GB2334208A

GB2334208A - Auxiliary seat system

Info

Publication number: GB2334208A
Application number: GB9903033A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mary Francis Gale
Original assignee: Bambach Saddle Seat Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Bambach Saddle Seat Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1998-02-11
Filing date: 1999-02-10
Publication date: 1999-08-18
Also published as: AU1639799A; FR2774572A1; FR2774572A3; GB9903033D0; GB9802938D0

Abstract

An auxiliary seat system for modifying an existing seat (2, Fig 1) comprises two substantially wedge-shaped seat parts 3, 4 which are relatively adjustable to provide a desired angular relationship therebetween. The seat system may also comprise a hinge means (5, Fig. 1) to connect the two seat parts 3, 4, wherein the hinge means (5) preferably comprises complimentary strips 21, 21a, 22, 22a of a hook and loop material on each of the seat parts 3, 4. The seat parts 3, 4 may have an identical wedge-shaped profile and may be moulded from a plastics material. Typically, the seat parts 3, 4 are stackable, there being further provided additional hook and loop fasteners 23, 23a to maintain the seat parts 3, 4 in the stacked condition. A handle 27 may be mounted on at least one of the seat parts 3, 4 to facilitate carrying of the seat system.

Description

A SEAT SYSTEM The invention relates to a seat system.

Many people suffer from back pain, either through illness, bad posture, over-exertion, heavy lifting, or just from prolonged sitting.

It is often the case that their condition is exacerbated by seating on an existing, or conventional, seat. Such seats are often adjustable as to height or relative orientation of the back part and seat part, but often an infirm person cannot effect adjustment, or the adjustment is difficult and time-consuming. Moreover, it is not possible to effect an adjustment which suits a particular user.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to seek to mitigate these disadvantages.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a seat system for modifying an existing seat, comprising two seat parts which each have a substantially wedge-shape in side elevation and which are relatively adjustable, whereby to provide a desired angular relationship there between for a particular user.

Using the invention it is possible to adjust the seat parts to suit a particular individual user and to provide that the pelvis of a user is positioned so that natural curves are restored.

There may be adjustable means connecting the two seat parts for providing the desired angular relationship. This provides for use by a variety of individuals, each of whom adjusts the seat parts for his or her personal, individual requirements.

The adjustable means may comprise hinge means. This is a particularly advantageous construction in combining both adjustability and the ability to fold the seat parts relative to one another.

The hinge means may comprise a strip of material which can be adjusted in position with respect to the seat parts to provide adjustment of the relative positions of the seat parts. This provides for ease of adjustment, particularly when the strip of material may comprise two strip parts of a material with releasably interengageable gripping means, and in which one strip part may be on one seat part, and the other strip part may be on the other seat part.

There may be a plurality of strip parts on each seat part. This provides a balanced construction. Thus there may be four strip parts on one seat part and two strip parts on the other seat part.

The seat parts may have a substantially identical wedge profile. This allows for ease of manufacture, and suitability for mass production. The seat parts may be stackable. This provides for ease of storage and transport, particularly where there may be means to maintain the parts in a stacked condition, suitably, for simplicity, two of the four said strip parts may be arranged on one seat part and adapted to wrap round the other seat part in the stacked condition. This provides a neat stacked arrangement.

There may be means to carry the system, particularly comprising a handle mounted on a seat part. There may be a handle for each seat part.

The seat parts may be moulded from plastic material. This provides a light, relatively low cost system, particularly if the plastic is a foamed plastic. The parts may be moulded to have a surface profile to accommodate a user's back and seat profile. Thus an ergonometric design of seat system may be provided.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a combination comprising a seat, such as a chair and a seat system as hereinbefore defined, mounted thereon.

