NZ500878A - Seat having an adjustable back rest - Google Patents

Abstract

Provide is a seat comprising a base and a back rest, where the back rest is adjustable backwards and forwards relative to the base as well as being able to be reclined. Such a seat is designed to be adjustable to accommodate comfortably different sized persons or a child as he or she grows. Preferably the seat forms part of a child's stroller.

Description

Patents Form No. 5 500878 THE PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION SEATING MEANS I, ROGER THOMAS MASCULL, a New Zealand citizen, of 21 Fairholme Avenue, Epsom, Auckland, New Zealand, hereby declare this invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a seating means.

Many known seats have only minimal capacity for adjustment, and as such can be unsuitable for children or adults with special seating needs. Also, most known seats have little or no capacity for adjustment to accommodate a child as he or she grows. It is accordingly an object of at least one form of the present invention to provide a seating means which goes at least some way towards addressing the above disadvantages.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided seating means, comprising a base and a back rest, the base having an area available for receiving the posterior of a person when seated such that the legs of the person between the person's knees and posterior are substantially supported by the base when the seat is in normal use, and the back rest having an area available for receiving and supporting the back of the person when seated, the back rest being capable of forwards or backwards movement with respect to the base to significantly reduce or increase the area of the base available for receiving the posterior of the person.

Preferably the back rest can be inclined to varying degrees with respect to the base, and wherein the back rest can be fixed at each degree in turn as desired.

Preferably the seating means forms part of a child's stroller or perambulator, or is in combination with a support frame wherein the seating means is detachable from the support frame. intellectual property office of n.z. 1 8 APR 2001 DECEIVED i Preferably the back rest can be fixed in place against the base when desired to prevent the back rest from reclining and from moving forwards or backwards with respect to the base.

Preferably the back rest can pivot about, and then be fixed to, side parts of the base Some preferred forms of the invention will now be described by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: FIGURE 1 is a side view of an adjustable seating means demonstrating possible movement of its component parts, FIGURE 2 is also a side view of the seating means demonstrating alternative movement of its component parts, and FIGURES 3 & 4 show the seating means in combination with a support frame.

With reference to figure 1, the seating means 1 comprises a base 2 and a back rest 3. The base is arranged to receive the posterior (ie buttocks) of a seated person while the back rest supports the person's back. As demonstrated by the dotted lines 4, the back rest 3 is capable of forward and backward movement with respect to the base 2 so as to decrease or increase the area of the base 2 which is available for receiving the person's posterior. The seating means 1 is formed so that the back rest 3 can be locked with respect to the base 2 when the desired relationship between the base and the back rest is reached. Such locking may be achieved by of AT apertures 5 and associated screws, bolts, knobs, or the liK#? c£s c1 |UJ 1--A ^ nJ \Y\ \1> 'S>* \M^> With reference to figure 2, the back rest 3 is also capable of pivoting or reclining movement with respect to the base 2 by way of a pivot connection 3a. This is demonstrated by the various positions indicated by the dotted lines 6. When the desired angle of the back rest 2 with respect to the base is achieved the back rest can be locked in place as described above.

With reference to figure 3, the seating means 1 has base mounts 7 and back rest mounts 8 to enable it to be secured to a support frame 9. Preferably there are two base mounts and two back rest mounts, although in some cases there may be only one of each. In the embodiment of the invention shown in figure 3, two base mounts 7 are attached to opposite sides of the base 2, and two back rest mounts 8 are attached to opposite sides of the back rest 3. The back rest mounts 8 incorporate, or can receive, couplings 10 which can slide along the support frame 9 and then be locked in place to regulate the angle of the seating means 1 with respect to the frame 9. If the back rest mounts 8 do not incorporate the couplings 10 then the couplings 10 may form part of the frame 9, and the back rest mounts 8 can slide alongside the frame 9 by way of the couplings 10. The base mounts 7 may or may not be capable of sliding along the bottom of the base so that they can be set in the desired position on the support frame 9.

The support frame 9 may form at least part of a child's stroller or perambulator, or at least part of a stationary frame, etc. When the seating means 1 is in use it can be swapped between different support frames 9 forming part of the stroller/perambulator and the stationary frame. _ c .

Referring to figure 4, the base 2 may have a series of base mounts 7a spaced from one another instead of a sliding base mount 7 as described above. By selecting from the series of mounts 7a, for use in securing the base 2 to the frame 9, the angle of the seating means 1 with respect to the frame 9 can be enhanced.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the seating means can be adjusted within the frame 9 to provide for varying leg lengths to a footrest position. More particularly, the depth of the seating means 1 can be adjusted as shown in figure 1 to accommodate a particular child's leg length, and also to accommodate the child as he or she grows. Preferably the base 2 and the back rest 3 have rigid side parts which support upholstery, lateral support wedges, and other orthopedic positioning wedges and shapes which may be prescribed by a therapist.

While some preferred forms of the invention have been described by way of example, it should be appreciated that modifications and improvements can occur without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (6)

' rc)f WHAT I CLAIM IS

1. A seating means comprising a base and a back rest, the base having an area available for receiving the posterior of a person when seated such that the legs of the person between the person's knees and posterior are substantially supported by the base when the seat is in normal use, and the back rest having an area available for receiving and supporting the back of the person when seated, the back rest being capable of forwards or backwards movement with respect to the base to significantly reduce or increase the area of the base available for receiving the posterior of the person.

2. A seating means according to claim 1, wherein the back rest can be inclined to varying degrees with respect to the base, and wherein the back rest can be fixed at each degree in turn as desired.

3. A seating means according to claim 1 or 2, forming part of a child's stroller or perambulator, or in combination with a support frame wherein the seating means is detachable from the support frame.

4. A seating means according to claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the back rest can be fixed in place against the base when desired to prevent the back rest from reclining and from moving forwards or backwards with respect to the base.

5. A seating means according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the back rest can pivot about, and then be fixed to, side parts of the base. INTELLECTUAL property office of n.z. 1 8 APR 2001 RECEIVED -7-

6. A seating means according to any one of the preceding claims, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. ROGER THOMAS MASCULL By His Authorised Attorney A.J. Pietras & Associates Intellectual Property Office of N2 1 9 MAR 2001 RECEIVED