AU2004100623A4 - A seat - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Applicant(s): TIMOTHY COFFEY Invention Title: A SEAT The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 2 A SEAT Field of the Invention This invention relates to a seat. The seat may take the form of a stool, chair, couch or the like.

Background of the Invention Most seats are designed based on the assumption that sitting is a passive activity. Whilst advancements have been made to produce chairs which improve a person's posture while seated, the basic assumption is still that the person will remain relatively still. Thus, many people's lives require them to seat for long periods of time and therefore people are becoming increasingly sedentary, seating in one position for long periods and therefore not getting enough exercise.

Most attempts to overcome these problems relate to making the chair swivel relative to a base or to make the chair moveable by locating the chair on casters.

Thus, whilst many chairs do provide some degree of movements by including mechanisms which provide tilting or rotation of the seat and the back rest, these movements are restricted to two dimensional movements and usually up and down movements and back and forth movements.

Furthermore, these movements are usually in sequence and do little to add to the seating experience or to provide exercise.

Summary of the Invention The present invention may be said to reside in a seat comprising: a base; a seat portion upon which a person is able to sit; and Z \tella\Keep\Speci\SHW\Tim Coffey Prov A Seat.doc 30/07/04 3 at least one pole extending between the base and the seat portion for supporting the seat portion above the base, and wherein the at least one pole allows flexible movement of the seat portion relative to the base.

The ability of the seat portion to move relative to the base encourages the occupant to move so that seating becomes an active experience. This increases the enjoyment of merely sitting to perform tasks because the flexible movement of the seating portion induces a pleasant consciousness of bodily sensation and a heightened sense of well being. Furthermore, the ability of the seat portion to move relative to the base in a flexible manner encourages gentle exercise while occupying the seat, which also adds to the enjoyment of sitting and has positive health benefits.

In one embodiment, the pole is rigidly connected to the base and the seat portion, and the pole is flexible to provide the flexible movement of the seating portion relative to the base.

In one embodiment the flexible pole is formed from ramin wood.

In other embodiments, the flexible pole could be formed from other flexible material such as plastic material, tish tensile metal or the like.

In another embodiment, the pole is rigid and the seat includes a first coupling for coupling the at least one pole to the base, and a second coupling for coupling the at least one pole to the seating portion, at least one of the couplings being flexible to provide the flexible movement of the seat portion relative to the base.

Zt\ste11a\Keep\Speci\SHW\Tim Coffey Prov A Seat.doc 30/07/04 4 In a still further embodiment, both the pole and the at least one of the couplings are flexible to provide the flexible movement of the seat portion relative to the base.

In the preferred form of the invention the seat comprises a flexible joint which joins the pole to the base. This embodiment provides a greater range of movement because the flexible joint can enable the seat portion to move in just about any manner. Furthermore, because the flexible joint is at the bottom of the pole the range of movements is much wider. The nature of the joint can be chosen so that it requires some effort on behalf of the seated person to move the seat which means varying degrees of effort may be required. This, combined with the fact that the movement is multi-directional allowing three dimensional movement results in a greater degree of exertion and therefore exercise to the person using the seat whilst at the same time making the seating experience much more enjoyable and also encourages exercise whilst doing a task.

In one embodiment, the at least one pole comprises a single pole.

In other embodiments, two or more poles are provided for supporting the seat portion above the base.

In one embodiment, the seat portion comprises two separate seat sections, each section being supported above the base by at least one pole.

In some embodiments, a back rest is provided and the back rest is supported above the base by at least one further pole.

Z:\stella\Keep\Speci\SHW\Tim Coffey Prov A Seat.doc 30/07/04 5 Again, in this embodiment, the pole may be flexible or may be rigid and connected to the base and the backrest by a flexible coupling.

The backrest may comprise a plurality of separate backrest sections, each supported above the base by a separate pole.

Preferably the flexible coupling comprises a resilient mount for receiving the pole so that the pole can move in the resilient mount relative to the base and/or seat portion.

The resilient mount may be formed from plastics material, rubber material or any other suitable flexible material.

The invention may also be set to residing a seat comprising; a base; a seat portion upon which a person is able to seat; a back rest; at least one pole extending between the base and the back rest for supporting the back rest above the base and wherein the at least one pole allows flexible movement of the back rest relative to the base.

This aspect of the invention provides similar advantages to those referred to above in that the back rest provides flexible movement which increases enjoyment of seating and also enables some exercise to take place while performing other tasks.

This aspect of the invention may also include the pole extending between the seat and the base and the other preferred features which are described above.

