CUSHION FOR ANATOMICAL SUPPORT, ESPECIALLY FOR THE LUMBAR AND CERVICAL REGIONS, TO FIT ONTO SEAT BACKS

Abstract: Cushion (50) for anatomic support, especially of the lumbar and cervical regions, for mounting onto backs (42) of seats (41) generally, made from a curved elastic plate (51) having longitudinal ends connected by a posterior brace formed of a pair (55, 60) of rods threaded in the opposite direction that screw into an intermediately placed cylindrical scroll (63) it being thus possible to vary the convexity of said plate (51), and therefore the extent to which the cushion projects from the seat back (42), by turning said scroll (63) in one direction or the other with the fingers or else, when the cushion is placed inside the seat back (42), by means of an external knob (44) connected to the scroll (63) by a bevel gear (66, 67) and universal joints (76, 78), vertical position of the cushion being determined by a cord (71) fixed to the top and bottom of said plate (51), said cord, having passed over transmission rollers (72), winds onto the drum (73) of a short shaft (74) supported by the seat back (42) and fitted with an external knob (45).

Description: Cushion for anatomical support, especially for the lumbar and cervical regions, to fit onto seat backs. The invention concerns a small cushion designed for anato¬ mical support especially to the lumbar and cervical regions, to be mounted onto the backs of seats. Such small cushions are well known and are placed inside the seat backs of motor vehicles, their thickness and there¬ fore projection being variable to suit the needs or preferen¬ ces of the user . These cushions are made by means of a device comprising a rigid structure associated to an elastic structure. Convexity of the elastic structure in relation to the rigid structure may be obtained by a system of cams with a tie rod. The cam is operated from outside the seat by means of a mech- anism comprising a gear wheel and worm screw and a transmis¬ sion shaft worked by an external knob. The external structure consists of longitudinal metal bands crossing over transversal bands with outwardly projecting ends to ensure adequate spring. This device is very complex and its outer surface is rough and sharp. It has therefore to be covered with a soft layer of considerable thickness. The tie rod referred to above is involved in the curving movement of the elastic structure so that much effort is required to work the cam. The worm screw is inserted to lessen effort when the device is adjusted but the knob has therefore to be given a great many turns making adjustment time far too long. The device cannot be moved vertically from the lumber to the cervical region or in between, or adapted to the stature, needs and preferences of the user. These drawbacks lessen the advantages of the device not only due to its cost but also for practical reasons and duration Subject of the present invention is a small* cushion, to sup¬ port the lumber-cervical regions of the back, of greatly simplified structure and operation, that can be used on the outside of the seat and moved up and down to suit the user. According to the invention the cushion consists of a curved elastic plate whose longitudinal ends are connected poster¬ iorly by a centrally placed vertical brace. Said brace is formed of a pair of aligned rods, threaded in opposite directions, that screw into an intermediate cylin¬ drical scroll . Convexity of said plate, and consequently thickness of the cushion and the extent to which it projects out from the surface of the seat back, can therefore be increased or lessened as desired by rotating the scroll one wa or the other . In one type of execution the cushion is placed externally to the seat back while the outer surface of the scroll is knurled and can be turned by the fingers from the outside through a specially made aperture in the outer covering of the seat back. At the two longitudinal ends of the plate there are pairs of slits for fixing the cushion to the outside of the seat back, at the height preferred by the user, by means of vertical bands. In another type of execution the plate is placed inside the seat back. The scroll is connected to a transversal shaft .project ing from the side of the seat back, by a bevel gear and a uni- versal joint . A knob is fixed to the shaft for adjusting plate convexity from the outside. In one type of execution the plate slides on vertical run- ners fixed to the frame of the seat back and its height inside the seat back is determined by a continuous cord fixed centrally between the two longitudinal' ends of the plate . After passing over transmission rollers mounted at top and bottom of the seat back and rolling freely, said cord winds onto the drum of a small transversal shaft, supported by the seat back, projecting from the side of said seat back and terminating in a knob for purposes of adjustment. The scroll is connected to thesmall transversal shaft and knob by means of a double universal joint connected by an intermediate shaft. It is an advantage to have said connecting shaft made in two pieces both axially free but rotating together. In another type of execution, at the back of the cushion there are strips of Velcro-type material to make it cling at the desired height to a seat back covering of a suit- able kind. By means of the present invention a cushion for anatomi¬ cal support is obtained adjustable not only in thickness and therefore in its projection from the seat back, but also in height to give support, as desired, to the lumber, cervical or other regions of the back as preferred by the user . The subject cushion can be applied either to the outside or inside of practically all kinds