ABSTRACT
With their properties, upholstery covering materials significantly influence the quality of upholstered products. These materials form the surface layer of upholstered furniture; any damage to this material is immediately visible to the user. We consider the stitches connecting the covering fabrics to be one of the critical points of the upholstered surface, therefore they must have the required strength. Faux leather is one of the most used upholstery materials. The main aim of the paper is to determine the effect of upholstery faux leather, stitch length, point needle, and needle size on the strength of the stitches and the seam efficiency. The results of the experiment proved the suitability of using a sewing needle LR for joining covering materials such as faux leathers. The highest force to seam a rupture in the joints was achieved in the direction of the warp yarns of the underlying layer of PU (Polyurethane) faux leather with a stitch length of 4 mm and needle type LR/90. The highest seam efficiency was achieved with seams in the direction of the weft yarns of the PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) faux leather underlying layer with a stitch length of 4 mm and needle type LR/90. If the underlying layer of faux leather is a fabric with canvas binding, a higher seam efficiency of joints is assumed.
ABSTRACT
Demographic changes can be observed all over the world. The number of seniors located in the societies of well-developed countries continues to rise. Both enterprises and governments need to be prepared for such changes. Consequently, public spaces need to evolve to reduce problems related to ageism and be friendly to all. Much attention is currently being paid to finding solutions for redesigning public spaces and adjusting them to the needs and requirements of senior citizens. To identify the preferences of seniors in relation to the characteristics of furniture in indoor public spaces, a survey study with 1539 respondents aged 60+ was conducted in Denmark, Finland, Latvia, Poland, Russia and Sweden. The gathered data were coded and implemented to the unified database. The statistical grouping method was used to recognize the characteristics of the needs and attitudes of seniors related to the use of public space furniture. The main variables taken into consideration in the analysis were the age and gender of respondents and their country of living. Among the most important findings are those indicating the necessity to provide the increased number of furniture for sitting in the public spaces and making sure they are not located too far away from each other. As the main disadvantages of public space furniture respondents indicated the lack of armrests or other solutions to facilitate getting up and/or sitting down, as well as profiled backrests that constitute solid support for the spine. The implementation of these data in the process of rethinking and redesigning public spaces may support the adaptation of indoor public furniture according to the requirements of a very large group of customers, namely, seniors.
Subject(s)
Interior Design and Furnishings , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Baltic States , Female , Humans , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
The number of seniors rises worldwide. The lockdown of public institutions caused by COVID-19 influenced the lives of many of them. In the new reality, owners and managers of public spaces need to rethink the way they provide their services, and redesign public spaces to meet the needs of senior citizens. This requires the recognition of the needs of seniors concerning the use of public spaces in the times of the COVID-19 hazard. To investigate this issue, survey studies with 1000 respondents aged 65+ were conducted. The implementation of the obtained data in the process of redesigning public spaces may facilitate the opening up after the lockdown. Taking into account the requirements of a very large group of citizens being seniors is crucial, as it was found that 55% of respondents will also be afraid to use public spaces after the COVID-19 lockdown. The selected ideas that could minimize the feeling of fear when using public spaces after the lockdown were evaluated by seniors.