Z:\stella\Keep\Speci\SHW\Tim Coffey Prov A Seat.doc 30/07/04

I

6 Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a seat according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a view of the seat of Figure 1 showing movement of the seat; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a seat according to a second embodiment; Figure 4 is a view showing movement of the seat of Figure 3; Figures 5, 6 and 7 are views of the seat of Figures 1 and 2 showing further ways in which the seat can move; Figure 8 is a view of a still further embodiment of the invention; Figure 9 is a view of another embodiment Figure 10 is a view of a still further embodiment of the invention; Figure 11 is a view of an embodiment of a seat in the form of a chair; Figure 12 is a view of a still further embodiment of the invention; Figure 13 is a view of the embodiment of Figure 12 showing different ways in which the seat can move; Figure 14 is a drawing showing a seat including flexible couplings according to one embodiment of the invention; Figure 15 is a series of drawings showing the manner in which a seat of one embodiment of the invention can move; Figure 16 is a series of drawings showing the manner in which a seat according to another embodiment can move; and Figures 17 and 18 are views of still further embodiments.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments Figures 1 to 10 show various embodiments of the invention in the form of stools. The stools are preferably formed Z,\ste11a\Keep\Speci\SHW\Tim Coffey Prov A Seat.doc 30/07/04 7 from wood, but may be formed from other materials, including metal, plastic and the like.

With reference to Figure 1, the seat has a base 10 and a seat portion 12 upon which a user can sit. The seat portion 12 is supported above the base 10 by a single pole 14. The single pole 14 is rigidly connected to the base and the seat portion 12. In this embodiment, the pole 14 is flexible and is most preferably formed from ramin wood. The pole is preferably attached to the base 10 and the seat portion 12 by locating the pole in holes formed in the base 10 and seat portion 12. The pole 14 may be glued or otherwise fastened in place.

The seat portion 12 is preferably flexible in nature.

Further, the seat portion may be rigid and padded to provide a degree of comfort.

The ramin pole 14 is very flexible in nature, thereby enabling the pole to flex, as shown in Figure 2, when a person sits on the seat portion 12 and changes his and her weight distribution or position, as illustrated by the speckled depiction of the seat portion 12' and pole 14' which illustrate flexible movement of the seat portion 12' relative to the base 10. Thus, a person is able to move in any direction by shifting his or her weight, or by pushing against the floor so that sitting on the seat becomes an active experience rather than a mere passive experience. This enables a person to easily move to perform other tasks, whether they be leaning over to pick up something or the like, as well as performing simple exercises. The floating movement which is provided by the flexible movement of the seat portion 12 relative to the base 10 also provides a more enjoyable seating experience.

Figure 3 shows a further embodiment of the invention in which the pole 14 is rigid and is connected to the base Z \stella\Keep\Speci\SHW\Tim Coffey Prov A Seat.doc 30/07/04

I

8 and the seating portion 12 by flexible couplings 16. In the preferred embodiment, the couplings 16 are both flexible. However, only one of the couplings 16 could be flexible and the other could be rigid if desired. As is shown in Figure 4, the flexible couplings 16 allow the same type of movement of the seat portion 12, as shown by the speckled outline of the seat portion 12' and pole 14' in Figure 4.

Figures 5 and 6 show various ways in which the seat of Figures 1 and 2 can move. In Figure 5, the pole 14 bends into a slightly U-shaped configuration, enabling the seat portion 12 to tilt, as shown by the speckled outline 12'.

In Figure 6, the pole 14 simply flexes to the side, enabling a sideward movement of the seat portion 12. In Figure 7, the pole bends and pivots around its connection with the base 10 so the seat portion 12 can move in a generally circular fashion as shown by the speckled outline in Figure 7 or twisted around in the base with the seat portion 12 also twisting around the pole.

Figure 8 shows a still further embodiment in which the seat portion 12 is supported above the base 10 by two poles 14. The poles 14 limit the movement of the seat portion 12 to generally one plane (parallel to the plane of the paper of Figure 8).

Figure 9 shows a still further embodiment in which the base 10 is formed in two parts 10a and 10b, and the seat portion 12 has separate seat sections 12a, 12b and 12c in the form of slats. Each of the slats 12a to 12c is supported by a pair of poles 14 which connect to a respective one of the base sections 10a and 10b. This embodiment provides some degree of bowing of the slats 12a to 12c, as well as movement of the slats 12a to 12c in a flexible manner relative to the base Z:\stella\Keep\Speci\SHW\Tim Coffey Prov A Seat.doc 30/07/04 9 Figure 10 is a further embodiment in which the seat portion 12 has two segments 12d and 12e, each of which are supported by a separate pole 14 above base 10. The seat segments 12d and 12e can move in opposite directions as shown by the speckled outlines 12e' and 12d'.

