Patent Publication Number: US-2002000747-A1

Title: Chair with posture improving harness and adjustable footrest

Description:
[0001] This invention relates to a chair more particularly, but not exclusively, for use by a child.  
       [0002] Furniture, in particular chairs and tables, are generally designed for household use to be of a particular size suitable for use by adults. Although furniture adapted specifically for use by children is available in schools, generally such furniture is not available in the home. It is often necessary, therefore, for children to use adult-size furniture.  
       [0003] The use of such furniture by a child has a disadvantage that the child is often forced to adopt an unhealthy posture. This is illustrated in FIG. 1 which is a view of a child sitting on a conventional chair  2  with basic features of a backrest  4 , a backrest-supporting stem  6 , a backrest angle adjuster  8 , a backrest lateral adjuster  9 , a seat  10 , a seat-height adjuster of which only a handle  12  is shown in the figure, a seat-supporting stem  14  and five legs  16  on rollers  18 . A pivot  7  enables the backrest  4  to tilt forward and backwards. The height of the seat  10  is adjustable according to the length of the child&#39;s legs. In order for the child to rest his hands and elbows comfortably on a table  20 , the seat  10  has to be raised which will cause his legs to dangle. Furthermore, the relative dimensions of the seat and table are such that the child is forced to slouch over the table, so that the child&#39;s back is not straight and the distance from the child&#39;s eye to the table surface, on which any schoolwork will be placed, becomes small, such near-sighted work leading to myopia.  
       [0004] It is the object of the invention to provide an improved chair which alleviates at least one disadvantage of the prior art.  
       [0005] According to the invention there is provided a chair having a posture improving harness connected thereto.  
       [0006] Preferably the harness comprises first and second straps connectable from opposed sides of a back of a chair and a seat thereof and further preferably comprising a third strap connecting the first and second straps together.  
       [0007] Preferably the first and second strap members are retractable and are connected to respective retraction mechanisms which may comprise a roller including a biasing means arranged to bias the straps into a rolled-up configuration on the roller. The biasing means may comprise a spring member received within the roller.  
       [0008] The chair may further comprise an adjustable footrest. 
     
    
    
     [0009] An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings:  
     [0010]FIG. 1 is a view of a child seated on a conventional chair.  
     [0011]FIG. 2 is a rear view of a child seated on a chair being an embodiment of the invention.  
     [0012]FIG. 3 is a front view of the child and chair shown in FIG. 2.  
     [0013]FIG. 4 is a view of a harness of the embodiment of FIG. 2.  
     [0014]FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a strap reel of the embodiment of FIG. 2.  
     [0015]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a spring member of the reel of FIG. 4.  
     [0016]FIG. 7 is a part-sectional front view of the reel of FIG. 4 assembled.  
     [0017]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a footrest of the embodiment of FIG. 2. 
    
    
     [0018] With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 an embodiment of the chair of the invention is shown which is broadly similar to the chair of FIG. 1 and for which corresponding reference numerals refer to corresponding elements. The chair is also provided with the restraining harness, generally designated  100 , to urge the child to adopt an upright posture and is further, provided with an adjustable leg footrest  200 .  
     [0019] The harness comprises a strap  110  having three portions  112 ,  114  and  116 . Portions  112  and  114  are arranged, in use, to lie over the shoulders of the child with portion  116  being arranged in use to lie across the child&#39;s waist. Between portions  112  and  116  and portions  114  and  116 , snap-fit connectors  118 ,  120  are provided. Each connector engages a corresponding socket  130 ,  132  in snap-lock engagement, each socket being provided with a release button  134  of conventional construction.  
     [0020] The free ends of strap portions  112 ,  114  are connected to retraction reels  140  connected to the seat back  4  which are illustrated in more detail in FIGS.  4 - 6 .  
     [0021] Each reel  140  includes a hollow cylindrical roller member  145  to which a free end of the respective strap is attached. The roller member  145  is provided with end plugs  147 ,  149  which are fixedly connected to the roller  145 . The plugs  147 ,  149  are rotatably suspended relative to fixing brackets  160 ,  162  by means of shaft  153  and stub shaft  154 , which engage cylindrical openings  151 ,  152  in plugs  147  and  149 . Shaft  153  also projects through roller  145  when assembled, as more clearly shown in FIG. 6. A wound-wire hollow cylindrical spring member  155  is connected at one end  156  to plug  149 , shaft  153  passing through spring member and being connected to an end  157  of the spring member, as shown in FIG. 5, in which the end engages a cleft  159  in the shaft  153 .  
     [0022] The straps  112 ,  114  are wound on respective roller  145 . When the straps are pulled from the rollers, they unravel at the same time turning roller  145 . Since roller  145  is connected to plugs  147 ,  149 , these will rotate also, as will end  156  of spring member  155 , since this is connected to plug  149 . However, since end  157  of spring member  155  is fixedly held to shaft  153 , this causes the spring member to wind up, thus providing a biasing force against rotation of roller  145 . This has the effect of generating a retracting force on straps  112 ,  114 , in a similar manner to that provided by an inertia reel seat belt.  
     [0023] The adjustable footrest  200  is shown in more details in FIG. 7 which includes a mounting bracket  202  to which is connected a hollow cylindrical member  204  having a securing knob  206  further connected thereto. A further cylindrical member  208  is slidably received in member  204  and includes a plurality of openings  210  in which a protrusion from the knob  206  can engage to hold the footrest in a particular position. The member  208  is connected to a triangular shaped bracket  212  serving as a footrest member.  
     [0024] The rollers  18  of the prior art are also preferably replaced by gliders  19  to prevent the child from pushing the chair around.  
     [0025] In use, the height of the seat  10  is adjusted to be the right height for the child to sit at a full size desk  20 . The footrest  200  is then adjusted to suit the legs of the child, so that the child&#39;s legs are not dangling.  
     [0026] After the child sits on the seat the connectors  118 ,  120  are clipped into engagement with the sockets  130 ,  132 . As the straps are extended, the retraction reels are rotated against the bias of the spring member  155  so that a gentle force is applied to the child&#39;s shoulders when seated urging the child to adopt a correct upright posture. The strap portion  116  which lies across the stomach of the child, prevents the child from slouching in his seat.  
     [0027] The force exerted by the spring members  155  need not be so great as to force the child to adopt an upright posture. Even a slight pressure on the child&#39;s body and shoulders will urge and suggest to the child to adopt an upright posture.  
     [0028] The embodiment described is not to be construed as limitative. For example, although the harness has been shown having three strap portions  112 ,  114 ,  116 , the strap portion  116  may be omitted. Furthermore, the straps  112 ,  114  may connect directly to the chair without the use of connectors  118 ,  120 . In such an arrangement, the child extends the straps  112 ,  114  from the reels  140 . and slips the extended straps over his/her shoulders. If a strap  116  is provided in such an arrangement, a snap-lock connector may be provided at some point along the length of the strap  116  for connection across the waist of the child. Furthermore, although the straps have been shown connected to respective retraction reels, the straps may both be connected to a single reel or the reels may be omitted and the straps manually adjusted in size to suit the child.  
     [0029] Furthermore, the harness may comprise a single strap provided diagonally across the child from one side of the back of the chair to the other side of the seat.