Adjustable prone body support apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional seating and standing solutions for using portable electronic devices lead to uncomfortable physiological symptoms and detrimental health effects such as fatigue, muscle aches, and circulatory disorders due to inactivity, with existing alternatives like standing desks and kneeling chairs causing discomfort and potential injury.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable prone body support apparatus that provides upper body support and lower body three-point fixation, allowing users to maintain a prone position with adjustable frames for head, torso, hip, and knee support, reducing pressure on the spine and wrists while enabling active engagement of major muscles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional seating is used, then ease of operation is maintained, but health effects deteriorate due to muscle weakness, skeletal misalignment, and circulatory disorders
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional seating paradigm by positioning the user in a prone (face-down) position rather than the traditional upright坐姿. This inversion allows the user's body weight to be supported by the chest and abdomen on the platform, rather than by the spine and hips in conventional seating, thereby reducing skeletal misalignment and promoting natural spinal curvature while maintaining ease of device operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates adjustable components including height adjustment mechanisms and angle adjustment mechanisms that allow the platform to adapt to different user preferences and operational requirements. This dynamic adjustability maintains ease of operation while preventing the stagnation and inactivity associated with fixed conventional seating, thereby improving circulation and reducing health effects.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If standing desks are used, then relief from sitting is achieved, but discomfort and injury occur due to forces exerted on the body
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs the user's own body weight in a controlled manner by having it distributed across the chest, abdomen, and thighs on the platform. This creates a counterbalancing effect where the body's natural weight distribution supports the skeletal structure, particularly the spine, rather than creating the excessive gravitational forces on the lower back and knees that occur in standing positions. This eliminates discomfort and injury while providing relief from sitting.
3Adaptability or versatility
If kneeling chairs are used, then alternative positioning is provided, but discomfort and potential damage occur to knees and extremities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the kneeling chair concept by having the user's thighs rest on the platform surface rather than the knees bearing weight. This inversion completely eliminates the harmful pressure on knee joints and extremities while still providing an alternative positioning that differs from conventional seating. The prone position with supported thighs promotes relaxation and circulation without the structural damage associated with kneeling.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If fully prone positions are used, then spinal pressure is reduced, but strain and injury occur to back and neck
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing targeted support at specific body regions: the chest and abdomen are supported on the main platform surface to reduce spinal pressure, while the thighs are supported by a separate thigh support structure. This localized support distribution allows the user to achieve the benefits of reduced spinal pressure without the full-body strain of a completely un-supported prone position, as key support points are strategically positioned to maintain proper alignment and reduce muscle strain.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates angle adjustment mechanisms that allow the platform to be tilted to different angles, enabling users to find the optimal balance between spinal decompression and muscle support. This dynamic adjustment capability prevents the static strain and injury associated with fixed fully prone positions by allowing real-time optimization of body alignment and support distribution.
Data Source
AI summary
In an exemplary embodiment, a prone body support apparatus for operating a work object is disclosed. The prone body support apparatus includes a base, and a secondary frame and a primary frame. The secondary frame includes a head support for supporting a headrest pad, a torso support and a hip support, the torso and hip supports may be moveable with respect to each other, and a posterior brace, all of which may include a pad. The primary frame includes a knee-adjacent thigh brace and a media emplacement for supporting a work object.