Wide-Bodied Slat Chair with Triangular Base for Reduced Footprint
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a long-felt need for improved outdoor furniture, particularly wide-bodied, slat-construction chairs like the Adirondack Chair and Muskoka Chair, that offer better stability and versatility in outdoor settings.
Innovation Solution
A wide-bodied, slat-constructed chair with a non-quadrilateral base featuring a triangular, three-legged support structure, including a single rear leg and abbreviated side legs, which allows for increased positionability and stability, and a robust central chairback support, utilizing wood components and lateral supports for enhanced structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional Adirondack Chair with widely-spaced legs is used, then stability and comfort are improved, but the footprint and space occupation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The chair employs an asymmetric leg configuration where the rear legs are positioned closer together than traditional designs, creating an irregular base geometry that reduces the overall footprint while preserving stability through strategic weight distribution and center of gravity management
Solution Approach 2:
The design shifts from a square-based footprint to a triangular or trapezoidal base configuration, repositioning legs along the perimeter to create a more efficient space occupation pattern that reduces area usage while maintaining structural integrity through geometric optimization
2Ease of operation
If a reclined seatback design is used, then relaxation and comfort are improved, but tipping risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The chair incorporates rear legs positioned to provide counterbalancing support that offsets the forward tipping moment created by the reclined seatback, creating a stable equilibrium that allows deep recline angles without compromising safety or structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The leg positioning and base geometry are optimized to dynamically adapt to the reclined configuration, where the extended rear legs create a larger moment arm that counteracts the tipping force, allowing the chair to maintain stability across varying recline angles
3Ease of operation
If thick armrests are used, then comfort and support are improved, but material usage and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The armrests feature variable thickness with thicker sections at contact points for comfort and support, transitioning to thinner sections at non-critical areas, optimizing material distribution to provide ergonomic quality where needed while reducing overall material consumption and weight
Data Source
AI summary
New forms of wide-bodied, slat-constructed chairs, and methods for their use, are provided. In some embodiments, a wide-bodied, slat-constructed chair is provided which includes a reclined seatback, a sloped seat, wide-set yet thinner-than-traditional armrests, and a non-quadrilateral base. The non-quadrilateral base includes a specialized support structure with a specialized footprint, having, among other features, a generally triangular, three-legged base, having a limited footprint. In some embodiments, such a specialized support structure includes a single rear leg. In some embodiments, such a single rear leg is provided which does not extend rearward past or, in some embodiments, substantially past, the seatback of the chair.