Posture system

A posture system with a lumbar pad and a cervical pad either one or both of which may be used. The lumbar and cervical pads may be supported on a chair by arms which can be bent to a desired position which position is retained until sufficient force is applied to place the arms into a different position. A back cover held on the back of a chair by a pocket at the end of back cover may also used with or be used in place of the arms. Hook and loop material on the lumbar pad and the cervical pad and the back cover provides support for the lumbar pad and the cervical pad. The lumbar pad and the cervical pad wrap up into the back cover which is held in the pocket for carrying.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 1. Field of the Invention
 This invention relates to a posture system and more particularly to a
 posture system that includes a plurality of posture pads that can be used
 singularly and together and which can be secured to a chair back by two
 separate distinct ways and which can be carried by a person on a train or
 plane or used in an office.
 2. Prior Art and Objects
 Various posture devices have been previously developed. Most address only
 the lumbar region and ignore the cervical region. Some attempt to provide
 a portable device which is important, as often the greatest need for
 posture correction occurs while traveling. Frequently, the applicability
 of the devices to a wide variety of chairs is also inadequate.
 The Josefek Pat., U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,929 pertains only to a lumbar
 cushion. It is a portable unit designed to be readily carried for train
 and plane usage. Josefek uses a vertical central ridge that mates with the
 spinal channel to provide, according to the patent, lumbar support which
 enables the muscles to maintain their normal lordodic curvature in the
 seated position. Josefek provides no cervical cushion. It is a singular
 back cushion directed solely to the lumbar region.
 The Gilbert Pat., U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,605 does not have ergonomic
 advantages but rather is merely a seat and a back cushion to provide
 softness when using a hard chair such as a folding metal chair. It
 combines a tote bag with the seat cushion.
 The Kiechlin patent is also not an ergonomic device but rather a seat
 cushion that in one embodiment can also include a back cushion. A pocket
 or pouch that is detachable is included. Otherwise, Kiechlin is a cushion
 on a strap except that a hinged back cushion that folds up from one edge
 of the seat cushion may also be provided.
 The Sarkozi patent discloses a seat and back pad of individual parallel
 rounded pads that can be varied as to where and to what degree cushioning
 is provided. The plurality of cylindrical pads are joined together by
 hinge regions to form the seat and back pad. The seat and back pad can be
 folded at the hinge regions between the individual pads. The seat and back
 pad can be doubled to form a cushion in the cervical area but the result
 is not a true cervical pad. Hook and loop material may be used to hold the
 seat and back pad in place.
 The Davis Pat., U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,519, is an ergonomic invention but
 provides only lumbar support. Davis uses two sections, namely a seat
 cushion and a back cushion which are connected for use by hook and loop
 material. Hook and loop material are also used to secure both pads to a
 chair.
 The Huber Pat., U.S. Pat. 5,029,928, pertains to a seat for a passenger
 riding in the open back box of a pick up truck. Huber provides a folding
 design but not a compact design to be carried.
 Hwang et. al.,U.S. Pat. 5,384,923, pertains of a camping seat and mat. The
 mat is an extension of the seat. Straps are used to hold a back hinged to
 the seat cushion but no cervical or lumbar cushions are shown.
 The Grinnell Pat., U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,848, is directed to an
 orthopedically correct adjustable seating cushion. A lumbar cushion is
 provided but no cervical cushion is included. The base and the back are
 connected by a hinge which permits folding the base and the back together.
 A handle permits carrying. Straps are used to hold the back cushion in
 place on the chair.
 The above patents fail to provide a flexible system that permits locating
 both a lumbar and a cervical cushion at the most desirable position. A
 system is also not provided that permits use of a posture pad that can be
 affixed to the back of a chair by a self-contained means. Posture pads
 that can be affixed to a broad range of seating situations are also not
 shown.
 According, it is an object of the present invention to provide a posture
 system that provides both lumbar and cervical support.
 It is still another object of the present invention to provide a posture
 system that is portable.
