WO1992010118A1

WO1992010118A1 - Body supporting device

Info

Publication number: WO1992010118A1
Application number: PCT/SE1991/000833
Authority: WO
Inventors: Erik Lindgren
Original assignee: Erik Lindgren Produktidé Ab
Priority date: 1990-12-05
Filing date: 1991-12-05
Publication date: 1992-06-25
Also published as: SE9003862L; SE470395B; SE9003862D0

Abstract

A body supporting device comprising a cushion compressible under the influence of the body of a user presents at least two portions (6, 7), which are intended to support left and right respectively but otherwise corresponding body parts (8, 9) of the user and which present different compressibility in order to take account of asymmetries between left and right body parts of the user.

Description

Body supporting device

FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART

This invention is related to a body supporting device com¬ prising a cushion or mat compressible under the influence of the body of a user.

It is well known that it is tiresome for most people to sit during prolonged periods. In order to reduce the tendencies of tiredness .the person in question changes his position of sitting. Nevertheless one finds that persons having a sedentary work suffer from pain in the muscles and the back.

Corresponding problems are also involved for those who fre¬ quently spend long periods standing, for instance personnel in shops and the like.

Although great effort has been spent on trying to provide body supporting devices being anatomically adequate, no satisfactory solution has been presented so far. As examples on prior solutions reference may be made to the US patent 4 838 613, US patent 4 161 337, US patent 4 761 Oil, the European patent application 84106507.1 published under the number 0 128 534, the Norwegian patent publication 149 608, Austrian patent 296 054, Swedish patent application 8440/68, US patent 4 047 757 and the German patent 31 15 269.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is primarily based upon the understanding obtained by comprehensive physiological studies that almost all persons suffer from "right-handedness" or "left-handedness" also in the seat region, i.e. thighs and seat on one side, most often the right side, are more strongly developed tha on the other side. Such asymmetries between the left and right body parts of the user cause the abovementioned pain in muscles and back, compression of the discs of the back on one side etc.

An ideal case is illustrated in Fig 1 on the drawings, namely a person, who is entirely symmetrical in the seat region, sitting on a base. However, that which is illustrated in Fig 2 occurs mostly in practice, namely that a person will obtain such an oblique position of sitting, caused by asymmetry in the seat region, that the back, upper part of the body and neck part will be inclined more or less. It is illustrated herein that the right seat region of the person is more strongly developed than the left, which is the most common case.

In a secondary aspect of the invention it is based upon the understanding that the legs of humans in practice have diffe¬ rent length. This fact causes problems similar to those already described with regard to asymmetries in the seat region. More specifically, different length of legs causes load injuries as well due to lengthy inclinations of back, neck part etc.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to reduce the problems indicated hereinabove by providing body supporting devices, by means of which oblique loads are to be avoided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This object is according to the invention obtained by providing the device with the features defined in the appendent patent claims. According to a first aspect of the invention, the body suppor¬ ting device comprises at least two portions, which are intended to support the left and right respectively but otherwise corresponding body parts of the user and which present diffe¬ rent compressibility and/or different thickness in order to take account of asymmetries between left and right body parts of the user.

According to another aspect the body supporting device com¬ prises a housing arrangement adapted to receive at least two padding elements, which are adapted to support left and right respectively but otherwise corresponding body parts of the user and which present different compressibility in order to take account of asymmetries between the left and right body parts of the user.

According to a third aspect of the invention a back supporting device comprises a compressible cushion, which comprises a housing arrangement having a plurality of transverse pockets for receiving padding elements of different compressibility and/or thickness for forming a device well suited for suppor¬ ting the sway-back.

Advantages and alternative designs within the scope of the invention will appear more closely hereafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With reference to the appended drawings, a more specific description of embodiments of the invention will follow hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Fig 1 is a diagrammatical view illustrating a person in an ideal sitting position; Fig 2 is a view similar to Fig 1 but illustrating a real, oblique sitting position due to asymmetry between left and right body parts;

Fig 3 is a perspective view in an "opened" condition of a body supporting device according to the invention in the form of a seat device having a back cushion;

Fig 4 is a cross section through the seat device in Fig 3 in an unloaded condition;

Fig 5 is a view similar to Fig 4 but illustrating a person sitting thereon;

Fig 6 is a diagrammatical longitudinal section through the back cushion according to Fig 3 in unloaded condition;

Fig 7 is a view similar to Fig 6 but illustrating the back cushion in another position of adjustment;

Fig 8 is a view similar to Fig 6 but illustrating the back cushion loaded; and

Fig 9 is a view illustrating a body supporting device in the form of a mat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The body supporting device according to Fig 3 has the character of a seat device 1 having an associated back cushion 2. The seat device 1 and back cushion 2 may be adjoined by means of suitable connection means 3, e.g. bands.

