GB2409823A

GB2409823A - Chair with exercise capability

Info

Publication number: GB2409823A
Application number: GB0400208A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gordon Blackwood Hamilton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-01-07
Filing date: 2004-01-07
Publication date: 2005-07-13
Also published as: GB0400208D0

Abstract

An exercise chair comprises a seat C, seat back C, leg rest C foot rest C, arm rest B, head rest A and a base D. The various elements of the chair are joined together by articulated connections employing torsion, tension or compression of any natural, man made or synthetic material. Hand holds are provided on the head rest (P fig 2), arm rest (Q fig 2), and anchor points on the seat and base (R, S fig 2), which allow resisted limb or torso movement. The user may combine exercise with normal domestic or business activities such as watching TV or office work.

Description

Lifestyle seat The invention relates to a type of seat that combines the

normal aesthetic and functional attributes of a seat in a domestic or business environment with the secondary function of exercising muscle groups of the occupant by means of resisted movements.

The resisted movements are between any or all, individually or in combination, of the various design elements of the chair. Design elements being, for example: seat area, seat back, leg rest, foot rest, arm rest, head rest, seat base (legs), et al (the levers, panels or chassis members of the construction).

Movements are allowed between the design elements of the seat by articulated connections of any kind and/or fixed connections employing torsion, tension or compression of any natural, man made, or synthetic material.

Resistance for the resisted movement is provided by the weight of the levers, panels or chassis members of the construction, or the torsion, tension, or compression of any natural, man made, or synthetic material used for the design elements or the connections between the design elements.

Leverages between the seat occupant and the design elements of the seat are achieved by any or all of these seat design elements incorporating anchor points, or being anchor points in themselves. Anchor points may be hooks, handles, loops, straps, bars, apertures, the design element itself, or any other means of providing a grip or leverage point for the seat user.

The resisted movements are then effected by the seat occupant attaching body or limbs to the appropriate anchor points, by gripping or hooking around, through or over, and moving the corresponding design elements.

No supplementary equipment needs to be connected to the seat and no pulleys are incorporated.

Exercise of this type would currently require bespoke exercise equipment not capable in its exercise mode of fulfilling the normal aesthetic and functional attributes of seating in a domestic or business environment.

An object of this invention is to provide the seat user with the means for frequent but light, non-aerobic exercise, without recourse in time or effort to using separate exercise equipment that may be: stored separately; inconvenient to access; or impractical or unsightly to keep readily to hand in the home or office Another object is to allow the seat user to exercise during short, opportune moments; moments that would normally be wasted because of the inconvenience or impracticality, in time and effort, of accessing exercise equipment. !

A further objective is to allow the seat user a more efficient use of time by providing the opportunity to combine exercise with normal domestic or business activities such as: watching TV or sitting at an office desk.

One manifestation of such a seat design is shown in FIGURES 1, 2, and 3.

This manifestation might represent a type of wingback, TV or reading seat.

The FIGURES show a simple seat, with only four main seat design elements; three are individual design elements (A, B. and D) and the forth is a 'single part', combination design element (C) (FIGURE 1). They also indicate the type of movement between and within these design elements (FIGURE 3), and they show the anchor points necessary for the user to interact with the scat (FIGURE 2).

FIGURE I highlights the four design elements of this simple seat: A Wing, head rests (2 off).

B - Arms (2 off).

C - Combination back, seat area, leg rests and foot rests (one piece, say, of moulded plastic or laminated wood).

D - Seat base.

FIGURE 2 highlights the anchor points necessary for the occupant to interact with the seats moving resistances: P - Handhold apertures for hand anchor point.

Q - Thumb grip apertures for hand anchor point.

R - Bar type anchor point for feet.

S - Loop type anchor points for toes.

FIGURE 3 highlights the connections between the design elements where movement occurs during exercise. This seat example illustrates two possible types of movement; movement between individual design elements connected by articulated joints (X, Y. and Z) and movement within a 'single part' design element comprising two or more design elements fixed together with non articulated joints or, in this example, being one single part (W): W - Torsion, tension, compression type movement between the seat area and seat back (within the 'one part', combination: back, seat area, leg rests and foot rests design element) X - Articulated movement between B (arms) and C Y - Articulated movement between A (wing head rests) and C Z - Articulated (rotational) movement between C and D (seat base) Examples of muscle exercise usage for the seat illustrated might be: Abdomen and legs - grip P with hands and hook feet under R. Contract abdomen causing resisted movement in W. Chest and shoulders - Grip P with hands and move hands together or apart against the resisted movement in the articulated joint Y. Arins - grip Q with hands and move arms up and down or right and left against the resisted movement in articulated joint X. Legs and sides - hook one foot on R and one foot on S and open and close legs against the resistance of the seat and occupants weight.

The illustration in FIGURE 3 does not indicate the particular type of articulated joint (X, Y. and Z) or resistance employed between the design elements as these could be many and varied. Some examples might be: Illustration Joint type Resistance (FIGURE 3) X Universal Sprung steel or spring supports.

Y Hinge Sprung steel or elastic cord.

Z Rotation on rising cam Weight of seat being lifted by the cam when rotated.

Claims

Claims 1. A domestic or business seat allowing resisted limb or torso

movements by utilising limb or torso anchor points on the levers, panels or chassis members of the construction to achieve interaction between the user and the seat's moving and static parts and where resistance is incorporated between these moving and static parts.
2. A seat as claimed in Claiml where some or all of the movements are allowed by articulated connections of any kind between the levers, panels or chassis members of the construction.
3. A seat as claimed in Claim 1 or claim 2 where some or all of the movements are allowed by torsion, tension, or compression of any natural, man made, or synthetic material used in the construction or linking of the levers, panels or chassis members of the construction.
4. A seat as claimed in preceding claims where the resistance for the resisted movement is provided by: the weight of the levers, panels or chassis members of the construction; or the torsion, tension, or compression of any natural, man made, or synthetic material used for the levers, panels or chassis members of the construction or their connections.
5. A seat as claimed in preceding claims where some or all of the levers, panels or chassis members of the construction have anchor points which may be hooks, handles, loops, straps, bars, apertures or the lever, panel or chassis member in its entirety.
6. A seat as claimed in preceding claims where the anchor points are engaged by the limbs or torso of the seat user to provide leverage to make the resisted movement.