Seat element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seat elements require specialized tools for assembly, are cumbersome during storage and transport due to pre-assembled structures, and suffer from unstable attachment and damage during use and disassembly, especially when upholstered.
Innovation Solution
A seat element design featuring a tubular metal frame with lateral plates and a snap coupling system using flexible springs and tabs that securely attach and detach without abrasion, allowing easy assembly and disassembly, and reducing production costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If pre-assembled structures are used, then the final product is ready for use, but the structure becomes cumbersome and unwieldy during storage and transport
Solution Approach 1:
The seat element is divided into two separate parts: the frame and the seat. These parts can be stored and transported independently, reducing bulk and improving convenience. The frame includes lateral plates and the seat includes tabs that connect through shaped couplings, allowing easy separation and reassembly without requiring specialized tools.
2Ease of manufacture
If attachment devices with shaped couplings are used, then assembly is simplified, but the attachment becomes unstable over time due to wear and production tolerance
Solution Approach 1:
The connection between frame and seat is reinforced at specific critical locations through shaped couplings. The lateral plates of the frame engage with tabs on the seat through precisely formed interlocking geometries at the connection points, providing localized stability that compensates for general wear and tolerance accumulation over time.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional attachment devices are used, then assembly is possible, but the attachment devices break during assembly and cause abrasion damage to the seat
Solution Approach 1:
The shaped coupling acts as an intermediary mechanism between the frame and seat, replacing direct metal-to-material contact. The interlocking geometries of the lateral plates and tabs distribute assembly forces through the coupling interface rather than concentrating stress on the seat material, preventing abrasion and device breakage during assembly and disassembly operations.
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 seat element is practical for assembly and storage, maintains stability over time, and reduces production and labor costs while preventing damage to the seat, enabling efficient storage and transport.
Implementation Method 1
a snap coupling element (32) positioned between said at least one tab (28) and said at least one plate (24), flexible in relation to said plate (24) and to said tab (28) so as to block the seat (12) to the frame (8)
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
Figure 6~7
AI summary
A seat element (4) comprising a frame (8), a seat (12) associable to said frame (8), wherein the frame (8) and the seat (12) are made separately from each other and can be engaged and disengaged from each other. Advantageously, the frame (8) comprises at least one lateral plate (24) and the seat (12) comprises at least one tab (28) which, in an assembled configuration, couples at least partially onto said lateral plate (24) in a shaped coupling. Between the at least one tab (28) and the at least one plate (24) a snap coupling element (32) is positioned, which is flexible in relation to the plate (24) and to the tab (28) so as to block the seat (12) to the frame (8) in an assembled configuration of the element (4).