AU605496B2

AU605496B2 - Posture chair

Info

Publication number: AU605496B2
Application number: AU76427/87A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Peter Charlton Stevens
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-07-02
Filing date: 1987-07-02
Publication date: 1991-01-17
Anticipated expiration: 2007-07-02
Also published as: NO880900D0; WO1988000016A1; AU7642787A

Description

POSTURE CHAIR 1

This invention relates to improved seating.

Conventional office chairs which force the user to adopt a position at which the thigh is at right angles to the spine induce strain in the user. To overcome this problem chairs with forward sloping seats have been utilized in association with knee pads to support the user in a semi-kneeling position. While these chairs are relatively effective in use, they have the disadvantage that the inclined seat cannot be utilized without the knee pad and the angles of the inclination of the knee pad and the seat are fixed. These angles are not necessarily correct for all users. Similarly the separation of the seat and the knee pad is also fixed.

The present invention aims to alleviate the abovementioned disadvantages and to provide improved seating which will be reliable and efficient in use. Other objects and advantages of this invention will hereinafter become apparent.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention ^'in one aspect resides broadly in seating including:- a supporting base; a seat member on said supporting base for supporting the posterior of a user, and mounting means for connecting said seat member to said supporting base whereby the latter is pivotable about a transverse horizontal axis between opposite sides of a normal seating position. Preferably the seat member and knee pad are freely pivotable so that in use they automatically adopt the inclination set by the user. It is also preferred that the seat and/or knee pad be resiliently biassed to a set inclination from which the seat and/or knee pad may be pivoted and for this purpose there is provided biassing means for biassing said seat member to said normal seating posi tion .

Preferably the biassing means is associated with the mounting means, but of course it could be independent thereof. For example the biassing means could be resilient buffers supported on the supporting base and arranged to engage the underside of the seat member. It is also preferred that the resistance to pivoting afforded by the biassing means increases as the seat member pivots away from the normal seating position. The seating of this invention can be utilized in various types of seats, stools and chairs and the like and in another aspect this invention resides broadly in seating of the type defined above and having a seat member which is inclined in the normal seating position and an associated knee pad supported by said base member whereby the knee pad is pivotable about a transverse horizontal axis between opposite sides of a normal supporting position.

In order that this invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and wherein:-

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a chair for use in a sitting/kneeling position;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the chair illustrated in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a cutaway perspective view of a preferred form of mounting for connecting the seat/knee pad to the base f ame;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the invention; FIG. 5 is a side view of a modified form of the chair illustrated in FIG. 4, and

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate further embodiments of the invention.

As shown in FIGS 1 and 2 the chair 10 has a conventional spider base assembly 11 mounted on castors 12 and having a height adjustable swivelling mounting post 13 which supports the main frame 14 of the supporting assembly 15. The latter includes a seat member 16 which is normally inclined to the horizontal and a knee or shin pad 17 which is inclined in the opposite direction as illustrated. The main frame 14 is rigidly secured to the mounting post 13 and in this embodiment it is in the form of a hollow- square section tube 9 which extends to opposite sides of the mounting post 13. The upper portion of the tube 9 telescopically receives a smaller square sectioned tube 8 which supports a mounting assembly 19 for the seat member 16 whereby the distance between the seat portion 16 and the kne pad 17 may be selectively varied. A locking bolt 20 is provided in the main frame 14 to hold the tube 8 in its selected telescopically adjusted position.

If desired the knee pad as well as the seat could be telescopically supported for separation adjustment therebetween and if desired they could be interconnected for simultaneous adjustment. The mounting assembly 19 for the seat member 16 is similar to the mounting assembly 21 for the knee pad 17. As shown i FIG. 3, the mounting assembly 19 includes an outer transversely extending square tube 22 fixed to the end of the inner tube 8 and being provided with four rod like rubber buffers 23 fitted into the respective internal corners of the tube 22 so as to bear against a respective outer face of an inner smaller square section tube 24. The latter may rotate about its longitudinal axis within the outer tube 22 and it is supported between the angle brackets 25 adapted to be secured to the underside of the seat member 16 or the knee pad as appropriate.

