Published Technical Disclosure Archive

Adaptive Ergonomic Seating: Dynamic Support Technology

Publication ID: 24-11857083_0001_PTD
Published: November 07, 2025
Category:Direct Improvements & Enhancements

Legal Citation

pr1or.art Inc., “Adaptive Ergonomic Seating: Dynamic Support Technology,” Published Technical Disclosure No. 24-11857083_0001_PTD, Published November 07, 2025, available at https://archive.pr1or.art/24-11857083_0001_PTD
This technical disclosure describes improvements that would be readily apparent to a Person Having Ordinary Skill In The Art (PHOSITA) when considered in combination with the foundational architecture disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 11,857,083.

Background and Problem Solved

The original patent disclosed a seating unit with a fixed support member, which may not provide optimal comfort and support for users with varying body types and weights. This new invention addresses this limitation by introducing an adaptive support member that adjusts its flexibility in real-time, ensuring a more comfortable and supportive seating experience.

Novelty and Inventive Step

The adaptive support member with real-time flexibility adjustment, the curved section for enhanced lumbar support, and the integrated ergonomic features represent a significant departure from the original patent's fixed support member. These innovations provide a more comfortable, supportive, and adjustable seating experience, which is not obvious from the original patent.

Alternative Embodiments and Variations

Alternative embodiments of the invention may include a support member with a manual adjustment mechanism, a seating unit with a removable and interchangeable support member, or a chair with a dynamically adjustable backrest angle. These variations can ensure broad conceptual coverage and adaptability to different user needs and preferences.

Potential Commercial Applications and Market

This invention has significant commercial potential in the office furniture industry, particularly in the areas of ergonomic seating and adjustable furniture. The target market includes businesses and individuals seeking high-quality, comfortable, and supportive seating solutions that can adapt to diverse user needs.

Field of Art

Ergonomic seating design and mechanical engineering, focusing on chair support structures and adaptive mechanisms for user comfort

Person of Ordinary Skill (PHOSITA) Profile

A mechanical engineer with expertise in furniture design, understanding of material properties, biomechanical principles, and adaptive mechanical systems with knowledge of ergonomic support structures

Obviousness Rationale

A person of ordinary skill would recognize that the PTD's variations represent predictable engineering modifications to the source patent's chair support system. The core structural elements remain consistent, with the primary differences being incremental improvements in flexibility, ergonomic adjustment, and material performance that would be apparent to a skilled practitioner seeking to optimize seating comfort and functionality.

Obvious Combinations & Variations

Source Patent Element
Support member extending along bottom surface of seat and rear side of backrest
PTD Variation
Adding sensor and actuator to dynamically adjust support member flexibility
Obviousness Reasoning
Integrating sensors and adaptive mechanisms is a known technique in ergonomic design, representing a predictable application of control systems to improve user comfort with expected and foreseeable results
Source Patent Element
Vertical backrest configuration
PTD Variation
Incorporating curved lumbar support section
Obviousness Reasoning
Ergonomic design commonly uses curved support profiles to enhance user comfort, representing a finite and predictable solution to improving spinal alignment that would be obvious to a skilled designer
Source Patent Element
Frame joining seat, support member, and legs
PTD Variation
Adding telescoping mechanism for height adjustment
Obviousness Reasoning
Adjustable height mechanisms are well-known in seating design, representing a standard technique for improving user customization with predictable mechanical implementations
Source Patent Element
Support member attached to backrest
PTD Variation
Implementing reinforced material for increased durability
Obviousness Reasoning
Material selection to improve structural performance is a routine engineering optimization that would be obvious to a skilled practitioner seeking to enhance product longevity
Source Patent Element
Fixed backrest configuration
PTD Variation
Adding tilting mechanism for backrest angle adjustment
Obviousness Reasoning
Articulating backrest mechanisms are standard in ergonomic chair design, representing a predictable solution for improving user comfort through mechanical adjustment
35 U.S.C. § 103 Summary: Based on the teachings of US 11857083, the variations disclosed herein represent obvious extensions of the prior art, where a person of ordinary skill would readily recognize the incremental technical modifications as predictable engineering solutions within the existing knowledge of ergonomic seating design. The disclosed variations do not rise to the level of non-obvious innovation, and therefore constitute prior art that would render similar claimed inventions obvious under 35 U.S.C. Section 103.

Original Patent Information

Patent NumberUS 11,857,083
TitleChair having a flexible support member
Assignee(s)Steelcase Inc.