Figure 11 shows an embodiment of the invention in the form of a chair which includes a base 10, a first pole 14 and seat portion 12 which are basically the same as that described with reference to Figure 1. However, in this embodiment, the base 10 supports a second pole 18 which in turn supports a backrest 20. The pole 18 is flexible as in the earlier embodiments, or connected to the base and/or backrest 20 by a flexible coupling, as previously described, so that the backrest 20 can move in a flexible manner relative to the base 10 as well as the seat portion 12.

Figure 12 is an embodiment similar to Figure 11, except that the backrest 20 is formed as three separate backrest sections 20a, 20b and 20c, each supported by a respective pole 18. In this embodiment, one of the sections (such as the section 20b) can be rigid and the other backrest sections 20a and 20c can move in the flexible manner as previously described.

Figure 13 shows a view of the chair of Figure 12 but, in this embodiment, the backrest sections 20a and 20c are rigid and the section 20b is able to move in the flexible manner previously described.

Figure 15 shows a series of drawings which illustrate the manner in which the seat portion 12 can move in a flexible way relative to the base 10 by flexing of the pole 14 or of the couplings 16. As shown, the seat can tilt from side to side, be pivoted around in a generally circular Z \stella\Keep\Speci\SHW\Tim Coffey Prov A Seat.doc 30/07/04 10 motion in both directions, tilt backwards or tilt forward, as well as twist slightly to the left or right.

Figure 16 is a series of drawings similar to Figure but of a chair-type seat of the type described with reference to Figure 12. As is apparent from the series of drawings, the poles 14 and 18 flex in different ways so as to provide support depending on the posture the person takes up while seated. Thus, the person can lean backwards, lean forward, sit upright, or move his or her pelvic region so that the seat portion moves but the backrest part remains relatively still.

Figure 14 is a view of a flexible coupling used in the embodiments of Figures 3 and 4. The couplings 16 comprise a resilient block of material 21 which is provided with a bore 23 into which the pole 14 locates. The blocks 21 locate in a recess 25 in the seat portion 12 and base The bore 23 may be tapered slightly at the ends so the pole 14 does not move to the end of the bore unless a significant load is applied. This enables the block 16 to be flexed and for the pole 14 to move slightly relative of the block 16 to accommodate different weights of people who may sit on the seat. Furthermore, because the pole is forced further into the bores 23, the block 21 is compressed slightly more, thereby slightly reducing the resilient tendency of the block and the amount of flexible movement is provides. Thus, a heavier person automatically adjusts the flexibility of the block 21 to dampen the amount of movement which the seat portion 12 can undergo, and therefore the amount of flexible movement provided by the seat is, to some extent, dependent on the weight of the person using the seat.

The blocks 21 are preferably formed from rubber, plastic or other resilient material so that the material compresses and then returns to its equilibrium position to Z:\ste11a\Keep\Speci\SHW\Tim Coffey Prov A Seat.doc 30/07/04 11 enable flexible movement of the seat portion 12 relative to the base 10 as a person shifts his or her weight on the seat portion 12.

Figures 17 and 18 show still further embodiment. In this embodiment the base 10 is formed from a flexible material and has a generally stiff or rigid socket 45 into which the pole 14 locates. The flexible base 10 provides the flexible movement of the pole 14 by deforming as shown in figure 18 as the user's weight moves the pole 14 to different positions. The flexible coupling 16 between the pole 14 and the seat portion 12 may be configured in the same manner.

The relative stiffness of the top coupling 16 and bottom coupling 16 can be different to provide a larger degree of movement at the bottom coupling 16 and a much more degree of movement to the top coupling 16 or vise versa.

Similarly the pole 14 and the back rest may have similar flexible couplings.

Whilst the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated with seats in the form of stools or chairs, the invention may be in the form of an armchair in which armrests are provided, a couch which is somewhat elongate relative to the embodiments shown, or in other forms of seating.

The flexibility of the seat portion 12 relative to the base 10 allows the seat to tilt, be displaced radially or be displaced describing a circle, or twisted. By combining these types of movement, the movements of the seat can be simple, complex and subtly different. Thus, the seats of the preferred embodiments provide greater movement and more varied movement than conventional chairs. The movement provided by the chair has beneficial health consequences because of the movement of the pelvic Z:\ste11a\Keep\Speci\SHW\Tim Coffey Prov A Seat.doc 30/07/04 12 region which can improve bodily functions as well as digestion. Furthermore, the seats can be used therapeutically to restore flexibility.