Seat systems for modifying an existing seat are hereinbefore described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a first embodiment of seat system according to the invention in one position; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the seat system of Fig. 1 in an alternative position; Fig. 3 shows an exploded perspective view to an enlarged scale relative to Figs. 1 and 2 of a second embodiment of seat system according to the invention; Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the seat system of Fig. 3 in a first, assembled position; and Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of the seat system of Figs. 3 and 4 in a second, assembled, position.

Referring to the drawings in which like parts are referred to by like reference numerals, there is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a seat system 1 for modifying an existing seat 2 (shown as a chair in dashed lines in Fig. 1), comprising two seat parts 3, 4 which are relatively adjustable whereby to provide a desired arrangement for a particular user.

The seat parts 3, 4 comprise a back part 3 and a seat part 4 which are in the embodiment moulded from foamed plastic material and which are each of wedge-shape in side elevation. The major surfaces of the respective parts may be moulded to provide curves to accommodate a user's back and seat and the edges may be rounded. Thus an ergonometric system 1 may be provided.

The relative disposition, arrangement or orientation of the seat parts 3, 4 is provided by hinge means 5 which in the embodiment is either a strip of material, or strips of material, which has or have releasably engageable means such as integral hooks, like Velcro (RTM), which have the hooks directed to engage the respective parts 3, 4.

The hinge means 5 can be adjusted in length by peeling it from one or both parts 3, 4 and then reapplying, so that the angle between the parts 3, 4 can be adjusted. Thus in use, the particular user adjusts the relative orientation of the two parts 3, 4 to suit his or her posture, and the seat system 1 is then placed on a conventional seat 2 with the seat 4 and back 3 parts of the system 1 supported by the seat and back of the conventional seat 2. Once adjusted by the individual user, the two parts 3, 4 maintain the same relative position for that person, wherever the seat system 1 is used. The user can then use the conventional seat 2 in any particular location, the combination of the two wedge-shaped parts 3, 4 or cushions providing that the pelvis of the user is positioned so that natural curves of the spine of that user are restored.

Thus the system alters the profile of a conventional seat 2, when it is placed on top of such a seat, so alleviating back pain of a user.

The system 1 is portable, by the two wedge shapes 3, 4 being folded onto each other, as shown in Fig. 2, for carrying (or storage). The wedge shaped parts 3, 4 are folded onto each other about the hinge part 2 to be stacked, and to maintain the system 1 stacked, there are two pairs of veloro-like straps 6, 6' on the one seat part 3 which are folded round to grip the other seat part 4 and thus secure the system 1 in the stacked condition. A handle means 7 mounted on one part 3, between the (lateral) straps 6, enable the stacked system 1 to be carried.

Referring now to Figs. 3 - 5, there is shown a second embodiment of seat system 20 for modifying an existing seat. There are two separate seat parts 3, 4 each of wedge shape, each comprising a wedge of cushion material such as foam with a fabric covering in the embodiment. The seat part 4 has two strips 21, 21a of releasably engageable hook and pile fabric means such as Velcro. The two strips of the fabric means 21, 21a are applied to the underside, in use, seat part 4, the hook or pile of the fabric strips being exposed. There are four strips 22, 22a, 23, 23a of the fabric means applied to the rear, in use, side of the seat part 3. Two 22, 22a of the strips extend beyond an edge or "nose" 24 of the seat part 3 in one direction, and two 23, 23a of the strips extend beyond the edge or el 25 of the seat part 3 opposite the one edge in the opposite direction to the one direction.

The lateral spacing across the seat part 3 between the strips 22, 23 and 22a, 23a is identical to the lateral spacing between the strips 21, 21a.

Each part 3, 4 has a carrying means in the form of a fabric handle 26, 27.

