Seat, chair, and load support body
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tiltable seats lack the ability to follow the natural movement of a seated person in front-rear and left-right directions, leading to instability and discomfort due to excessive freedom of deformation, which makes it difficult for the seated person to maintain posture while balancing a load.
Innovation Solution
A seat design featuring an elastic support layer sandwiched between an upper and a lower base unit, where the upper base unit is rollable in a 360° direction, compressing the elastic support layer as it tilts, allowing for stable and continuous movement in sync with the seated person, while the elastic support layer provides cushioning and damping effects to ensure safety and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the seat is made with high freedom of deformation to provide cushioning effect, then comfort is improved, but stability deteriorates making it difficult for the seated person to maintain posture
Solution Approach 1:
The seat is divided into multiple independent air cushions (first, second, third, and fourth air cushions) arranged in a matrix pattern. Each cushion can deform independently, providing localized cushioning while the overall structure maintains stability through the distributed arrangement of multiple cushioning elements rather than a single large deformable mass.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the seat structure is made complex to follow natural movement, then comfort is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seat employs a dynamic structure where the upper base unit can tilt relative to the lower base unit around a reference position. This dynamic capability allows the seat to follow natural body movements in front-rear and left-right directions. The movement is controlled by mechanical constraints (rotation axes and limiting walls) rather than complex active control systems, achieving adaptability with moderate structural complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the upper base unit rolls freely on the lower base unit, then movement freedom is improved, but noise and instability increase
Solution Approach 1:
An elastic support layer is introduced as an intermediary between the upper base unit and the lower base unit. This elastic layer allows the upper base unit to roll and tilt freely, providing movement freedom, while simultaneously absorbing impacts and reducing abnormal noise that would occur with direct rigid contact. The elastic material acts as a mediator that transmits necessary motion while filtering out harmful vibrations and noise.
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 design enables stable tilting motion and natural posture change support, offering a softer sitting feel, preventing abnormal noise, and ensuring the upper base unit returns to its reference position through elastic restoration, thus enhancing safety and comfort.
Implementation Method 1
the elastic support layer is compressed, and as a result, even with the structure where the upper base unit easily rolls on the rolling surface, the cushioning effect of the elastic support layer allows for ensured safety and prevents a situation where the upper based unit cannot return from a rolling destination, and as a result, the upper base unit can be appropriately returned to the tilt reference position by utilizing an elastic restoration motion of the elastic support layer
Data Source
AI summary
To realize a noble, useful seat with a simple structure designed to follow a natural movement of a seated person in front-rear and left-right directions and to support appropriately a movement of the person continuously changing its posture while the person balances a load. The seat includes the elastic support layer 3 and upper and lower base units 4 and 5 arranged to sandwich the elastic support layer 3. The upper base unit 4 includes the rolling surface 42e bulging toward the lower base unit 5 thereabove via the elastic support layer 3, is rollable in a 360° direction from the tilt reference position IRP in receiving a load of the seated person, and has a moving distal end side tilting more downward as a distance from the position IRP increases, and is configured to move while compressing the elastic support layer 3 by the rolling surface.