Support element of a base of a seat or a bed

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing support elements for furniture, such as seats and beds, face challenges in maintaining an unrestricted spring position for hardness adjustment devices, leading to increased manufacturing effort and undesirable buckling when forces are applied, as they are directly supported on the support arms with predetermined buckling points.

Innovation Solution

The support element features movably mounted hardness adjusters on the support plate, which move in front of extensions when loaded, allowing for separate functions of elastic support and hardness adjustment, with a rotating adjusting ring and friction-increasing surface for optimized fixation, enabling independent spring function and variable hardness settings.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If hardness adjusters are directly mounted on support arms with predetermined buckling points, then hardness adjustment function is achieved, but manufacturing effort increases and buckling occurs when forces are applied

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehardness adjustment functionVSAvoidmanufacturing effort
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The support element is divided into functionally independent components: support arms with bearing shells for elastic support, and separately mounted hardness adjusters on the support plate. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function without interfering with the other, eliminating the need for predetermined buckling points on support arms and reducing manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The bearing shells act as intermediaries between the support arms and the support plate, allowing the hardness adjusters to be mounted on the support plate without directly affecting the support arms. This intermediary structure enables hardness adjustment while maintaining the natural elastic behavior of the support arms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If hardness adjusters are mounted on support arms, then hardness adjustment is possible, but support arms cannot function elastically without predetermined buckling points

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehardness adjustment capabilityVSAvoidelastic support function
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The elastic support function and hardness adjustment function are segmented into separate components: support arms with bearing shells handle elastic support, while hardness adjusters mounted on the support plate handle firmness adjustment. This eliminates the need for predetermined buckling points and ensures reliable elastic behavior.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The hardness adjusters are designed to be movable relative to the extensions, allowing them to dynamically adjust between impeding extension movement (hard adjustment) and allowing free movement (soft adjustment). This dynamic design ensures the support arms maintain their natural elastic function while providing adjustable hardness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Adaptability or versatility

If hardness adjusters impede extension movement in hard adjustment, then firmness is increased, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevariable hardness settingsVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The hardness adjusters are designed as movable components that can be positioned to either impede or allow extension movement. This dynamic positioning mechanism provides variable hardness settings through simple linear movement rather than complex mechanical linkages, maintaining structural simplicity while achieving adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The hardness of the support element is adjusted by changing the positional parameter of the hardness adjusters relative to the extensions. By moving the adjusters along their mounting path, the degree of impediment to extension movement is varied, providing continuous or stepped hardness adjustment without increasing structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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

This solution allows for a complete separation of support arm functions and hardness adjustment, providing improved flexibility and responsiveness, ensuring the support element operates effectively in an unrestricted spring position with adjustable firmness, enhancing the overall support performance.

Implementation Method 1

the support arms with their bearing shells for elastic support of the bearing plate

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

hardness adjusters in the support plate are movably mounted, which are moved in a hard adjustment in the direction of movement of an extension when the bearing element is loaded in front of an extension and thus impede its movement around the axis of rotation

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical constraint:

Implementation Method 3

the adjusting ring is additionally equipped with a friction-increasing surface and is clipped into the bearing plate from above in such a way that both surfaces of the adjusting ring and the bearing plate form a common bearing surface

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentEP2976972B1Support element of a base of a seat or a bed
Publication Date: 2017.05.31 HARTMANN SIEGBERT
  • EP2976972B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2976972B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5
  • EP2976972B1 patent drawingFigure 6

AI summary

A support element of a spring base with a lower support element (2; 27) with a foot part (11) and support arms (3; 18; 23; 24; 25) extending therefrom, with lever arms (10; 20; 30 ); The type of hardness adjustment works better, just as a new effective type of hardness adjustment is made available, which is achieved in that the sides of the bearing shells (9; 19; 29) facing away from the lever arms (10; 20; 30) have extensions ( 12; 22; 32) extend in the direction of the support plate (1; 21) and in the support plate (1; 21) hardness adjusters (4) are movably mounted, which in a hard adjustment and in a direction of movement of an extension (12; 22; 32) are each moved in front of an extension (12; 22; 32) and that the hardness adjuster (4) in a are moved next to the extensions (12; 22; 32) in the spring position and allow free rotation of the bearing shells (9; 19; 29) about the axes of rotation (5; 35).