The seat system 20 is assembled by offering up the seat parts 3, 4 so that the nose 24 of the part 3, is adjacent an end wall 28 opposite a nose 29 of the seat part 4. The relative positions of the seat parts are adjusted to give the correct spacing for an individual user so that the angle between the seat parts 3, 4 is in use that required to provide the desired support for the user's back. The adjustment is made possible by adjusting the longitudinal overlap of the strips 22, 22a on the strips 21, 21a respectively, which are then pressed together at the required longitudinal positions to provide a firm connection which maintains the adopted position. The strips 22, 22a thus form a hinge about which the seat system 1 can be hinged, the hinge being formed by a strip 21, 22 and 21a, 22a which then form strip parts for making the hinge. Thus the first assembled or in use position of the seat system 1 is shown in Fig. 4, it being assumed that the seat part 4 is set down on a seat squab of an existing seat (not shown), the seat part 4 resting against the seat back of the existing seat. A base 30 of the seat part 4 rests flat on the seat and one inclined surface 31 of the seat part 3 rests against an inclined seat back, usually in parallel therewith.

In the second assembled position (Fig. 5), the seat system 1 is folded for stowage or carrying by folding or stacking the seat parts 3, 4 together about the hinges 22, 22a so that major surfaces 32, 33 of the respective seat parts 3 and 4 which in use as a seat support the user, are in contact.

The seat system 1 is secured in the Fig. 5 position by folding the strips 23, 23a round and applying them to the respective strips 21, 21a, 22, 22a with hand pressure so that the stowed position is maintained. The handles 26, 27 allow for ease of carrying.

The seat parts 3, 4 are of identical shape and configuration and hence can be readily manufactured in a process which is susceptible of mass production. The angle of the wedge of each seat part 3, 4 is such that in the Fig. 5 position, a rectangular shape is achieved, which is relatively easy to carry.

It will be understood that a seat system 1 or 20 as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings is relatively light, of relatively low cost, and has a great many applications, for example by train or lorry drivers, or travellers, particularly where seats are changed regularly for example by train or lorry drivers who drive a variety of different vehicles in succession such as in a shift change.

The system 1 or 20 is thus personal to each user. The seat parts 3, 4 or cushions work together to provide a desired orientation. The hinge 5 or 22, 22a, provides for relatively easy.folding into a single pack which is light and readily transportable by carrying. Once the user adjusts the two seat parts 3, 4 by altering the length of the hinge means 5 or 22, 22a, they maintain the same relative position for that user.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A seat system for modifying an existing seat, comprising two seat parts which each have a substantially wedge-shape in side elevation and which are relatively adjustable, whereby to provide a desired angular relationship there between for a particular user.
2. A seat system according to Claim 1 , there being adjustable means connecting the two seat parts for providing the desired angular relationship.
3. A seat system according to Claim 2, the adjustable means comprising hinge means.
4. A seat system according to Claim 3, the hinge means comprising a strip of material which can be adjusted in position with respect to the seat parts to provide adjustment of the relative positions of the seat parts.
5. A seat system according to Claim 4, the strip of material comprising two strip parts of a material with releasably interengageable gripping means, one strip part being on one seat part and the other strip part being on the other seat part.
6. A seat system according to Claim 5, there being a plurality of strip parts on each seat part.
7. A seat system according to Claim 6, there being four strip parts on one seat part and two strip parts on the other seat part.
8. A seat system according to Claim 7, the seat parts having a substantially identical wedge profile.
9. A seat system according to Claim 8, the seat parts being stackable.
10. A seat system according to Claim 9, there being means to maintain the seat parts in a stacked condition.
11. A seat system according to Claim 10, the means comprising two of the four said strip parts.
12. A seat system according to Claim 11, the two said strip parts being arrange0 on one seat part and adapted to wrap round the other seat part in the stacked condition.
13. A seat system according to Claim 12, there being means to carry the system.
14. A seat system according to Claim 13, the carrying means comprising a handle mounted on a seat part.
15. A seat system according to Claim 14, there being a handle for each seat part.
16. A seat system according to any of Claims 6 to 15, the seat parts being moulded from plastic material.
17. A seat system for modifying an existing seat, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
18. A combination comprising a seat, such as a chair, and a seat system according to any preceding claim, mounted thereon.