Postural chair

Abstract

The invention relates to a postural chair (1) comprising a base (10), legs (30), and a backrest (40), said base (10) defining an internal space and comprising a lower face, a front face, a rear face opposite said front face, and an upper face opposite the lower face, the base (10) comprising, at its lower face, a flat support and delimiting, on its upper face, a circular opening, said chair (1) further comprising a proprioceptive element (20) comprising a seat portion configured to receive the gluteal region of a user and a spherical cap extending partially through the circular opening, forming a space with the edge of the circular opening, and a portion of which, including the pole of the spherical cap, rests on the flat support so as to allow the spherical cap to tilt on a surface of said flat support. Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: Postural chair technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of equipment adapted to improve the posture of an individual in a seated position and relates more particularly to a postural chair. Previous technique

[0002] Nowadays, many people spend a large number of consecutive hours sitting in a chair, particularly in a professional setting. This persistent posture presents a risk for these individuals of developing health problems, for example musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

[0003] One solution is to adapt work areas with specialized equipment, including height-adjustable desks for working standing up and kneeling chairs or inflatable sphere-type seating balls for sitting.

[0004] Kneeling chairs are chairs generally equipped with casters and a seat and a support for the user's knees. This type of chair does not have a backrest, and the user stabilizes themselves by pressing their knees against the support. The device thus forces the user to maintain an active seated position but can lead to knee problems with prolonged use.

[0005] Seat balls have the particularity of forcing the user to use more muscles in a seated position than on a chair or static seat, thus avoiding the harmful effects of immobility and varying the areas of stress thanks to the movements it offers.

[0006] However, a seating ball is, due to its shape, difficult to store and transport outside of its use, thus obliging a user to deflate and reinflate it each time he wishes, for example, to rearrange his workspace or move the seating ball, for example between his home and his office.

[0007] Furthermore, a sitting ball is not inherently stable, and a lapse in attention on the part of the user can result in a painful fall. In addition, such a ball has a fixed diameter, requiring the user to change balls if they wish to be higher or lower. Finally, prolonged sitting on an inflatable ball is uncomfortable due to the lack of a backrest.

[0008] Several solutions have been developed to try to remedy these drawbacks. For example, there are stools with a spherical joint comprising a base from which a leg rises, connected to the seat by a ball joint. The principle of the ball seat is thus preserved, and the device takes up little space and is easily adjustable. height. However, the seat is still unstable.

[0009] Another solution, notably described in patent specification DE 10 2009 056692 B3, consists of a base defining a curved, circular hollow and a portion of a sphere. The domed part of the sphere portion is mounted on a ball placed in the center of the curved hollow, and its flat part forms the seat on which the user sits.

[0010] This modular solution is easily transportable but requires a support for installation, such as a stool or base, to allow the user to sit, which presents several drawbacks. For example, if the base is placed on the support without being secured, it will be unstable and pose a risk of the user falling. Furthermore, securing the base to the support can be tedious and time-consuming.

[0011] Furthermore, the ball allows for positioning and holding the spherical portion, but causes friction at the interface between the ball and the spherical portion, which can limit the user's movement and therefore the stress-relieving effect of the device. In addition, the curved surface of the hollow causes friction on the spherical portion and further limits the user's degrees of freedom, the ball preventing slippage.

[0012] There is therefore a need for a simple and effective solution to remedy at least some of these drawbacks. Description of the invention

[0013] To this end, the invention first relates to a postural chair, said chair comprising a base, a plurality of legs and a backrest, said base defining an internal space and comprising a lower face, a front face, a rear face opposite said front face, two lateral faces opposite each other and connecting the front and rear faces and an upper face opposite the lower face, the plurality of legs extending from the lower face of the base, the backrest extending from the upper face of the base to the level of the rear face of said base, said chair being remarkable in that:

[0014] - the base comprises, at its lower face, a flat support and delimits, on its on the upper surface, a circular opening,

[0015] - said chair further comprises a proprioceptive element, said pro- a pre-receptive device comprising a portion of the seat configured to receive the gluteal region of a chair user and a spherical cap extending partly through the circular opening, forming a space with the edge of the circular opening, and a portion of which, including the pole of the spherical cap, rests on the flat support so as to allow the spherical cap to tilt onto a surface of said support support plan.

[0016] A "postural chair" is defined as a chair that significantly reduces the adverse effects of prolonged sitting on posture and therefore on health. A "proprioceptive element" is defined as an element that stimulates the nerves and muscles to improve the user's posture.

