WO2018095561A1

WO2018095561A1 - Mobile sitting device

Info

Publication number: WO2018095561A1
Application number: PCT/EP2017/001295
Authority: WO
Inventors: Giuliano Mazzocco
Original assignee: Giuliano Mazzocco
Priority date: 2016-11-23
Filing date: 2017-11-08
Publication date: 2018-05-31
Also published as: IT201600118233A1

Abstract

This sitting device (1) allows to do physical exercises in the lumbosacral region through its movement in different directions. It is a seating device comprising a stuffed seat installed on a platform which rests and moves on a sphere which in turn rests and moves on another support of variable height. The upper and lower parts of the device can have elements which can be fastened either in a strong or in a loose way. Some weights - working as imbalance - can be fixed on the edge of the platform on which the seat back is installed. They cause the pushing forces and the angle of the spine to change in relation to the seating level. The great mobility of the upper part is a positive stimulus - up to now unknown - for the lumbosacral region.

Description

Title "mobile sitting device"

DESCRIPTION

Field of invention

This device is useful for physical exercise in the lumbosacral region due to its high mobility.

Background

One of the most widespread health problems in adults is backache, it causes society many sick days, many medical examinations, many medicines, many specialized examinations, much pain and a waste of money.

In the most severe cases backache causes herniation and herniated disc which sometimes lead to surgical removal.

Once therapeutic advice was to rest for a long time, moreover people's movements were restrained using straps, corsets, girdles and so on.

Lately this idea of restraining movement is disappearing and doctors advise people to do physical exercises like Pilates at the gym, to go swimming, to do rehabilitation, osteopathy and many others, but unfortunately the solution to the problem has not been found yet.

However it is widely known that movement and not its opposite helps overcome this painful social problem.

There are already a few devices which have been inspired by the principle of regaining movement, which I will soon illustrate.

Nowadays a fitball is a simple tool which is often used to help people improve lost movement and agility. It is a big ball which allows many different positions and different kinds of movement. Some doctors advise patients to use it if they suffer from backache or as an alternative seat when they are at work in their office or at the computer.

Later I will explain how this mobile sitting device (1) uses a spherical ball (6) with a smaller diametre (usually an ordinary ball), and unlike a fitball, it has the virtue of turning stress on the lumbosacral region into smaller movement.

Besides, the absence of a seatback prevents the pelvis from moving on the same line of work.

A fitball allows much less movement, displacement and swinging than this simple device (1).

Unlike a fitball, this mobile sitting device(l) has a stuffed seat (4), which allows pelvis bones to lie on the same surface so it can stimulate our back in a better way and change the pushing angle of the weight on the pelvis faster.

The patent "Ergonomic Gobelek Chair (US 20150108803 Al) inserts half a sphere in a restraining framework, but as we can easily understand, the pelvis has few chances to move.

The Portable therapeutic seat exercise apparatus and method (US

7374517 B2) is very interesting and is based on the same principles as this device (1). It has a very good and thorough description but unfortunately all its lumbosacral work is focused on a barycentre point and this limits the range of movement, moreover if someone uses "Portable therapeutic seat" for a long time, they will feel tired because their body weight is always discharged around the same barycentre point.

On the contrary this device (1) allows to move backwards, forward and sideways. Not only do all these different movements reduce weariness due to long sitting hours, but they also increase positive strain on the lumbar region. The above-mentioned observations regarding "Portable therapeutic seat" can be made for the patent of Rehabilitation apparatus for lumbosacral spine (US 20060097555 Al), for Lumbar flexing seating pad (US 6413194 Bl), for Lumbar flexing seating apparatus (US 7100983 Bl), for Rehabilative exercising chair (US 20090230743 Al), for Seat with adjustable dynamic joint (US 7806479 B2), and for Dynamic continuous passive motion chair (US 5976097 A).

On the market there is a device which is similar to this one(l), which is called Temix, but its upper part is rigid and is unable to achieve the purposes of this device (1); actually its main function is to develop proprioceptive abilities.

It is tied together by very strong elastic bands which do not allow as much freedom of movement as this device (1), the upper part makes seating very painful for people who suffer from strong lower back pain, it does not have a support to lie on so it is too low to be used as a seat, and finally, unlike this device, imbalance weights cannot be inserted into it. These weights have been designed to move the seating angle of the spine in relation to the sitting level and the pushing forces of the pelvis.

Even the slightest vibration of the weights of the seat is important for a person who suffers from backache, because it creates small forces which trigger lumbar muscle reflexes and as a consequence tension changes inside the lumbosacral region.

Lastly, I would like to mention the Therapy appliance for back balance with bottom stand plate - has flat top support plate, flexible central axle, shock absorber element, cushion with air chambers, and covering (DE 4304706 Al); it is a different device, but it has some features in common with mine (1), however even this last one - like the above-mentioned ones and unlike this device (1) - focuses its activity on a central point limiting the chances and the range of pelvis movements.

Brief description of pictures

The pictures show a possible creation of this device which is an example that does not limit the present invention.

Picture 1: general representation of the device (1).

Picture 2: representation of the possible movements of the upper part (2).

Picture 3: representation of one of the possible ways of using it.

Picture 4: representation of the device when it is completely blocked.

Picture 5: representation of the device fastened to elastic bands (11).

Picture 6: perspective of the device (1).

The numbers in the pictures indicate:

- 1 the device in general;

- 2 the upper part of the device;

- 3 the means of support;

- 4 the stuffed seat;

- 5 the upper platform;

- 6 the spherical shape;

- 7 weights;

- 8 adjustable height elements;

- 9 the lower platform;

- 10 elements for the complete block of the movement of the upper part (2);

- 11 elastic bands; - 12 inserting point of the weights.

