Oval Tubular Frame Furniture for Low-Height Secure Stacking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional frame furniture, such as chairs and tables, face challenges in minimizing stacking height and ensuring secure alignment when stacked, due to their circular cross-section tubular elements which do not efficiently interlock.
Innovation Solution
The use of elliptic or oval cross-section tubular elements with a major and minor axis intersecting at an angle less than 90°, allowing the furniture to align as cones when stacked, and incorporating a stacking buffer and guide for secure and rattle-free storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If circular cross-section tubular elements are used, then the manufacturing is simple and structurally sound, but the stacking height cannot be minimized and alignment is insecure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies spheroidality by transitioning from a circular cross-section to an elliptic or oval cross-section. This curved geometric transformation allows the tubular elements to interlock more effectively when stacked, minimizing the stacking height while maintaining structural integrity. The elliptic shape creates a conical alignment effect that secures the furniture pieces together during stacking.
2Manufacturing precision
If circular cross-section tubular elements are used, then the structural simplicity is maintained, but the alignment precision during stacking is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetry by using an elliptic or oval cross-section instead of a symmetric circular one. This asymmetric geometry creates a directional orientation that ensures precise alignment when furniture pieces are stacked. The elongated axis of the ellipse provides a natural guiding direction that prevents misalignment and secures the stacked configuration.
3Length of moving object
If elliptic cross-section tubular elements are used, then stacking space is reduced and alignment is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the cross-sectional geometry parameters from a circle (equal radii) to an ellipse or oval (different major and minor axes). This parameter transformation enables the tubular elements to nest more efficiently during stacking, reducing the overall stacking space while the manufacturing process remains adaptable to this geometric variation.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a frame furniture comprising a furniture element (14) being plate-shaped at least in some areas and having an at least partially nearly horizontal extension and being arranged on a carrier frame (18) which has a leg element (20A, 20B) on both sides, respectively, regarding a vertical furniture median plane, the leg element (20A, 20B) consisting of a tubular element bent in such a way that the tubular element forms a front and rear furniture leg (22A, 22B, 24A, 24B). The tubular elements each have an elliptical or oval cross section having a long major axis and a short minor axis, wherein the major axis and the minor axis intersect with the vertical furniture median plane over the length of the particular tubular element at an angle less than 90°.