 It is still another object of the present invention to provide a posture
 system that is readily attachable to a wide variety of chairs.
 It Is still another object of the present invention to provide a posture
 system that is simple to use.
 It is still another object of the present invention to provide a posture
 system that is flexible so as to be able to locate both the lumbar pad and
 the cervical pad in the most desirable position.
 It is still another object of the present invention to provide a posture
 system that is flexible thereby permitting use of a part of the system as
 well as permitting use of all of the system while also permitting the
 attachment of posture pads in different ways.
 It is still another object of the present invention to provide a posture
 system with a carrying case that can be used as part of the posture
 device.
 It is still another object of the present invention to provide a posture
 device that can be folded into a convenient, easily carried package.
 It is still another object of the present invention to provide a posture
 device that is economical to produce and is also durable.
 These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become
 apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art as the description thereof
 proceeds.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 At least one posture pad is provided and usually two posture pads are
 provided which are a cervical pad and a lumbar pad. Each posture pad has
 hook and loop material on its back surface and each posture pad has a pair
 of arms that can be bent to virtually any desired position to wrap around
 a chair back to permit the pads to be held in place. By bending the arms
 back, the posture pad may be removed. A carrier case serves both as a
 means for mounting the lumbar pad and the cervical pad and has a pocket at
 one end to be slid over the top of the back of a chair. The carrier case
 has two sections, namely the pocket previously mentioned and a back cover
 which hangs down against the bank of the chair from the pocket on the
 inside of a chair. A strip of hook and loop material extends along the
 center of the carrier case to engage the hook and loop material on the
 back surface of the cervical pad and the back surface of the lumbar pad.
 The lumbar pad and the cervical pad may be mounted on the back cover and
 the arms need not be used but may be used for added support. The back
 cover may also be rolled up with both the cervical pad and the lumbar pad
 and may then be folded into the pocket for easy carrying.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
 With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1a, 1b and
 1c and to FIGS. 2a, 2b and 2c thereof, posture pads 11 are shown. More
 specifically, in FIGS. 1a, 1b and 1c a cervical pad 13 is shown. In FIGS.
 2a, 2b and 2c a lumbar pad 15 is shown. In FIG. 1a, the cervical pad 13 is
 shown with arms 17 extending from it. The cervical pad 13 itself is
 similar to known cervical pads is use. The arms 17, however, are unique to
 the present invention. Similarly, the lumbar pad 15 shown in FIGS. 2a, 2b
 and 2c is similar to known lumbar pads. The arms 17, however, extending
 from The lumbar pad 15 are the same as the arms 17 extending from the
 cervical pad 13, and are unique to the present invention. The arms 17 are
 formed with an internal wire that can be repeatedly bent but when bent
 stay in the position to which bent until sufficient force is applied to
 bend the wire again. Such deformable and bendable wire is commercially
 available.
 In FIG. 1c the arms 17 of the cervical pad 13 are bent around with two
 right angle bends so that the ends of the arms 17 are generally parallel
 to the cervical pad 13. In this fashion, the arms 17 may be bent about the
 back 19 of a chair 21 to retain the cervical pad 13 in place.
 In FIG. 2a, the arms 17 of the lumbar pad 15 are shown bent around with two
 right angle bends forming a U-shape so that the ends of the arms 17 are
 generally parallel to the lumbar pad 15. As with the cervical pad 13, this
 permits the arms 17 to be bent about the back 19 of a chair 21 to retain
 the lumbar pad 13 in place.
 The cervical pad 13 includes two side pads 23 with a indentation 25 between
 them. The neck is placed into the indentation 25 and the head is supported
 between the two side pads 23. The lumbar pad 15 extends outwardly at its
 upper edge 27 and then slopes toward the back 29 so that the lumbar pad 15
 applies pressure to the lower spine just above the base of the spine.
