Locker seat assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern locker designs in athletic and sporting facilities lack innovative seating solutions that balance functionality and aesthetics, failing to provide comfortable and versatile storage options.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a modular locker seat assembly with a horizontal bench and independently movable, padded seatback portions connected by hinges, allowing for adjustable positioning and enhanced storage capacity behind the seat.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional simple wood or metal cabinets are used for lockers, then manufacturing cost and simplicity are maintained, but functionality and aesthetics are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the storage cabinet and seating functions into a single integrated locker assembly. The bench seat is positioned directly in front of the locker compartment, creating a unified structure where the cabinet door serves as the backrest support. This merging eliminates the need for separate storage and seating furniture, thereby improving functionality without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The locker assembly performs multiple functions: storage for athletic equipment, seating for users, and backrest support. The cabinet door serves dual purposes as both a closure for the storage compartment and as structural support for the seat backrest. This multi-functionality addresses the versatility requirement while maintaining reasonable design simplicity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If storage space is increased in lockers, then utility is improved, but available space for seating and overall dimensions may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes vertical space by positioning the bench seat at the front of the locker compartment and using the cabinet door as the backrest. This dimensional arrangement allows deep storage compartments without sacrificing seating comfort, as the storage depth extends rearward while the seating area occupies the front horizontal space. The design effectively separates the storage volume from the seating footprint.
3Adaptability or versatility
If fixed seating designs are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but comfort and versatility are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The seat backrest is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to be adjusted or removed as needed. The backrest is attached to the cabinet door in a manner that permits movement, enabling users to customize the seating configuration for comfort or accessibility. This dynamic element improves versatility while maintaining relatively simple manufacturing compared to complex adjustable mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A locker includes a pair of spaced-apart upstanding sidewalls having a pair of front edges. A generally horizontal seat extends between and at least partially forward of the front edges of the sidewalls. A lower seatback is connected at a lower extent by a hinge between the sidewalls and extending above the seat, the lower seatback is movable about the hinge between an open position and a closed position. An upper seatback is connected at an upper extent by a hinge between the sidewalls and above the lower seatback, the upper seatback being movable about the hinge between an open and a closed position.