Ergonomic seat assembly

Abstract

An ergonomical seat assembly for supporting a seated human body in correct posture to maintain proper and healthy spine, hip, and pelvic alignment. The seat assembly includes a back panel for supporting the back of a user in an upright sitting position and side support members for engaging the sides of the user's torso. Included is a lumbar support member for engaging the lower back of the user just above the hips. The back panel is secured to a base panel upon which is arranged hip support members for engaging the seated user's hips. Together the elements of the seat assembly maintain proper and healthy posture of a seated user and comfortable long or short term seating.

Description

RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PATENT APPLICATIONS[0001]This Patent Application is a Non-Provisional Patent Application of the pending Provisional Patent Application, Ser. No. 61 / 089,509, filed on Aug. 16, 2008 in the name of Matthew David Bryer for ADJUSTABLE HIP AND BACK SUPPORT SEAT INSERT, and claims the benefit of the filing date of said Provisional Patent Application.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of Invention[0003]This invention relates to an ergonomic seat assembly for supporting a human body in correct posture to maintain proper and healthy spine alignment.[0004]2. Description of Prior Art[0005]Cushioned ergonomic seat assemblies are desirable for increasing the comfort-level of the user and at the same time preventing ligament, joint and hip problems. Normal sitting is more often than not in an improper, unhealthy posture which may result in back pain and other physical ailments and infirmities. Too often a human person in a seated position is not properly supported resu...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]The present invention provides an ergonomic seat assembly for supporting a human body in a sitting position in a correct posture to maintain proper and healthy spine, hip, and pelvis alignment. The seat assembly includes a generally flat back panel sized and shaped for supporting the back of a user in an upright sitting position. A pair of elongated side support members are disposed on the back panel. One each of the side support members is selectively attachable and laterally and upwardly and downwardly movably disposed on opposite lateral side sections of the back panel, with each of the side support members sized and shaped for engaging the side of the torso of the user in a seated position. A generally flat base panel is pivotally secured at its inner end section to a lower end section of the back panel member for supporting a user in a seated position. An elongated lumbar support member is selectively attached and upwardly and downwardly moveably disposed at a lower portion of the back panel, and is sized and shaped for snugly engaging a lower back portion of a user in a seated position. A pair of elongated hip support members are disposed on the base panel. One each of the hip support members are selectively attachable and laterally, forwardly and rearwardly movably disposed on opposite lateral side sections of the base panel, with each of the hip support members being sized and shaped for snugly engaging the hip area of a user in a seated position. The back panel, side support members, the lumbar support member, the base panel, and the hip support member, are sized, shaped, constructed and arranged such that when a user is seated on the base panel with the user's back against the back panel and the side support members are in engagement with the sides of the user's torso, and the lumbar support member in engagement with the user's lower back (lumbar region), and the hip support members in engagement with the user's hips, proper and healthy spinal alignment is maintained, toeing out and splaying of the legs prevented, outward rotation of the hips avoided, keeping the user's body in proper alignment to effect correct and healthy posture. The side and back panels may be arranged such that the panels may be selectively pivoted with respect to each other to and from a generally parallel relation to each other. Means may be provided for pivoting the back panel to a generally right angle relation to the base panel. There may also be provided straps or the like to secure the back panel to the base panel when the panels are in a generally parallel relation to each other. The straps or the like may also be arranged to serve as a handle for use in carrying the seat assembly. The seat may be provided with an opening generally centrally disposed at the inner end of the panel for receiving the tailbone portion of the user's lower back. The back panel may also be provided with a brace or the like to secure the back panel in an upright position allowing the seat assembly to be used independently of a chair, bed and the like. This seat assembly may also be modified in various other ways, by use of different material for different resiliency of the panels and support members, or by different curvatures of the back and base panels, or by attaching different support members to provide support needs of different users. The seat assembly 10 may be fixed onto a chair, or like, or on a vehicular seat (e.g. automobile seat).

Problems solved by technology

Normal sitting is more often than not in an improper, unhealthy posture which may result in back pain and other physical ailments and infirmities.

Too often a human person in a seated position is not properly supported resulting in the toeing out and splaying of the legs which causes the hips to rotate outwardly.

The unhealthy positioning of the legs and hips in the user could result in ligament weakness, plastic deformation of joint tissue and lead to chronic occurrence of conditions such as hip bursitis and accelerated degeneration.

In addition to the unhealthy positioning of the user's legs and hips, the spine is improperly aligned because of the tendency of the user to slump or slouch with the spine generally unnaturally straight when the spine should be naturally curved.

The slumping or slouching of the user causes lower back pain because of the loss of the natural and healthy lumbar curve.

Also, the back system of U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,446 was geared specifically to use with wheelchairs, and was somewhat complicated in structure and not readily adaptable for ordinary use by a sitting person.

None of these Patents disclosed or suggested seat structures for complete, proper, and healthy hip, pelvis, and spine alignment and support.

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