WO1998016141A1

WO1998016141A1 - Adjustable seat

Info

Publication number: WO1998016141A1
Application number: PCT/DE1997/002333
Authority: WO
Inventors: E.-Ulrich Mathieu
Original assignee: Mathieu E Ulrich
Priority date: 1996-10-14
Filing date: 1997-10-13
Publication date: 1998-04-23
Also published as: DE19642348A1; DE19642348C2

Abstract

The invention relates to a seating surface (3) for a seating device or facility, specially for an office chair (1), a drivers seat or a household seat, which is affixed to an underframe (2) and which can be adapted to different body requirements and customs by means of a slight regulation. Said invention is specially aimed at preserving a normally formed flexure of the spinal chord or correcting a deformed one. According to the invention, the seating surface (3) is designed having several parts and is fixed to the underframe (2) in such a way that single seating surface parts (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d) can be individually and independently regulated or exchanged so that the seating surface (3) can be adapted to meet different body requirements.

Description

Adjustable seat

The invention relates to an adjustable seat for a seat device or device, in particular for a work chair, driver's seat, or seating furniture in the private area, which is attached to a seat base or underframe and has an adjustment facility.

Seating surfaces are generally designed in such a way that a change or adjustment of the actual seating surface is not provided and therefore cannot be carried out. However, this forces a person taking a seat to make do with the seat that is available. Only in office chairs and driver's seats can the seat height and back be changed, and in some cases the seat can be tilted and extended. A device for changing the actual seat is only described in PCT / DE95 / 014127 by closing a recess in the area of the tailbone of a seated person.

Especially in the case of seats that have to be occupied by different people, such as shift work, in vehicles with changing casts, but also musicians of an orchestra who constantly appear in other places, in the theater, in congress etc., no consideration is given to each individual case the individually required seat taken. The result is that damage and loss of work caused by back problems already cause 30% of all sick days in companies. In addition, the quality of life is significantly reduced by the disruptive pain in people affected by back pain. Furthermore, the national economy incurs costs due to absences from work, early retirement, medical treatments, cures and rehabilitation measures, which, seen only for Germany alone, will cost billions of DM in one year. The known seats are either flat or slightly troughed and can optionally be provided in the rear part with a wedge-like bead for tilting the pelvis or with a recess as described in PCT / DE95 / 01427. Each of these seat configurations is based on certain orthopedically sound considerations and examinations, which are, however, only applicable to a certain group of people who have an approximately typically or similarly shaped or trained spine, in particular lumbar spine.

The lumbar spine is formed from the last 5 lower vertebrae above the sacrum in a person's pelvis. Between the vertebrae are the elastic, gelatinous intervertebral discs, which are necessary for the resilient absorption of impacts and in particular a curvature, e.g. if a person bends down, allow. The lumbar spine shows a slight curvature of about 2-3 cm from the straight line into the body in a healthy adult person, the so-called lumbar spine lordosis. This lordosis is intended by nature as a predetermined bending point, because it should, for example, a jump or heavy carrying, can bend elastically in the specified direction or bend and prevent the spine from breaking.

In addition to the normal lordosis, there is the hyperlordosis, an excessive curvature of the lumbar spine, also called the hollow cross, which goes so far that a clenched fist can be inserted into the hollow arch. There is also the flat back, and finally the rarer kyphosis, in which the lumbar spine is bent outwards to the rounded back.