The embodiment according to Fig 3 has the character of an auxiliary device to be applied on other seat or chair struc¬ tures. As an example it may be mentioned that the auxiliary device 1, 2 in Fig 3 with preference is adapted to be used for vehicle drivers-, who are supposed to bring with them their own auxiliary device 1, 2, which is supposed to be particularly adapted to their actual anatomy. The seat device 1 and back cushion 2 may comprise suitable fixing means 4, e.g. in the form of bands, for fixing to other seat and chair structures.

It is pointed out already at this time that the seat device 1 could also be used without back cushion 2 and that back cushion 2 also could be used without seat device 1.

The seat device 1 comprises a cushion 5 compressible under the influence of the body of a user, said cushion comprising at least two portions 6, 7 (Figs 4 and 5), which are adapted to support left and right respectively seat regions 8 and 9 respectively of the user and which present different compressibility in order to take account of asymmetries between the left and right seat regions of the user. This appears particularly clearly on a comparison of Figs 4 and 5; it appears from Fig 4 that the seat device 1 is of uniform thickness in unloaded condition whereas it appears clearly from Fig 5 that portions 6 and 7 will be compressed differently since the right portion 7 of the seat device 1 corresponding to the right seat region 9 of the person has a higher compressibility, i.e. a smaller resistance to compression, than the left portion 6. Accordingly, the right seat region of the user may sink more deeply in the right portion 7 of the seat device and when an optimum of balance is at hand the ideal case according to Fig 1 is achieved, i.e. the person is sitting evenly with his spinal column substantially vertical (as viewed in the longitudinal direction of the seat device).

A preferable feature of the seat device is, accordingly, that portions 6 and 7 have substantially mutually equal thickness in an uninfluenced condition but different compression resistance. This does not mean that the individual portion 6, 7 necessarily must have a constant thickness along its entire surface, but instead it is intended that the left and right respectively portion 6, 7 of the seat device 1 should be visually equiva¬ lent, i.e. that an observer from outside cannot see that a seat device is involved which is particularly adapted to the anatomy of a certain person. Thus, this anatomical adaption is instead carried out by varying the compression resistance of the portion 6 or 7 relative to the other portion.

The seat device 1 comprises (Fig 4) a number of material layers 9, 10, 11. At least one 9 of these layers comprises at least two padding elements 12', 12" and 13', 13" with different compressibility, at least one 12', 12" of these padding ele¬ ments being located in a first 6 of the portions whereas at least a second 13', 13" of the padding elements is located in a second 7 of the portions.

The seat device 1 comprises a housing arrangement 14, in which at least two padding elements 12', 12" and 13', 13" with different compressibility are received. With other words, the different paddinq elements 12 and 13 respectively consist, accordingly, of some suitable elastic material, e.g. some plastic foam. With such materials, the variance as to resis¬ tance to compression aimed at may be achieved by a difference of density between the elastically compressible materials chosen for the padding elements 12', 12" on one hand and the padding elements 13', 13" on the other hand.

The housing arrangement 14 comprises at least two pockets for exchangeable reception of the padding elements 12, 13. In the embodiment the housing arrangement comprises four pockets, namely two pockets 15 for the padding elements 12' and 12" and two pockets 16 for the padding elements 13 ' and 13". Thus, the padding elements 12, 13 are four in number and these elements extend substantially in the longitudinal direction of the seat device 1. The pockets 15, 16 are intended to receive, exchange- ably, the padding elements 12, 13. This is for the rest indi¬ cated in Fig 3, where one of the padding elements, namely 13' , is illustrated as partially withdrawn out of its pocket. It also appears from Fig 3 that the pockets 15, 16 are conceived to be open or openable in the forward direction of the seat device 1.

A compressible layer 10 is arranged above the padding elements 12, 13 and under the same there is arranged a further layer 11. The first layer 10 is preferably a single element having a uniform thickness. In particular in case the device is intended to be used in vehicles, a heating device of electrical type could be arranged in or at the layer 10. The lower layer 11 is suitably of a more rigid material than the padding elements 12, 13 and will to some extent act as a supporting board when the seat device is applied on a seat which itself is padded.

The housing arrangement 14 comprises an inner housing 17, which defines the pockets 15, 16 for the padding elements 12, 13. This inner housing 17 may, as illustrated in Fig 3, comprise a zipper or other device 18 for closing when the desired padding element(-s) have been introduced into the inner housing. As is most clearly apparent from Figs 4 and 5, two adjacent pockets 15 and 16 respectively are delimited relative to each other by means of partition like web portions 19. Furthermore, the housing arrangement 14 comprises an outer housing 20, in which the inner housing 17 is received. As is likewise apparent from Fig 3, the outer housing 20 is conceived to comprise a suitable closure device, for instance a zipper 21.