of seat backs. It can be used in particular for office seats or armchairs, for seats in cinemas, conference rooms or stadiums, for seat¬ ing in coaches, aeroplanes or motor vehicles, for means of transport generally for persons and goods. Adjustments to the thickness of the cushion and/or to the height at which it is placed, whether mounted inside or outside the seat back, ensure great benefits for the user since it supports the rib cage, facilitates digestion in persons wearing corsets, avoids or at least' lessens the effects of cervical arthritis. Characteristics and purposes of the invention will become still clearer from the following examples of its execution illustrated by diagrammatic drawings in perspective. Fig. l: Motor vehicle seat with cushion for anatomical support to the lumbar-cervical regions mounted ex¬ ternally and held in place by two bands. Fig.2: The seat in Fig 1 with cushion held in place. by one band only. Fig.3: The cushion illustrated in Fig. l, from the back. Fig.4: Internal structure of the cushion in Figs.1 - 3. Fig.5: Motor vehicle seat with cushion for anatomical sup¬ port to the- lumbar-cervical regions mounted inside the seat back cut away to show the device. Figs.6-7: The seat in Fig.5 showing two positions for the internally mounted cushion. Fig.8: Office armchair with cushion for anatomi.cal support to the lumbar-cervical regions mounted with Velcro- -type strips outside the chair back. Fig.9: The cushion in Fig.8 seen from the back. Fig.10: Office armchair with cushion for anatomical support to the lumbar-cervical regions mounted inside the back. The cushion 10 (Figs. 1, 3, 4) is obtained from a device 11 comprising an elastic plate 12 with an upper end 13 and a lower end 14 curved back to form channels 15 and 16. These ends contain the pairs of slits 21 and 22 through which the bands 23 and 24 pass respectively, for holding said cushion 10 to the back 18 of the motort vehicle 17. The cushion 10 can of course be placed on the back seat at different heights by sliding it up or down the bands 5 23 and 24 . On the vertical axis of symmetry of the plate 12 there is a brace formed of a pair of aligned rods 30 and 33. The top end 31 and lower end 34 of said rods are fixed to the plate 12 inside channels 15 and 16, while rod ends 32 10 and 35, threaded in opposite directions, screw onto the cylindrical threaded scroll 36 with an externally knurled surface 37. In the covering 19 over the cushion 10 an aperture 20 (Fig. 3) is made to allow the fingers to work the scroll 36. 15 By rotating said scroll the user can move the ends 13 and 14 of the plate 12 nearer or farther away and thus increase or reduce convexity thereby adjusting thickness of the cu¬ shion 10 to personal needs. Fig. 2 shows a cushion 25, substantially the same as the 20 cushion 10 already described, fixed to the back 27 of the seat 26 by a single band 28 made to pass through slits 29 (Fig.4) cut in the plate 12. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 refer to a cushion 50 for supporting the lumbar-cervical regions, similar to cushions 10 and 25 al- 25 ready described but placed inside the back 42 of the seat 41 for motor vehicles and visible in the cut-away in Fig. 5, comprising an elastic plate 51, substantially the same as the plate 12 already descibed and seen in Fig. 4, and a pair of bracing rods, and upper one 55 and lower one 60. 30 Said rods comprise their flat ends 56 and 61 fixed respec¬ tively to the upper 52 and lower 53 channel-shaped ends of said plate 51, and the opposingly threaded ends 57 and 62 screwed into the cylindrical scroll 63. Said scroll is mechanically connected to the short shaft 65 by means of the bevel gear 66-67. Said bevel gear is held in place by the L-bar 68 whose ro¬ tation in relation to the gear wheel 66 is prevented by the rigid arm 69 with upper fork 70 into which is inserted the flat end 56 of the upper tie rod 55 mentioned above. The shaft 65 is mechanically connected to the revolving shaft 75 which turns on supports fixed to the back 42 of the seat 41 (not seen in Figure 5) by means of two univer¬ sal joints 76 and 78 at the ends of the intermediate shaft 77. The shaft 65 referred to above can be worked externally from the side 43 of the back 42 by means of the knob 44. Rotating said knob determines rotation of the scroll 63 and therefore increases or reduces, as preferred, convexity of the elastic plate 51 obtaining the same effects as given by manual rotation of the scroll 36 on plate 12 of device 11 illustrated previously in Figure 4. The plate 51 can slide on vertical guides 58, 59 made in ¬ side the seat back 42, said guides passing through slits cut into said plate. Sliding movement is brought about by means of the contin- uous cord 71 fixed, at its two ends, to loops 54 placed top and bottom of said plate 51. The cord 71 passes over revolving transmission rollers 72 supported by the structure of the seat back 42 and winds round the drum 73 of the shaft 74 that terminates in the knob 45 projecting from the side 43 of said seat back. Therefore, by turning said knob 45, plate 51 can be moved up and down to the position preferred by the user. Said movement is made possible by universal joints 76 and 78 that give shaft 77 the angle necessary for moving the plate 51. In Figs. 6 and 7, numbers 80 * and 81 mark the positions that the internally mounted cushion can reach by turning the knob 45. Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate application of a cushion 85, si¬ milar to cushion 10 illustrated in Figs 1 - 4, to the back 84 of an office armchair 83 by means of Velcro-type strips 86, 87 that cling to the covering 88 of suitable composi¬ tion. This means of application can obviously also be used on the seat backs of motor vehicles. Fig. 10 illustrates the applicat ion, inside the back 91 of an office chair 90,of a cushion 92 similar to cushion 50 already illustrated in Fig. 5. The plate 93 can be seen as well as the various mechanisms operated by means of knobs 94 and 95 for respectively vary¬ ing the convexity of said plate and for moving it vertical- ly on the seat back.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Cushion (10 25 50 85 92) for anatomic ( support especial¬ ly of the lumbar and cervical regions to mount on the backs (18 27 42 84 91) of seats generally (17 26 41 83 90) characterized in that it is obtained from a device (50 92) comprising a curved elastic plate (12 51 93) whose longi¬ tudinal ends (13 14 52 53) are connected by a posterior vertical central brace formed of a pair of aligned rods (30 33) (55 60) threaded in the opposite direction that screw into an intermediately placed cylindrical scroll (36 63), it being thus possible to increase or reduce as desired the convexity of said plate (12 51 93) and there¬ fore its projection from the surface of the seat back (18 27 84 42 91) by rotating said scroll (36 63) one way or the other. 2.- Cushion ( 10 25 50 85 92) for anatomic support, as in claim 1 , characterized in that the longitudinal ends of the plate (12 51 93) are curved backwards creating an upper channel ( 15) and a lower one ( 16) inside which are fixed the pos¬ terior ends (31 34) (56 61) of the pairs (30 33) (55 60) of threaded rods. 3. Cushion (10 25 50 85 92) for anatomic support, as in claim 1 , characterized in that it is placed outside the seat back (18 27 88) while the external surface (37) of the scroll (36) is knurled and can be reached from outside through a specially made aperture (20) in the seat covering at the back ( 19) and can therefore be worked by the fingers. 4. Cushion ( 10 25 50 85 92) for anatomic support, as in claim 1 , characterized in that, at the two longitudinal ends ( 13 14) of the plate ( 12) there are pairs (21 22 29) of slits for fixing said cushion ( 10 25) on the outside of the seat back ( 18 27) by means of vertical bands (23 24) which wind round said back ( 18 27) and allowing said cushion to be held at any level as preferred by the user. 5. Cushion ( 10 25 50 85 92) for anatomic support, as in claim 1 , characterized in that the plate (12) has, at its two lon¬ gitudinal ends, pairs of transversal slits for positioning the plate (51 93) inside the seat back (42 91) by means of vertical guides (58 59) that pass through said slits and enable the plate (51 93) to be placed in position at any height according to the user's requirements. 6. Cushion ( 10 25 50 85 92) for .anatomic support as in claim 1 , characterized in that it is placed inside the seat back while the scroll (63) is connected to a short transversal shaft ( 75) ,projecting from the side (43) of the seat back (42 91) and fitted with a knob (44 94), by means of a bevel gear (66 67) and a universal joint (76), the purpose of this being to allow adjustment of convexity of the plate (51) to be made from outside. 7. Cushion ( 10 25 50 85 92) for anatomic support as in claim 1 , characterized in that it is placed inside the seat back (42 91) its vertical position being determined by a contin¬ uous cord (71) fixed centrally in relation to the two lon¬ gitudinal ends (52 53) of the plate, said cord (71) having passed over transmission rollers (72) freely revolving and supported at top and bottom of the seat back (42 91), winds round the drum (73) of a short transversal shaft (74), supported by the seat back (42 91) projecting from the side (43) of said back (42 91) and fitted with a knob (45 95) to enable the position of the plate (51 93) to be set as preferred by the user. 8. Cushion (10 25 50 85 92) for anatomic support, as in claim 1 , characterized in that it is placed inside the seat back (42 91) its vertical position being determined by a contin¬ uous cord (71) fixed centrally in relation to the two lon- gitudinal ends (52 53) of the plate (51 93), said cord (71) passing over transmission rollers (72) freely revolving and supported at top and bottom of the seat back (42 91) then winding round the drum (73) of a short transversal shaft (74), supported by the seat back (42 91) and projecting from the side (43) of said back (42 91), a knob(45 95) being fitted to- enable the position of the plate (51 93) to be adjusted according to the preference of the user, a scroll (63) being connected to a short transversal shaft ( 75) .projecting from the side (43) of the seat back (42 91) and fitted with a knob (44 94), by means of a bevel gear (66 67) a universal joint (76), a transmission shaft (77) and a second univer¬ sal joint (78) the purpose of this being to enable convexity of the plate (51 93),and therefore its projection from the seat back (42 91), to be regulated from the outside to alter the position of the plate (51 93) as desired. 9. Cushion (10 25 50 85 92) for anatomic support, as in claim 8, characterized in that the intermediate shaft (77) between the universal joints (76 78) consists of two pieces both axially free but tied in their rotation, the purpose of this being to allow, said shaft (77) to be lengthened or shortened according to the position of the plate (51 93) in relation to the knob (44 94) for regulating plate convexity 10. Cushion ( 10 25 50 85 92) for anatomic support, as in claim 1 , characterized in that at the back it is provided with Velcro-type strips (86 87) that cling to the suitable kind of seat covering (88) at the desired height.

Inventors: SESSINI LORENZA
Applicants: SESSINI LORENZA
Application year: 1990
Main classification: A47C7
IPC codes: A47C7, B60N2