Arm pillow

Abstract

To provide an arm pillow capable of maintaining a state in which a user places an arm thereon when he / she sits on a chair, a sofa, or the like, in a wheelchair in particular, and not only stably holding an arm pillow body to place an arm thereon regardless of a user's body shape or a degree of physical illness but also maintaining a state of being always in close contact with the body without limiting an attitude and a movement of the user.SOLUTION: An arm pillow comprises: an arm cushion body composed of cushion bodies of two layers of a connectable or separable lower cushion body forming an approximately square plate shape by forming a bent part on a side coming into contact with the abdomen of a user and providing a pair of projections at a rear side, and an upper cushion body; an approximately prismatic support having a height from a seating face of a wheelchair or the like to the top faces of the thighs of the user to be able to support the arm pillow body horizontally from an undersurface while being sandwiched by the crotch of the user; and a lumber cushion body which can fix an arm pillow to the lumber of the user by connecting the lower cushion body by a length adjustable fixing belt.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an arm pillow on which a user can keep his / her arms rested when sitting on a chair, sofa, wheelchair, car seat, etc., and particularly to an arm pillow useful for use in a wheelchair. [Background technology]

[0002] Elderly people whose muscles have weakened to maintain their body posture, and people with disabilities who have skeletal abnormalities or muscle contractures due to some kind of illness, not only find it difficult to stand or walk, but often also have difficulty maintaining a seated posture.

[0003] When sitting, supporting both heavy arms on the armrests stabilizes posture and reduces fatigue, but sitting for long periods of time on chairs or sofas without armrests, or even on wheelchairs that have armrests but whose height and position are not suitable for the body type, places a great strain on the body. In particular, wheelchairs generally use small armrests due to restrictions on overall width and to prevent interference with the arms operating the wheels, which leaves the arms unsupported and causes fatigue, or the elbows often drop off the armrests, causing poor posture.

[0004] If the upper body is not supported by both arms and the upper body is left leaning forward, the internal organs are compressed. Conversely, if the upper body is leaned back and weight is placed on the backrest, the pelvis tends to shift forward and posture tends to be disrupted, which may cause falls from chairs or wheelchairs, and the weight being concentrated on one part of the buttocks may cause bedsores.

[0005] To solve this problem, Patent Document 1 discloses an armrest for a chair on which a seated person can rest with their arms resting, and this prior art has been commercialized and is widely used. [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-55526 A

[0006] The chair armrest of the prior art is made of a cushioned material that is placed on the user's thighs, and has an inclined surface on the underside that matches the forward inclination of the upper surface of the thighs to keep the upper surface approximately horizontal, and a curved part that covers the thighs ensures stability. The chair armrest allows the user to rest both arms on the upper surface, preventing the upper body from leaning too far forward and losing posture, and is also expected to prevent the lower body from sliding forward by maintaining a moderate forward inclination of the upper body while sitting and raising the pelvis, and to relieve pressure around the ischial and coccygeal bones by resting the weight of the upper body on the armrest. Furthermore, a clamping member that is clamped by the thighs is detachably provided near the front end of the underside, preventing pain from both knees coming into contact and stabilizing the armrest.

[0007] However, the chair armrest according to the prior art is intended to be placed on the user's thighs, and although it has a curved surface that contacts the user's abdomen, it does not have any special structure for constantly adhering to the body. Therefore, whenever the user moves his / her legs, it moves with the movement, becoming unstable and prone to slip off the thighs and falling off. For example, in patients with contractures of the muscles of the lower legs, it may be difficult to place the armrest evenly on both thighs, and it may be difficult to keep it stable continuously. Furthermore, when the user picks up an object with their hands or twists their upper body, the chair armrest may move away from the abdomen and fall off accidentally, so it is necessary to adjust the position each time to prevent this.

[0008] Of course, if the user always places both arms on the top of the chair arm rest and presses them down toward the top of the thighs, it will be possible to prevent the arm rest from slipping or falling off. However, this restricts the freedom of the user's arms, and in the first place, it forces the user to always lean forward while using the chair arm rest, so it is not necessarily appropriate in terms of fixing the posture. In care sites for the elderly or disabled, it becomes necessary for the caregiver to constantly check the position of the chair arm rest, which may create an additional burden.

