Seat Support Structure With Elastic Arms for Weight-Adaptive Rocking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing seating structures that adapt to body weight often require complex constructions, leading to high costs and unhealthy posture due to the need for counteracting deformation forces, and they fail to provide comfortable support across a range of user weights without adjusting springs.

Innovation Solution

A seating structure with a rocking mechanism that uses supporting arms with elastic deformability and a guide element to change spring forces, allowing the seat to actively move and adjust to user weight, eliminating the need for weight-dependent spring adjustments and promoting healthy posture.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a complex rocking device mechanism is used to automatically change spring forces, then basic compensation for different body weights is achieved, but the constructional complexity increases leading to high costs and heavy weight

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompensation for different body weightsVSAvoidconstructional complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates the complex rocking device mechanism from the seating structure. Instead of using a complex mechanism to automatically change spring forces, the invention uses a simpler supporting arm with elastic deformability that directly provides the needed adaptation to different body weights, thereby reducing constructional complexity while maintaining the compensation function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the physical state and properties of the supporting arm by introducing elastic deformability. The supporting arm's elasticity allows it to automatically adapt to different body weights through deformation, replacing the need for a complex mechanical rocking device while achieving the same compensation effect.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If the backrest is formed by two skins with multiplicity of articulations, then the backrest can react to force and change shape, but the skins without inherent stability behave like a link chain and encourage rounded-back posture

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereaction to force and shape changeVSAvoidrounded-back posture
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the unstable skin-link chain structure with a flexible supporting arm that has inherent stability. The supporting arm maintains its structural integrity while allowing controlled elastic deformation, providing both adaptability to force and support for healthy posture, eliminating the rounded-back problem caused by the unstable skin structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The supporting arm features an arcuate profile in specific regions, providing controlled curvature that maintains structural stability while allowing elastic deformation. This curved design enables the arm to react to applied forces in a controlled manner, supporting healthy posture rather than encouraging rounded-back positioning.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Ease of operation

If spring forces are adjusted to accommodate different user weights, then comfortable support is provided, but the mechanism requires weight-dependent spring adjustments increasing complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomfortable supportVSAvoidspring adjustment mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The supporting arm with elastic deformability serves itself by automatically adapting to different user weights through its inherent elasticity. No external adjustment mechanism is needed - the arm's material properties enable it to self-adjust to provide comfortable support for various weights, eliminating complex spring adjustment mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

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 seating structure provides comfortable support for users of varying weights by actively adjusting to their body position, reducing the need for complex mechanisms and maintaining comfort without requiring spring adjustments, thus addressing the issues of cost and posture.

Implementation Method 1

the upper support and the lower support having an arcuate profile in the region B of the rear seat part and in the region C of the lower backrest part

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

the upper support being guided in a region A of the front seat part by at least one guide element

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGuided movement:

Implementation Method 3

the upper support and the lower support being positioned with respect to each other in the region B of the rear seat part or in the region C of the lower backrest part by at least one connecting link

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectForce transmission:

Data Source

PatentEP2689693B1Load support structure
Publication Date: 2016.09.14 HERMAN MILLER INC
  • EP2689693B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1b
  • EP2689693B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2689693B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A load support member includes spaced apart beam members, a linking member and a stop member. In another aspect, the beam includes a support surface defining first and second landing regions, which are in contact with and support a membrane. In another aspect, a brace member is secured between laterally spaced beams, with the brace member having a greater height than width at the end thereof and a greater width than height at the middle thereof. In another aspect, a pair of armrests are joined to a cross member and a pair of spaced apart beams in a releasable engagement. In yet another aspect, a pair of beam members are fixedly joined with a cross member, which is pivotally connected to a link pivotally connected to the beams. A method of assembling a load support structure is also provided.