Abstract:
The present invention is directed to a device that supports an individual&#39;s spine while the individual is in a forward bent position. The device includes a padded rest on which an individual could lean while working in a forward bent position and arms for adjusting the angle, height, and position of the device. Since the individual leans against the rest, the stresses experienced in the lower, middle and upper back are substantially decreased. Reducing such stress decreases the pain experienced by the individual as well as extends his or her productive life.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/180,621, filed on Jun. 26, 2002, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/932,041, filed on Aug. 17, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,186, the entirety of the previously filed applications being incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention is directed generally to a support device and specifically to an anterior support device for use in the health care industry.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Many individuals suffer from lower back pain and dysfunction brought about by their work environment or other daily activities. Repetitive or prolonged activities can be attributed as a major cause of this back pain and dysfunction. Effected individuals must drastically modify their work areas in order to continue their jobs. In many instances, people must choose another field of employment.  
           [0004]    One such example is dentists. Dentists spend a good deal of their workday leaning over patients, in a forward bent position. This position contributes to posterior disc dysfunction, which leads to back pain and disability. For dentists, back pain is one of the leading causes of early retirement.  
           [0005]    To alleviate such back pain, some individuals turn to physical therapy. Others attempt to support their backs while on the job by using braces and cushions that are intended to support the spine in a normal, anatomical position. These devices, however, are designed to support the individual from the rear and thus are not effective for dentists and similar professionals who must be in a forward, bent position as a fundamental part of their work.  
           [0006]    Thus, there is a need in the art for a device that supports an individual&#39;s spine while the individual is in a forward bent position.  
           [0007]    There is a further need in the art for a device that decreases the stress on the lower, mid, and upper back experienced by an individual while in a forward bent position.  
           [0008]    There is yet a further need in the art for a device that extends the productive life of individuals who perform repetitive or prolonged activities as part of their employment or daily activities.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    The present invention meets the needs of the prior art by providing a device that supports an individual&#39;s spine while the individual is in a forward bent position. The device includes a padded rest on which an individual could lean while working in a forward bent position and arms for adjusting the angle, height, and position of the device. Since the individual leans against the rest, the stresses experienced in the lower, middle and upper back are substantially decreased. Reducing such stress decreases the pain experienced by the individual as well as extends his or her productive life. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention in use with a dentist&#39;s chair.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a front view of the device shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention in use with a desk.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternate attachment for the embodiment of FIG. 3.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a partially exploded, perspective view of another alternate embodiment of the present invention for use in activities such as gardening.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 is a partially exploded, perspective view of the coupler used in the present invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIGS. 7 a  and  7   b  are perspective views of the telescoping feature of the present invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 8 is a partially exploded, perspective view of the coupling and locking mechanisms of the present invention for use with a dentist&#39;s chair.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 9 is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention in use with a dentist&#39;s chair.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 9.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 11 is a rear view of the device shown in FIG. 9.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 12 is a rear view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention in use with a dentist&#39;s chair.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0022]    As depicted in the figures, the device  10  of the present invention generally includes a padded rest  12 , an angled bracket  14 , and an upright bracket  16 . The padded rest  12  may pivot with respect to the angled bracket  14 . This pivoting is enabled due to the presence of a single or multi-axial pivot device  19 , as depicted in FIG. 2.  
         [0023]    As can be best seen from FIG. 2, the bracket  14  extends at an angle from the upright bracket  16  so that the rest  12  is positioned to support the practitioner near the patient. To accomplish this, a coupler  18  is provided between the angled bracket  14  and the upright bracket  16  to allow the rest  12  to be tilted in any direction. Once the angular position of the bracket  14  with respect to the upright bracket  16  is adjusted to the desired position, the coupler  18  locks the angled bracket  14  in that position.  
         [0024]    Preferably, the coupler  18  takes the form of a ball swivel  20  with a screw pivot  22 , as shown in detail in FIG. 6. The pivot  22  comprises a retainer  23  into which the ball end of the bracket is inserted and a screw tightener  24  for locking the bracket in the desired position.  