[0009] In addition, the armrest for chairs according to the prior art has the effect of preventing both knees from touching and causing pain by using a clamping member provided near the front end of the underside that is clamped by the thighs, but this clamping part can only prevent both knees from touching. However, depending on the user, the insides of the thighs may rub against each other while sitting for a long time, causing bedsores, or the hip joints may become stiff in the direction of the thighs, and this clamping part alone cannot necessarily prevent these.

[0010] On the other hand, chair armrests according to the prior art are considered to be particularly useful when seated in a wheelchair, but since they are used by placing them on the upper surface of the thighs, their width must fit within the inner width of the left and right armrests of the wheelchair, and the height of the upper surface of the chair armrest must be high enough to support the user's elbows and forearms. Users have a variety of body shapes, especially shoulder widths, but as mentioned above, the width of chair armrests is limited, so while they may be suitable for small users, for relatively large users, even if they can place their forearms on them, their elbows will not be supported, and they will end up in a forward-leaning position with their forearms floating and their shoulders dropped. In this case, the chest is forced to be in a constricted state, causing problems such as shallow breathing.

[0011] Furthermore, since the armrest is at a height that supports the user's forearms and elbows, when sitting at a dining table while seated in a wheelchair, the upper surface of the armrest will interfere with the table top, so a chair armrest cannot be used. DISCLOSURE OF THEINVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] The present invention was created to solve the problems with the chair arm pillows of the prior art described above, and the problem to be solved is to provide an arm pillow that allows the user to maintain a position where their arm is rested while sitting on a chair or sofa, especially a wheelchair, and that not only stably holds the arm pillow body on which the arms are rested, regardless of the user's body shape or the degree of physical illness, but also can maintain a constant close contact with the body without restricting the user's posture or movement. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] In order to solve the above problems, the arm pillow described in claim 1 of the present invention is as follows: Chair or wheelchair An armrest made of a cushioning material that is placed on the thighs of a user when sitting on a chair, A substantially rectangular plate-shaped arm pillow body having a curved portion formed on the side that contacts the abdomen of the user and a pair of protruding portions at the rear; Chairs and wheelchairs and a support body having a substantially rectangular column shape formed of a cushioning material having a height from the seat surface to the upper surface of the user's thighs and capable of supporting the arm pillow body horizontally from the underside when sandwiched between the user's crotch. The armrest body is made of two layers of cushioning material, a lower cushioning material and an upper cushioning material, which can be joined or separated. the lower cushion body has a width that allows it to be fitted between both armrests of a chair or wheelchair, and a thickness that allows its upper surface to not interfere with the lower surface of a table or desk top when supported by the support body, The upper cushion body has a width such that both left and right ends are placed over both armrests of a chair or wheelchair, When the armrest body is supported by the support body, , the upper cushion body At least both ends of the upper surface that come into contact with the abdomen of the user The armrest body has a thickness that can support both elbows of a user who places both arms on the upper surface of the armrest body. It is characterized by:

[0014] The arm pillow described in claim 1 is provided with a support body having a height from the seat of a chair, wheelchair, etc. to the top of the user's thighs, and the arm pillow body is supported horizontally mainly by the seat of the chair, etc. via the support body, and secondarily by the top of the thighs. Also, since the support body is sandwiched between the user's legs, it does not easily shift position on the seat, and combined with the curved part abutting and fitting against the user's abdomen, it results in the arm pillow body being less likely to shift position.

[0015] The arm pillow body is made of a cushioning material, but the cushioning is only near the surface, and it is desirable that the part not supported by the support body is made of a lightweight material with enough rigidity so that it does not easily droop significantly when the user places his or her forearm and elbow on it.Similarly, the support body is also desirably made of a lightweight material with cushioning only near the surface and with enough rigidity so that it does not easily compress and deform even when the arm is placed on the arm pillow body.In addition, it is desirable to provide a connecting member such as a hook-and-loop fastener on the center part of the underside of the arm pillow body and on the upper surface of the support body, so that they can be connected or separated.

[0016] It is desirable that the width of the upper cushion body is greater than that of the lower cushion body, and that when applied to a wheelchair, the width of the left and right ends is such that they overlap both armrests of the wheelchair, and the width of the protruding parts extending to the curved parts on both sides is such that it extends from the user's flank to the outside of the armrest.This ensures a space to support the elbow that is wider than the narrow armrests of a wheelchair, so that the armrest body can always comfortably support the forearm to elbow regardless of the user's physique, particularly shoulder width (distance between the elbows).