As it is possible to see from the claims and pictures, the device (1) is made up of: a stuffed seat (4), which rests on a platform (5) which rests and moves on a ball or spherical shape (6) in turn this ball lies and moves on a means of support (3) comprising a platform (9) which is about one third bigger than the upper one.

In addition to these feature, if necessary the two platforms can also be completely or partially tied (picture 4).

The device has another important feature, it is possible to add some weights (7) to the upper platform, thanks to them it is possible to change the pushing forces and the angle of the spine in relation to the sitting level so as not to feel tired after long sitting hours.

If necessary, in the upper platform (5) there are implant points

(12) for these weights (7).

Moreover the device (1) has adjustable height elements which can be used according to the user's needs (8).

The device (1) is easy to use, a person just has to sit on it their arms and if necessary their chest can rest on a table which is at the distant they find more suitable, while their feet lie on the floor (picture 3). In this position they can try all the positions they like most (picture 2).

The stuffed seat (4) is necessary because people who suffer from pain in the lumbosacral region are often rigid and find it difficult to remain seated. The parts of the body which get more exercise during this activity are pelvis bones and as a consequence this device would cause pain without an appropriate stuffed seat. Another important feature of the device (1) is the mobility of the upper part (2). Only with such a device is it possible to arch, swingand move in different directions and at different angles one's pelvis (picture 2). This is its fundamental feature, here lies its novelty and inventiveness. People who suffer from backache tend to resume their correct postures but, because of neurological reasons, the mind orders the body to take on painful behaviour, which causes a rupture in the body balance and further pain. Sitting on this kind of seatin a relaxed way helps release the joints and prevent rigidity. Although this device (1) is very simple, it is none the less new and inventive because it allows to surpass the above-mentioned technology. The movements of the pelvis, grade vibrations, leg stretching and many other movementes are all made very easy and effortless by this device (1). When the device is used the weight of the body is distributed on three parts (the arms on the table, the bottom on the seat and the feet on the floor) as consequence the lumbosacral region can freely move in several directions giving the body a sense of well-being.

Who ever suffers from this disease knows very well that people lose any kind of motility, they become more rigid and are unable to perform even ordinary and easy daily actions. Different branches of medicine have already pointed out that similar kinds of physical exercises together with other movements can be useful. Among the various benefits there is the fact that the user feels the lumbosacral region click and feels better at once.

After a few minutes of swinging the user is led to move their pelvis back as much as possible and this will make their back arch. At this point they will feel their back click with a louder sound than the snap of the fingers. Such a movement is possible only if the upper part is let free without any constraints. It is important to underline that only this device (1) is able to achieve these results and that at the moment any other device lacks all these movements, so they do not allow to move backwards, forward, sideways, swing and so on. Another useful movement while sitting on the device(l) is the rotation of one's legs if this is added to backache it results in sciatica. The platforms (8 e 9) can be made of any material, possibly a light one, the area of the lower platform (9) must be similar to that of an ordinary chair (40 cm by 45cm). The upper platform (5) should be about one third smaller than the other one.

The means of support(3) has some adjustable height elements (8) so that the users can regulate the device at different heights according to their needs. On the basis of the tests carried out, it seems that the ideal working height of this device is about 15 cm below the height of the user's leg between their knee and foot. So assuming this height is about 50 cm, the ideal working height would be around 35cm. Calculating 5cm of the seat (4), adding an ordinary ball (in case this spherical element is used), with a diameter of about 17cm at rest, but which is deformed by the person's weight and so measures 8cm in height, the means of support (3) should be placed at a height of about 22cm. Another advantage of this device (1) is that the two platforms (8 e 9) can be fixed with the ball (6) in the middle. When the device is completely blocked like in picture 4, it can become an ordinary stool.

By inserting 4 metal brackets on the 4 sides of this device and by fixing them with screws it is possible to lock it completely. On the contrary when the device (1) is used to do some exercises, in order to avoid the upper part (2) from falling, when the user is not sitting on it, they can use simple elsatic bands(ll) which can be unfastened when they prefer moving freely. In one of the prototypes I made it was very useful to use a ball as the spherical element and to tie 4 elastic bands to the 4 corners of the platforms in a loose way (picture 5). When the user sits on the device (1), the ball drops in height and the bands (11) dangle and allow some free movement, then when the user stands up the ball returns to its former position and the bands (11) regain the tension which is necessary to keep the ball and the upper (2) part in place. Lastly in order to create an alternative in case of using the device (1) for a very long time, seeing that in a similar situation the weight forces are always discharged more or less on the same point, it is possible to add to the edge of the upper platform some weights (7) of about one kilo or even more according to the user's needs. A similar alternative would give strength to the muscles which would improve and better support the lumbosacral region. The device (1) may become a future object which will be used every day by those people who suffer from backache and must work in an office.

This invention (1) can be used in many seating systems and can become a simple and cheap way to fight a painful, widespread and disabling problem which affects many people.

Claims

1) Mobile sitting device (1), comprising an upper part (2), a lower part (9) and a sphere (6) placed between the upper part (2) and the lower platform (9) characterized in that:

- the upper part (2) comprises a seat (4) which rests on one or more elements to form an upper platform (5),

- said platform (5) is due to be the base of the sphere (6) without mechanical or other kinds of constraints.

2) Mobile sitting device according to claim 1 characterized in that the upper part (2) and the means of support (3) are tied by belts, chains, hooks, clamping devices and other similar elements.

3) Mobile sitting device as previous claims characterized in that said means of support (3) comprises adjustable height elements (8).

4) Mobile sitting device as previous claims characterized in that some imbalance or balance weights (7) can be added to the upper part.