Portable Rocking Chair Frame With Stable Multi-Point Ground Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing foldable and portable chairs lack the ability to rock while maintaining structural integrity and ease of folding, especially on soft ground or sand, due to intricate frame designs that require all legs to remain grounded for safety and stability.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible and portable rocking chair design featuring frame side assemblies with fulcrum points and rocker mechanisms that allow for rocking motion while maintaining multiple contact points with the ground, enabling the chair to be used as both a standard chair and a rocker without compromising folding and transportability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If conventional foldable chairs use intricate interconnections of frame members to ensure stability, then structural integrity is improved, but the ability to rock and adaptability to different surfaces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The chair frame is divided into separate functional components: a stable base structure with ground-contacting feet and a rocking mechanism with runners that can rock back and forth. This segmentation allows the chair to maintain structural integrity through the fixed base while adding rocking capability through the separate mechanism, resolving the contradiction between stability and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The chair design incorporates multiple functions into a single structure: it can function as a stable stationary chair when the rocking mechanism is locked, and as a rocking chair when unlocked. The frame members serve dual purposes of providing structural support and enabling rocking motion, allowing the chair to adapt to different usage scenarios and surface types.
2Strength
If foldable chairs are designed with rigid transverse connecting members for stability, then structural strength is improved, but portability and ease of folding deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting members transition from rigid fixed connections to dynamic pivot connections that allow relative movement between frame members. This enables the chair to be folded and collapsed for portability while maintaining structural strength when assembled, as the pivot connections provide stability during use but allow folding when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The structural parameters of the connecting members are changed from fixed rigid joints to pivot joints with controlled degrees of freedom. This parameter change allows the chair to exhibit different mechanical properties: rigid and strong when assembled for use, yet flexible and foldable when needed for storage or transport.
3Adaptability or versatility
If rocking chairs use arched rails with single contact points, then rocking motion is enabled, but stability on soft ground deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a single-point contact arched rail system, the invention introduces multiple contact points through separate feet extending from the frame members. This dimensional change from one-dimensional rail contact to multi-point ground contact provides both rocking capability and stability on soft surfaces, as the multiple feet distribute the load and prevent sinking.
Data Source
AI summary
A collapsible and portable rocking chair includes left and right frame side assemblies collectively defining forward and rear leg portions, armrests, and back support members. The chair also includes cross-members connecting the left and right frame said assemblies and collectively defining a seat support in the set-up condition of the chair. The cross members are pivotally connected to one another as well as to the left and right frame side assemblies to facilitate folding of the chair frame to a collapsed condition. Each frame side assembly is supported on a fulcrum point for rocking movement of the chair frame. A rocker mechanism is attached to the chair frame to support the chair during rocking movement and to facilitate rocking of the chair in connection with the user's shifting weight. The rocker mechanism may be provided in connection with a front leg member, a rear leg member, or both.