Stackable Chair With Integrated Cup and Plate Holders

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Solution Overview

Problem

Standard stackable outdoor chairs lack a designated place for holding food and drinks, leading to spills and discomfort during events where food and drink are served.

Innovation Solution

Integration of a molded cup-holder in the left-hand armrest and a plate-holder in the right-hand armrest into a stackable, one-piece, injection-molded thermoplastic chair design, allowing secure placement of beverages and plates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If standard molded plastic chairs are used for outdoor events, then the chairs are lightweight and inexpensive, but guests cannot securely hold food and drinks leading to spills and discomfort

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconvenience of holding food and drinksVSAvoidchair structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the chair structure with integrated cup-holders and plate-holders by molding these features directly into the armrests. This combines multiple functions (seating, drink holding, plate holding) into a single unified structure, eliminating the need for separate holders or tables while maintaining the simple molded plastic construction approach

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Adaptability or versatility

If integrated cup-holders and plate-holders are added to the chair, then user convenience is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefunctional versatility of the chairVSAvoidmolding process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The cup-holders and plate-holders are merged into the armrest structure through integral molding, creating a single-piece construction that combines seating and food/drink holding functions without requiring separate manufacturing steps or assembly operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The armrests are designed to serve multiple functions: providing structural support for the chair, offering a handrest surface, and incorporating integrated cup-holders and plate-holders. This multi-functionality increases versatility while using the same basic molding process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If the chair design is modified to include holders, then spill prevention is achieved, but the chair may become less stackable

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestability of drinks and platesVSAvoidstackability of the chair

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The holders are designed with specific local geometries that provide stability for drinks and plates at the armrest locations, while the overall chair shape and stacking surfaces maintain their original simple contours. The local modifications are confined to specific areas and do not compromise the global stackability of the chair structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS8191963B2Stackable chair

Publication Date: 2012.06.05 GAMBOA GUSTAVO G

AI summary

In a stackable chair system, a plurality of chairs are provided, each chair having a back, a seat, and first and second armrests all integral with one another in an injection-molded thermal plastic construction. Each first armrest has an integral molded round cup-holder positioned in a region of an outer end of the first armrest. Each second armrest has an integral molded plate-holder in a region of an outer end of the second armrest. Each seat portion is contoured downwardly forming a seat depression. Each chair is dimensioned so that the chairs can be stacked on top of one another in nested fashion.