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Member's Forum Our Design Challenges are Too Complicated... We should be solving the real problems..
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  • Replies 43 replies
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  • summer
  • cooling down
  • aircon
Related

Our Design Challenges are Too Complicated... We should be solving the real problems..

cstanton
cstanton over 2 years ago

Like designing products to solve why I'm stuck to this pleather chair in 83.8 deg F heatwaves and why we don't have a way to keep it cool.

If you're from the UK you'll know that air conditioning here really isn't a thing, and it's even harder if you're renting.

When you're working from home, this starts to get to be a challenge, a real hot one. There's only so much I can get from swamp coolers and fans blowing at me, and keeping the curtains shut.

What's worse though, is how hot the chairs are. Why on earth don't we have cooling chairs?

I mean, thermaltake have a cooling gaming chair. I'm not convinced about it though, but I'm even less convinced about this, which looks like five laptop fans stuck together in a pad:

imageimage

We used to have a wild idea of design challenges where people managed to produce products that would sell... if someone can get away with selling this kind of thing on amazon, phew do we overthink things :D

But seriously... how can I cool this chair? Maybe I should have heatpipes in the base...

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Top Replies

  • dougw
    dougw over 2 years ago +4
    If you just want cool, .... Get a canvas beach chair, get it wet, put a fan under it, strip off your pants, and have seat. Of course, this assumes you are not in an open concept office....
  • Gough Lui
    Gough Lui over 2 years ago +4
    Perhaps what is really needed .... is a heat-pump. Obligatory XKCD - this week's too: https://xkcd.com/2790/ We've had refrigerated CPUs in overclocked PCs ... (like this https://www.trustedreviews.com…
  • Gough Lui
    Gough Lui over 2 years ago +3
    cstanton said: if someone can get away with selling this kind of thing on amazon, phew do we overthink things :D I'd be more concerned about the people who can be convinced to buy such a thing and leave…
  • bradfordmiller
    bradfordmiller over 2 years ago in reply to dougw

    That probably works better in low humidity environments. Instead, use vodka and you won't even need the fan!

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  • cstanton
    cstanton over 2 years ago in reply to Doreen
    Doreen said:
    And if it is a rental, ask your landlord to do so.

    I wish UK landlords gave a damn. Unfortunately after renting for over 10 years, most landlords really do not care unless you pay for it to up their property value.

    I could unfortunately easily derail this thread talking about landlords, but let's stop it there.

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  • cstanton
    cstanton over 2 years ago in reply to shabaz

    Adding to this that the majority of those in the UK will end up using the "one exhaust hose" portable aircon units as opposed to the isolated "air intake and exhaust" units.

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  • cstanton
    cstanton over 2 years ago in reply to robogary
    robogary said:
    Chris 84F isnt a heatwave

    My lack of thermal regulation due to personal health conditions says otherwise Smiley

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  • cstanton
    cstanton over 2 years ago in reply to beacon_dave

    My knees could never :D

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  • beacon_dave
    beacon_dave over 2 years ago in reply to cstanton

    How about some sort of maglev underwear... Levitate an inch or so above the seat to avoid direct contact and allow plenty of airflow... 

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  • bradfordmiller
    bradfordmiller over 2 years ago in reply to Andrew J

    That must be list price, you can get them for much less. Refurbs are under $600 typically. Remember "it's a poor workman who blames their tools": that doesn't mean that good workmen can use poor tools, it means a good workman spends the money for great tools where it's needed. For those of us who sit 8+ hours a day in front of a screen, the chair is a very vital part of our tools.

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  • ntewinkel
    ntewinkel over 2 years ago

    image

    My first thought: mesh deck/camping chair with a wet towel on it and a fan underneath pointed upward. But the wet towel could get uncomfortable, and you’d get towel marks on your bottom.

    Further thought gets a little more complex… use the rain-screen type material that’s normally used under siding to allow airflow. It provides a small air gap. We can make a seat cushion with that in it, then hook up the large hose from the outlet of an oversized portable air conditioning unit directly to the inlet side of it. We can direct the outlet side to go upward for bonus cooling of lower and upper back too. Or just use a computer fan if you wanna be that way Shrug‍

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  • beacon_dave
    beacon_dave over 2 years ago in reply to ntewinkel

    '260 sq ft per roll sold only in pallet quantity' - that's quite a bottom we are dealing with here ! Slight smile

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  • cstanton
    cstanton over 2 years ago in reply to ntewinkel

    Starting this thread makes me think of the solutions I see in the subreddits RedNeckEngineering or TechSupportMacGuyver in a good way.

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