US20070096524A1

US20070096524A1 - Corrective chair

Info

Publication number: US20070096524A1
Application number: US11/265,071
Authority: US
Inventors: Shang-Wei Chou
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-11-01
Filing date: 2005-11-01
Publication date: 2007-05-03
Also published as: DE202005017508U1

Abstract

A corrective chair comprises a seat which allows to be tilted forward and backward, a backrest and support elements for feet, allowing multiple uses as a regular chair, a reclining chair and a chair for correcting orientation of vertebrae, assisting a user to get up, lie down and stretch the torso for relaxing, preventing inflammation of muscular mucous membranes and attaining a better sitting position.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a corrective chair, particularly to a corrective chair which improves sitting position and supports vertebrae, allowing an upright as well as a lying position.
2. Description of Related Art
Today's life is full of tension and gives little space for relaxing. Physical and psychical stress result in unstable sitting positions, and lack of exercise lead to fatigue, knots in mucous membranes and ligaments, and disorientation of joints.
Chinese medicine teaches 8 vertical layers of bones, reaching from neck, shoulder, breast and hip vertebrae to thighs, lower leg and toes. Flexible connections and proper balancing are important for proper distribution of muscles, ligaments and tissue.
Since all layers of bones support each other, fatigue or disorientation of one layer negatively affect stability of the remaining layers and balancing of the body, causing frequent contemporary diseases, like displaced vertebrae, bowlegs and sciatica.
Furthermore since muscular mucous membranes surround muscles, ligaments and nerves, migraine and aching of the stomach is often caused by tension in muscular mucous membranes.
As common preventive measures, muscular mucous membranes are often massaged and improving of the sitting position is seeked.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,828,851 discloses a corrective chair for improving the sitting position, having a seat that is inclined forward, so that an upright posture is naturally assumed and legs and torso form an angle of greater than 90 degrees. Thus an improved sitting position for relaxing and better health is achieved.
The present invention aims at further improvements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a corrective chair which improves the sitting position of a user and allows stretching to relax and prevent inflammation of muscular mucous membranes.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a corrective chair which is usable as a regular chair and a chair assisting in properly orienting vertebrae and which allows sitting as well as lying.
The present invention can be more fully understood by reference to the following description and accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the corrective chair of the present invention comprises: a frame 10, having a support function; a seat 20, mounted on the frame 10, being tiltable; and a backrest 30, mounted on the frame 10, being tiltable. By tilting the seat 20 and the backrest 30 to various angles, the sitting position of a user is corrigible, and sitting, lying as well as functions of a regular chair are allowed. In the following, a detailed explanation is given.
The frame 10 is made of front, rear, left, right plates 11, 12, 13, 14. To each of the left and right plates 13, 14, a support plate 15 is attached. Each of the left and right plates 13, 14 is passed through by a hinge axis 17.
The seat 20 comprises a seat plate 21, a blocker assembly 22, and two lateral plates 23, 24 which extend vertically downward from the seat plate 21. Each of the two lateral plates 23, 24 has a hole 25, passed through by the hinge axis 17. of one of the the left and right plates 13, 14. Thereby, the seat 20 is tiltable forward and backward. The blocker assembly 22 serves to limit tilting angles of the seat 20, comprising two arc-shaped openings 221, respectively cut into the two lateral plates 23, 24, and two bolts 223, respectively extending inward from the left and right plates 13, 14 and each passing through one of the two arc-shaped openings 221. Thus, as shown in FIG. 4, tilting backward of the seat 20 is stopped at a rear dead center 225, and, as shown in FIG. 3, tilting forward of the seat 20 is stopped at a front dead center 226.
To accommodate various sitting positions and centers of mass of different users, the seat 20 allows to be tilted forward and backward according to different centers of mass of users, as shown in FIGS. 3-8 for achieveing an optimum effect of support and correction of sitting positions.
For comfortable seating, a seat cushion 27 is mounted on the seat plate 21.
When the seat 20 is tilted forward, the legs and the torso of the user enclose an angle of greater than 90 degrees, providing for a natural, relaxed sitting position. As shown in FIG. 5, the user has the option of placing the feet on the support plates 15, controlling body position and center of mass for correcting the sitting position and properly orienting vertebrae.
Referring to FIG. 2, a support device 40 is mounted on the seat 20, comprising a bearing 41 and an L-shaped support rod 44. The bearing 41 is mounted on one of the two lateral plates 23, 24, having a roughly square cross-section, an opening 42 and an inner space from which an orienting rod 43 extends vertically upwards. The support rod 44 has a lower end with an end part 45 of a roughly square cross-section into which the bearing 41 is inserted, with the orienting rod 43 further extending into the support rod 44 to ensure proper orientation thereof. The support rod 44 further has an upper end which extends to the abdomen of the user seated on the seat 20, thereby supporting and fixing the body of the user for correcting the sitting position and properly orienting vertebrae.
The support rod 44 is turnable around the orienting rod 43 to allow convenient sitting down and getting up from a sitting position. The upper end of the support rod 44, which toouches the abdomen of the user, is covered by a padding 46.
The backrest 30 is fastened to the left and right plates 13, 14 via an adjusting device 60. A back cushion 31 is placed on the backrest.
The adjusting device 60 is conventional art from regular chairs or car seats. In the following, an example is described.
Referring to FIGS. 2 a -2 c, the adjusting device 60 allows to adjust an inclination angle of the backrest 30. The adjusting device 60 has an active part 61 and a passive part 71. The passive part 71 comprises a fixed plate 72, mounted on the right plate 14 of the frame 10 and carrying an axis 73, and a moving plate 74, turnably mounted on the fixed plate 72 and fastened to the backrest 30 at a right edge thereof.
The active part 61 comprises a fixed plate 62, mounted on the left plate 13 of the frame 10 and carrying an axis 63, and a moving plate 64, turnably mounted on the fixed plate 72 and fastened to. the backrest 30 at a left edge thereof. The moving plate 64 has a periphery with-a depression 65 and a cover plate 66′, which is fastened to the fixed plate 62 by bolts 661, 662. A transmission rod 663 passes through the fixed plate 62, carrying a handle 664, a blocking washer 665, a passive washer 666 and an E-shaped washer 667. A braking disc 67 is laid into the depression 65 and fixed there by the bolt 661, blocking the moving plate 64 from turning. A spring 68 is inserted between the fixed plate 62 and the passive washer 666, exerting torsion on the passive washer 666 when the handle 664 is pushed downward. A plate spring 69 surrounds the axis 63. A cushioning ring 691 provides torsion when the moving plate turns in a forward direction. For adjusting the inclination angle of the backrest 30, the handle 664 is pulled up, driving the blocking washer 665 to separate the braking disc 67 from the depression 65, allowing the moving plate 64 to turn when external pressure is exerted on the backrest. Depending on whether the torsion generated by the spring 68 is overcome or not, the backrest moves rearward or forward. If the inclination angle has assumed a desired value, the handle 664 is released. Then the braking disc 67 enters the depression 65, blocking the moving plate 64 from turning, fixing the inclination angle.
Referring to FIG. 6, the user is able to recline the backrest 30 to attain a lying position. For rising, the hand is placed on the support rod 44 to assist getting up.
Referring to FIGS. 7-8, the present invention helps to lie down and get up, with the feet of the user hooking onto the front plate 11 to get a better hold. The inclination angle of the backrest 30 is adjustable by the user, using the adjusting device 60, to any desired value. Rising from a lying position is facilitated by the support rod 44. Furthermore, the backrest 30 protects head and back of the user, ensuring a feeling of safety.
When the feet are placed on the support plates 15, with the seat 20 tilted forward, hip and feet determine balance s and sitting position, and the belly is trained to adjust the center of mass of the user to keep a stable sitting position.
Referring now to FIG. 8 a, a positioning device 50 is fastened to the front plate 11, comprising a hinged joint 51, having a fixed end 53 that is fastened to the front plate 11 and a free end 55, and a stopper 52 which is mounted on the free end. In a normal state, the stopper 52 is hidden behind the front plate 11. When the seat 20 is tilted forward, the stopper is turned to towards the lateral plates 23, 24 of the seat 20.
In this state, with vertebrae bent, by stretching the torso orientation of the vertebrae is corrected, while the inclination angle of the backrest 30 is adjusted for an optimum effect.
While the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that modifications or variations may be easily made without departing from the spirit of this invention which is defined by the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the corrective chair of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the corrective chair of the present invention.
FIGS. 2 a -2 care schematic illustrations of an adjusting device used in conjunction with the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of the corrective chair of the present invention with the seat tilted forward.
FIGS. 4-8 are schematic illustrations of the corrective chair of the present invention at various positions of the user.
FIG. 8 a is a schematic illustration of the positioning device of the present invention.