[0017] The lower and upper cushion bodies are constructed in a two-layer structure that can be joined or separated, so that only the upper cushion body can be removed as needed. This means that if the upper cushion body is removed while using the arm rest in a wheelchair, the user can sit down without interfering with the dining table, etc. Even in this state, the lower cushion body remains in contact with the user's abdomen under the table top, and the user can place both arms on the table.

[0018] next, Claim 2 The arm pillow described in Claim 1 The arm pillow described in 1. further comprises a lumbar cushion body formed of a cushioning material and having a pair of first fixing belts with adjustable length and connectors at the ends, The lower cushion body is protrusion Each of the second fixing belts is provided with a connector. The pair of first fixing belts of the lumbar cushion body that is in contact with the lumbar region of the user and the second fixing belt of the lower cushion body are connected by respective connecting members, so that the cushion body can be fixed to the abdomen of the user. The present invention is configured to be characterized by the above.

[0019] When the lower cushion body and the upper cushion body are joined, the curved part of the upper cushion body is placed against the abdomen of the user, the lumbar cushion body is placed against the lumbar part on the back side, and the first and second fixing belts are connected to fix the entire arm pillow to the user's body. The user does not need to constantly hold down the arm pillow with his / her arms from above, and there is no need to worry about the arm pillow shifting back and forth or side to side or falling off the thighs, so the freedom of both arms is not restricted, and the user can move the upper body, such as twisting and tilting, without worry. In addition, since the user is no longer forced to maintain a forward-leaning posture all the time, the upper body can be tilted back and forth to move the position of the buttocks and shift weight, which relieves pressure around the ischium and coccyx, reduces fatigue, and prevents the development of bedsores on the buttocks.

[0020] Also, when eating, as mentioned above, only the upper cushion body can be removed and the user can sit without interfering with the dining table, and in this case, the remaining lower cushion body can be connected to the lumbar cushion with the same fastening belt. This not only allows the lower cushion body to remain fixed to the user's body, but also fills the gap between the underside of the table top and the upper surface of the user's thighs with the lower cushion body supported by the support body. Therefore, even if the user moves the upper body back and forth to shift their weight, the lower body of the user is held by the lower cushion body on the seat of the chair or wheelchair, making it difficult for the user's posture to be lost, and even elderly people with weak muscles or patients with muscle contractures can maintain their body posture.

[0021] Finally, the arm pillow described in claim 3 is The arm pillow according to claim 1 or claim 2, The support body has a planar shape that is slightly narrower at the rear side than at the front side.

[0022] By making the support in this shape, the user's legs can be comfortably held in a slightly open position on the seat of a chair or wheelchair, preventing not only the knees but also the insides of the thighs from rubbing against each other, and by keeping the legs slightly open, the left and right balance of the upper body is also comfortably maintained.

[0023] As mentioned above, if a fastener or other connecting member is provided on the center of the underside of the arm pillow body and on the top surface of the support, and the two can be connected or separated, the support can be connected by reversing the front-to-back direction. In this case, the cross section of the cushioned support becomes wider on the crotch side of the user, spreading the crotch wider. This allows the user to easily perform strength training to train the muscles of the waist and thighs, especially the inner muscles, by repeating the action of consciously closing both thighs with force and opening them with the repulsive force of the support. Effect of the Invention

[0024] The arm pillow according to the present invention can solve the problems of the prior art and has the following effects. That is, since the arm pillow body and the lumbar cushion body can be connected with a belt and fixed to the user's lumbar region, the arm pillow will not shift position or fall off accidentally due to the user's posture or movement, even if the user does not always hold the arm pillow down from above with his / her arms. Therefore, not only is the freedom of the user's arms and the movement of the upper body not restricted, but the user is not forced to always lean forward, reducing the burden on the user and the caregiver. In addition, regardless of the user's physique, the arm pillow body can always comfortably support the forearm to elbow, so redundancy is increased in maintaining the posture of the upper body and reducing fatigue, making it more effective. Furthermore, since the arm pillow body has a two-layer structure of a lower cushion body and an upper cushion body, and only the upper cushion body is removable, it is possible to sit on a wheelchair or the like without interfering with a table or the like when using the arm pillow. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THEINVENTION

[0025] The present invention, particularly an embodiment of an arm pillow with an upper and lower two-layer structure for the arm pillow body, will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of arm pillow 1 according to the embodiment, seen diagonally from the front, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the upper cushion body 11 separated. Fig. 3 is the lower cushion body 10, Fig. 4 is a plan view and a side view of the upper cushion body 11, Fig. 5 is a plan view and a side view of the support body 12, and Fig. 6 is a plan view and a front view of the lumbar cushion body 13. Fig. 7 is a bottom view of arm pillow 1 seen from below (lumbar cushion 13 omitted), Fig. 8 is a front view of the same (lumbar cushion body omitted), and Fig. 9 is a side view of arm pillow 1 including lumbar cushion body 13 in a separated state.

