FURNITURE SYSTEMS
For many people, a gentle rocking motion can be a source of comfort or relaxation. This can be especially true for people in crisis, who are feeling out of control of their situation. Vestibular stimulation, provided by rocking back and forth, can help to minimise the impact of outside stimuli, providing a source of focus, and in turn a feeling of calm. The Ryno Rocker gives users valuable control over their motion, while being supported by comforting wrap-around arms. During the design process of another
With the introduction of the Ryno 2-seater, users can sit side-by-side with their peers and caregivers, ‘helping to build relationships and support therapeutic aims’.
and durability of the furniture enabled Pineapple to begin supplying Ryno products with a lifetime guarantee against manufacturing faults. As word spread about this
‘indestructible’ table, other customers began asking for Ryno by name. In the intervening decade, Pineapple has continued to innovate in the field of rotationally moulded furniture, and the Ryno range has been expanded to include additional furniture pieces – such as tables, chairs, benches, desks, and bedroom furniture. Last November, two new innovative products were introduced in direct response to feedback from customers, highlighting a need which hadn’t yet been met.
Two-seater Until now, rotationally moulded chairs have only been available as a single seater. With the introduction of the Ryno 2-seater, users can sit side-by-side with
their peers and caregivers, helping to build relationships and support therapeutic aims. The generous width of the product also comfortably supports bariatric users, which adds to its versatility, as well as avoiding the stigma that can be associated with dedicated bariatric furniture. In environments where patients are a
risk to themselves, furniture design can help to protect them from harm. Sharp corners, flat edges, and shapes with tight internal angles, can all be exploited to tie a ligature. Like other products in the Ryno range, the 2-seater has been carefully designed to minimise these risks, and includes softly radiused shapes, rounded edges, and gently sloping arms designed to make a ligature slide off rather than hold. For added safety the product is
heavily weighted to 123 kg as standard, which, when combined with the smooth, sculptural shape, makes it extremely difficult to pick up.
product for high-risk environments, Pineapple collected user feedback by providing a prototype chair to a client in Virginia in the US, and sought feedback from healthcare professionals on the effects of rocking furniture on service- user behaviour, as well as gaining further insight into the real-world experiences of service-users and staff. There was a clear indication that a rocking motion can be beneficial for some, with one participant noting ‘a 75% decrease in the frequency of seclusion or restraint episodes’. Like the 2-seater, the Ryno Rocker’s gently sloped arms and low back design have been carefully designed to minimise ligature risks to protect users from harm. For added safety, the Rocker is heavily weighted to 65 kg to prevent it from being picked up or thrown.
A ‘greener’ option In line with its sustainability goals, and in order to continue to mitigate the effect on the environment, Pineapple’s Sustainability team has been investigating ways of reducing the carbon emissions associated with the manufacture of its products. Accordingly, the Rocker is the first of the Ryno range to be designed to accommodate a ‘two-shot’ process. In this innovative manufacturing method, virgin polyethylene (in the colour of the customer’s choice) is added to the mould before being heated and rotated. After the outer shell has formed, recycled polyethylene is then added to the inside of the chair, bonding to the previous material. The resulting product now contains 40% recycled content, with a corresponding reduction in the carbon footprint generated by the creation of the chair. Pineapple continues to invest in
this proven production method, and is currently exploring more efficient rotational moulding production, which not only saves energy, but also reduces the amount of material used without compromising quality or recyclability. In its continued efforts to preserve
In June 2023, two new adult mental health wards opened at the Peter Hodgkinson Centre at Lincoln County Hospital. Needing secure furniture for a secure courtyard space, the Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust decided that water-resistant and highly durable products from the Ryno range would be well suited to the intended outdoor use.
THE NETWORK | FEBRUARY 2024
the environment, Pineapple has recently launched its most eco-friendly shade for Ryno products – OceanGreen, which is made from 50% recycled content derived from unwanted fishing nets and other equipment. Abandoned or lost fishing nets, ropes, and other fishing equipment, account for around 10% of the plastics that end up in our oceans.1
‘Ghost nets’ like these can be harmful to sea life, 33
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