Motorized Seating Furniture With Nested Pivoting Link Gear
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seating furniture designs face challenges in flexible electrical operation and space constraints, with a high risk of injury due to large gear components and limited construction space, especially when motorized elements move.
Innovation Solution
A seating furniture design featuring a tiltable seating element with a leg support element connected via a link gear, driven by an electric motor, allowing for flexible configuration and reduced risk of injury through central gear placement and slotted mechanisms, enabling various positions like television-viewing and sleeping configurations without significant space adaptation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If electric motors are used to drive link gear components, then automated operation and flexibility are improved, but the risk of injury increases due to large gear components forming outer contours
Solution Approach 1:
The patent places the link gear components, particularly the elongate pivoting links, inside the seating element structure rather than having them form the outer contours. The links are positioned within the construction space of the seating element, effectively nesting the mechanical components within the furniture structure, thereby eliminating the injury risk associated with exposed external gears while maintaining automated operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediate carrier as a mediator between the electric motor and the leg support element. This intermediate carrier receives the driving force from the motor via the link gear and transfers it to the leg support element, allowing the motor and gear components to be positioned within the construction space rather than forming external contours, thus reducing injury risk while maintaining automation
2Volume of moving object
If construction space is limited, then compact design is improved, but flexibility in attaching motors and gear parts deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a universal fitting structure that can accommodate different motor positions and configurations within the limited construction space. The link gear is designed with attachment portions that can be positioned at various locations on the seating element, allowing flexible motor placement without requiring significant space adaptation. This universal design enables the same basic structure to work with different motor types and positions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the third dimension (vertical space) within the construction space to position motor and gear components. Rather than spreading components horizontally, the design places the motor and link gear within the vertical construction space of the seating element, effectively using the depth dimension to accommodate mechanical components while maintaining a compact horizontal footprint
3Ease of manufacture
If link gear components are placed externally, then ease of manufacture is improved, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the link gear structure with the seating element construction by integrating the attachment portions directly into the seating element's carrying structure. The elongate pivoting links are positioned within the seating element's construction space and attached to existing structural elements, combining the mechanical drive components with the furniture structure rather than adding them as separate external assemblies, thereby reducing overall device complexity
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 design allows for flexible operation and reduced risk of injury with central gear placement, enabling various positions without significant space adaptation, and maintaining the leg support surface orientation for comfort.
Implementation Method 1
An electric motor is provided on the piece of seating furniture according to the invention below the seating surface and acts to drive the link gear
Implementation Method 2
The elongate link preferably pivots by an angle of more than 60°, and therefore the leg-support-element-side pivot axis is shifted at least by the length of the link or the distance between the pivot axes of the link
Data Source
AI summary
A piece of seating furniture with a base for setting up in a fixed position, a seating element tiltable in relation to the base and having a seating surface, and a leg support element movable in relation to the seating element and having a leg support surface. The leg support element is connected to the seating element via a link gear, wherein the leg support element is movable between a storage position and a use position via the link gear. An electric motor is provided below the seating surface, which acts on the link gear via a push rod. To connect the leg support element to the seating element, the link gear has a pivoting link which, during the transfer of the leg support element from the storage position into the use position, is arranged in part in a slot partially penetrating the leg support surface.