AU721283B3

AU721283B3 - A seating means

Info

Publication number: AU721283B3
Application number: AU56016/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Roger Thomas Mascull
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-10-25
Filing date: 1999-10-25
Publication date: 2000-06-29
Anticipated expiration: 2005-10-25

Description

P/00/012 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 Original Complete Specification Petty Patent Name of Applicant: Roger Thomas Mascull, a new Zealand citizen, of 21 Fairholme Avenue, Epsom, Auckland, New Zealand.

Actual Inventor: Roger Thomas Mascull, a new Zealand citizen.

Address for Service: Collison Co, 117 King William Street, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia.

Invention Title: A SEATING MEANS The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: 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 present invention there is provided seating means, comprising a base having an area for receiving and supporting the posterior of a person, and a back rest for receiving and supporting the back of the person, the seating means having a back rest mount for securing the back rest to a support frame when the seating means is in use, and a base mount for securing the base to the support frame when the seating means is in use, the back rest mount being capable of sliding movement along or alongside the support frame to cause angular adjustment of the seating means with respect to the support frame; the back rest being capable of forwards and backwards movement with respect to the base to significantly reduce or increase seating depth of the seating means by reducing or increasing the area available for receiving the posterior of the person.

Preferably the seating means is in combination with the support frame, and at least a portion of the support frame is angled and extends between the back rest mount and the base mount, the back rest mount being capable of sliding along or alongside the portion of the support frame which is angled.

Preferably the base mount is capable of sliding along 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 FIGURE 2 is a side view of an adjustable seating means demonstrating possible movement of its component parts, 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 way of a series of apertures 5 and associated screws, bolts, knobs, or the like.

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 7 and two back rest mounts 8, 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 side parts of the base 2, and two back rest mounts 8 are attached to opposite side parts 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 base mounts 7 may comprise generally shaped members which can wrap around at least part of a cross bar (not shown) forming part of the support frame 9. The cross bar is such that it extends from one side of the base 2 to the other (ie running into the page of figure In some embodiments of the invention the cross bar may be substituted by a pair of short inwardly projecting cantilevered stub bars (not shown), one adjacent each side of the base 2. The stub bars are arranged to receive the base mounts 7 in similar fashion to the cross bar.

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.

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 regulated.

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. 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

1. Seating means, comprising a base having an area for receiving and supporting the posterior of a person, and a back rest for receiving and supporting the back of the person, the seating means having a back rest mount for securing the back rest to a support frame when the seating means is in use, and a base mount for securing the base to the support frame when the seating means is in use, the back rest mount being capable of sliding movement along or alongside the support frame to cause angular adjustment of the seating means with respect to the support frame; the back rest being capable of forwards and backwards movement with respect to the base to significantly reduce or increase seating depth of the seating means by reducing or increasing the area available for receiving the posterior of the person.

2. Seating means according to claim 1, wherein the seating means is in combination with the support frame, and at least a portion of the Support frame is angled and extends between the back rest mount and the base mount, the back rest mount being capable of sliding along or alongside the portion of the support frame which is angled.

3. Seating means according to claim 1, wherein the base mount is capable of sliding along the base. DATED this 40 day of May 2000 ROGER THOMAS MASCULL By his Patent Attomeys COLLISON CO