chairs require significant time and labor to prepare for use, as their foldable blanks are not ideal for rapid assembly and disassembly, which increases the cost and reduces their portability and recyclability.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible chair is designed using a single pre-cut, pre-scored blank of corrugated fiberboard that can be easily folded between a closed storage position and an open sitting position, featuring a rectangular seat, a pivotable seat back, and triangular sides that can be adjusted through 90 degrees of pivoting rotation, allowing for quick assembly and disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional foldable blanks are used for event chairs, then the chairs can be collapsed for storage, but significant time and labor are required to prepare them for use
Solution Approach 1:
The blank is pre-cut and pre-scored with all necessary fold lines and cut lines marked before assembly. This preliminary preparation of the blank structure enables rapid assembly by eliminating the need for measurement and marking during setup, directly reducing preparation time while maintaining ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The blank is divided into multiple panels (seat panels, back panels, side panels) separated by score lines and cut lines. This segmentation allows each panel to be independently positioned and assembled through simple folding actions, significantly increasing assembly speed while keeping the chair collapsible for storage
2Adaptability or versatility
If complex foldable structures are used to achieve collapsibility, then storage portability is improved, but manufacturing complexity and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The chair structure merges multiple components (seat, back, sides, legs) into a single integrated blank. This unified blank design eliminates the need for separate parts and complex assembly mechanisms, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining full collapsibility through simple folding along pre-marked lines
Solution Approach 2:
The blank incorporates dynamic folding capabilities through score lines that allow panels to pivot relative to each other. This dynamic structure enables the chair to transition between extended and collapsed states without complex mechanical fasteners, reducing overall device complexity while preserving adaptability
3Productivity
If more labor is used to prepare chairs for use, then assembly quality is improved, but labor costs and preparation time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The blank is designed to be self-assembling through its pre-cut and pre-scored structure. The score lines guide the folding process and the cut lines define panel boundaries, allowing the structure to assemble itself with minimal manual intervention. This self-service mechanism dramatically improves assembly efficiency while reducing manufacturing labor requirements
Data Source
AI summary
A foldable, recyclable chair for stadium event patrons. First and second longitudinal score lines divide a pre-scored, pre-cut blank into left and right longitudinally-extended, mirror-image sections joined by a central section. The central section comprises five quadrilateral panels joined in tandem at transverse score lines, the topmost comprising two triangular panels joined by a trapezoidal panel. The left and right sections each comprise, in descending order, an upper flap panel, a rectangular array of triangular panels defined by intersecting diagonal score lines that join opposite corners of the rectangular array; a first trapezoidal panel that is bounded by a diagonal score line; a second trapezoidal panel joined to the first along the diagonal score line boundary thereof; and a rectangular panel joined to a lower end portion of the central section and separated from the second trapezoidal panel by a transverse cut line. The blank folds to form a chair that opens for sitting and collapses for storage. In a second version, the central section comprises seven panels joined in tandem at transverse score lines. A left longitudinal section includes an upper, four-panel assembly and a lower, two-panel assembly. The right longitudinal section is a mirror-image twin of the left.