People with hyperlordosis in particular have pain, paralysis and herniated discs because the lumbar spine is so curved and the vertebrae are no longer arranged one above the other so that the statics are lost. The gelatinous intervertebral discs can only be loaded on one side, so that they are squeezed out of the vertebral bandage, pressing on the nerves and causing severe pain, paralysis and, in extreme cases, intervertebral disc prolapses, which then usually have to be operated on. The emergence or development of a hyperlordosis (hollow back) develops essentially, as also described in PCT / DE95 / 01427, by sitting on the tailbone or the rear pelvic rim, in particular in connection with sitting on a conically raised and softly padded seat , where the ischial bones sink deeply and the coccyx sits. In these cases the pelvis is tilted in the back area and under the weight pressure of the trunk of a seated person the spine dodges and inevitably reinforces the vertebral arch to a hyperlordosis. Over time, especially when, for example in a vehicle, the torso of a person is caused to move vertically, there is permanent compression of the lumbar spine, which logically continues to develop into hyperlordosis. Corresponding statistics on lost working hours and early pensions from, for example, professional drivers prove this process. This process is intensified when there is a rigid, motionless sitting and when there is a general lack of movement.

The same process occurs when the lumbar spine is already bent to a kyphosis (rounded back), with the lumbar spine bent outwards.

The invention is therefore based on the object of creating a seat which offers optimal and individual adjustment options for all seating applications and moreover creates the conditions for avoiding damage to health or leading to a regression of the damage which has occurred. According to the invention it is provided to achieve the object that the seat is made of several parts and is attached to the seat base in such a way that individual seat parts are independently adjustable and interchangeable, so that the seat can be individually adapted to the different physical requirements of each seated person can and leads to well-being through various setting variants and modifications. Furthermore, the prerequisites are created to prevent damage to the health, in particular of the lumbar spine, and to avoid malpositions, as a result of which a reduction in back problems is achieved and a high cost development in the healthcare system is avoided. In order to be able to replace individual seat surface parts, it is further proposed that individual seat surface parts are releasably connected to one another by joints and hinges.

In a further embodiment of the invention it is provided that the seat surface is designed in two parts, that the front seat part is firmly anchored to the seat substructure and that the rear seat part is steplessly vertically pivotable relative to the front seat part via a movable joint and an adjustment element, so that a rear part adjustable wedge is formed. Due to the two-part seat with a front and rear seat part, there is, for example, the possibility that the rear seat is pivoted upward out of the horizontal position, so that in the case of kyphosis or a flat back, the person concerned on the rear part of the seat, i.e. roughly on the line of the ischial tubercles, on which the seat can be wedge-shaped upwards, which corrects the lumbar spine in the direction of a normal lordosis and at the same time enables fatigue-free sitting.

In a further embodiment of the invention it is provided that the rear seat part is made in two parts and that each of the two The height of the seat parts can be adjusted individually and independently of one another, so that people who have hip problems or abnormalities on the lower extremities and who, for example, need a higher or lower or softer or harder padded seat in the area of a ischial bone and additionally have an abnormality the lumbar spine, can make an individual adjustment of the seat. The rear seat part, which is divided in the middle in length, is therefore primarily suitable for people who have to store their pelvis at different heights, for example to compensate for the listed abnormalities in the hip or pelvis.

In a further embodiment of the invention it is provided that the adjusting element consists of two eccentrically arranged rollers which are rotatably and self-lockingly fastened on a pin of the seat substructure and rest with their tread on the underside of the rear seat parts, so that the one-part or two-part rear seat part is sufficient is supported or that the adjusting element consists of a latching two-part lever arm, the first lever arm is connected to the seat part and the second lever arm is connected to the seat base.

A rigid, immobile sitting for a longer period of time is not only harmful for the parts of the body that are stressed by sitting because of the lack of stress and strain, as it leads to one-sided stress, undersupply and rapid fatigue. For this reason, sitting therapists are required to exercise more while sitting. One possibility of achieving more movement while sitting is achieved in the PCT / DE95 / 01427 already mentioned by the unstable "2-point sitting", which is caused by the so-called buttock tipping, in which a recess in the seat area in the area of the coccyx is incorporated so that a stable "3-point sitting" is prevented. In a special embodiment of the invention it is therefore further provided that the front and / or rear seat part is additionally provided with a resiliently rocking adjustment device, the resilient device consisting, for example, of an axis on which the front seat part is pivotably mounted and two springs, which rest below the front and rear edge of the seat part and support the front seat part in the horizontal and that the rear seat part is mounted on the one hand over the front seat part and on the other hand via a resilient pin of the roller. The aforementioned design enables a seated person to rock forward and backward, whereby the spring travel and pressure can be individually adjusted. Due to the rocking motion, the entire seat is designed like a rocking chair or the seating surface, as a whole or in part, is brought into a back and forth or up and down rocking motion by shifting the center of gravity of the seated person, thus achieving partial loading and relief. The possibility of rocking is achieved by the fact that the movable part of the seat, in addition to the angular adjustability, is additionally provided with an elastic, yielding device which allows the seated person to achieve a rocking movement by shifting weight and pressure on the buttocks.