Thus, the layers 10 and 11 will be located above and under respectively the inner housing 17 and between the latter and the outer housing.

In order to adapt the seat device 1 to the person in question it may be opened by means of the devices 18 and 21 and the padding elements 12, 13 may be exchanged for other padding elements having such a desired ability to resist compression that when the person is sitting normally in the seat device, an entirely straight sitting position occurs. In the case accor¬ ding to Fig 5 the padding elements 13' and 13" are conceived to consist of a more soft and, accordingly, more easily compres¬ sible material than the padding elements 12' and 12". It should also be pointed out that the elements, in the embodiment two, which are comprised in each of the portions 6 and 7 do not necessarily have to present the same softness or compression resistance; it could for instance be suitable that the outer of the elements, e.g. the one denoted 13", had a greater compres¬ sion resistance than the inner, e.g. the one denoted 13'. Finally, it is also pointed out that only one single undivided padding element could be arranged in each of the portions 6 and 7.

The back cushion 2 comprises a plurality of transverse pockets 22-25 (Fig 6) for receiving padding elements 26-29 having different compressibility for forming a device well suited for supporting the sway-back. Even if it would be possible that the back padding elements 2,6-29 had more or less different thick¬ ness, it is, according to the invention, preferred that they all have the same thickness.

The back cushion 2 comprises a housing arrangement 30. This housing arrangement comprises the different pockets 22-25. More specifically, the housing arrangement 30 comprises an outer housing 31 and an inner housing 32, which is arranged within the outer housing and which contains the pockets. It is pre¬ ferred, although it is by no means necessary, that the inner housing 32 is displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the outer housing 31; This displaceability is intended to have the purpose to adequately locate the inner housing 32 with the padding elements 26-29 contained therein.

In order to enable such displacement, releasable connection means are provided for connecting the inner housing relative to the outer. It is preferred that these connection means are formed by so called hook and loop fastener bands, which com¬ prise a band part 33, which is conceived to be located on the inner side of the outer housing 31, e.g. on the back side thereof, and a second band part 34, which is intended to be secured to the back side of the inner housing 32. These band parts 33, 34 engage with each other when they are brought together in a manner well known per se since one of the band parts has hooks whereas the other has loops.

Since the inner housing 32 is held to the outer housing 31 by means of the hook and loop fastener means 33, 34 only, the user may, by releasing the latter, displace the housing 32 and, accordingly, the padding elements 26, 29 upwardly and down¬ wardly into the most ideal position.

Within the outer housing 31 there will occur a cavity above or under the inner housing 32 depending upon the adjusted position thereof. It appears from Figs 3 and 6 that the cavity above the inner housing 32 is intended to be filled by means of further padding element 35. In this condition the housing 32 is con¬ ceived to be in its lowermost position in the outer housing 31. However, if the inner housing 32 is displaced upwardly in the outer housing 31 the padding element located thereabove must be reduced to the one denoted 35' in Fig 7 and then a further padding element 36 will be added under the housing 32.

It appears from Fig 3 that the inner housing 32 may be opened and closed by means of a zipper or other device 37, padding elements, see for instance the one denoted 28, being then withdrawable and reintroducable respectively in a transverse direction (substantially horizontally) as indicated. Also the outer housing 31 has a zipper or other device 38 for the purpose of opening and closing.

The inner housing 32 has a width smaller than the width of the outer housing 31. The difference is filled by padding elements 39 arranged on either sides of the inner housing 32. The back cushion 2 is preferably designed so that it has a substantially constant thickness in unloaded condition. How¬ ever, this is no requirement. The padding elements 39 located at the sides could for instance be somewhat thicker to give a "bowl effect", that is to assist in retaining the driver on the device when the driver is subjected to lateral forces.

The back cushion 2 is illustrated in Fig 8 under the load of the back of a person. As can be seen the back compresses the back cushion to a different degree so that an adjustment to the back occurs. To obtain an anatomically correct back support, it is suitable that the padding element denoted 28 is chosen to have a comparatively large compression resistance; the com¬ pression resistance should in any case be larger than the one of the adjacent padding elements 27, 29, the remaining padding elements 26 and 35 suitably being chosen with even smaller compression resistance. The crucial point is, accordingly, that the padding elements 26-29 and 35-36 are chosen with such compression resistances that the back obtains an evenly distributed support, in particular in the sway-back region.

A further application of the invention is illustrated in Fig 9, namely as a mat to serve as a base for a standing person. Most humans have legs with different lengths and this causes an oblique position of the body on standing on a planar base. Such an oblique body position involves a great risk for load i juries.