         [0025]    Brackets  14  and  16  may be adjustable in length so that the distance of the rest  12  from the patient can be varied. Although the figures depict both brackets as adjustable in length, the present invention contemplates having only one adjustable bracket. To enable this adjustability, at least one of the brackets  14 ,  16  comprises a first bracket member  28  carrying a spring-loaded pin lock  35  and a second bracket member  30  including a plurality of adjusting holes  34 . The details of this feature can be seen in FIGS. 7 a  and  7   b . The first member  28  mates with, and telescopes with respect to, the second member  30 . This telescoping allows the overall height of the respective bracket to be adjusted. Once the desired height of the bracket is obtained, the pin  35  springs into one of the holes  34  of the second bracket member  30 , as shown in FIG. 7 a . The pin  35  functions to lock bracket member  28  at the desired height with respect to bracket member  30 . Thus, the overall height of the device can be varied by adjusting the length of one or both the brackets  14 ,  16 .  
         [0026]    Although not shown in FIGS. 7 a  and  7   b , member  28  is provided with two spring loaded pin locks  35 , one on each side of the member. Similarly, member  30  is provided with two sets of adjusting holes  34 , the sets being 180 degrees apart. Therefore, the member  28  is held at the desired height by the interaction of both pin locks  35  with their respective set of adjusting holes  34 . This further ensures that the bracket remains at the desired height.  
         [0027]    As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lower end of the bracket  16  is operatively coupled to a track  37  positioned adjacent the base of the dental chair  38 . Referring to FIG. 8, the lower end of the bracket  16  may be provided with a slide plate  40  for coupling or riding along the track  37 , the slide plate  40  including raised locking pins  41 . The coupling of the bracket  16  along the track  37  allows the device to be moved along the base of the chair  38 .  
         [0028]    To lock the bracket  16  in the desired position along the track  37 , a foot-controlled lock  42  is provided. Lock  42  comprises a spring-loaded locking bar  43  and a pivot mounting  46 . The locking bar  43  includes a series of locking holes  44  and a footplate  45  extending from the bar. When the bracket  16  is in the locked position, the locking bar  43  is positioned above the slide plate  40 , with the locking holes  44  engaging the raised locking pins  41  of the slide plate  40 . To release the bracket  16  from the locked position, the professional steps down on the footplate  45 , thereby causing the locking bar  43  to pivot about the mounting  46 . This pivoting further results in the locking pins  41  disengaging the locking holes  44 . The bracket  16  can now be moved to a new position along the track  37 . To lock the bracket  16  in the new position, the professional merely releases the footplate  45 . The footplate  45  is biased into contact with the slide plate  41 , the holes  44  again engaging the pins  41 . Thus, the position of the device  10  may be changed to accommodate the preference of the professional or the particular patient.  
         [0029]    The padded rest  12  can be used by a professional such as a dentist or a dental hygienist to lean over a patient while working on the patient. Since the back of the professional is supported while in this bent position, the stress experienced by the professional in his or her lower, mid, and upper back is reduced. Because the source of the support is anterior, the professional can assume any degree of forward lean to accomplish the required task and still be supported.  
         [0030]    Due to bracket  14 , the padded rest  12  can be tilted in any direction to accommodate a particular body type or gender. The amount of padding is variable to allow the professional to change the contact points of the rest. Depending upon the comfort and preference of the professional, the rest may contact the professional in the abdominal, chest, or anterior shoulder areas.  
         [0031]    To use the present invention, the professional adjusts the angle of the bracket  14 , the height of the bracket  14  and/or bracket  16 , and the position of the bracket  16  with respect to the dental chair  38 . Then the professional can lean forward against the rest  12 , while working on the patient. Alternately, the professional can sit in a chair and lean against the rest  12  to work on the patient. Because the professional is allowed to lean against the rest  12 , the back stresses experienced by the professional are reduced.  
         [0032]    An alternate embodiment  100  of the present invention for use with a dental chair is shown in FIGS.  9 - 11 . The alternate embodiment  100  is similar to the device  10  of FIG. 1, but differs in its point of attachment to the dental chair  38 . Instead of being attached to the base of the dental chair  38 , the device is attached to the back  128  of the dental chair  38 . As can be seen in FIG. 11, the device  100  can be rotated, from one side of the dental chair  38  to the other, thereby providing flexibility by enabling the professional to work on either side of the patient. The device also allows the angle, height, and position of the rest to be adjusted, thereby providing further flexibility. Alternately, the present invention could be attached to other locations on the dental chair  38 , such as a side of the dental chair  38 .  
