Interlocking Furniture Support Base for Replaceable Legs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing support base systems for furniture are inflexible, requiring retooling or new molds for different shapes or sizes, limiting the ability to easily change or replace furniture legs without reconfiguring the entire system.
Innovation Solution
A modular support system comprising a hub with channels and legs with tapered fingers and washers that create a multi-dimensional force for secure attachment, allowing for interchangeable components and improved weight distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If die cast aluminum is used to manufacture the support base system with welded or attached legs, then structural support and aesthetic appearance are improved, but the ability to easily replace or change legs without retooling the entire system deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The support base system is divided into separate, interchangeable components: a hub component and a leg component with attachment mechanisms. The leg includes a finger that engages with a channel in the hub, allowing the leg to be detached and replaced without affecting the hub or other legs. This segmentation enables individual leg replacement while maintaining overall structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The finger of the leg is inserted into and nested within the channel of the hub, creating a nested connection. The attachment component fits inside the channel, securing the leg to the hub while allowing for easy disengagement and reattachment. This nested structure provides both structural support and interchangeability.
2Manufacturing precision
If a mold is created for a specific article of furniture shape and size, then manufacturing precision is improved, but the ability to produce different shapes or sizes without retooling deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The hub and leg components are designed with universal attachment features that can accommodate multiple configurations. The channel in the hub and the corresponding finger on the leg create a standardized interface that can be used across different furniture designs, allowing the same basic components to serve multiple functions and configurations without requiring custom molds for each variation.
Solution Approach 2:
The support base system transitions from a fixed, static design to a dynamic, reconfigurable system. The leg can be attached, detached, and reattached to the hub, allowing the furniture to be dynamically reconfigured or repaired. This dynamic capability enables production of different shapes and sizes using the same core components.
3Manufacturing precision
If the entire support base system is retooled to change leg shape or size, then manufacturing precision for the new design is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the support base into modular hub and leg components with standardized interfaces, the system eliminates the need to retool the entire assembly. Only the specific leg component needs to be modified for new designs, while the hub and attachment mechanisms remain unchanged, significantly reducing manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The leg component is extracted as a separate, independent element from the overall support base system. This extraction allows the leg to be designed, manufactured, and modified independently without affecting the hub or other system components, simplifying the retooling process when design changes are needed.
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
Enables easy replacement or modification of furniture legs without retooling, enhancing structural integrity and weight distribution while reducing material usage and manufacturing complexity.
Implementation Method 1
a finger that slideably engages the channel
Implementation Method 2
a multi-dimensional force is exerted that tightens the connection therebetween
Implementation Method 3
a multi-dimensional force is exerted that tightens the connection therebetween when the hub, the leg, and the washer are connected together
Implementation Method 4
the key forces the leg away from the hub
Data Source
AI summary
A support system comprises a hub comprising a channel, a leg comprising a finger that slideably engages the channel, and a washer that prevents the finger from disengaging the channel, wherein a multi-dimensional force is exerted that tightens the connection therebetween when the hub, the leg, and the washer are connected together. A method of connecting a support system for an article of furniture comprises inserting a finger of a leg into a channel of a hub to form a mating connection therebetween, connecting a washer to the hub to maintain the finger within the channel, and exerting a multi-dimensional force to secure the leg to the hub.