EP2129264A2

EP2129264A2 - Ergonomic structure

Info

Publication number: EP2129264A2
Application number: EP08751522A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Amedeo Maffei
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-03-28
Filing date: 2008-03-26
Publication date: 2009-12-09
Also published as: WO2008117330A3; ITMI20070618A1; WO2008117330A2

Abstract

The object of the present invention is an ergonomic structure of a chaise longue type, on which a user may stretch out in a reclining position. The ergonomic structure according to the present invention is characterized by the fact that it comprises the minimum number of resting elements needed for realizing a correct and comfortable posture of the user' s body in a reclining position. The ergonomic structure according to the present invention is also adjustable, so as to adapt to users of different stature.

Description

ERGONOMIC STRUCTURE

DESCRIPTION

The present invention concerns an ergonomic resting structure suitable for providing a particular comfort to a person resting on it in a reclining, stretched out position.

As known, arm chairs, reclining chairs, chaise longue and the like are present in today' s market in a variety of forms. These range from the traditional upholstered arm chairs to reclining armchairs, chaises longues of an ergonomic shape to the most particular shapes, amounting in certain cases to veritable objects of industrial design. _—

As also known, however, the human body's natura_^l physiology is such that a prolonged contact of body parts with a supporting surface, , no matter how comfortable and upholstered, induces a .squashing of the skin and muscle masses with ensuing circulation problems, torpidity and similar problems that force the person, after a certain period of time, to change his posture and limit the comfort -of the seating.

Moreover, the armchairs, reclining chairs and chaise longue of the already known type often fail to provide an ergonomic seating. In many cases, the already known solutions are in fact mainly- aimed at simple production, pleasant aesthetic appearance, practicality of use or the presence of supplementary functions such as the possibility of varying the angle of the backrest or of folding the chair in the case of reclining chairs, rather than at securing a proper body posture of the person resting on the same.

The armchairs of an already known type are also not easily transportable, their use is therefore limited. In particular, the known armchairs normally present very complex structures. In the case of chaises longues, these are often single block structures, while in the case of ergonomic armchairs, these are generally characterized by voluminous padding and inclinable footrests and/or backrests that are obviously burdening the armchair's structure. Such complex structures are clearly not transportable.

It is thus evident that the ergonomic armchairs, reclining chairs and chaise longue of a known type fail to offer the user an optimum degree of comfort and are not versatile to use and transport.

The main purpose of this invention is therefore to provide a structure of a chaise longue type, or such as to allow a person to stretch out in a backward position, be ergonomic and offer the user an enhanced comfort.

Within this task, the scope of this invention is in particular to supply a structure capable of offering a person resting on it a thoroughly ergonomic accommodation and a correct posture.

A further scope of the present invention is to provide an ergonomic structure of a chaise longue type, wherein the human body's points of contact with the surfaces of the structure are to be limited to the sole supporting areas essential for achieving a correct body posture in a backward leaning position, and a high degree of comfort for the user.

An additional purpose of the present invention is to provide an ergonomic structure wherein said areas of contact between the human body and the structure' s supporting surfaces are appropriately designed to ■ prevent circulatory problems and consequent torpidities in the person' s muscular mass . Another scope of the present invention is to supply an ergonomic structure adaptable to the stature of various users, so as to always be capable of offering an optimum posture even to subjects of varying build.

Not the last purpose of this invention is to provide an ergonomic structure made of a limited number of elements forming its frame.

Yet another purpose of the present invention is to provide an ergonomic structure capable of being easily disassembled so as to be easily transported, for instance after being placed in a container suitable for this purpose, for instance a case.

This purpose and these and other scopes, that will become better evident after the description of a preferred form of embodiment of the present invention, are achieved by an ergonomic structure of a chaise longue type including^ a supporting frame and characterized by the fact of comprising a minimum number of resting elements for the user' s body, needed for realizing a correct and comfortable posture of the body in a backward reclining position. These supporting elements comprise at least one footrest, a support for the popliteal fossae, a support for the buttocks, a

/ support for the hands, a lumbar support and a head rest .

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become better evident from the detailed description to follow, offered in a simplified and non limiting form and illustrated in the enclosed figures, wherein:

Figurel shows a / prospective view of the ergonomic structure according to the invention;

Figure 2 shows a side view of the ergonomic structure according to the invention.

According to a preferred form of embodiment of the present invention as shown in the mentioned figures for exemplifying purposes, the same refers to an ergonomic structure of a chaise longue type, that expects to comfortably sustain the user's body in a stretched out position and correct posture, only through supporting a few essential points for the correct supporting of a person.

Said essential points have been identified through physiological studies aimed in particular at understanding the blood circulation problems in the tissues, deriving from a compression over extended periods of the more or less extensive areas of the body involved in a support by traditional armchairs.

Based on these studies, the torpidities due to said circulatory problems associated with a squashing of the muscular masses are resolvable, or at least largely reducible by the reduction of the width and the number of the body areas to be supported by the structure.

Moreover, according to the studies performed, a proper and at the same time comfortable posture can be attained only by supporting these points, which can thus be defined as being essential.

These essential points are: the feet, which are supported in the area of the ankles, next to the heels; the popliteal fossae; the buttocks; the hands; the lumbar region; the head, in particular by supporting the rear cranial (cervical and nape) area.

In particular, with reference o the mentioned figures, the ergonomic structure of a chaise longue type seat according to the present invention comprises a frame, as designated in the figures by the reference number 1, which may have any configuration.

In the form of embodiment shown for exemplifying and non limiting purposes of this invention in the enclosed figures, this frame comprises a main element of an essentially longitudinal extension Ia, fitted with stabilizing elements designated by the numbers Ib and Ic that are appropriately positioned next to the extremities of said main element Ia, so as to act as the footrests of the frame .

