Pivoting Seat Chair Design for Space-Saving Alignment Without Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing office chairs that can be stacked or lined up suffer from increased wear and tear due to direct contact between seat surfaces, and require significant storage space, compromising seating comfort and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The chair design features a pivoting seat surface that raises out of its receiving area when in the upright position, allowing subsequent chairs to be aligned without direct contact, using inner and outer receiving areas with defined contact surfaces to prevent wear, and includes a locking mechanism for the pedestal to facilitate alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If chairs are stacked or lined up for space-saving storage, then storage space efficiency is improved, but wear and tear on seat surfaces increases due to direct contact between chairs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a receiving area with a cushioning element as an intermediary between the seat surfaces of adjacent chairs. When chairs are stacked or lined up, the cushioning element absorbs the contact force and prevents direct rubbing between seat surfaces, thereby reducing wear while enabling compact storage arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent pre-positions the cushioning element in the receiving area before chairs are stacked or lined up. This preliminary placement ensures that the protective element is already in place to prevent wear, rather than requiring post-assembly adjustments or additional protective measures.
2Ease of operation
If seat surfaces are made wider for comfort, then seating comfort is improved, but the ability to line up chairs is compromised due to interference between seat and backrest
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the chair structure into distinct functional segments: the seat surface, the backrest, and the receiving area with cushioning element. This segmentation allows the seat to be optimized for comfort width while the backrest and receiving area are designed to enable proper stacking and lining up without interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the receiving area to accommodate parts of adjacent chairs in a nested arrangement. When chairs are lined up, the backrest of one chair fits into the receiving area of the adjacent chair, creating a compact configuration that works even with wider, more comfortable seat surfaces.
3Force
If weight is distributed on front seats in a row of chairs, then structural load is improved, but wear on rear seats increases due to increased load and friction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent places cushioning elements in the receiving areas of all chairs before they are assembled into a row. These pre-positioned cushioning elements protect the rear seats from wear caused by the weight and friction of front seats, even though the load distribution physics remain unchanged.
4Adaptability or versatility
If chairs are designed with a pedestal and pivoting seat for adjustability, then seating adaptability is improved, but storage space efficiency deteriorates due to inability to stack
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cushioning element and receiving area as separate functional components from the traditional pedestal-based stacking mechanism. This allows the pivoting seat and pedestal to be retained for adjustability, while the extracted receiving area components enable a new stacking method that accommodates the adjustable features.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the receiving area and cushioning element to work with the dynamic pivoting motion of the seat. The cushioning element remains effective whether the seat is in its adjusted position or stacked position, allowing chairs with adjustable pivoting seats to be stacked or lined up efficiently.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a chair with a base and a support articulated thereto, which is coupled to and supports a seat. The seat is connected to the support so as to be rotatable or pivotable about an axis of rotation between a seated position and an upright position. The support has at least one receiving area for the aligned placement of identical chairs in a row. In the upright position, the seat pivots out of the receiving area of the support, thus freeing it. This creates a chair that can be stored by arranging identical chairs in a space-saving manner.