Abstract:
A corrective chair comprises a seat which allows to be tilted forward and backward, a backrest and support elements for feet, allowing multiple uses as a regular chair, a reclining chair and a chair for correcting orientation of vertebrae, assisting a user to get up, lie down and stretch the torso for relaxing, preventing inflammation of muscular mucous membranes and attaining a better sitting position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a corrective chair, particularly to a corrective chair which improves sitting position and supports vertebrae, allowing an upright as well as a lying position.  
         [0003]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0004]     Today&#39;s life is full of tension and gives little space for relaxing. Physical and psychical stress result in unstable sitting positions, and lack of exercise lead to fatigue, knots in mucous membranes and ligaments, and disorientation of joints.  
         [0005]     Chinese medicine teaches 8 vertical layers of bones, reaching from neck, shoulder, breast and hip vertebrae to thighs, lower leg and toes. Flexible connections and proper balancing are important for proper distribution of muscles, ligaments and tissue.  
         [0006]     Since all layers of bones support each other, fatigue or disorientation of one layer negatively affect stability of the remaining layers and balancing of the body, causing frequent contemporary diseases, like displaced vertebrae, bowlegs and sciatica.  
         [0007]     Furthermore since muscular mucous membranes surround muscles, ligaments and nerves, migraine and aching of the stomach is often caused by tension in muscular mucous membranes.  
         [0008]     As common preventive measures, muscular mucous membranes are often massaged and improving of the sitting position is seeked.  
         [0009]     U.S. Pat. No. 10,828,851 discloses a corrective chair for improving the sitting position, having a seat that is inclined forward, so that an upright posture is naturally assumed and legs and torso form an angle of greater than 90 degrees. Thus an improved sitting position for relaxing and better health is achieved.  
         [0010]     The present invention aims at further improvements.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     An object of the present invention is to provide a corrective chair which improves the sitting position of a user and allows stretching to relax and prevent inflammation of muscular mucous membranes.  
         [0012]     Another object of the present invention is to provide a corrective chair which is usable as a regular chair and a chair assisting in properly orienting vertebrae and which allows sitting as well as lying.  
         [0013]     The present invention can be more fully understood by reference to the following description and accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0014]     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the corrective chair of the present invention comprises: a frame  10 , having a support function; a seat  20 , mounted on the frame  10 , being tiltable; and a backrest  30 , mounted on the frame  10 , being tiltable. By tilting the seat  20  and the backrest  30  to various angles, the sitting position of a user is corrigible, and sitting, lying as well as functions of a regular chair are allowed. In the following, a detailed explanation is given.  
         [0015]     The frame  10  is made of front, rear, left, right plates  11 ,  12 ,  13 ,  14 . To each of the left and right plates  13 ,  14 , a support plate  15  is attached. Each of the left and right plates  13 ,  14  is passed through by a hinge axis  17 .  
         [0016]     The seat  20  comprises a seat plate  21 , a blocker assembly  22 , and two lateral plates  23 ,  24  which extend vertically downward from the seat plate  21 . Each of the two lateral plates  23 ,  24  has a hole  25 , passed through by the hinge axis  17 . of one of the the left and right plates  13 ,  14 . Thereby, the seat  20  is tiltable forward and backward. The blocker assembly  22  serves to limit tilting angles of the seat  20 , comprising two arc-shaped openings  221 , respectively cut into the two lateral plates  23 ,  24 , and two bolts  223 , respectively extending inward from the left and right plates  13 ,  14  and each passing through one of the two arc-shaped openings  221 . Thus, as shown in  FIG. 4 , tilting backward of the seat  20  is stopped at a rear dead center  225 , and, as shown in  FIG. 3 , tilting forward of the seat  20  is stopped at a front dead center  226 .  
         [0017]     To accommodate various sitting positions and centers of mass of different users, the seat  20  allows to be tilted forward and backward according to different centers of mass of users, as shown in  FIGS. 3-8  for achieveing an optimum effect of support and correction of sitting positions.  
         [0018]     For comfortable seating, a seat cushion  27  is mounted on the seat plate  21 .  
         [0019]     When the seat  20  is tilted forward, the legs and the torso of the user enclose an angle of greater than 90 degrees, providing for a natural, relaxed sitting position. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the user has the option of placing the feet on the support plates  15 , controlling body position and center of mass for correcting the sitting position and properly orienting vertebrae.  
         [0020]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a support device  40  is mounted on the seat  20 , comprising a bearing  41  and an L-shaped support rod  44 . The bearing  41  is mounted on one of the two lateral plates  23 ,  24 , having a roughly square cross-section, an opening  42  and an inner space from which an orienting rod  43  extends vertically upwards. The support rod  44  has a lower end with an end part  45  of a roughly square cross-section into which the bearing  41  is inserted, with the orienting rod  43  further extending into the support rod  44  to ensure proper orientation thereof. The support rod  44  further has an upper end which extends to the abdomen of the user seated on the seat  20 , thereby supporting and fixing the body of the user for correcting the sitting position and properly orienting vertebrae.  
