Rear Lock Release Assembly for Fold-Down Chair Back Folding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Collapsible chairs with fold-down backs require disassembly for efficient storage and transport, leading to increased shipping costs, assembly complexity, and potential loss of parts, causing frustration and inefficiency.
Innovation Solution
The development of lock release assemblies accessible at the rear of the chair, allowing manual manipulation to rotate the fold-down back from an upright to a folded position, using mechanisms like retractable locking pins, pull tabs, finger levers, and push button housings to achieve a compact configuration without disassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If chairs are disassembled for storage and transport, then space efficiency is improved, but assembly complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The chair back is divided into multiple segments that can rotate and fold relative to each other, allowing the back to be collapsed into a compact configuration without complete disassembly. The back includes a top section, middle section, and bottom section that can be independently positioned.
Solution Approach 2:
The chair back is designed with dynamic locking mechanisms that allow it to transition between fixed (upright) and folded (horizontal) positions. The lock release assemblies enable the back to be quickly repositioned from upright to horizontal without tools or complex procedures.
2Volume of moving object
If chairs are disassembled for storage and transport, then space efficiency is improved, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanisms are pre-positioned and accessible from the rear of the chair, allowing users to quickly engage or disengage locks without searching for tools or complex procedures. The lock release assemblies are designed for immediate operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The chair back folding mechanism is designed to be self-contained and self-operating. The user can fold the back by simply manipulating the lock release assemblies without requiring external tools, assistance, or complex procedures.
3Volume of moving object
If chairs are disassembled for storage and transport, then space efficiency is improved, but risk of part loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The chair back is segmented into sections that remain connected through the seat frame, ensuring that no parts can be lost during folding. The top, middle, and bottom sections are mechanically linked and cannot separate from the chair structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The chair back sections nest within each other when folded, with the top section folding over the middle section and the bottom section remaining attached to the seat. This nested configuration ensures all parts remain contained and visible.
4Ease of operation
If lock release assemblies are made accessible at the rear of the chair, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lock release assemblies combine multiple functions into single components. Each assembly integrates the locking mechanism, release lever, and cable system into one unified unit that can be operated from the rear of the chair without exposing internal complexity to the user.
Data Source
AI summary
Lock release assemblies which are accessible at the rear of a rotatable fold-down back of a collapsible home or office chair. The lock release assemblies are adapted to be manually manipulated by the user to control the rotation of the fold-down back from a locked upright position standing vertically above the seat of the chair to an unlocked folded position lying horizontally over the seat in face-to-face alignment therewith. With the back rotated to its folded position, the chair will have a compact, space-efficient configuration which is suitable for storage and/or transport.