 In FIG. 3, the cervical pad 13 is shown using the arms 17 as bent in FIG 1c
 to hold the cervical pad 13 on the back 19 of a chair 21. Similarly, in
 FIG. 4, the lumbar pad 15 is shown as being held on the back 19 of a chair
 21 using the arms 17 bent as shown in FIG. 2a. The posture system permits
 the use of any one posture pad 11 while also permitting the use of a
 plurality of posture pads 11, namely both a lumbar pad 15 and a cervical
 pad 13. Each posture pad 11 has arms 17 which may be bent to wrap around
 the back 19 of a chair 21. In this way, either the lumbar pad 15 or the
 cervical pad 13 or both such posture pads 11 may be used without any other
 parts of the posture system.
 In FIG. 5, a chair 21 with a back 19 is shown with a back cover 31 against
 the back 19 and with a pocket 33 over the back 19 of the chair 21. The
 back cover 31 and pocket 33 serve as the carrier for the posture system.
 The lumbar pad 15 and the cervical pad 13 may be folded into the back
 cover 31 and then rolled into the pocket 33 for carrying.
 On the back cover 31 is a strip of hook and loop material 35. The strip of
 hook and loop material 35 is located down the center of the back cover 31
 so that when the pocket 33 is over the back 19 of the chair 21, the strip
 of hook and loop material 35 is generally vertical and generally along the
 center of the chair 21. On the back 29 of the lumbar pad 15 and on the
 back 37 of the cervical pad 13, a strip of hook and loop material 35 is
 mounted, which hook and loop material 35 is located down the center of the
 backs 29,37 of both the cervical pad 13 and the lumbar pad 15 to align
 with the strip of hook and loop material 35 on the back cover 31. Hook and
 loop material 35 requires two mating sections, one of which is soft and
 the other is far more course. To avoid irritation to the back of anyone
 sitting in the chair 21 from the hook and loop material 35, the soft
 section is placed on the back cover 31.
 As shown in FIG. 5, the arms 17 of the cervical pad 13 and the lumbar pad
 15 are bent down and are not used to hold either the cervical pad 13 or
 the lumbar pad 15 on the back 19 of the chair 21 since the hook and loop
 material 35 is providing the necessary retention with the back cover 31
 and pocket 33. It should be noted that consistent with the flexibility of
 the posture system, only one posture pad 11 may be used as well as a
 plurality of posture pads 11. Since the hook and loop material 35 is
 present, the arms 17 need not be used, but, if additional retention of a
 posture pad 11 is desired, the arms 17 may be used with the hook and loop
 material 35.
 To use the cervical pad 13, the chair 21 being used must have a
 sufficiently high back 19. The lumbar pad 15 may be used in virtually any
 chair 21. Fortunately, in planes, trains and busses, where the need for
 posture devices is the greatest, the backs 19 of the chairs 21 are
 sufficiently high for the cervical pad 13 to be utilized. In some
 situations, the chair 21 is just too wide for the arms 17 on the posture
 pad 11 to be used while, with other chairs 21, the pocket 33 may not
 firmly hold on the back 19 of the chair 21. Thus, the availability of
 having alternate methods of mounting the lumbar pad and cervical pad and
 also just one posture pad, on a chair provides the greatest flexibility
 for use in a variety of places and with varying needs.
 The arms 17 on the lumbar pad 15 extends from the back 29 of the lumbar pad
 15 adjacent the upper edge 27 of the lumbar pad 15. The cervical pad 13
 also has an upper edge 39 and the arms 17 on the cervical pad 13 extend,
 similarly to the lumbar pad 15, from the back 37 of the cervical pad 13
 adjacent the upper edge 39 of the cervical pad 13.
 In FIG. 6 is shown the lumbar pad 15 and the cervical pad 13 folded in to
 the back cover 31 and then folded into the pocket 33. In this way the
 entire posture system can be readily carried.
 It is to be understood that the drawings and description matter are in all
 cases to be interpreted as merely illustrative of the principles of the
 invention, rather than as limiting the same in any way, since it is
 contemplated that various changes may be made in various elements to
 achieve like results without departing from the spirit of the invention or
 the scope of the appended claims.