Split Seat Suspension for Rocking Comfort and Lateral Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seating devices do not provide optimal comfort and stability for prolonged sitting or lying, as they fail to accommodate the natural movements and instability of the human body effectively, leading to fatigue and discomfort.
Innovation Solution
A seating device with two independently movable partial seats, each equipped with pivot bearing spring devices allowing for different spring stiffnesses along multiple axes, enabling relaxed and secure sitting by allowing forward and backward rocking with low resistance, while providing greater rigidity for lateral movements, and incorporating adjustable suspensions and spring damper systems for enhanced stability and comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the partial seats are made rigid to provide stability, then lateral support is improved, but forward and backward rocking movement is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The seat is divided into two independently movable partial seats (first and second partial seats), each capable of rocking forward and backward independently. This segmentation allows each partial seat to have different movement characteristics, providing lateral stability while enabling forward and backward rocking motion for comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The partial seats are designed with dynamic characteristics through pivot bearing spring devices that allow controlled rocking motion. The spring elements provide a dynamic response to user movement, enabling easy forward and backward rocking while maintaining stability through the pivot bearing mechanism.
2Ease of operation
If the pivot bearing spring device provides low spring stiffness for forward and backward rocking, then comfort is improved, but lateral support is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot bearing spring device is designed with different spring stiffness characteristics for different directions of movement. The first spring element provides low stiffness for forward and backward rocking motion, while the second spring element provides higher stiffness for lateral movement, creating local quality differences in the same mechanical component.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring configuration creates asymmetric mechanical properties where the resistance to forward and backward rocking is deliberately made different from the resistance to lateral movement. This asymmetry in spring stiffness values allows comfortable rocking motion while maintaining lateral stability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the partial seats are made independently movable, then comfort and natural movement accommodation are improved, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seat is segmented into two independently movable partial seats, each with its own pivot bearing spring device. This segmentation enables independent movement of each partial seat to accommodate natural body movements while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The independent movable partial seats provide dynamic adaptability to user movement patterns. Each partial seat can move independently to follow natural body contours and movements, increasing versatility without requiring complex control systems.
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 device allows for comfortable and fatigue-free sitting or lying by providing multiple degrees of freedom, allowing natural body movements and instability compensation, resulting in improved posture and reduced muscle fatigue.
Implementation Method 1
each of the pivot bearing spring devices has a first elastic bearing and a second elastic bearing arranged next to the first elastic bearing, the elastic bearings being arranged next to one another in such a way that the first pivot axis runs between the elastic bearings and the second pivot axis runs through the elastic bearings
Implementation Method 2
per partial seat a pivot bearing spring device is provided with a first pivot axis running in a longitudinal direction, about which the respective partial seat is sprung and pivotable with a first spring stiffness, and a second pivot axis running in a transverse direction, about which the respective partial seat is sprung and pivotable with a second spring stiffness
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a seat device for supporting a sitting person, comprising: a first movably supported partial seat (101) for supporting the person and a second partial seat (103) for supporting the person, which is movably supported independently of the first partial seat and which can be combined with the first partial seat to form a whole seat. In order to enable better sitting, for each partial seat a pivot bearing spring device (115) is provided, said pivot bearing spring device having a first pivot axis extending in a longitudinal direction, about which the respective partial seat can be pivoted while sprung with a first spring constant, and a second pivot axis extending in a transverse direction, about which the respective partial seat can be pivoted while sprung with a second spring constant, wherein each partial seat is associated with the respective pivot bearing spring device by means of a lever arm (109).