In a further embodiment of the invention it is provided that the rear seat part is provided with a recess, which may be closed by a corresponding molded part, the molded part being manually insertable into the recess and having different thicknesses and being detachably held in the recess, for example, with Velcro strips is. Alternatively, there is the possibility that the molded part can be inserted stepwise or continuously into the recess from below by means of a lifting device. The recess relieves the coccyx when sitting and prevents the development of a hyperlordosis or an existing hyperlordosis is developed back to a normal lordosis because no pressure is exerted on the lumbar spine. By inserting a The molded part in the existing recess in the seat surface can thus optionally be used for a person who prefers a previously known “3-point sitting” or who only wants to train “2-point sitting” temporarily in a familiarization phase. The use of the seat with molded part and raised rear seat part is always advisable for people with kyphosis or a flat back.

In a further embodiment of the invention it is provided that the seat surface or parts of the seat surface is equipped with a, preferably 1-3 cm deep and 5-9 cm wide, groove in the genital area. Through a continuous channel in the seat in the genital area, improved ventilation and adequate cooling is achieved and at the same time pressure and overheating of the prostate and testicles are avoided in a male person. From the medical literature it is known that the amount and quality of the male semen strongly depends on the temperature of the testicles. For this reason, nature has placed the testicles outside of the body in mammals and thus also in humans in order to keep them cooler than the body temperature. It can therefore be assumed that ventilation and cooling are not adequately guaranteed if clothing is already sitting on the testicles in tight clothes. This can be prevented if necessary by the measure shown.

In order to further ensure easy interchangeability and to enable retrofitting of existing seating with the seat according to the invention, it is provided that the underside of the seat is equipped with a large number of holes and fastening means.

The invention is further characterized by the use of the seat surface for correcting or preventing a lumbar spine curvature, and specifically when used with a recess to prevent hyperlordosis or to correct a hyperlordosis for normal lordosis and when using a raised seat in the rear seat area to correct kyphosis or a flat back.

The invention is described in more detail below with reference to the figures.

It shows

FIG. 1 shows a side view of the work chair with height-adjustable rear seat parts,

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the work chair according to FIG. 1 with a raised rear seat part,

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a flat seat with an inserted molded part,

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view according to FIG. 3 with a molded part pulled out,

5 shows a perspective view of the seat according to FIG. 3 with a vertically raised rear seat part and inserted molded part, FIG.

FIG. 6 shows a perspective illustration according to FIG. 5 with a molded part pulled out,

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the seat surface with a divided rear seat part, one of which is lifted vertically, FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of two seat parts that can be connected to one another in an articulated manner,

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the seat with channel and

Figure 10 is a side view of a spring-loaded front and rear seat.