The base frame 1 has inserted supports for the sustaining elements that support the body parts of the person.

In particular, the ergonomic structure according to the present invention will include at least one first sustaining element 2 that supports the footrests 7 and 8, a second sustaining element 3 for the supports of the popliteal fossae 9, and a third sustaining element 4 that holds the supports for the buttocks 10 and the supports for the hands 11.

The form of embodiment shown here naturally provides for the fact that the supports for the buttocks 10 and the supports for the hands 11 are interconnected with each other and supported by the same sustaining element 4. It is nevertheless clear to a specialist in the branch that alternative solutions can achieve the same result, for instance by providing two separate sustaining elements for the supports 10 and 11.

In the same manner, the third sustaining element 4 is connected with a lumbar backrest 12 and a supporting arm 6 for the headrest 13, but to a specialist in the branch, it is clear that different embodying solutions may provide for a connection of the lumbar support 12 and of the headrest 13 being made to an additional independent element.

Moreover, in the form of embodiment shown in the figures, the headrest 13 may be composed of two separate resting areas 13a and 13b, but alternative solutions may envision the use of a single surface for supporting the cervical and nape areas of the head.

With particular reference to the Figure 2, all the resting elements thus described are adjustable in their relative position.

In even greater detail, then arrows shown in Figure 2 illustrate how the supporting elements 2, 3 and 4 can be shifted along the main element Ia of the frame 1. In this manner, the relative distance between the body' s resting points supported by the elements 2, 3 and 4 may be varied to allow optimizing the seating comfort of persons of different stature.

Provision is made for also adjusting the height of the lumbar support 12 along the supporting arm 6, as shown by the arrows of Figure 2, and the headrest 13 can eventually be adjusted in its inclination as also shown by the arrows 2.

The ergonomic structure according to this invention and according to the preferred embodiment shown in the enclosed figures may appropriately envision that the body' s resting surfaces be upholstered or at any rate realized with materials suitable for enhancing the user' s comfort .

The supporting elements 2, 3 and 4 may be connected to the frame 1, and in particular to the main element, by quick connecting means of an already known type, not shown in the figures. Such quick connecting means may for instance be constituted of screws, bolts, split pin systems or the like.

10 It has thus been shown that the ergonomic structure according to the present invention allows achieving all the advantages aimed for, and overcoming the drawbacks left unresolved by the solutions already known at the state of the art. In particular, it has been shown that the ergonomic structure of the chaise longue type according to the present invention allows sustaining the user' s body by providing a rest only for the body's essential points, thus eliminating or at any rate substantially reducing the circulatory problems associated with the body's prolonged resting on a surface and induced by a compression of the dermal and muscular tissues, with the ensuing squashing of the blood vessels, circulatory hindrance and torpidity feelings .

The ergonomic structure according to this invention also achieves the scope of realizing an ergonomic structure capable of optimizing a correct posture and therefore the comfort of the user, by adapting to individuals of different stature .

What's more, the ergonomic structure according to the present invention achieves the scope of being

11 easily disassembled and therefore transportable. The specialist in the branch may apply a number of modifications, without abandoning the range of protection of the present invention. The range of protection of the claims need therefore not be limited by the illustrations or preferred forms of embodiment shown in the description for exemplifying purposes, the claims are on the contrary to encompass all the characteristics of novelty deducible from the present invention, including all the characteristics that would be considered as being equivalent by a specialist in the branch.

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Claims

1. Ergonomic structure of a chaise longue type comprising a frame (1), characterized by the fact that it includes a minimum number of resting elements needed for realizing a correct and comfortable posture of the user' s body in a backward reclining position, where said resting elements comprise a footrest (7, 8), a support for the popliteal fossae (9) a support for the buttocks (10), a support for the hands (11) a lumbar support (12) and a headrest (13) .

2. Ergonomic structure according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said frame (1) comprises a main element (Ia) of an essentially longitudinal extension, fitted with stabilizing elements (Ib, Ic) acting as footrests for said frame ( 1) .

3. Ergonomic structure according to the previous claim, characterized by the fact that there are one or more supporting elements (2, 3, 4, 6) inserted in said frame (1), that sustain said resting elements (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13) for the user's body.

4. Ergonomic structure according to the previous claim, characterized by the fact that said

13 supporting elements (2, 3, 4, 6) comprise at least one first sustaining element (2) suitable for supporting said footrest (7, 8), at least one second sustaining element (3) suitable for sustaining said support for the popliteal fossae (9), and at least one third sustaining element (4) suitable for sustaining said supports for the buttocks (10) .

5. Ergonomic structure according to the previous claim, characterized by the fact that said third sustaining element (4) also supports said lumbar support (12) and said headrest (13) .

6. Ergonomic structure according to the previous claim, characterized by the fact that said third sustaining element (4) is further connected to a curved sustaining element (6), where said curved sustaining element (6) is connected at its first extremity to said sustaining element (4), and at its opposite extremity to said headrest (13) .

7. Ergonomic structure according to any of the previous claims, characterized by the fact that said resting elements (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13) are realized of materials capable of enhancing the user's comfort, for instance of padded materials.

8. Ergonomic structure according to any of the

14 previous claims from 3 to 7, characterized by the fact that said sustaining elements (2, 3, 4, 6) inserted in said main element (Ia) of said frame (1) are further comprising quick connecting means for a rapid assembly and disassembly of said sustaining elements (2, 3, 4, 6) from said frame (1), so as to allow said ergonomic structure to be easily disassembled.

9. Ergonomic structure according to any of the previous claims, characterized by the fact that the relative position of said resting elements (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13) is variable, so that said structure may be optimized to adapt to users of various stature. The Mandatary Paolo Jaumann

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