Rocking Exercise Chair With Elastomeric Fastener for Spinal Motion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Prolonged sitting in conventional chairs leads to unnatural spinal alignment, reduced joint mobility, and increased risk of backaches and spinal pathology due to lack of essential spinal movements.
Innovation Solution
An exercise chair with a rocking assembly that allows multidirectional and multidimensional movement, coupled with an elastomeric fastener for smooth motion, encouraging users to make small adjustments and exercise their core musculature and spine.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a conventional chair provides stable static support, then the user experiences firm seating, but the spine and soft tissues cannot accommodate essential movements leading to spinal irritation and muscle spasm
Solution Approach 1:
The chair incorporates a rocking mechanism with elastomeric fasteners that enable the seat to dynamically adjust and rock in response to user movement, transforming the static chair into a dynamic system that accommodates spinal movements and prevents irritation
2Ease of manufacture
If the chair structure is rigid and fixed, then manufacturing and assembly are simplified, but the user cannot make small adjustments leading to loss of core musculature strength
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomeric fasteners provide inherent flexibility and adjustability without complex mechanisms, allowing the chair to easily adapt to user movements while maintaining simple assembly and manufacturing processes
3Strength
If the fastener is made from rigid materials, then the connection between base plate and rocking assembly is strong, but the motion of the rocking assembly is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener material is changed from rigid to elastomeric, fundamentally altering the mechanical properties to provide both strength and flexibility, enabling the rocking assembly to move freely while maintaining secure connection
Solution Approach 2:
The use of elastomeric materials in the fastener creates a composite structure that combines the strength needed for secure attachment with the flexibility required for multidirectional rocking motion
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 exercise chair reduces spinal irritation and discomfort by promoting frequent rebalancing and movement, thereby maintaining spinal health and reducing the risk of backaches and spinal pathology.
Implementation Method 1
at least a portion of the fastener is made from elastomeric materials so as to assist in the motion of the rocking assembly
Data Source
AI summary
A device for moving the back and core muscles while sitting includes a rocking assembly that sits atop a base assembly, and optionally a height adjustment mechanism between the rocking assembly and the base assembly. The rocking assembly further includes a rocking mechanism that sits between a base plate or platform and a seat. The rocking mechanism can be, for example, a hollow or solid hemispheric- or dome-shaped rocking mechanism, an eccentric bicylinder rocking mechanism, and/or a rocking mechanism based on an arrangement of halfpipe members. The rocking mechanisms of the exercise chair allow to the seat to rock, wobble, and/or swivel with a side-to-side rocking motion, a front-to-back rocking motion, or both a side-to-side rocking motion and a front-to-back rocking motion.