[0026] The lower cushion body 10, the upper cushion body 11, and the support body 12 are made of cushioning materials, and the members integrally molded from thermoplastic polyurethane foam resin having a certain degree of hardness are covered with a flexible outer skin such as a soft-touch textile fabric or synthetic leather. The materials are not limited to the above, and thermoplastic elastomer materials or padding can be used, and a resin, metal, or wooden core material can be embedded inside the above members to suppress deformation due to load. In addition, the exterior of a lightweight and hard member can be covered with a cushioning layer such as a soft and highly elastic sponge and then covered with an outer skin, or each component can be made only of cushioning materials without being covered with an outer skin.

[0027] On the other hand, the lumbar cushion body 13 is also made of a material having cushioning properties, but it is desirable that it be soft enough that it fits the user's lumbar region when worn and does not cause an excessive foreign body sensation when the user sits on a chair or the like and leans against the backrest, and a configuration in which a material made of sponge or the like is covered with a flexible outer skin is preferable.

[0028] The lower cushion body 10 and the upper cushion body 11 are roughly similar in shape, and both have curved parts 10a, 11a on the side that contacts the abdomen of the user, and a pair of protruding parts 10b, 11b at the rear, and are generally rectangular plate-like, with the curves of the curved parts 10a, 11a being roughly the same along the abdomen. The lower cushion body 10 has a width that allows it to be comfortably pushed between the armrests of a typical wheelchair and a thickness that does not interfere with the underside of a table or desk top when supported by the support body 12. In addition, a hook-and-loop fastener (not shown) is provided in the center of the underside of the lower cushion body 10, and the upper surface of the support body 12 can be detachably joined to it.

[0029] On the other hand, the width of the upper cushion body 11 is larger than that of the lower cushion body, and both left and right ends are wide enough to cover both armrests of a general wheelchair, and the width of each of the pair of protruding parts 11b on both sides is set to a width that extends from the user's flank to the outside of the armrest. In other words, the user can rest their elbows anywhere on the upper surface of the protruding parts 11b regardless of their physique, particularly their shoulder width (distance between elbows). The thickness of the upper cushion body 11 is not particularly limited, but it is set to a height that can support both elbows of the user by abutting them when it is overlapped and joined on the lower cushion body 10 supported by the support body 12.

[0030] The front corners of the lower cushion body 10 and the upper cushion body 11 are curved to reduce interference with the outside, and the front end top surface of the upper cushion body 11 is inclined slightly upward. In addition, both the lower cushion body 10 and the upper cushion body 11 are provided with a pair of second fixing belts 10c, 11c with connectors 10d, 11d at their ends on the outer surfaces of the protruding parts 10b, 11b.

[0031] The support body 12 has a planar shape that is slightly narrower at the rear side facing the user's crotch than at the front side, and its upper surface is provided with a hook-and-loop fastener (not shown) that can be removably attached to the underside of the lower cushion body 10.

[0032] The lumbar cushion body 14 is provided with a pair of first fixing belts 14a with connectors 14b at the ends near both ends as shown in Fig. 8. At least the pair of first fixing belts 14a has a length adjustment mechanism (not shown), but the pair of second fixing belts 10c, 11c may also be provided with a length adjustment mechanism.

[0033] Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a user wearing arm pillow 1 while seated on a typical chair (the same applies to a wheelchair). Support body 12 is at a height from the seat surface to the upper surface of the user's thighs, supporting lower cushion body 10 from below, and the upper surface of upper cushion body 11 placed on its upper surface comfortably supports the user's forearms to elbows. Also, by connecting second fixing belt 11c of upper cushion body 11 to first fixing belt 13a of lumbar cushion body 13 attached to the back of the user's waist, the entire arm pillow 1 is fixed to the user's body.