Furthermore, because the movement of the seat is created by the elasticity of the flexible pole or couplings, there is some resistance to movement, and the occupant will expend energy while moving on the seat, hence gentle exercise is possible whilst attending to other tasks.

This exercise should result in better muscle tone and less obesity.

Single pole chairs make excellent work stools for lowdown tasks as they increase reach in many directions whilst the tilting of the seat improves comfort. In multi-pole seats, the seat and back support structures are separated, so they can move independent of each other, and greater differential displacement of components is possible. This independence allows the chair to adequately support a range of sitting positions as shown in Figure 15, and will reduce the potential for long term tissue damage resulting from long periods of sitting statically in the same position.

Seats according to the preferred embodiments can also encourage good posture. The control of movement of the seat depends on balance as well as muscular exertion and in the preferred embodiments, balance is obtained by the pole or poles being directly under the front to back middle of the chair. If an occupant is sitting still on the chair, the easiest position to maintain is the resting balance position. This position can be designed, for example, to be such that the seat surface is flat and the occupant's spine upright. Thus, balancing on the chair encourages good posture.

Z,\stella\Keep\Speci\SHW\Tim Coffey Prov A Seat.doc 30/07/04 13 The flexible nature of the chairs and the manner in which a person is supported by the flexible pole or the flexible couplings results in a heightened body awareness. A massaging of the lower abdomen can take place and the seating experience can provide a feeling of well being.

Seats according to the invention can be designed to suit many different applications, such as work stools, computer chairs, armchairs, couches, cello chairs, exercise or therapeutic stools, public seating and stackable utility chairs.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", is used in an inclusive sense, ie. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

Since modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention may readily be effected by persons skilled within the art, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiment described by way of example hereinabove.

Z:\stella\Keep\Speci\SHW\Tim Coffey Prov A Seat.doc 30/07/04

Claims (13)

1. 2. The seat of claim 1 wherein the pole is rigidly connected to the base and the seat portion, and the pole is flexible to provide the flexible movement of the seating portion relative to the base.
2. 3. The seat of claim 2 wherein the flexible pole is formed from ramin wood.
3. 4. The seat of claim 3 wherein the flexible pole could be formed from other flexible material such as plastic material or the like. The seat of claim 1 wherein the pole is rigid and the seat includes a first coupling for coupling the at least one pole to the base, and a second coupling for coupling the at least one pole to the seating portion, at least one of the couplings being flexible to provide the flexible movement of the seat portion relative to the base.
4. 6. The seat of claim 5 wherein both the pole and the at least one of the couplings are flexible to provide the flexible movement of the seat portion relative to the base.
5. 7. The seat of claim 1 wherein the seat portion and the base are rigid. Z \stella\Keep\Speci\SHW\Tim Coffey Prov A Seat.doc 30/07/04 15
6. 8. The seat of any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the at least one pole comprises a single pole.
7. 9. The seat of any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein two or more poles are provided for supporting the seat portion above the base. The seat of any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the seat portion comprises two separate seat sections, each section being supported above the base by at least one pole.
8. 11. The seat of any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein a back rest is provided and the back rest is supported above the base by at least one further pole.
9. 12. The seat of claim 11 wherein the pole is flexible, or is rigid and connected to the base and the backrest by a flexible coupling.
10. 13. The seat of claim 11 or 12 wherein backrest may comprise a plurality of separate backrest sections, each supported above the base by a separate pole.
11. 14. The seat of claim 5 wherein the flexible coupling comprises a resilient mount for receiving the pole so that the pole can move in the resilient mount relative to the base and/or seat portion.
12. 15. The seat of claim 14 wherein resilient mount may be formed from plastics material, rubber material or any other suitable flexible material. Z:\stella\Keep\Speci\SHW\Tim Coffey Prov A Seat.doc 30/07/04 16
13. 16. A seat comprising; a base; a seat portion upon which a person is able to seat; a back rest; at least one pole extending between the base and the back rest for supporting the back rest above the base and wherein the at least one pole allows flexible movement of the back rest relative to the base. Dated this 30th day of July 2004 TIMOTHY COFFEY By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK Fellows Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia Zi\stella\Keep\Speci\SHW\Tim Coffey Prov A Seat.doc 30/07/04