A chair is provided with a seat assembly connected to the base or seat assembly of the chair, the seat assembly providing back support through lower and upper back supports that can effectively move independently, thereby permitting movement of the upper back support in response to movement of the user's thoracic region while maintaining substantially rigid support of the user's pelvo-sacral region via the lower back support. A spine member mounted is mounted to the seat assembly and/or the lower back support by at least one first resilient connection. The spine member is also mounted to the lower back support by at least one second resilient connection above the at least one first resilient connection at a midsection of the spine member. The upper back support mounted above the lower back support.
A resistive motion support mechanism joined to a mounting surface and to a base shaft for providing resistive support to the mounting surface as the mounting surface undergoes one or both of rotational and tilt movement relative to the base, the motion support mechanism including a support bearing connected to the mounting surface and to the base shaft which permits one or both of tilting and rotational motion of the mounting surface relative to the base; a pivot ball functionally attached to a portion of the base shaft; a resilient ring within a housing circumscribing the base shaft such that the resilient member is compressed between the housing and the base shaft by the relative movement between the base shaft and the mounting surface to provide a resistive force on the base shaft to resist the one or both of rotational and tilt movement; and, various means for varying the resistive force.
A47C 3/026 - Rocking chairs with seat, or seat and back-rest unit, elastically mounted in a rigid frame with a central column, e.g. rocking office chairsTilting chairs
A63B 21/00 - Exercising apparatus for developing or strengthening the muscles or joints of the body by working against a counterforce, with or without measuring devices
F16M 11/14 - Means for attachment of apparatusMeans allowing adjustment of the apparatus relatively to the stand allowing pivoting in more than one direction with ball-joint
3.
Resistive support mechanism for a chair including user feedback
A resistive motion support mechanism joined to a mounting surface and to a base for providing resistive support to the mounting surface as the mounting surface undergoes one or both of rotational and tilt movement relative to the base, the motion support mechanism comprising: a support bearing connected to the mounting surface and to the base which permits one or both of tilting and rotational motion of the mounting surface relative to the base; a resistance cartridge fixedly connected to the mounting surface such that the resistance cartridge undergoes movement relative to the base and applies a resistive force on the base as the mounting surface undergoes the one or both of rotational and tilt movement. The mounting surface and the resistance cartridge are connected by at least one sensor for measuring one of forces applied by the mounting surface on the resistance cartridge, movement of the mounting surface with respect to the cartridge and/or acceleration of the mounting surface with respect to the cartridge.
A motion support mechanism, for example for a chair, joined to a mounting surface and to a base for providing resistive support to the mounting surface as the mounting surface undergoes one or both of rotational and tilt movement relative to the base. The motion support mechanism includes a support bearing connected to the mounting surface and to the base which permits one or both of tilting and rotational motion of the mounting surface relative to the base, a pivot ball sized fixedly attached to a portion of the base, and, a resistance cartridge fixedly connected to the mounting surface such that the resistance cartridge undergoes movement relative to the base and applies a resistive force on the base as the mounting surface undergoes one or both of rotational and tilt movement. The resistance cartridge includes a cartridge housing and a resilient member in contact relation with the pivot ball and with a wall of the housing such that the resilient member is compressed by the relative movement between the resistance cartridge and the pivot ball to thereby provide the resistive support to the mounting surface. Preferably, the resistive support also provides a dampening feature, for example by way of the resilient member being formed from a viscoelastic material. A means for varying the resistance applied is provided that permits the distance between the bearing surface and the pivot ball to be varied.
A47C 3/026 - Rocking chairs with seat, or seat and back-rest unit, elastically mounted in a rigid frame with a central column, e.g. rocking office chairsTilting chairs
A47C 3/025 - Rocking chairs with seat, or seat and back-rest unit, elastically mounted in a rigid frame
A47C 1/027 - Reclining or easy chairs having independently-adjustable supporting parts the parts, being the back-rest, or the back-rest and seat unit, having adjustable inclination by means of clamps or friction locking members
A47C 3/30 - Chairs or stools with vertically-adjustable seats with vertically-acting fluid cylinder
F16M 11/14 - Means for attachment of apparatusMeans allowing adjustment of the apparatus relatively to the stand allowing pivoting in more than one direction with ball-joint
A47C 7/14 - Seat parts of adjustable shapeSeat parts elastically mounted
A motion support mechanism, for example for a chair, joined to a mounting surface and to a base for providing resistive support to the mounting surface as the mounting surface undergoes one or both of rotational and tilt movement relative to the base. The motion support mechanism includes a support bearing connected to the mounting surface and to the base which permits one or both of tilting and rotational motion of the mounting surface relative to the base, a pivot ball sized fixedly attached to a portion of the base, and, a resistance cartridge fixedly connected to the mounting surface such that the resistance cartridge undergoes movement relative to the base and applies a resistive force on the base as the mounting surface undergoes one or both of rotational and tilt movement. The resistance cartridge includes a cartridge housing and a resilient member in contact relation with the pivot ball and with a wall of the housing such that the resilient member is compressed by the relative movement between the resistance cartridge and the pivot ball to thereby provide the resistive support to the mounting surface. Preferably, the resistive support also provides a dampening feature, for example by way of the resilient member being formed from a viscoelastic material. A means for varying the resistance applied is provided that permits the distance between the bearing surface and the pivot ball to be varied.
A47C 3/026 - Rocking chairs with seat, or seat and back-rest unit, elastically mounted in a rigid frame with a central column, e.g. rocking office chairsTilting chairs
A47C 1/027 - Reclining or easy chairs having independently-adjustable supporting parts the parts, being the back-rest, or the back-rest and seat unit, having adjustable inclination by means of clamps or friction locking members
A47C 3/30 - Chairs or stools with vertically-adjustable seats with vertically-acting fluid cylinder
F16C 11/06 - Ball-jointsOther joints having more than one degree of angular freedom, i.e. universal joints
F16M 11/14 - Means for attachment of apparatusMeans allowing adjustment of the apparatus relatively to the stand allowing pivoting in more than one direction with ball-joint
