DWG-011 · MODULAR SOFA ACCESSORY · RISD 2024

Sofa Balancer

Counterweighted tambour wings stabilize a modular food-and-drink system on soft cushions.

DWG NO.DWG-011

CATEGORYMODULAR FURNITURE

SYSTEMINTERCHANGEABLE

CORETAMBOUR WINGS

YEAR2024

SHEET12 / 16

Sofa Balancer holding a drink beside a seated user — **FIG 01** — SEATED USE · SOFA-SIDE SUPPORT

SEC 01

Brief概要

STABILITY WITHOUT A HARD TABLE

Can the sofa itself become a reliable surface for oversized drinks and meals?

The modular organizer lowers its center of mass with counterweighted tambour-style wings that hug the cushion. Interchangeable inserts adapt the same core body for large tumblers, cans, ramen, fruit, and divided snacks—built for students, young adults, and people who work from the couch.

COURSEINTRO TO ID

FOCUSPHYSICS · MODULARITY

BUILD3D MODEL · PRINT

METHODPROTOTYPE · TEST

SEC 02

Balancing Principle平衡原理

Close view of the flexible tambour-style wing and tension cord — **FIG 02** — FLEXIBLE WING · TENSION CORD · WEIGHT

THE WINGS MAKE THE SURFACE

Flexible weighted slats drape over the sofa instead of asking the cushion to behave like a table.

The wings spread the load and pull the center body downward, resisting the tipping caused by tall cups. Their segmented construction lets one system conform to different arm widths and cushion profiles.

LOADCUP OR BOWL

COUNTERFORCEWEIGHTED WINGS

RESULTLOWER CENTER

Sofa Balancer with both tambour wings fully extended — **FIG 03** — FULL WING SPAN · FLEXIBLE SUPPORT SURFACE

SEC 03

One Core, Many Uses一体多用

THE PRODUCT IS A SMALL SYSTEM

A shared body and lid reduce the number of objects needed beside the sofa.

The kit was organized as a family: the balancing cup holder pairs with a cup-size reducer, ramen bowl, snack divider, fruit drainer, and Stanley-cup snack caddy. The same lid serves both the bowl and caddy.

Complete Sofa Balancer system arranged as a product family — **FIG 04** — CORE BODY · INSERTS · SHARED LID

Sofa Balancer modular components laid out vertically — **FIG 05** — MODULAR COMPONENT SET

SEC 04

Accessory Family配件系列

Stanley tumbler held by the Sofa Balancer accessory system — **FIG 06** — STANLEY CUP · SNACK CADDY

Can insert configuration — **FIG 07** — CUP-SIZE REDUCER

Ramen bowl configuration — **FIG 08** — RAMEN BOWL

Snack divider configuration — **FIG 09** — SNACK DIVIDER

Lidded bowl configuration — **FIG 10** — SHARED LID · BOWL

SEC 05

Resolved Use最终使用

FROM OBJECT TO ROUTINE

The result supports the way people actually eat, drink, and scroll on a couch.

The interchangeable top changes function while the counterweighted base remains familiar, making the system flexible without asking the user to learn a new setup each time.