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The Conceptualisation of Inventive and Repurposable Children�s Furniture

Economics; Patents and inventions; Sustainable development; Cascading use of furniture; Child; Circular economy; Furniture; Innovation; Inventiveness; Lifespans; Repurposability; Repurposing; Useful life; Conceptual design; child; design; innovation; recycling; sustainability; Design; Economics; Fur...

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Main Authors: Phuah Z.Y., Ng P.K., Lim B.K., Nathan R.J., Ng Y.J., Yeow J.A.
Other Authors: 58028302800
Format: Article
Published: MDPI 2023
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id my.uniten.dspace-26631
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spelling my.uniten.dspace-266312023-05-29T17:35:58Z The Conceptualisation of Inventive and Repurposable Children�s Furniture Phuah Z.Y. Ng P.K. Lim B.K. Nathan R.J. Ng Y.J. Yeow J.A. 58028302800 36835757300 57907387100 24448658900 57885919700 56088534400 Economics; Patents and inventions; Sustainable development; Cascading use of furniture; Child; Circular economy; Furniture; Innovation; Inventiveness; Lifespans; Repurposability; Repurposing; Useful life; Conceptual design; child; design; innovation; recycling; sustainability; Design; Economics; Furniture; Innovation; Life; Processes; Safety; Specifications Every piece of furniture has a certain lifespan. Most furniture is eventually thrown away and ends up in landfill, thus polluting the environment. The idea of repurposability, where a product is used for another purpose at the end of its useful life, was developed to solve this problem. While there have been studies on the sustainability and innovative design of children�s furniture, these studies have not considered factors such as inventiveness and repurposability. This study aimed to conceptualise inventive and repurposable children�s furniture. Five concepts are proposed based on a synthesis of the patent literature, existing products and academic journals. These concepts are evaluated to determine which concept best meets eleven improvement requirements, which include improved aesthetics, cost, simplicity, manufacturability, functionality, comfort, ease of repurposing, durability, safety, sustainability and inventiveness. The result is that the invention can be used as a crib, highchair, bed safety rail, chair, pull-up bar, walker and toilet attachment. The concept is also inventive because (1) it has a large number of unique combinations of repurposable functions; (2) it has a unique shape and design that facilitate the repurposing process from one function to another; (3) it has a simple design so that users can transform the functions with ease. While retaining the added value of many repurposed functions, the extended life of this invention reduces consumer spending and saves space. This concept reduces waste and the consumption of natural resources. Further studies are needed to ensure that the concept meets all technical requirements and specifications for children�s furniture, including usability and safety. � 2022 by the authors. Final 2023-05-29T09:35:58Z 2023-05-29T09:35:58Z 2022 Article 10.3390/f13122053 2-s2.0-85144629705 https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85144629705&doi=10.3390%2ff13122053&partnerID=40&md5=6e5b9e7b952f48f9b1db3a8f7935c60e https://irepository.uniten.edu.my/handle/123456789/26631 13 12 2053 All Open Access, Gold MDPI Scopus
institution Universiti Tenaga Nasional
building UNITEN Library
collection Institutional Repository
continent Asia
country Malaysia
content_provider Universiti Tenaga Nasional
content_source UNITEN Institutional Repository
url_provider http://dspace.uniten.edu.my/
description Economics; Patents and inventions; Sustainable development; Cascading use of furniture; Child; Circular economy; Furniture; Innovation; Inventiveness; Lifespans; Repurposability; Repurposing; Useful life; Conceptual design; child; design; innovation; recycling; sustainability; Design; Economics; Furniture; Innovation; Life; Processes; Safety; Specifications
author2 58028302800
author_facet 58028302800
Phuah Z.Y.
Ng P.K.
Lim B.K.
Nathan R.J.
Ng Y.J.
Yeow J.A.
format Article
author Phuah Z.Y.
Ng P.K.
Lim B.K.
Nathan R.J.
Ng Y.J.
Yeow J.A.
spellingShingle Phuah Z.Y.
Ng P.K.
Lim B.K.
Nathan R.J.
Ng Y.J.
Yeow J.A.
The Conceptualisation of Inventive and Repurposable Children�s Furniture
author_sort Phuah Z.Y.
title The Conceptualisation of Inventive and Repurposable Children�s Furniture
title_short The Conceptualisation of Inventive and Repurposable Children�s Furniture
title_full The Conceptualisation of Inventive and Repurposable Children�s Furniture
title_fullStr The Conceptualisation of Inventive and Repurposable Children�s Furniture
title_full_unstemmed The Conceptualisation of Inventive and Repurposable Children�s Furniture
title_sort conceptualisation of inventive and repurposable children�s furniture
publisher MDPI
publishDate 2023
_version_ 1806427614903009280
score 13.222552

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