         [0033]    As depicted in FIGS.  9 - 11 , the device  100  of the present invention generally includes a padded rest  102 , a pivot device  104 , a first or upper arm  106 , a second or lower arm  108 , and a mounting plate  110 . In this embodiment, the device  100  may be added to the dental chair  38  as an after-market item. An alternative embodiment is provided in FIG. 12, and is further described below, in which the device  100  may be provided on the dental chair  38  during manufacture.  
         [0034]    Returning to FIGS.  9 - 11 , the padded rest  102  may be substantially the same as the padded rest  12  depicted in FIG. 1. Accordingly, the padded rest  102  may be formed in various shapes and sizes to accommodate a particular body type and gender. The padded rest  102  is attached to a first pivot point  112  at a first end of the pivot device  104 . Similarly, a first end of the upper arm  106  is attached to a second pivot point  114  at a second end of the pivot device  104 . The pivot device  104  enables the angular position of the padded rest  102  to be adjusted. Once the padded rest  102  has been adjusted to the desired angular position, the position of the padded rest  102  can be locked into place with a fastener  116  located at the first pivot point  112  and a fastener  117  located at the second pivot point  114 . The fasteners  116 ,  117  are depicted in FIG. 9 as mating screws; however, the fasteners  116 ,  117  may be any type of screw or other coupling device. Additionally, the fastener  116  may be the same or a different type of fastener as the fastener  117 . Other methods of attaching the padded rest  102  to the upper arm  106  are also possible.  
         [0035]    The height of the device  100  can be adjusted. Providing a fastener and slot arrangement on both the upper and lower arms  106 ,  108  enables this feature. As can be seen in FIG. 10, a second end of the upper arm  106  is provided with a first slot  118 . The second end of the upper arm  106  is guided along rails  120  provided on a first end of the lower arm  108 . Once the desired height is obtained, a fastener  122  is inserted into the first slot  118  and into a hole provided on the first end of the lower arm  108 , thereby securing the upper arm  106  at the desired height with respect to the lower arm  108 . The fastener  122  is depicted in FIGS.  9 - 11 , and  13  as a mating screw; however, the fastener  122  may be any type of screw or other coupling device. Other methods of attaching the upper and lower arms  106 ,  108  are possible.  
         [0036]    Similarly, a second end of the lower arm  108  is provided with a second slot  124  that cooperates with a fastener  126  to mount the lower arm  108  to the mounting plate  110  provided on the back  128  of the dental chair  38 . The fastener  126  is depicted in FIGS.  9 - 11  as a mating screw; however, the fastener  126  may be any type of screw or other coupling device. Additionally, the fastener  126  may be the same or a different type of fastener as the fastener  122 .  
         [0037]    To adjust the position of the device  100  with respect to the chair  38 , the fastener  126  is loosened, the position of the lower arm  108  with respect to the chair  38  is adjusted, and the fastener  126  is again tightened. Other methods of attaching the lower arm  108  and the mounting bracket  110  are possible.  
         [0038]    It is the slot and screw arrangement provided on the second end of the lower arm  108  that enables the device  100  to be rotated, from one side of the dental chair  38  to the other. In a preferred embodiment, the device  100  can rotate 120 degrees from one side of the dental chair  38  to the other. However, the device  100  is not limited to that range of motion.  
         [0039]    As can be appreciated from FIG. 11, to adjust the angular position of the device  100 , the fastener  126  is loosened, the angular position of the device  100  is adjusted (as shown in the dotted lines), and the fastener  126  is again tightened. Thus, this arrangement allows the device  100  to be locked at each position, thereby providing flexibility by enabling the professional to work on either side of the patient. At the same time the angular position of the device  100  is adjusted, the height of the device  100  may also be adjusted by sliding the lower arm  108  along the slot  124  and tightening the fastener  126  once the desired height is obtained.  
         [0040]    The device  100  can be mounted to the dental chair  38  via a mounting plate  110 . FIGS.  9 - 11  show the mounting plate  110  attached to the back  128  of the dental chair  38 ; however, other mounting locations may be possible, such as a side of the dental chair  38 . While the mounting plate  110  is depicted in FIGS.  10 - 11  as being positioned substantially in the center of the back  128  relative to the sides of the dental chair  38 , the mounting plate  110  could be positioned anywhere on the back  128 .  
