GB2304557A

GB2304557A - Upper body support member

Info

Publication number: GB2304557A
Application number: GB9518104A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Neil Godfrey Rowland
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-09-05
Filing date: 1995-09-05
Publication date: 1997-03-26
Also published as: GB9518104D0

Abstract

An upper body support especially for use by gardeners who suffer from back pain. The upper body support is in the form of a stool and comprises a contoured top surface 2 with legs extending downwardly therefrom. The upper body support surface is inclined at an angle to the horizontal and has a cushioned pad 6 attached to it to provide a comfortable supporting position for the user's upper body with both the user's hands at ground level. A container 7 may be removably mounted under the top surface for holding tools, fertilizer or weeds or other objects.

Description

UPPER BODY SUPPORT FOR BACK PAIN SUFFERERS This invention relates to a device for supporting the upper body and more particularly but not exclusively to an upper body support for use by people who suffer from back pain.

Back pain sufferers often find it very difficult to bend over and maintain a bent posture while working with their hands at ground level.

Gardeners often have to spend a considerable amount of time bending over in order to carry out tasks such as planting or weeding. A problem with maintaining this bent over position for some time is that it can be very uncomfortable. The problem is often made worse if the person suffers from any form of back pain as the back and upper body receives very little support in this position.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an upper body support which overcomes or substantially reduces the aforementioned problems by supporting the upper body of a user so that tasks may be carried out in a comfortable manner with both the user's hands at ground level.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide relief to a person who suffers from back problems while working on the ground with his or her hands at ground level.

According to the invention there is provided an upper body support for back pain sufferers comprising a portion adapted to rest on the ground and a support surface mounted thereon which is contoured to support a user's upper body with both the user's hands at ground level.

Preferably, the support surface is inclined at an angle to the horizontal so that it slopes downwardly from front to back to provide a comfortable supporting position for the upper body. However, it may be horizontal.

In the preferred embodiment, the upper body support is a stool with a number of legs extending downwardly from the top support surface, the front legs being greater in length than the back leg or legs. However, it can take any suitable form such as a hollow frame or box.

Conveniently, support means in the form of a bar extends horizontally across the width of the upper body support to provide a hand hold for the user when getting up or moving the body to alternative positions. It also provides a convenient resting position for the user's hands.

Preferably a container or shelf is provided beneath the upper body support to provide a place to keep tools, fertiliser or weeds.

The front or rear legs may be adjustable in length to allow alteration of the angle of inclination or height of the top surface to suit different people and for maximum comfort.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 is a side view of an upper body support of the present invention; and FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the upper body support shown in Figure 1 but with the cushioned pad removed; and FIGURES 3A-3C are perspective views of the upper body support shown in Figure 2 used in three different ways.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in Figures 1-3 an upper body support in the form of a stool 1 which comprises a top surface 2 and a portion which rests on the ground namely legs 3,4,5. The stool 1 includes a cushioned pad 6 and a removable container 7.

As shown in the drawings, the top surface 2 of the preferred embodiment is inclined at an angle to the horizontal to provide a comfortable resting position for the upper body or torso of the person using the stool 1 as shown in Figure 3. The top surface 2 is generally planar but preferably also includes a depression 2f in the front region thereof between the legs 3,4 which is shaped to receive the sternum of a user's upper body when in position thereon. The cushioned pad 6 is preferably made of a resilient foam rubber contained in a waterproof cover and is removably attached to the top surface 2 of the stool 1. The cushioned pad 6 is prevented from slipping off the inclined top surface 2 of the stool 1 by means of a lip 8 protruding downwardly from one end of the underside of the cushioned pad 6 which locates over the upper edge 9 of the top surface 2 of the stool 1.

The cushioned pad 6 may be releasably attached at other locations to the top surface 2 of the stool 1.

In an alternative embodiment, the flat-topped cushioned pad 6 can be replaced by a cushion whose upper surface is contoured and ergonomically shaped to exactly fit and support the upper part of the user's body in contact therewith. This can be done using a thermo-setting foam and forming the shape of the cushion in situ against the users upper body.

The top surface 2 of the stool 1 preferably has cut-out sections 2a,2b on either side to provide a wide range of movement for the user's arms and to enable the user to easily reach to the side and underneath the stool 1 without having to change its position. The cut-outs 2a,2b can also be used to provide a comfortable recess in which to rest the side of the upper body if the user prefers to sit on the ground next to the stool and use it as a side support as shown in Figure 3C. In this position, one of the protrusions 2c or 2d shown in Figure 2 are used as a crutch support under the user's armpit.

Front legs 3,4 of the same length are attached to the underside of the top surface 2 adjacent its upper edge 9 on either side of the stool 1 and extend downwardly and slightly outwardly from the top surface 2 as illustrated in the drawings.