The inner tube 24 is resiliently biassed by the buffers 23 to a normal or central position whereby the seat 16 is inclined downwardly towards the knee pad 17 as illustrated. The seat member 16 may be pivoted about the axis of the inner tube 22 in either direction by compressing the four rod like rubber buffers 23 between the inner and outer tubes 24 and 22 respectively. The seat member 16 may be pivoted to a substantially horizontal position so that it can be used as a conventional stool. The seat member 16 will return to the inclined position illustrated when not in use and when in use the seat will pivot freely to a supporting position determined by the users size and physique. The knee pad 17 is supported in the same manner as the seat and thus it may be pivoted about the axis of its inner tube 26 so that in use when a user supports himself upon the seat 16 and the knee pad 17, the latter will automatically pivot to the angle set by the users .

Preferably the mounting shaft 13 is of the type which is biassed to and normally held in an elevated position, but which may be lowered to a selected position upon actuation of the lever 27. This may be arranged so that it can be actuated by the heel of a seated user. The chair 10 is also provided with height adjustable armrests 26 which are supported from the angle brackets 25. The armrests may be removed if desired.

The mounting assembly 19 may be provided with a stop bar 29 extending between the angle plates 25 and arranged to abut the outer face of the tube 22 so as to limit pivotal movement of the brackets. This arrangement may be used to prevent the seat from pivoting beyond a- horizontal position. Furthermore, the main frame member 14 may be cranked so as to extend downwardly to one side of the kneepad 17 to provide easier access thereto. The chair 30 illustrated in FIG. 4 has a seat 16a and knee pad 17a which are supported in a similar manner to the seat and kneepad described above. However each is supported by a respective strut 31 and 32 extending upwardly from opposite ends of a base frame assembly 33. The struts 31 and 32 are length adjustable, as is the central spine 34 of the base frame assembly 33 so that the distance between the seat 16a and the kneepad 17a may be selectively varied. Of course the latter are resiliently mounted as per the previous embodiment. The seat 16a can be used individually and in conjunction with the flexibly mounted kneepad 17a or the seat 16a and kneepad 17a may be interchanged as shown in , dotted outline whereby a person may use the then elevated kneepad as a backrest. For this purpose the outer edge of the backrest is cutaway as shown at 35 to provide adequate lumbar support when used for that purpose.

The chair illustrated in FIG. 5 has an extended spine 34 so that a table assembly 36 may be supported thereby as illustrated. Suitably the latter is height adjustable as well as being pivotable. FIG. 5 illustrates a chair 40 in which the seat member 41 is normally supported horizontally but which may pivot to either side to suit a user. The backrest 42 is similarly supported by a mounting assembly of the type illustrated in FIG 4 whereby it may pivot resiliently to either side of a central position. This chair is also provided with armrests 45. The backrest has a telescopic support frame whereby it may be adjusted for height and lateral spacing from the seat 41.

The stool 50 illustrated in FIG 6 is similar to the chair of FIG. 5. However it has a taller base frame assembly 51 and a stop bar of the type shown at 29 in FIG. 3 to limit its pivotal movement in one direction to a substantially horizontal position.

It is to be understood that while the above has been given only by way of illustrative example of the present invention all such modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as is defined in the appended claims.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS :-

1. Seating including:- a supporting base; a seat member on said supporting base for supporting the posterior of a user, and mounting means for connecting said seat member to said supporting base whereby the latter is pivotable about a transverse horizontal axis between supporting positions at opposite sides of a normal seating position.

2. Seating according to Claim 1, wherein said seat member is freely pivotable so that in use it automatically adopts an inclination set by a user.

3. Seating according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein there is provided biassing means for biassing said seat member to said normal seating position.

4. Seating according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said biassing means is associated with said mounting means .

5. Seating according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said seat member is inclined in the normal seating position and there is provided an associated knee pad supported by said base member.

6. Seating according to Claim 5, wherein said kneepad Is pivotable about a transverse horizontal axis between supporting positions at opposite sides of a normal supporting position .

7. Seating according to Claim 6, wherein said kneepad and said seat are supported by corresponding resilient mounting means.

8. Seating according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said mounting means comprises a first mounting member pivotable within a second mounting member and there being provided resilient material interposed between said first and second members for biassing one said member to a normal position relative to the other said member.

9. Seating according to Claim 8, wherein said mounting members are square section members, the outer one being fixed to said supporting base and the inner said tube being fixed to said seat member/kneepad .

10. Seating according to any one of Claims 5 to 9 , wherein said supporting base includes a base frame having a pair of spaced upwardly extending struts respective ones of which support said seat member and said kneepad.

11. Seating substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of FIGS. 1 to 7.