Stackable chair and a method of adjusting a stackable chair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Stackable chairs face challenges in minimizing vertical displacement during storage and accommodating diverse user needs due to mass production designs that fail to accommodate varying body shapes and comfort requirements, particularly in settings like orchestras where different seating positions are necessary.
Innovation Solution
A stackable chair with independently extendable legs and actuators that allow for adjustable seat height, back angle, seat tilt, and roll, enabling customization for individual users while maintaining stackability and ease of storage, using telescopic portions, push-button extensions, and actuators like electric motors for precise adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If chairs are designed with fixed dimensions for mass production, then manufacturing cost and simplicity are improved, but adaptability to different user needs deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the chair legs extendable and adjustable in length. Each leg can be independently extended to different lengths, allowing the chair to adapt to various user heights and seating preferences while maintaining a standardized base design for mass production. This dynamic adjustment capability resolves the contradiction between fixed manufacturing and variable user needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by allowing the leg length parameter to be variable rather than fixed. The legs can be extended to different lengths (e.g., front legs vs. back legs) to change the chair's geometry and accommodate different body types. This parameter variability enables mass-produced chairs to be customized for individual users without requiring completely different chair designs.
2Productivity
If chairs are designed with sloping legs and backrest for stackability, then storage efficiency is improved, but comfort and adjustability for different users deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains the sloping leg configuration for stackability while adding dynamic extension capability. The legs can be extended beyond their base sloping configuration when in use, and return to the compact sloping form for stacking. This dynamic transformation allows the chair to switch between storage-efficient mode and user-comfort mode, resolving the contradiction between stacking efficiency and adaptability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If chair characteristics are made adjustable for individual comfort, then adaptability to different users is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the adjustment function into independent leg extensions rather than complex integrated mechanisms. Each leg can be extended independently using simple extension mechanisms, avoiding the need for complex actuators that would adjust multiple parameters simultaneously. This segmented approach reduces device complexity while maintaining adjustability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the adjustment functionality from complex integrated mechanisms and implements it through simpler leg extension mechanisms. By taking out the adjustment function and implementing it through independent leg extensions rather than complex seat adjustment mechanisms, the patent reduces overall device complexity while achieving the desired adaptability.
4Adaptability or versatility
If leg length is extended to accommodate taller users, then adaptability to different heights is improved, but lateral displacement during stacking increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the leg extension adjustable and controllable. When stacking is required, the legs can be retracted to their base configuration, minimizing lateral displacement. When in use, the legs can be extended to accommodate different user heights. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to optimize for either stacking stability or user comfort depending on the operational state.
Data Source
AI summary
Storage of chairs when not in use, for instance in halls used by various groups, is a common problem which has been addressed by providing chairs that are stackable upon one another. Usually, this requires the chair to be composed of sloping legs and a sloping backrest, such that the seat of a lower chair can fit between the legs of an upper chair, and the backrest of the upper chair can rest on the backrest of the lower chair. It is desirable to be able to stack chairs with as small a vertical displacement as possible, usually limited by the depth of the seat, which is typically substantially horizontal. For instance, the base of an upper seat may sit (when stacked) on the upper portion of a lower seat. However, these chairs are usually mass produced and so designed to fit the average shape, which is not accommodating for a lot of people. The present invention provides a chair where seat 13 height, back 3 angle, seat 13 tilt and seat 13 roll are adjustable.