Seat Height Adjustment with Rigid Gas Spring and Stable Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seat height adjustment devices for recliner chairs lack comfort and stability, often producing unwanted noises and requiring more space, unlike office chairs which have different design constraints.
Innovation Solution
A compact and stable seat height adjustment device using a rigidly locking gas pressure spring with a guide mechanism, featuring a displaceable and stationary part design, and a fastening mechanism, made from materials like metal or bronze, to ensure smooth and noise-free height adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional height adjustment device is used in recliner chairs, then the device can provide height adjustment functionality, but it produces unwanted noises and yields when the user leans backwards
Solution Approach 1:
The gas pressure spring is designed with dynamic locking characteristics that adapt to different usage states. During normal sitting, the spring provides smooth height adjustment. When the user leans backwards, the locking mechanism engages to prevent yielding and noise, transforming the system from a purely dynamic adjustment mechanism to a locked stable state.
Solution Approach 2:
The device changes its mechanical parameters (locking force, stiffness) based on the usage condition. The rigidly locking gas pressure spring alters its effective spring constant and locking characteristics depending on whether the seat is being adjusted or bearing the user's weight during reclining, thereby eliminating noise and yielding during the recline phase.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the guide means is made of metal to increase stability, then the device becomes more stable, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guide means is divided into multiple functional segments: guide surfaces for directional movement, locking surfaces for engagement, and bearing surfaces for load transmission. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall stability, and simplifies manufacturing by allowing modular production of guide components.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide means utilizes composite construction combining metal components for structural stability with engineered plastic or bronze elements for low-friction guidance. This composite approach maintains the required device stability while reducing manufacturing complexity compared to all-metal construction, as the non-metallic components can be molded rather than machined.
3Volume of moving object
If the height adjustment means is made compact with parts arranged inside interior spaces, then the installation space is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The height adjustment means employs a nested configuration where the first part of the adjustment mechanism is positioned inside the interior space defined by the second part. The guide means is integrated within the housing structure, and the gas pressure spring is housed within the adjustment mechanism assembly. This nesting dramatically reduces the overall installation volume while maintaining functional simplicity through hierarchical integration.
4Stability of the object's composition
If the guide means is made of bronze for stability and smooth guidance, then the device stability and guidance quality improve, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Bronze or other high-quality low-friction material is applied only to the specific guide surfaces that require smooth movement and stable guidance, rather than using it for the entire guide means structure. The bulk structural components can be made from more economical materials, thereby achieving the required guidance stability and smooth operation while controlling manufacturing costs through selective material application.
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 enhances user comfort by preventing unwanted yielding and noise during height adjustment, while maintaining stability and compactness, suitable for recliner chairs with limited installation space.
Implementation Method 1
The height adjustment means comprises a rigidly locking gas pressure spring
Implementation Method 2
The guide means is designed to guide the displaceable part of the height adjustment means during such a displacement
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention relates to a device (100) for adjusting the height of a seat surface of a piece of seating furniture, comprising a housing (105), a height adjustment means (101) and a guide means (106), wherein at least a part (102) of the height adjustment means (101) is displaceable relative to the housing (105), and wherein the guide means (106) is configured to guide the displaceable part (102) of the height adjustment means (101) during such a displacement, wherein the height adjustment means (101) comprises a rigidly blocking gas spring.