GB1590583A

GB1590583A - Lumbar supports

Info

Publication number: GB1590583A
Application number: GB5396376A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: UK Secretary of State for Defence
Current assignee: UK Secretary of State for Defence
Priority date: 1977-12-22
Filing date: 1977-12-22
Publication date: 1981-06-03

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO LUMBAR SUPPORTS (71) I, SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE, LONDON, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- The present invention relates to lumbar support means of the type which can be positioned on the back rests of seats, particularly vehicle, craft and aircraft seats, to provide support to a user's lumbar region.

According to the present invention a lumbar support cushion comprises a bag divided into compartments by at least one flexible divider which will in use extend across a user's back, and a plurality of substantially incompressible spheroids at least substantially, but loosely, filling the compartments, the at least one flexible divider being shaped to assist the cushion in conforming to the required shape. The required shape of the cushion is usually, as far as the surface thereof presented in use to the user's back is concerned, that of a saddle in the relief geographical sense.

The majority of seats afford inadequate support at the lumbar region of a seat occupant. This is particularly noticeable when the seat is in a vehicle, craft or aircraft, especially when the occupant is driving or piloting over a period of several hours.

Medical evidence indicates that a vehicle user's back support should conform to the contours of the user's back, especially in the lumbar region, to avoid overstressing any of the vertebral supporting tissues. Oversupport in one part of the back may be more harmful than undersupport. By the invention a lumbar support cushion can readily te made which will adjust to the shape of, al give benefits to, most different occupants t the same seat. Nevertheless the utility Ct the invention can be further increased by rendering the interiors of the compartments accessible so that the quantity of spheroids therein can be varied. The access may be suitably obtained using zip fasteners.

The spheroids may be made from, or coated with, a material having a low coefficient of friction, for example polytetrafluoroethylene, so that upon application of an external indenting pressure on the bag the spheroids reposition to assume the contour and shape of the body applying the pressure.

Foamed spheroids made of polystyrene have, however, been found quite suitable. The surface friction of such spheroids can be reduced if desired by means of a powder coating.

The spheroids are preferably small enough to offer a substantially smooth surface contour to the bag whilst also being sufficiently large to permit free air circulation through the interstices between adjacent spheroids. A diameter of the order of 3 mm is suitable.

The bag is consequently advantageously made of fabric permeable to gases and vapours.

The cushion may have means for attachment thereof to a seat backrest at any suitable height. These means may include touch and close fasteners.

A preferred embodiment of a cushion in accordance with the invention comprises a bag made of fabric permeable to gases and vapours, divided into a series of three or four compartments which extend from opposite edges of the cushion such that they will lie, in use, across a user's back, the compartments being formed by dividers pre-shaped to impart an intially saddle-shaped configuration to the cushion, the interior of each compartment being closely accessible, a loose filling of hollow plastic spheroids of diameter of the order of 3 mm in each compartment, and fastening and adjustment means whereby the cushion can be attached to a seat backrest and its location thereon adjusted.

In addition to continuous use in his car, for example, when once the most comforable filling/location configuration has been obtained it may be preferred not to disturb this, such a cushion can readily be retained by a user for use on any vehicle, craft, aircraft, or even household seat or chair. Variations in the shape ofthe seat rest, to give the particular user adequate support in thc lumbar region, can be catered for by quantitively adjusting the filling of the compartments.

A lumbar support cushion in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specification of which: Figure 1 is a front view of a cushion, Figure 2 is a rear view thereof, and Figure 3 is a view on Ill-Ill in Figure 1.

The lumbar support cushion shown in the drawings comprises a bag 10 divided into three compartments by dividers 11, which compartments will, in use, extend across the back of the user. The dividers 11 are shaped to cause the cushion to conform at the rear to a seat backrest and at the front to a user's back in the lumbar region. Thus it will usually have a kind of saddle shape. Zip fasteners 12 in the rear of the bag 10 allow access to the interior of each compartment.

To the back of the bag, towards the sides thereof, are attached strips 13 of touch and close fastener material. Tapes 14 adapted for attachment to a seat backrest carrying strips 15 of touch and close fastener material complementary to that of the strips 13 but greater in extent, to provide a range of locations at which the cushion can be mounted.

Small plastic spheres are placed in each compartment to a desired degree of filling.