         [0021]     The support rod  44  is turnable around the orienting rod  43  to allow convenient sitting down and getting up from a sitting position. The upper end of the support rod  44 , which toouches the abdomen of the user, is covered by a padding  46 .  
         [0022]     The backrest  30  is fastened to the left and right plates  13 ,  14  via an adjusting device  60 . A back cushion  31  is placed on the backrest.  
         [0023]     The adjusting device  60  is conventional art from regular chairs or car seats. In the following, an example is described.  
         [0024]     Referring to  FIGS. 2   a  - 2   c , the adjusting device  60  allows to adjust an inclination angle of the backrest  30 . The adjusting device  60  has an active part  61  and a passive part  71 . The passive part  71  comprises a fixed plate  72 , mounted on the right plate  14  of the frame  10  and carrying an axis  73 , and a moving plate  74 , turnably mounted on the fixed plate  72  and fastened to the backrest  30  at a right edge thereof.  
         [0025]     The active part  61  comprises a fixed plate  62 , mounted on the left plate  13  of the frame  10  and carrying an axis  63 , and a moving plate  64 , turnably mounted on the fixed plate  72  and fastened to. the backrest  30  at a left edge thereof. The moving plate  64  has a periphery with-a depression  65  and a cover plate  66 ′, which is fastened to the fixed plate  62  by bolts  661 ,  662 . A transmission rod  663  passes through the fixed plate  62 , carrying a handle  664 , a blocking washer  665 , a passive washer  666  and an E-shaped washer  667 . A braking disc  67  is laid into the depression  65  and fixed there by the bolt  661 , blocking the moving plate  64  from turning. A spring  68  is inserted between the fixed plate  62  and the passive washer  666 , exerting torsion on the passive washer  666  when the handle  664  is pushed downward. A plate spring  69  surrounds the axis  63 . A cushioning ring  691  provides torsion when the moving plate turns in a forward direction. For adjusting the inclination angle of the backrest  30 , the handle  664  is pulled up, driving the blocking washer  665  to separate the braking disc  67  from the depression  65 , allowing the moving plate  64  to turn when external pressure is exerted on the backrest. Depending on whether the torsion generated by the spring  68  is overcome or not, the backrest moves rearward or forward. If the inclination angle has assumed a desired value, the handle  664  is released. Then the braking disc  67  enters the depression  65 , blocking the moving plate  64  from turning, fixing the inclination angle.  
         [0026]     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the user is able to recline the backrest  30  to attain a lying position. For rising, the hand is placed on the support rod  44  to assist getting up.  
         [0027]     Referring to  FIGS. 7-8 , the present invention helps to lie down and get up, with the feet of the user hooking onto the front plate  11  to get a better hold. The inclination angle of the backrest  30  is adjustable by the user, using the adjusting device  60 , to any desired value. Rising from a lying position is facilitated by the support rod  44 . Furthermore, the backrest  30  protects head and back of the user, ensuring a feeling of safety.  
         [0028]     When the feet are placed on the support plates  15 , with the seat  20  tilted forward, hip and feet determine balance s and sitting position, and the belly is trained to adjust the center of mass of the user to keep a stable sitting position.  
         [0029]     Referring now to  FIG. 8   a , a positioning device  50  is fastened to the front plate  11 , comprising a hinged joint  51 , having a fixed end  53  that is fastened to the front plate  11  and a free end  55 , and a stopper  52  which is mounted on the free end. In a normal state, the stopper  52  is hidden behind the front plate  11 . When the seat  20  is tilted forward, the stopper is turned to towards the lateral plates  23 ,  24  of the seat  20 .  
         [0030]     In this state, with vertebrae bent, by stretching the torso orientation of the vertebrae is corrected, while the inclination angle of the backrest  30  is adjusted for an optimum effect.  
         [0031]     While the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that modifications or variations may be easily made without departing from the spirit of this invention which is defined by the appended claims.  
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0032]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the corrective chair of the present invention.  
         [0033]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the corrective chair of the present invention.  
         [0034]      FIGS. 2   a  - 2   c are schematic illustrations of an adjusting device used in conjunction with the present invention.  
         [0035]      FIG. 3  is a schematic illustration of the corrective chair of the present invention with the seat tilted forward.  
         [0036]      FIGS. 4-8  are schematic illustrations of the corrective chair of the present invention at various positions of the user.  
         [0037]      FIG. 8   a  is a schematic illustration of the positioning device of the present invention.