The Conceptualisation and Development of a Space-Saving Multipurpose Table for Enhanced Ergonomic Performance

The Conceptualisation and Development of a Space-Saving Multipurpose Table for Enhanced Ergonomic Performance

Foldable furniture is a trend of the modern furniture industry. However, apart from limitations attributed to multifunctionality and space saving characteristics, a complete design process documentation of foldable furniture is uncommon in furniture research. This study aims to develop a space-savin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Inventions (Basel) Vol. 6; no. 4; p. 67
Main Authors: Cheng, Hou Yip, Ng, Poh Kiat, Nathan, Robert Jeyakumar, Saptari, Adi, Ng, Yu Jin, Yeow, Jian Ai, Ng, Kim Yun
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Basel MDPI AG 01-12-2021
Subjects:
Commercialization
conceptualisation
Consumers
COVID-19
Data analysis
Decision making
Design
engineering design
ergonomics
Feature extraction
Furniture
Inventions
Inventors
multipurpose
Pandemics
Prototyping
R&D
Research & development
space-saving
Statistical tests
Structural integrity
Telecommuting
usability
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Description
Summary:Foldable furniture is a trend of the modern furniture industry. However, apart from limitations attributed to multifunctionality and space saving characteristics, a complete design process documentation of foldable furniture is uncommon in furniture research. This study aims to develop a space-saving multipurpose table for improved ergonomic performance. Features and functions are extracted from research articles and patents for concept generation. The final concept is modelled using Autodesk Inventor Professional 2019. Mechanical simulations are done to confirm the structural integrity of the invention before prototyping and testing. The tests accounted for usage efficiency, space and usability. Using Minitab 19, the experimental data are analysed with t-tests. The survey data are analysed using Spearman’s correlation test via IBM SPSS Statistics version 21. Participants were able to complete tasks around 1.1–1.5 times faster with the proposed invention than with single-function furniture items. The amount of space occupied with the proposed invention was approximately 25–80% lesser than with the single-function furniture items placed together. The survey analysis demonstrated that there was a strong, positive and significant correlation between space saving effectiveness and ergonomic performance. Further developments to transition this invention to its commercialisation phase should be done to facilitate daily living domestic activities of society at large.
ISSN:2411-5134
2411-5134
DOI:10.3390/inventions6040067