Patent Publication Number: US-6655731-B2

Title: Therapeutic chair

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to adjustable chairs and more particularly an Orthopaedic seating system for use on chairs for home or leisure activities. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A great deal of emphasis has been placed on providing work place chairs of the sit kneel type as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,699. 
     The ergonomic work place chair of U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,519 further provides seat and back portions which tilt about their respective, horizontal axes so that the sitter&#39;s sacrum region will be contacted and supported. 
     The present invention is concerned with providing seat and back portions pivotally mounted on the frame of an arm chair for use in the home or office. The pivotally mounted seat and back portions of this invention are also capable of being mounted on a portable chair for leisure activities such as camping, or outdoor entertainment. 
     The present invention also provides a contoured seat and back to aid in relieving discomfort and restoring lumbar lordoses. The orthopaedic chairs of this invention are readily adjustable by changing vertical and horizontal positions of the seat and back to fit most skeletal structures through the action of providing supports for seat and back assemblies of the chair specific orthopaedic capabilities are achieved, namely the ability to hold a person in an orthopaedically correct posture for assessment and treatment, the ability to relax both upper and lower (Spinal) extensor muscles, the ability to decompress the anterior column of the spine and give the user the ability to do his back extension exercise without hip extension. 
     A seated person may also stretch out and lean back and this seating system allows for full orthopaedically correct lumbar support both during this movement, and in a fully extended position. Specifically designed for people who suffer from back problems, this seating system offers relief from lower back pain as it allows the bottom of the spine to hang freely rather than be the foundation and support for the upper body while sitting on an ordinary chair seat. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly this present invention seeks to provide an orthopaedic chair for a person suffering from back problems a chair seat, a chair back frame for supporting the chair seat and the back, the seat being mounted for rotation about a first horizontal axis the chair back mounted for rotation about a second horizontal axis, means to provide horizontal adjustments of the first axis and the seat, means to provide vertical adjustment of the first axis and the seat, means to provide vertical adjustment of the chair back including vertical adjustment of the second axis, the chair seat and chair back being adjusted to suit an individual sitting in the chair thereby holding the person in an orthopaedically person beneficial position. 
     The present invention seeks to provide a further embodiment wherein the chair is a folding chair and said frame comprises spaced apart sides, each side including first and second elongated members joined intermediate their ends by pivot means and members interconnecting the spaced apart sides. 
     The present invention also seeks to provide an orthopaedic chair wherein the said frames comprise spaced apart sides each side: including first and second upright members joined by at least one horizontal member and horizontal members interconnecting the spaced apart sides. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the orthopaedic chair in the form of a folding chair. 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the orthopaedic chair for FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a rear view of the orthopaedic chair of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a modified folding chair. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the orthopaedic chair of the invention in the form of an arm chair. 
     FIG. 6 is a side view of an alternative form of the chair of FIG.  4 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     An orthopaedic folding chair in accordance with this invention shown generally at  10  in FIG. 1 includes a chair seat  14 , a chair back  16  and a frame shown generally at  20  for supporting the contoured chair seat  14  and the contoured chair back at  16 . 
     The chair seat  14  is mounted for rotation about a first horizontal axes in the form of a rod  22  extending through selected apertures  21  the seat and through aligned apertures  24  in the frame  20 . Similarly the chair back  16  is mounted for rotation about a second horizontal axis in the form of a rod  23  extending through selected apertures  27  in the chair back  16  and through aligned apertures  25  in the frame  20  adjustment of the seat and back is accomplished by providing additional apertures  24  and  25 . The different holes  27  for the horizontal rod  23  are used to change the location of the lumbar support of the contoured back  16  to suit each individual user. 
     Similarly, the axis of the seat  14  is changed by moving the rod  22  to other apertures  21  in the seat and other apertures  24  in the frame to provide the orthopaedically correct posture. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1,  2  and  3  the frame  20  of the folding chair  10  has two has two sides  30  and  32  each having elongated members  34  and  36  and  38  and  40  respectively pivotally joined intermediate their ends such as by a rod  46  having threaded ends to receive cap nuts or the like  46   a.  A strap  47  secured to the seat  14  is releasably secured to the rod  46  as shown in FIG.  3 . 
     The members  34 ,  36 ,  38  and  40  have a ground engaging ends  42 ,  44 ,  48  and  50  respectively and upper ends  52 ,  54 ,  56  and  58  respectively. The two sides  30  and  32  of the frame  20  are joined by cross members  62  secured by suitable fastening means to lower portions of the elongated members  34 ,  36 ,  38  &amp;  40 . Flexible tension members or folding brackets  63  limit the spread of the ground engaging ends  42 ,  44 ,  48  and  50  when the chair  10  is in use. 
     FIG. 4 shows a modification of the chair  10  of FIGS. 1,  2  &amp;  3  wherein four curved elongated side members (two of which are shown at  70  and  72 ) are provided. Outer ends  73  of the frame members  72  are curved at  72  to provide a substantially horizontal adjustment of the rod  22  and thus the horizontal axes of the chair seat  14 . Similarly, upper ends  71  of the elongated frame members  70  are shaped to provide substantially vertical adjustment of the rod  23  and the seat back  16  through the use of selected apertures  25  and  27  as described with reference to FIG.  1 . 
     A further modification is that of an orthopaedic arm chair  80  shown in FIG. 5 is an example of furniture suitable for use in the home rather than in the office work station, although the arm chair  80  can also be used in offices or similar work environments. 
     The chair  80  includes a chair seat  82  a chair back  84  and a frame  85  for supporting the chair back  84  both of which are contoured in a manner similar to the seat  14  and back  16  of FIG.  1 . 
     The frame  85  of the armchair  80  has two rectangular sides  86  and  88  each having a spaced apart horizontal members  90  and  92  and spaced apart vertical members  93  and  94  which are used in place of the side members  34 ,  36 ,  38  and  40  described above with reference to FIG.  1 . The two sides  86  and  88  are interconnected by cross members  96  secured by suitable fastening means or methods. 
     Each of the sides  86  and  88  has a transverse member  98  extending from the vertical member  93  to the vertical member  94  and releasably secured there to by bolts  100  received in selected pair of the apertures  101  in the vertical members  93  and  94 . 
     The chair seat is mounted for rotation about a first horizontal axis in the form of a rod  102  extending through selected aligned apertures  104  in the transverse members  98 . The chair back is mounted for rotation on a rod  106  extending through selected aligned apertures  108  in the vertical members  93 . The rods  102  and  106  have threaded ends to receive internally threaded retaining means  46   a  described with reference to FIGS. 1,  2 ,  3  and  4 . 
     As shown in FIG. 6 the camp chair  10  of FIG. 4 is conveniently provided with a pair of arms  120  (one of which is shown). An inner end of the arm  120  is pivotally secured to the upper portion of the frame member  72 , and an outer end of the arm  120  is pivotally attached to one end of a vertical support  122 . A lower end of the vertical support  122  is pivotally secured to an upper end of the frame member  72 . 
     The camp chair  10  of FIG. 6 is also provided with an optional removable neck rest  130  recessed to fit over the upper end of the chair back  16 . 
     In use, changing the pivot point in the back  16  dramatically changes the type of support for the user. Lower pivot points concentrate support in the lumbar region only, while higher pivot points allow the user to spread body weight throughout the length of the back.