For use the tapes 14 are attached to the backrest part of the seat, and the cushion is mounted at an appropriate location on the strips 15 by means of the strips 13. When the user sits against the cushion the balls, by moving about within the compartments, bring the shape of the cushion into such a comformity with the seat back and the user's back that the pressures of the user's lumbar region are reacted evenly.

In a typical example of a cushion as described, the bag and dividers are made of flax terylene fabric and the spheres are 3 mm foamed polystyrene balls. The touch and close fasteners are those sold under the trade name Velcro. The dimensions of the cushion are: length (across the back) 40 cm, breadth (up the back) 20 cm, maximum thickness 7 cm. The width of each compartment is therefore of the order of 6 cm.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A lumbar support cushion comprising a bag divided into compartments by at least one flexible divider which will in use extend across a user's back, and a plurality of substantially incompressible spheroids at least substantially, but loosely, filling the compartments, the at least one flexible divider being shaped to assist the cushion in con forming to the required shape.

2. A cushion as claimed in claim 1 and whereof the surface for presentation to a user's back is saddle-shaped.

3. A cushion as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 and wherein interiors of the compartments are closably accessible.

4. A cushion as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 and wherein the spheroids are made from polytetrafluoroethylene.

5. A cushion as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 and wherein the spheroids are coated with polytetrafluorethylene.

6. A cushion as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 and wherein the spheroids are formed of foamed polystyrene.

7. A cushion as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and wherein the bag is made of a fabric permeable to gases and vapours.

8. A cushion as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and having means for attachment thereof to a seat back rest.

9. A cushion as claimed in claim 8 and wherein the attachment means include touch and close fasteners.

10. A lumbar support cushion comprising a bag made of fabric permeable to gases and vapours, divided into a series of three or four compartments which extend from opposite edges of the cushion such that they will lie, in use, across a user's back, the compartments being formed by dividers pre-shaped to impart an initially saddle-shaped configuration to the cushion, the interior of each compartment being closably accessible, a loose filling of hollow plastic spheroids of diameter of the order of 3 mm in each compartment, and fastening and adjustment means whereby the cushion can be attached to a seat backrest and its location thereon adjusted.

11. A lumbar support cushion substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specification.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. the shape ofthe seat rest, to give the particular user adequate support in thc lumbar region, can be catered for by quantitively adjusting the filling of the compartments. A lumbar support cushion in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings accompanying the Provisional Specification of which: Figure 1 is a front view of a cushion, Figure 2 is a rear view thereof, and Figure 3 is a view on Ill-Ill in Figure 1. The lumbar support cushion shown in the drawings comprises a bag 10 divided into three compartments by dividers 11, which compartments will, in use, extend across the back of the user. The dividers 11 are shaped to cause the cushion to conform at the rear to a seat backrest and at the front to a user's back in the lumbar region. Thus it will usually have a kind of saddle shape. Zip fasteners 12 in the rear of the bag 10 allow access to the interior of each compartment. To the back of the bag, towards the sides thereof, are attached strips 13 of touch and close fastener material. Tapes 14 adapted for attachment to a seat backrest carrying strips 15 of touch and close fastener material complementary to that of the strips 13 but greater in extent, to provide a range of locations at which the cushion can be mounted. Small plastic spheres are placed in each compartment to a desired degree of filling. For use the tapes 14 are attached to the backrest part of the seat, and the cushion is mounted at an appropriate location on the strips 15 by means of the strips 13. When the user sits against the cushion the balls, by moving about within the compartments, bring the shape of the cushion into such a comformity with the seat back and the user's back that the pressures of the user's lumbar region are reacted evenly. In a typical example of a cushion as described, the bag and dividers are made of flax terylene fabric and the spheres are 3 mm foamed polystyrene balls. The touch and close fasteners are those sold under the trade name Velcro. The dimensions of the cushion are: length (across the back) 40 cm, breadth (up the back) 20 cm, maximum thickness 7 cm. The width of each compartment is therefore of the order of 6 cm. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A lumbar support cushion comprising a bag divided into compartments by at least one flexible divider which will in use extend across a user's back, and a plurality of substantially incompressible spheroids at least substantially, but loosely, filling the compartments, the at least one flexible divider being shaped to assist the cushion in con forming to the required shape.