[0017] The tilting of the spherical cap is constrained solely by the edge of the circular opening. In the absence of a ball and with a flat support, the mechanical constraints are limited to the friction of the spherical cap on the flat support and are therefore less significant than with the prior art solution with a curved hollow and a central ball. In particular, the point contact between the sphere and the flat support allows more degrees of freedom than the prior art solution described in German patent DE 10 2009 056692 B3, since by definition it only restricts one degree of freedom, namely translation along the normal to the plane. Thus, by limiting friction and allowing greater freedom of movement, the chair according to the invention enables improved proprioceptive function.Removing the ball and using a flat rather than curved support proves counterintuitive to those skilled in the art, as it negates the certain positioning of the spherical cap at the center of the base. Furthermore, in light of patent DE 10 2009 056692 B3, those skilled in the art would have instead used a ball bearing system or a surface treatment to reduce friction.

[0018] Preferably, the chair back is mounted in an articulated manner between a use position in which the back is unfolded and a storage position in which the back is folded in order to reduce the volume of the chair and thus to transport and store it more easily.

[0019] Advantageously, the backrest includes at least one locking mechanism for locking the backrest in the storage position and / or the use position to prevent it from unfolding or folding unintentionally when the chair is moved. Preferably, the at least one locking mechanism includes a notch, a hook, a clip system, a fastening strap, or any other suitable type of locking element.

[0020] Advantageously, in the storage position, the backrest is folded over the proprioceptive element, that is, resting against the proprioceptive element, so as to hold it in the base. The proprioceptive element is therefore locked in the base when the chair is in the storage position.

[0021] In one embodiment, the backrest is configured so that, in the folded position, it conforms to the proprioceptive element. The proprioceptive element is therefore completely blocked, preferably without play, by the backrest when the chair is in the folded position.

[0022] Advantageously, the backrest and the proprioceptive element have complementary shapes so as to be nested in the backrest's storage position. This The interlocking design allows for greater compactness of the chair in storage position and ensures that the proprioceptive element is locked during transport.

[0023] Advantageously, the backrest is hinged to the base by means of hinge-type connections, preferably self-locking hinges. This type of hinge allows for easy and quick handling to move the chair from the use position to the storage position and vice versa.

[0024] Preferably, each foot of the plurality of feet is connected to the underside of the base in an articulated manner between a use position in which said foot is unfolded and a storage position in which said foot is folded in order to further reduce the volume of the chair and thus to transport and store it more easily.

[0025] Preferably, each leg of the plurality of legs is connected to the underside of the base by a hinge-type joint, preferably self-locking. This type of hinge allows for easy and quick installation of the chair in the use position and eliminates the need for an additional locking mechanism to hold the legs in the storage position.

[0026] Advantageously, in the storage position, each leg of the plurality of legs is folded against the underside of the base. The chair in the storage position is more compact and therefore easier to transport and store.

[0027] Preferably, in storage position, each foot of the plurality of feet is folded down onto the underside of the base along one of the edges of said underside.

[0028] According to one aspect of the invention, the seat portion comprises a support fixed to the flat surface of the spherical dome, said support extending over the edge defining the circular opening. Thus, the support can rest on said edge when the spherical dome is tilted sufficiently to prevent the user from ending up in an uncomfortable position, or even from falling out of the chair.

[0029] Advantageously, the support is in the form of a plate, for example made of wood, or a cushion.

[0030] In one embodiment, one of the faces, including the front face, the rear face, and two side faces, includes a handle. Preferably, the handle is located on the front face. This handle allows the chair to be carried when it is in the storage position.

[0031] Advantageously, the base has a parallelepiped shape.

[0032] In another embodiment, the seating portion is made up of the flat surface of the spherical cap. Brief description of the drawings

[0033] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description. This description is purely illustrative and should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0034] [Fig-1] Fig. 1 schematically illustrates a perspective view of the chair according to the invention in position for use.

[0035] [Fig.2] Fig.2 schematically illustrates a top view of the chair according to the invention without the proprioceptive element.

[0036] [Fig.3] Fig.3 schematically illustrates a perspective view of the proprioceptive element of the invention.

[0037] [Fig.4] Fig.4 schematically illustrates a side and cross-sectional view of the chair according to the invention in the position of use.

[0038] [Fig.5] Fig.5 schematically illustrates a perspective view of the chair according to the invention in storage position.

[0039] [Fig.6] Fig.6 schematically illustrates a perspective view from under the chair in the storage position with the legs folded. Description of the implementation methods

[0040] Fig. 1 schematically illustrates an example of a postural chair 1 according to the invention.