In the illustrated preferred embodiment, the front legs 3,4 are of a fixed length but it will be appreciated that they can be adjustable in length to alter the angle of inclination of the top surface 2 and provide a range of positions and heights to suit different size people.

The rear leg 5 of the stool 1 is shorter in length and its top end is attached to the underside of the top surface 2 at its lower edge 10 of the stool 1. Two rear legs which can also be adjustable in length may also be used.

The free ends of the front legs 3,4 and rear leg 5 have feet 11 attached thereto so that the weight of a person using the stool is spread over a greater area, preventing the front legs 3,4 and rear leg 5 sinking into the ground when the stool is in use.

A support bar 12 having two end sections 13,14 and a central section 15 extends horizontally across the entire width of the stool 1 through the front legs 3,4 intermediate their top and bottom ends. The end sections 13,14 protrude outwardly from either side of the front legs 3,4 of the stool 1 and provide a comfortable resting position for the user's hands and can also be used to provide assistance in repositioning the upper body on the stool and getting up when the user has finished with the stool 1 or wishes to change position. The central section 15 of support bar 12 also provides the front legs 3,4 of the stool 1 with increased stability and strength.

In the preferred embodiment, the container 7 is an open fronted box which is situated beneath the top surface 2 of the stool 1 and its front edge (not shown) hooks over the central section 15 of the support bar 12 between the legs 3,4 of the stool 1. The rear of the container is supported on a protrusion 16 attached to the inside of the rear leg 5 of the stool 1. The container may be used for the collection of weeds and other matter or may contain fertiliser or gardening tools. The container 7 is easily removable from the stool 1 for emptying or if its use is not required. Other objects can also be stored in it depending on what the stool is being used for.

In use, the stool 1 is placed adjacent the area which is to be worked and requires attention and the user then kneels over or lies on top of the stool so that the weight of the upper body is taken by the top surface 2 as shown in Figure 3A. The cushioned pad 6 may be of any suitable thickness (e.g. in the region 8-10cm thick) so that it deforms and adapts to the shape of the upper body of the user and provides the necessary relief to a back pain sufferer. It will be appreciated that other ways of using the stool are possible. As previously suggested, the user may prefer to lie on one side on the stool as shown in Figure 3B or sit on the ground next to it and lean against one of the cut-outs 2a,2b using one of the portions 2c or 2d as a crutch fitted into the user's armpit as shown in Figure 3C.

Preferably, the stool is manufactured from wood apart from the cushioned pad 6, but other materials could also be used without departing from the scope of the invention. For instance, the top surface 2 can be made of contoured plastic to fit the upper body of the user.

The container 7, front legs 3,4 and rear leg 5 could also be made from a moulded plastic material. It could also be made of metal or fibre glass or any other suitable lightweight material which is strong enough to support the weight of the user's upper body.

Whilst the invention has been described in use as a gardening aid, it could also be used in many other ways for instance for cleaning or laying floors, or by archaeologists.

Claims

1. An upper body support for back pain sufferers comprising a portion adapted to rest on the ground and a support surface mounted thereon which is contoured to support a user's upper body with both user's hands at ground level.

2. An upper body support as claimed in claim 1 wherein the support surface is inclined at an angle to the horizontal so that it slopes downwardly from front to back to provide a comfortable supporting position for the upper body.

3. An upper body support as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the support member is a stool with a number of legs extending downwardly from the top surface, the front legs being greater in length than the back leg or legs.

4. An upper body support as claimed in claim 3 wherein the front legs are adjustable in length.

5. An upper body support as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the portion adapted to rest on the ground is a hollow frame such as a box.

6. An upper body support as claimed in any preceding claim wherein supporting means extends across the front to provide a hand hold forte user.

7. An upper body support as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a container is situated beneath the support surface.

8. An upper body support as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the support surface has a cut-out portion on either side to provide a recess for the body of a user when leaning on one side of the upper body support.

9. A device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. An upper body support substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A device for supporting a user in a prone position comprising a portion adapted to rest on the ground and a support surface mounted thereon which is contoured to support only the weight of the user's torso thereby leaving both of the user's hands free to carry out tasks at ground level.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the support surface is inclined at an angle to the horizontal so that it slopes downwardly from front to back to provide a comfortable supporting position for the user's torso.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the portion adapted to rest on the ground comprises a number of legs extending downwardly from the support surface to form a stool, the front legs being greater in length than the back leg or legs.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the front legs are adjustable in length.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the portion adapted to rest on the ground is a hollow frame such as a box.

6. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein supporting means extends across the front to provide a hand hold for the user.

7. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a container is situated beneath the support surface.

8. A device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the support surface has a cut-out portion on either side to provide a recess for the body of a user when leaning on one side of the upper body support.