Figure 1 shows a side view of a work chair 1, which has a base 2, a seat 3 and a backrest 4. The base frame 2 consists of a tube piece 5 arranged in the center, which has five arms 6 in the lower region, which are screwed or welded to the tube piece 5. The ends of the arms 6 facing away from the pipe section 5 each have a roller guide 7 with base rollers 8. In the pipe section 5, a gas pressure shock absorber is not visible, which enables the seat height 3 with the backrest 4 to be adjusted via an actuating device, also not shown. For safety reasons, the pipe section 5 is provided with a rubber bellows 9, which prevents a possible jamming between the pipe sections 5, 10 when the height of the seat surface 3 is inserted by inserting the upper pipe section 10 of the seat surface 3 into the lower pipe section 5. The pipe section 10, which is smaller in diameter, is arranged centrally below the seat surface 3. Eccentrically, two supports 11 or a support plate are arranged under the seat surface 3, which are angled approximately at right angles and accommodate the backrest 4 at the ends pointing upwards, the backrest 4 being attached to the upper end of the support 11 in a tiltable or pivotable manner.

The seat 3 consists of a base 12 and an upholstery 13. The work chair 1 according to the invention has a 2-part seat 3, which is pivotally connected to one another by hinges or joints 14 are. Furthermore, pins 15 are welded to the side of the supports 11, on which further eccentrically mounted rollers 16 are rotatably and self-lockingly fastened. In Figure 1, the roller 16 is rotated such that the two-part seat 3a, 3b together with the base 12, which is also designed in two parts corresponding to the seat 3, is arranged horizontally and flat.

Figure 2 shows a side view of a work chair 1, in which, in contrast to Figure 1, the roller 16 is rotated in a position in which the rear seat part 3b, consisting of the padding 13 and the pad 12, is raised by the roller 16 and occupies a vertical position due to the hinges 14. By raising the rear seat part 3b, the advantage according to the invention is achieved that the pelvis of the seated person is raised or supported in a wedge shape in the rear area and thus, according to some therapists, a straight and fatigue-free sitting posture is ensured. The rear seat part 3b can further be equipped with a wedge-shaped recess and a corresponding molded part, as can be seen from the following figures, so that use with or without a molded part is possible.

FIGS. 3 to 8 each show the seat surface 3 or the seat surface parts 3a, 3b without the associated base frame.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a seat 3 in a two-part design with a front seat part 3a and a rear seat part 3b, the padding 13 and the base 12 are designed in two parts. A triangular cutout 20 is arranged in the center of the rear seat part 3b and is closed by a corresponding shaped piece 21. Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the seat 3 with the molded part pulled out 21. The recess 20 is arranged in the region of the coccyx of a seated person and thus enables two-point sitting on the two ischial bumps without stressing the coccyx. The seat shape is therefore suitable for people with a normal or hyperlordosis, also called a hollow back. With the inserted molding, on the other hand, there is a flat and straight seat 3, which may be preferred by normal people.

FIGS. 5 and 6 each show a perspective view of the seat 3 with the rear seat part 3b pivoted vertically upward, so that a seat wedge is formed which is preferred by persons who want to tilt their pelvis in order to achieve fatigue-free sitting. In FIG. 5, the cutout 20 is closed by the shaped piece 21, while in FIG. 6 the shaped piece 21 is pulled out of the cutout 20. The seat shape according to FIG. 6 is suitable for people with a flat back or a kyphosis, the wedge angle being adjustable by means of an individual steepness by means of the roller 16 according to FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 7 further shows a perspective view of a seat 3, in which the rear seat part 3b is again divided, so that two further seat parts 3c, 3d are created. The division takes place exactly in the center of the wedge-shaped recess 20. The two seat parts 3c, 3d can each be raised by a roller 16, which is on the side of the supports 11 on a pin 15 in the work chair shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. This type of seat is suitable for people who have to position their pelvis at different heights, for example to compensate for abnormalities in the hip or pelvis.

Figure 8 shows a perspective view of the seat 3, consisting of the two seat parts 3a, 3b, which are shown individually and by the hinges 14 can be connected together.

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of the seat surface 3, consisting of the two seat surface parts 3a, 3b, which are joined together and held over the joints 14. In contrast to the previous version, a gutter 22 is also partially integrated into the front seating surface.

