Ergonomic seating device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current seating solutions fail to maintain proper pelvic and spinal alignment, leading to muscle fatigue, stiffness, and health issues due to the need for constant muscle contraction to support the spine, and they are often not adaptable to various seating surfaces or comfortable for extended use.
Innovation Solution
An ergonomic seating device with a base plate and pelvic support that maintains the pelvis in a vertical position without immobilizing the spine, using a mechanism that contacts the posterior superior iliac spines and iliac crests, allowing for adjustable angles and mobility, and is adaptable to different seating surfaces through a foldable and adjustable design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If lumbar support systems are used to support the spine, then spinal support is improved, but the pelvis remains misaligned and muscle tension increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the support function from the spinal region and relocates it to the pelvic region. By removing the lumbar support element and replacing it with a pelvic support element that contacts the iliac crests and sacrum, the device addresses the root cause of spinal misalignment rather than merely supporting the symptoms in the lumbar region.
Solution Approach 2:
The pelvic support element is positioned to preemptively establish proper pelvic alignment before the spine can become misaligned. By supporting the pelvis in its neutral position, the device prevents the cascade of postural distortions that would otherwise require reactive muscle tension to correct.
2Reliability
If lumbar support systems are used, then spinal alignment is improved, but adaptability to different seating surfaces is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The pelvic support device is designed with universal applicability to work on any seating surface regardless of depth, shape, or back support presence. The support elements contact bony landmarks (iliac crests and sacrum) that are consistently positioned across different users and seating contexts, making the device adaptable to chairs, stools, benches, and couches alike.
3Reliability
If standing support devices with excessive forward slope are used, then pelvic verticality is improved, but stability and comfort deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the angle parameter of the pelvic support element to be substantially perpendicular to the base plate, creating a stable geometric relationship that maintains pelvic verticality without excessive forward slope. This angular parameter change eliminates the instability and slipping sensations caused by overly steep angles while preserving the benefit of vertical pelvic alignment.
4Ease of operation
If standing support devices are used to maintain pelvic verticality, then muscle tension is reduced, but device height and workspace requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of achieving pelvic verticality through vertical height adjustment as in standing devices, the invention achieves the same goal through angular orientation of the pelvic support element. By changing from a vertical dimension solution to an angular dimension solution, the device maintains muscle relaxation benefits without increasing overall device height or workspace requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
Seating device (1) comprising a base plate (2) for a user to sit on and a pelvic support (3) for supporting in a vertical position the pelvis of a user sitting on said base plate (2) without supporting or immobilising said user's vertebrae, wherein said pelvic support (3) is configured for contacting said pelvis (9) at the posterior superior iliac spines (PSIS) (91) and/or at the iliac crests (92), without any contact to said user's vertebrae wherein said seating device is configured for maintaining an angle of 93° to 97° between the vertically supported pelvis (9) and the femoral bones of said user. In embodiments, the seating device includes a mechanism to encourage the user's upper body mobility, for example a convex base.