Lever-Based Locking Fitting for Effortless Seating Position Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seating and reclining furniture lacks flexibility and comfort due to rigid designs that require significant effort to change positions, especially for younger or older users, and often necessitates additional static furniture pieces for different functions, contradicting the open living space concept.
Innovation Solution
A locking device with a rim element, carrier, lever arm, and activating element that allows for adjustable and effortless rotational movement of seating furniture, enabling multiple positions without the need for additional furniture, and a fitting with a carrier plate, intermediate frame, and rotary element for simultaneous movement and rotation, allowing multifunctional use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a tension spring is used to tension rotary fitting components against each other, then the fitting provides automatic return to original position, but the rotational movement requires particularly great effort for younger or older people
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the tension spring from the system. Instead of using elastic elements to provide restoring force, the invention uses a purely mechanical locking mechanism with a locking lever that engages with locking notches on the rotary ring. This eliminates the continuous spring force that made operation difficult, while still providing reliable position holding through the discrete locking notches.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a locking mechanism with multiple locking notches is used, then multiple positions can be held, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The locking lever serves multiple functions: it acts as a blocking element that engages with locking notches to hold positions, serves as a lever arm for mechanical advantage during engagement, and can be actuated by the user to release positions. This multi-functionality allows the mechanism to provide multiple held positions without requiring additional complex components for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism transitions from a static spring-based system to a dynamic lever-based system. The locking lever can be actively moved by the user to engage or disengage from locking notches, providing controlled locking and unlocking actions. This dynamic approach allows simple engagement/disengagement while maintaining multiple position capability through the array of locking notches on the rotary ring.
3Stability of the object's composition
If furniture is designed as fixed and static, then structural stability is maintained, but flexibility for different uses is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic elements to previously static furniture components. The seat element can be rotated relative to the backrest through the rotary fitting mechanism, and the locking lever provides controlled locking at various angles. This allows the furniture to transition between different configurations (reclining positions, rotated orientations) while maintaining structural stability when locked in position, thus achieving both adaptability and stability.
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 solution enhances user comfort and safety by allowing easy adjustment of seating positions with reduced effort, eliminates the need for additional static furniture, and supports the open living space concept by enabling flexible and space-efficient use of seating and reclining furniture.
Implementation Method 1
at least one lever arm (1c) which is pivotably mounted at one end on the at least one carrier (1a)
Implementation Method 2
at least one lever arm (1c) which is pivotably mounted at one end on the at least one carrier (1a) and has at least one projection (1h)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a~3d
AI summary
The invention concerns an locking device (1), a fitting (2a) for seating and/or lying furniture (32).