Figure 10 shows a side view of the seat surface 3, the front 3a and rear seat part 3a being resiliently mounted. The front seat part 3a is pivotally attached via a centrally arranged axis 23, which lies in a bearing eyelet 24 of the carrier 11. At the front and rear edge, the seat part 3a is supported by a spring 25, 26, which holds the seat part 3a in a horizontal position and at the same time enables a rocking movement by the seated person under appropriate load. The rear seat part 3b is resiliently supported on the one hand by the front seat part 3a and on the other hand the pin 15 for the roller 16 is resiliently supported by a spring 27 seated in a guide 28, so that both seat parts 3a, 3b enable a rocking movement. Alternatively, if necessary, only the front 3a or rear seat part 3b could be resiliently supported.

Reference list

Work chair

Underframe / seat substructure

Seating area a Seating area part b Seating area part c Seating area part d Seating area part

backrest

Pipe piece

poor

Roller guide

Floor roll

Rubber bellows

Pipe piece

carrier

document

pad

hinge

spigot

role

Recess

Molding

Gutter

axis

Bearing eye

feather

guide

Claims

claims

1. Adjustable seat (3) for a seat device or device, in particular for a work chair (1), driver's seat, or seating in the private area, which is attached to a seat base or underframe (2) and at least one divided in two transverse to the sitting position Has a seat which is pivotally connected to one another and the rear seat part can be raised via an adjusting element, while at least one further seat part is firmly anchored to the seat substructure,

characterized,

that the individual seat parts are releasably connected to one another by joints and hinges, and that the rear seat part which can be raised is provided with a recess which can be closed by a corresponding molded part.

2. Adjustable seat according to claim 1,

characterized,

that the rear seat part (3b) is made in two parts and that each of the two seat parts (3c, 3d) is individually and independently adjustable in vertical height.

3. Adjustable seat according to claim 2, characterized,

that the adjusting element consists of two eccentrically arranged rollers (16) which are rotatably and self-lockingly fastened on a pin (15) of the seat base (2) and rest with their tread on the underside of the rear seat surface parts (3b, 3c, 3d).

4. Adjustable seat according to claim 2,

characterized,

that the adjusting element consists of a latching two-part lever arm, the first lever arm of which is connected to the seat part (3b) and the second lever arm of which is connected to the seat base (2).

5. Adjustable seat according to claim 1 or 2,

characterized,

that the front and / or rear seat part (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d) is additionally provided with a resiliently rocking device.

6. Adjustable seat according to claim 5,

characterized, that the resilient device consists of an axis on which the front seat part (3a) is pivotally mounted, and two springs (25, 26) which bear below the front and rear edge of the seat part (3a) and the front seat part (3a) keep horizontal and that the rear seat part (3b) is mounted on the one hand on the front seat part (3a) and on the other hand via a resilient pin (15) of the roller (16).

7. Adjustable seat according to claim 5,

characterized,

that the travel and pressure is individually adjustable.

8. Adjustable seat according to claim 1,

characterized,

that the molded part (21) can be inserted manually into the recess (20) and has different thicknesses.

9. Adjustable seat according to claim 1,

characterized, that the molded part (21) is detachably held in the recess (20) with Velcro strips.

10. Adjustable seat according to claim 1,

characterized,

that the molded part (21) can be inserted gradually or continuously from below via a lifting device into the recess (20).

11. Adjustable seat according to claim 1,

characterized,

that the seat surface (3) or seat surface parts (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d) is equipped with a groove, preferably 1-3 cm deep and 5-9 cm wide, in the genital area.

12. Adjustable seat according to one or more of claims 1-11,

characterized,

that the seat (3) is equipped on its underside with a variety of holes and fasteners.

13. Adjustable seat according to one or more of claims 1-12,

featured

by using it to correct or prevent lumbar curvature.

14. Adjustable seat according to claim 13,

featured

by using a recess to prevent hyperlordosis or to correct a hyperlordosis for normal lordosis.

15. Adjustable seat according to claim 13 or 14,

featured

by using a raised seat in the rear seat area to correct kyphosis or a flat back.