[0041] Chair 1

[0042] As shown in [Fig.1], the chair 1 comprises a base 10, a proprioceptive element 20, a plurality of legs 30 and a backrest 40.

[0043] The chair 1 is configured to have a use position in which the chair 1 is unfolded as shown in [Fig.1] and in which the user can sit on it.

[0044] The chair 1 is also configured to have a storage position in which the chair 1 is folded as shown in [Fig.5] and in which the user can in particular store and transport the chair 1.

[0045] Base 10

[0046] The base 10 is parallelepiped in shape and comprises a lower face 110, a front face 120, a rear face 130 opposite the front face 120, two lateral faces 140 opposite each other and connecting the front face 120 and the rear face 130, a top face 150 opposite the lower face 110.

[0047] An internal space 160 is defined inside the parallelepiped base 10.

[0048] In this example, the front face 120 advantageously includes a handle 120A to be able to easily transport chair 1 in storage position.

[0049] The base 10 comprises, at its upper face 150, a support portion 152 extending from both the front face 120, the rear face 130 and the lateral faces 140 towards the center of said upper face 150.

[0050] As shown in [Fig.2], the support portion 152 has an edge 154 delimiting a circular opening 156 centered on the upper face 150.

[0051] The base 10 also includes a flat support 112 mounted at the lower face 110, being centered with said circular opening 156 and extending from one side face 140 to the opposite side face 140.

[0052] Proprioceptive element 20

[0053] As shown in [Fig.3], the proprioceptive element 20 comprises a spherical cap 210 and a seating portion 220 configured to receive the gluteal region of a user of the chair 1.

[0054] The spherical cap 210 comprises a flat surface 211 and a portion of a sphere 212 whose free end is designated "pole" 213.

[0055] The spherical cap 210 extends partly through the circular opening 156, forming a space with the edge 154 of said circular opening 156.

[0056] As shown in [Fig.4], the portion of the sphere 212 comprising the pole 213 rests on the flat support 112 of the base 10 so as to allow the tilting of the spherical cap 210 on an area of ​​said flat support 112.

[0057] The seating portion 220 is in the form of a plate, for example made of wood, metal or plastic material, possibly padded with a quilted layer on its upper part to receive the gluteal region of the user.

[0058] The seat portion 220 is fixed on the flat surface 211 of the spherical cap 210 and extends beyond said spherical cap 210 transversely so as to block the tilting of the spherical cap 210 on the edge of the circular opening 156 from a given tilting angle when the edge of the seat portion 220 comes into contact with the support portion 152.

[0059] Feet 30

[0060] As shown in [Fig.5], chair 1 comprises four legs 310.

[0061] Each foot 310 is mounted in an articulated manner on the lower face 110 of the base 10 by means of a joint which in this non-limiting example takes the form of a self-locking hinge 320.

[0062] Each foot 310 can tilt between a position orthogonal to the base 10 when the chair 1 is in the use position and a position folded down on the lower face 110 of the base 10 when the chair 1 is in the storage position.

[0063] As shown in [Fig.6], when the chair 1 is in the storage position, the legs 310 are connected along the sides of the lower face 110.

[0064] Since the hinge 320 is self-locking, it allows the corresponding foot 310 to be kept folded down on the lower face 110 in the storage position and the foot 310 unfolded in the use position as shown in [Fig.6].

[0065] Preferably, the hinge 320 has a release mechanism which the user operates to unlock the self-locking hinge 320 and thus be able to move the chair 1 from the storage position to the use position and vice versa.

[0066] File 40

[0067] As shown in [Fig.1], the backrest 40 extends from the upper face 150 of the base 10 to the rear face 130 of said base 10.

[0068] As shown in [Fig.5], the backrest 40 comprises two uprights 410, a resting surface 420, two joints 430 and a locking member 440.

[0069] The two joints 430 are mounted on the two uprights 410 and allow the backrest 40 to be folded down onto the proprioceptive element 20 when the user wishes to place the chair 1 in the storage position and to be unfolded when the user wishes to place the chair 1 in the use position.

[0070] In the position of use, the backrest 40 extends substantially orthogonally to the base 10.

[0071] In the storage position, the backrest 40 rests on the seating portion 220 of the proprioceptive element 20 and is configured to maintain it in this position.

[0072] A locking member 440 allows the backrest 40 to be locked in the storage position. For example, the locking member 440 can be a strap as shown in [Fig. 5], or a hook or a clip connection.

[0073] Example of implementation

[0074] When the chair 1 is in the position of use, the user can sit on the seat portion 220 of the proprioceptive element 20.