Claims

1. A corrective chair, comprising:

a frame, having a front plate, a rear plate, a left plate, a right plate and two support plates which extend from said left and right plates inward, respectively; and

a seat, mounted on said frame and further comprising

a seat plate, from which two lateral plates extend downward, each having a hole in a middle position passed through by a hinge axis mounted on said frame, allowing said seat to be tilted forward and backward, and

a blocking assembly for restricting tilting forward and backward of said seat to maximum angles;

wherein by placing feet of a user on said supporting plates, movements of said user for controlling position and balance help to attain a healthy sitting position and proper orienting of vertebrae.

2. The corrective chair according to claim 1, wherein a backrest is mounted on rear edges of said left and right plates, having an inclination angle that is adjustable by an adjusting device.

3. The corrective chair according to claim 1, wherein a support device is mounted on said seat for supporting an upright sitting position of said user.

4. The corrective chair according to claim 3, wherein said support device comprises:

a bearing, mounted on one of said two lateral plates having a cross-section shaped roughly like a square, further having an opening and an inner space from which an orienting rod extends upward; and

a support rod, shaped like the letter L, having a lower end with an end part with a cross-section shaped roughly like a square, into which said bearing is inserted, with said orienting rod fixing an orientation of said support rod, and an upper end placed close to an abdomen of said user.

5. The corrective chair according to claim 1, wherein a positioning device is mounted on said front plate for maintaining a forward-tilted position of said seat.

6. The corrective chair according to claim 1, wherein said blocking assembly comprises two arc-shaped openings, respectively cut into said two lateral plates, and two bolts, respectively extending inward from said left and right plates and each passing through one of said two arc-shaped openings.