Packable assemblies and support members for packable assemblies
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercially available articles of furniture often compromise on build quality, comfort, and structural integrity to enhance transportability and packability, making them difficult to ship in compact volumes without compromising safety or user experience.
Innovation Solution
The development of packable assemblies and support members that can be easily disassembled and reassembled without specialized tools, featuring a main body with openings or grooves for insertable support members and attachment mechanisms, allowing for separation and reintegration of furniture components to provide structural support and stability while maintaining comfort and build quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If furniture is designed to be packable and transportable in compact volumes, then transportability and storage efficiency are improved, but structural integrity and stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The furniture is divided into separate modular components including a main body, support members, and attachment mechanisms that can be independently packaged and then assembled. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for compact storage while maintaining structural integrity when assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
Support members are designed to be insertable into openings or grooves within the main body, creating a nested configuration during storage that reduces overall volume. When deployed, these nested components extend outward to provide structural support, effectively transitioning from a compact nested state to a fully extended stable structure.
2Ease of operation
If furniture is made separable for ease of transport, then transportability is improved, but build quality and structural stability worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanisms are designed to be easily engaged and disengaged by users without requiring specialized tools or expertise. The support members can be independently inserted into the main body and secured through simple manual operations, enabling consumers to assemble and disassemble the furniture themselves while maintaining structural stability.
3Volume of moving object
If furniture components are separated for compact packaging, then packability is improved, but assembly complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanisms serve multiple functions: they securely fasten support members to the main body during assembly, provide structural reinforcement when deployed, and enable easy disassembly for repackaging. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components for each purpose, thereby simplifying the overall assembly process despite the separable design.
4Strength
If support structures are integrated into furniture body, then structural integrity is improved, but transportability worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The support members transition from a static integrated structure to a dynamic separable component system. During transport, the support members can be removed or collapsed, reducing the overall volume and easing handling. When deployed, they are reattached to provide the necessary structural support, allowing the furniture to adapt its configuration based on whether it is in transport or use mode.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a packable assembly comprising an apparatus. The apparatus may comprise a main body comprising one or more openings or grooves; one or more support members that are insertable into the one or more openings or grooves of the main body; one or more additional support members positioned external to or remote from the one or more openings or grooves of the main body; and one or more attachment mechanisms configured to releasably couple the one or more support members to the one or more additional support members to provide structural support for the main body.