         [0041]    The mounting plate  110  may be fastened to the back  128  of the dental chair  38  with a plurality of fasteners  130 , such as screws. FIG. 10 depicts the mounting plate  110  being fastened to the back  128  of the dental chair  38  with four screws; however, the number and type of fasteners may vary.  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 12 provides an alternative embodiment for mounting the device  100  to the dental chair  38 . In this embodiment, the device  100  may be provided on the dental chair  38  during manufacture. Accordingly, instead of using a mounting bracket  110 , the device  100  is attached to the back  128  of the dental chair  38  using a rotatable base  132 . The rotatable base  132  may be integral to the dental chair  38  or a separate device added to the dental chair  38  during manufacture.  
         [0043]    While the rotatable base  132  is depicted in FIG. 12 as being positioned substantially in the center of the back  128  relative to the sides of the dental chair  38 , the rotatable base  132  could be positioned anywhere on the back  128 . Additionally, the rotatable base  132  could be attached to other locations on the dental chair  38 , such as a side of the dental chair  38 .  
         [0044]    The rotatable base  132  allows the device  100  to be rotated (as shown in the dotted lines), from one side of the dental chair  38  to the other. In a preferred embodiment, the device  100  can rotate 120 degrees from one side of the dental chair  38  to the other. However, the device  100  is not limited to that range of motion.  
         [0045]    At the same time the angular position of the device  100  is adjusted, the height of the device  100  may also be adjusted by sliding the lower arm  108  along the slot  124 . In this embodiment, a fastener  134  allows the device  100  to be locked at each position, thereby providing flexibility by enabling the professional to work on either side of the patient. The fastener  134  is depicted in FIG. 12 as a mating screw; however, the fastener  134  may be any type of screw or other coupling device. Other methods of locking the device  100  into position are possible.  
         [0046]    The present invention is not limited to use in the dental setting. Such a device may be beneficial in other fields in which individuals spend much of their day in the forward bent position. For example, a lab technician who spends much of the day leaning over a bench could benefit from the present invention. In addition, the present invention may be helpful to others, such as individuals who lean forward over a countertop, desktop or workbench during the course of the day.  
         [0047]    For example, FIG. 3 depicts an alternate embodiment  48  of the present invention in use with a desk, table or workbench  50 . The embodiment  48  generally comprises a padded rest  52  and an upright bracket  54 . To adjust the angle of the rest  52 , a ball swivel (not shown) with a screw pivot (not shown), as depicted in FIG. 6, is provided between the rest  52  and the bracket  54 . The bracket  54  is also provided with the telescoping feature of FIGS. 7 a  and  7   b , thereby making it adjustable in height. To allow the horizontal position of the bracket  54  with respect to the desk  50  to be adjusted, the lower end of the bracket  54  is provided with a slide member  62  and the desk  50  with a track member  64 . The slide member  62  rides along the track member  64  in a conventional manner. To lock the bracket  54  in a certain position along the track  64 , a pivot  68  is engaged. Alternately, the lower end of the bracket  54  may be provided with a “C-clamp” type mount  70 , as shown in FIG. 4. Such a clamp  70  along with a ball joint pivot would mount the device directly to the edge of the desk or workbench  50 .  
         [0048]    [0048]FIG. 5 depicts yet a further embodiment  80  of the present invention for use in gardening or activities involving kneeling. Such a device may include a padded rest  82 , a vertical adjustable bracket  84 , and a footplate  86  at the lower end of the bracket  84 . The padded rest  82  may also include a neck or shoulder strap  88  for carrying the device, thereby allowing the user to change positions without the use of his hands.  
         [0049]    The device may be provided with a coupling  90  between the rest  82  and the bracket  84  to vary the angle of the rest  82  with respect to the bracket  84 . In addition, a coupling  92  may also be provided between the bracket  84  and the footplate  86 . These couplings may take the form of a ball swivel with a screw pivot, similar to that shown in FIG. 6. The bracket  84  may also be provided with the telescoping feature, shown in FIGS. 7 a  and  7   b , to allow the height of the bracket  84  to be adjusted.  
         [0050]    While the invention has been described in connection with certain embodiments, it should be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to these particular embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.