The mat 40 according to the invention comprises, in analogy to that previously described, two portions 41, 42, which are intended to act as underlayers for the left and right leg respectively of the user and which present different compressi¬ bility in order to take account of asymmetries between the left and right legs of the user. Such asymmetries cause, of course, the load on the legs to be different on standing on a planar base. As appears from Fig 9 this problem is eliminated since the portion 41 is of a more easily compressible material than the portion 42. The longer leg of the user is conceived to be the left.If the compressibility of the portions 41 and 42 is adjusted in an adequate manner, the person standing on the mat 40 will experience his standing position as if he had entirely equally long legs, that is the cause for the inconvenience is eliminated.

The mat according to Fig 9 is intended to be located at the work station where the person in question normally stands.

The mat 40 comprises a housing arrangement 43 adapted to receive two padding elements 44 and 45 respectively and these padding elements impart the mat with its intended effect by their different compression resistance. The housing arrangement 43 may be adapted to form two separate pockets, in which the padding elements 44 and 45 respectively are introducable.

In all described applications it is suitable that the different padding elements are made available in a plurality of different degrees of softness so that a close adjustment to the condi¬ tions of the body of the individual is made possible. Different degrees of softness, that is compression resistance, of the padding elements could be indicated visually by using a colour scale for the padding elements.

The invention is of course not only restricted to the embodi¬ ments described. In connection with the seat device having a back cushion described in Fig 3 it has been pointed out that the mobility thereof is particularly advantageous in view of the fact that e.g. professional drivers may bring the seat device with them from vehicle to vehicle and, accordingly, always obtain a good seat comfort. An alternative within the scope of the invention would, however, be to incorporate the seat device 1 with a seat or chair so that this seat or chair could be given different properties by replacement of padding elements and it is then pointed out that also the back cushion 2 could be incorporated into the back support of a chair structure so that in analogous manner also padding elements in the back support could be replaced for adjustment to the user. Also other modifications are possible within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A body supporting device comprising a cushion or mat compressible under the influence of the body of a user, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that it comprises at least two portions (6, 7; 41, 42), which are intended to support the left and the right respectively but otherwise corresponding body parts of the user and which present different compressibility and/or different thickness in order to take account of asymmetries between the left and right body parts of the user.

2. A device according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the portions (6, 7; 41, 42) have substantially mutually equal thickness in uninfluenced condition but different compressibility.

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, in particular as a seat device, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that it comprises two or more material layers (9, 10, 11) and that at least one (9) of these layers comprises at least two padding elements (12, 13) having different compressibility and/or thickness, at least one (12) of these padding elements being arranged in a first (6) of the portions whereas at least a second (13) of the padding elements is arranged in a second (7) of the portions.

4. A device according to any preceding claim, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that it comprises a housing arrangement (14, 43), in which at least two padding elements (12, 13; 44, 45) with different compressibility and/or thick¬ ness are received.

5. A device according to claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the housing arrangement comprises at least two pockets for exchangeable reception of the padding elements (12, 13).

6. A device according any preceding claim, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that it has the character of an auxiliary seat device (1) to be applied on seats.

7. A device according to claims 5 and 6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a compressible layer (10) is arranged above the padding elements (12, 13) and that a further layer (11) is arranged under the padding elements, said further layer suitably being of a more rigid material than the padding elements.

8. A device according to claim 4 or 5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the housing arrangement (14) comprises an inner housing (17) for the padding elements (12, 13> and an outer housing (20), in which the inner housing is received.

9. A device according to any preceding claim, c h a r a c t e r i z .e d in that it is designed as a seat device (1) which an associated back cushion (2).

10. A device according to claim 9, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the back cushion comprises a plurality of transverse pockets (22-25) for receiving padding elements (26-29) having different compressibility and/or thickness for forming a device well suited for supporting the sway-back.

11. A back supporting device comprising a compressible cushion (2), c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the cushion comprises a housing arrangement (30) having a plurality of transversal pockets (22-25) for exchangeable reception of padding elements (26-29) having different compressibility and/or thickness for forming a device well suited for supporting the sway-back.

12. A device according to claim 11, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the housing arrangement (30) comprises an outer housing (31) and an inner housing (32) arranged therein, said inner housing containing the pockets (22-25) and being displaceable longitudinally relative to the outer housing.

13. A device according to claim 12, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that releasable connection means (33, 34) are arranged for connecting the inner housing (32) relative to the outer housing (31).

14. A body supporting device comprising a cushion or mat compressible under the influence of the body of a user, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that it comprises a housing arrangement (14; 43) adapted to receive at least two padding elements (12, 13; 44, 45), which are intended to support the left and right respectively but otherwise corresponding body parts of the user and which are selectable amongst padding elements having different compressibility in order to take account of asymmetries between the left and right body parts of the user.