[0034] 11 is a schematic diagram showing the user wearing arm pillow 1 seated at a table of normal height (the same applies to a wheelchair). In this case, upper cushion body 11 has been removed, and the top surface of lower cushion body 10 is at a height that does not interfere with the underside of the table top, so the user can sit with their abdomen close to the edge of the table top.

[0035] Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a user wearing arm pillow 1 and seated in a standard wheelchair, viewed from the front. This figure is based on the assumption that the user is relatively small with narrow shoulders, and although the distance between the elbows of such a user is narrower than the width of the wheelchair armrests, both elbows are comfortably supported by both the left and right ends of upper cushion body 11 (specifically, the top surfaces of protruding parts 11b). Conversely, even in the case of a relatively large user with wide shoulders, both elbows are still supported by upper cushion body 11, so there is no problem.

[0036] The above describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described configuration, and can be modified and implemented as appropriate within the scope of the invention, which achieves the object of the invention and has the effect. As long as it falls within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention, it belongs to the technical scope of the present invention.

[0037] In addition, since the arm pillow of the present invention can be used by users of various physiques, and the inside width of the armrest may differ depending on the chair or wheelchair, it is desirable to prepare several different sizes as appropriate. The width of the lower cushion body is sized according to the inside width of the wheelchair armrest, and it is also possible to prepare several interchangeable supports of different heights and adjust the height of the upper surface of the arm pillow according to the physique of the user or the height of the table at which the user is seated. [Industrial Applicability]

[0038] The arm pillow of the present invention is effective in reducing fatigue and maintaining posture for people who have difficulty maintaining posture when sitting for long periods of time, such as elderly people with weakened muscles or people with disabilities who have contracted muscles due to some kind of illness, and is particularly suitable for use in care facilities with a large number of wheelchair users. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0039] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an arm rest according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] A perspective view of the arm pillow with the upper cushion body separated. [Diagram 3] Plan and side views of the lower cushion body alone [Figure 4] Plan and side views of the upper cushion body alone [Diagram 5] Plan and side views of the support [Figure 6] Bottom view of arm rest according to embodiment [Figure 7] Front view of arm rest according to embodiment [Figure 8] Plan and rear views of the lumbar cushion body [Figure 9] Side view of arm rest according to the embodiment [Figure 10] A schematic diagram showing a user wearing an armrest while seated in a chair [Figure 11] A schematic diagram showing a user sitting at a table with an arm rest attached [Figure 12] A schematic diagram of a person sitting in a standard wheelchair with arm rests, viewed from the front [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1 Arm pillow 10 Lower cushion body 11 Upper cushion body 12 Support 13 Lumbar cushion body

Claims

1. An armrest made of a cushioning material that is placed on the user's thighs when sitting in a chair or wheelchair, A substantially rectangular plate-shaped arm pillow body having a curved portion formed on the side that contacts the abdomen of the user and a pair of protruding portions at the rear; A support body having a substantially rectangular column shape formed of a cushioning material having a height from the seat surface of the chair or wheelchair to the upper surface of the user's thigh, and capable of supporting the arm pillow body horizontally from the underside when sandwiched between the user's crotch, The armrest body is made of two layers of cushioning material, a lower cushioning material and an upper cushioning material, which can be joined or separated. the lower cushion body has a width that allows it to be fitted between both armrests of a chair or wheelchair, and a thickness that allows its upper surface to not interfere with the lower surface of a table or desk top when supported by the support body, The upper cushion body has a width such that both left and right ends are placed over both armrests of a chair or wheelchair, When the arm pillow body is supported by the support, at least both end portions of the upper surface of the upper cushion body that come into contact with the abdomen of the user have a thickness that allows the user to hold both elbows of the user who has both arms resting on the upper surface of the arm pillow body. An arm pillow that features:

2. The seat cushion further includes a lumbar cushion body formed of a cushioning material and including a pair of first fixing belts each having a length adjustable and a connector at one end thereof, the lower cushion body includes a second fixing belt having a connector provided on each of the pair of protruding portions, The pair of first fixing belts of the lumbar cushion body in contact with the lumbar region of the user and the second fixing belt of the lower cushion body are connected by respective connecting members, so that the cushion body can be fixed to the abdomen of the user. The arm pillow according to claim 1, characterized in that

3. The support has a planar shape that is slightly narrower at the rear side than at the front side. The arm pillow according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that

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