[0075] In this position, the proprioceptive element 20 is not stable since it rests on the flat support 112 only by contact with the pole 213 of the spherical portion 210. This instability forces the user to mobilize his deep muscles, particularly at the level of the pelvis and spine, to remain stable.

[0076] Thus, chair 1 allows the user to remain in a seated position while not remaining static by varying the areas of stress on the lower back and on the pelvis, which helps to reduce the risks of developing pathologies related to a prolonged static sedentary situation.

[0077] If the user tilts the proprioceptive element 20 too much, the spherical portion 210 comes into contact with the edge 154 of the support portion 152, which blocks the tilting of the proprioceptive element 20 and prevents the user from falling.

[0078] The absence of a solid connection between the pole 213 and the flat support 112 also allows the spherical cap 210 to slide on the flat support 112 without being blocked, which allows the user additional degrees of freedom in tilting to mobilize his pelvis.

[0079] In this application, it is the seat portion 220 that will block the inclination of the proprioceptive element 20 by coming to rest on the support portion 154.

[0080] The user can put the chair 1 in a storage position, in particular for storing or transporting it.

[0081] To do this, the user folds the backrest 40 using the joints 430. The resting surface 420 then comes into contact with the seat portion 220, thus locking the proprioceptive element 20 in the folded position. The backrest 40 is then fixed to the base 10 by the locking member 440, which in Figures 5 and 6 is a strap that attaches to the seat portion 220 and which could alternatively be a hook or a clip.

[0082] The user also folds each foot 310 onto the lower face 110 of the base 10 using the hinges 320. The hinges 320 lock automatically in this position and allow the feet 310 to be held folded under the lower face 110.

[0083] Once the chair 1 is in the storage position, the user can use the handle 120A to carry it.

[0084] To put the chair 1 back into the position of use, the user simply unfolds the backrest 40 and the legs 310 in reverse.

Claims

Demands

1. Postural chair (1), said chair (1) comprising a base (10), a plurality of legs (30) and a backrest (40), said base (10) defining an internal space (160) and comprising a lower face (110), a front face (120), a rear face (130) opposite said front face (120), two lateral faces (140) opposite each other and connecting the front face (120) and the rear face (130), and an upper face (150) opposite the lower face (110), the plurality of legs (30) extending from the lower face (110) of the base (10), the backrest (40) extending from the upper face (150) of the base (10) to the level of the rear face (130) of said base (10), said chair (1) being characterized in that: - the base (10) comprises, at the level of its lower face (110), a flat support (112) and delimits, on its upper face (150), a circular opening (156), - said chair (1) further includes a proprioceptive element (20),said proprioceptive element (20) comprising a seat portion (220) configured to receive the gluteal region of a chair user (1) and a spherical cap (210) extending partly through the circular opening (156) forming a space with the edge (154) of the circular opening (156) and of which a portion of the sphere (212) comprising the pole (213) of the spherical cap (210) rests on the flat support (112) so as to allow the spherical cap (210) to tilt on a surface of said flat support (112).

2. Postural chair (1) according to claim 1, in which the backrest (40) is mounted in an articulated manner between a use position in which the backrest (40) is unfolded and a storage position in which the backrest (40) is folded.

3. Postural chair (1) according to the preceding claim, in which the backrest (40) includes at least one locking member (440) allowing the backrest (40) to be locked in the storage position.

4. Postural chair (1) according to any one of claims 2 or 3, wherein, in storage position, the backrest (40) is folded over the proprioceptive element (20) so as to hold it in the base (10).

5. Postural chair (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 4 in which the backrest (40) is articulated on the base (10) by hinge-type links (420).

6. Postural chair (1) according to any one of the preceding claims preceding, wherein each foot (310) of the plurality of feet (30) is connected to the underside (110) of the base (10) in an articulated manner between a use position in which said foot (310) is unfolded and a storage position in which said foot (310) is folded.

7. Postural chair (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein each foot (310) of the plurality of feet (30) is connected to the underside (110) of the base (10) by a self-locking hinge-type joint (320).

8. Postural chair (1) according to the preceding claim, in which, in storage position, each foot (310) of the plurality of feet (30) is folded against the underside (110) of the base (10).

9. Postural chair (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the seat portion (220) comprises a support fixed to the flat surface (211) of the spherical cap (210), said support extending over the edge (154) delimiting the circular opening (156).

10. Postural chair (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein one of the faces among the front face (120), the rear face (130) and two side faces (140) comprises a handle (120A).

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