Tool-free flat-pack chair with multiple configurations
This is a folding furniture system made of multiple flat panels connected by an interlaced strap hinge mechanism. The straps allow each panel to fold or unfold relative to its neighbor, acting like hinges without traditional hardware. Depending on how the panels are arranged, the same object can become a chair, stool, desk, lounge, or table. The design is flat-packable when folded and converts to functional furniture without tools.
What you could build
A flat-pack, multi-configuration furniture piece sold to consumers, dormitories, or small-space living markets — comparable to a more flexible IKEA stool — or licensed to a furniture brand targeting space-constrained urban or collegiate buyers.
Who in Virginia should care
Furniture retailers, dorm and hospitality suppliers, or small-batch manufacturers in Virginia's consumer goods sector; Virginia Tech's design programs could be a natural commercialization partner.
Readiness: Prototype likely
Concept — described but not yet demonstrated. Lab validated — supported by experimental results in the patent. Prototype likely — the text describes a built, working embodiment.
Readiness is inferred from the patent text, not from a lab visit.
The record
- Inventors
- Alex Taylor
- Granted
- December 13, 2016
- Status
- Granted patent
- Patent number
- 9516947
Ready to talk?
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties handles licensing for this technology.
Prosim summaries are generated from public patent text and are not legal advice.