Apparatus for supporting and rocking a person in a prone position
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing apparatuses for supporting and rocking a person in a prone position, such as those based on the Alexander Technique's monkey position, suffer from inefficient mounting mechanisms that require powerful motors and can lead to non-uniform motion due to contamination, and lack smooth, energy-efficient rocking motion.
Innovation Solution
A mounting system using pivotally connected linkage members to create a robust and reliable mechanism for rocking a platform, allowing smooth and energy-efficient movement, with a pivot axis located above the platform to enhance relaxation and sleep induction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If a traditional mounting mechanism is used to rock the platform, then the platform can be moved, but the mechanism requires powerful motors and consumes excessive energy
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot axis is positioned above the platform at a height where the center of mass of the platform-person system naturally balances during rocking motion. This equipotential positioning allows gravity to assist the rocking motion rather than resist it, dramatically reducing the power required from the motor to achieve and maintain rocking motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a traditional horizontal or low-level pivot mounting to a vertical dimension by positioning the pivot axis above the platform. This dimensional change in pivot location creates a pendulum-like motion where the platform rocks along a circular arc, utilizing gravitational potential energy conversion to reduce motor power requirements.
2Reliability
If a traditional mounting mechanism is used, then the platform can be rocked, but the motion becomes non-uniform when contaminated with dirt and debris
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the pivot axis from the traditional mounting location near the platform and relocates it to an elevated position above the platform. This separation distances the critical rotation point from contaminants on the platform surface, preventing dirt and debris from interfering with the rocking motion and maintaining uniformity over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The elevated pivot axis acts as an intermediary that mediates the rocking motion between the motor and the platform. By positioning the pivot above the platform, it creates a cleaner interface less susceptible to contamination, ensuring reliable and uniform motion transmission even in dirty environments.
3Ease of operation
If the pivot axis is positioned at traditional locations, then the mounting is simple, but the rocking motion does not effectively induce relaxation and sleep
Solution Approach 1:
Positioning the pivot axis above the platform at the appropriate height creates an equipotential rocking motion where the center of mass follows a natural arc that minimizes abrupt movements. This produces a smooth, cradle-like rocking effect that effectively induces relaxation and sleep, while the modular mounting design keeps implementation complexity manageable.
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 solution provides a more stable, efficient, and consistent rocking motion, reducing power requirements and improving relaxation and sleep quality by optimizing the rocking frequency and pivot axis location.
Implementation Method 1
a mounting system that mounts the platform to the base and enables the platform to be rocked relative to the base, the mounting system comprising at least one linkage mechanism including a plurality of rigid linkage members that are pivotally connected to each other, to the base and to the platform
Implementation Method 2
a first linkage member having a first end and a second end, the first end of the first linkage member being pivotally connected to a first one of the base and the platform at a first pivot point
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to apparatus 1 for supporting and rocking a person, the apparatus comprising a base 2, a platform 3 that is configured to support a person thereon in a prone position, and a mounting system 4 that mounts the platform to the base and enables the platform to be rocked relative to the base. The mounting system 4 comprises at least one linkage mechanism 60 including a plurality of rigid linkage members that are pivotally connected to each other, to the base 2 and to the platform 3. In particular, the linkage mechanism 4 includes a first linkage member 61, a second linkage member 62 and a third linkage member 63, each of which has a first end and a second end. The first end 61a of the first linkage member 61 is pivotally connected to a first one of the base 2 and the platform 3 at a first pivot point P1. The first end 62a of the second linkage member 62 is also pivotally connected to the first one of the base 2 and the platform 3 at a second pivot point P2 spaced apart from the first pivot point P1. The first end 63a of the third linkage member 63 is pivotally connected to the second end 61b of the first linkage member 61 at a third pivot point P3 and pivotally connected to the second end 62b of the second linkage member 62 at a fourth pivot point P4 spaced apart from the third pivot point P3, and the second end 63b of the third linkage member 63 is pivotally connected to a second one of the base 2 and the platform 3 at a fifth pivot point P5.