U.S. patent number 10,595,640 [Application Number 16/254,482] was granted by the patent office on 2020-03-24 for activating platform.
The grantee listed for this patent is Hans Christian Mengshoel. Invention is credited to Hans Christian Mengshoel.
United States Patent |
10,595,640 |
Mengshoel |
March 24, 2020 |
Activating platform
Abstract
An activating platform is disclosed. The platform includes a
base that has a lower surface that is curved in a direction
transverse to a longitudinal axis. The curved shape of the base
provokes a user rock around in a small angle around a middle
position, thereby promoting active sitting.
Inventors: |
Mengshoel; Hans Christian
(Gaupen, NO) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Mengshoel; Hans Christian |
Gaupen |
N/A |
NO |
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Family
ID: |
51134182 |
Appl.
No.: |
16/254,482 |
Filed: |
January 22, 2019 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20190150623 A1 |
May 23, 2019 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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15305525 |
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10219632 |
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PCT/NO2014/050083 |
May 23, 2014 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47C
7/006 (20130101); A47C 9/025 (20130101); A47C
3/027 (20130101); A47C 9/002 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47C
9/02 (20060101); A47C 3/027 (20060101); A47C
7/00 (20060101); A47C 9/00 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;297/271.5,4,338,344.18,183.1,188.08,258.1,175,270.1,370,461 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Wendell; Mark R
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Klarquist Sparkman, LLP
Parent Case Text
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 15/305,525, filed Oct. 20, 2016, which is a U.S. national phase
application under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 371 of International Patent
Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Patent Application No. PCT/NO2014/050083,
filed on May 23, 2014, the contents of which are incorporated
herein by reference in their entirety.
Claims
I claim:
1. A seating apparatus, comprising: a base with a lower surface
that contacts a ground surface and a longitudinal axis that extends
from a front edge to a rear edge, the lower surface of the base
being substantially flat along a length of the longitudinal axis to
restrict rocking of the seating apparatus from forward to back, and
the lower surface of the base having a curvature in a direction
transverse to the longitudinal axis to permit the seating apparatus
to rock from side to side; and a seat mounted on a supporting
member that extends from the base to the seat, wherein different
portions of the lower surface contact the ground surface when the
seating apparatus rocks from side to side.
2. The seating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base comprises a
cylindrical curved underside.
3. The seating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base is elongated
along the longitudinal axis.
4. The seating apparatus of claim 3, wherein the support member is
mounted to the base at a position nearer to the rear edge of the
base than the front edge.
5. The seating apparatus of claim 4, wherein the base comprises a
support plate that defines a standing area in a front portion of
the support plate and a sitting area in a rear portion of the
support plate.
6. The seating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base comprises a
support plate with at least one runner disposed on the underside,
and the lower surface of the base is a bottom surface of the at
least one runner.
7. The seating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lower surface of
the base is curved with a radius between 800 millimeters (mm) and
1200 millimeters (mm).
8. The seating apparatus of claim 7, wherein the lower surface of
the base is curved with a radius of about 1000 mm.
9. The seating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the seat is saddle
shaped.
Description
FIELD
The present invention relates to an activating platform.
BACKGROUND
An increasing number of people are experiencing problems with their
back. One reason for this is assumed to be the way people are
living spending a large part of the day sitting in conventional
chairs, in cars or public transport means, in the office, and at
home in the evening sitting in a recliner watching TV. This passive
lifestyle leads to the muscles supporting the spinal column being
under-stimulated and therefore reducing in size. Even in persons
training regularly, these so-called core muscles are often
under-stimulated. The core muscles are intended to support the body
through a whole day of physical activity. Then, the core muscles
will work automatically in stabilizing the back when the body is in
motion. However, training a couple of evenings a week is not enough
to support the core muscles. Due to modern lifestyle these muscles
are often so weak that the automatic stabilizing action no longer
works as it should. The result is pain due to sliding discs and
strained muscles.
Another effect of under-stimulated core muscles is that the ability
of keeping balance is impaired. This is particularly evident in
elderly people who become dependent on roller chairs or other
accessories, and often fall and become injured. The loss of balance
is a problem for many elderly people. Even though this partially
may be a consequence of age, there is an increasing belief that
this effect mainly is caused by lifestyle, i.e. lack of physical
exercise and time spent in improper chairs.
The present inventor has identified the common chair as one cause
of these problems, and has since the 1970's tried to develop a
better chair suited to modern lifestyle. The first result of this
work was the so-called "Balans@ chair". One version of this chair
is described in Norwegian patent 145973. This chair includes a flat
seat that is tilted forward and a leg support mounted in front of
the seat. A person sitting on such a chair will straighten the back
and obtain a position where the body is balanced along an axis
through the body's centre of mass. This position is akin to a
person on horseback, or the position often seen practiced by
children sitting on the floor with the legs folded beneath them.
This balance occurs naturally when standing, walking or running,
and this chair allows a user to obtain such a balance also when
sitting. However, this chair had a number of shortcomings, among
others that the users complained of too large pressure on the
knees. Thus, the inventor developed an improved version disclosed
in Norwegian patent 320859. This chair includes a saddle seat and a
leg support, the distance between the seat and the leg support
being adjustable. The design of the saddle seat was later improved
in Norwegian patent 328285.
There has been a trend in later years to provide working places
with tables which are electrically adjustable in height. Thus, the
worker may lift the table top and work in a standing position. When
this standing position gets wearing, the users may lower the table
and continue working sitting on a chair. However, one reason for
the standing position soon becoming wearisome is that the back is
not properly supported by the core muscles, as mentioned above.
Also, a flat, hard floor may be hard for the feet, as people are
designed to move in an uneven terrain, not on a flat floor.
SUMMARY
It is an object of the present invention to provide an activating
platform that may help the user to train and maintain the muscles
supporting the spinal column, and also to train the user's ability
to balance the body with coordinated movements in the center of
his/her own gravity.
This is achieved in an activating platform as claimed in the
appended patent claims. The activating platform includes a support
plate which is curved underneath. The support plate is divided into
an area for standing and an area for sitting, the sitting area
including a chair mounted on the plate. The curved shape of the
support plate is meant to provoke the balance of a user standing or
sitting on the platform, i.e. that the user has to use the muscles
actively to hold the balance. Naturally, the user will rock around
in a small angle around a middle position and flex the hips and
lower back to maintain the balance. These correcting back and forth
movements of the muscles in order to regain and maintain the
balance of the body will train the core muscles.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be described in detail in reference to the
appended drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention
FIGS. 2a and 2b show a user standing on the inventive activating
platform
FIG. 3 is a side view of the inventive balance platform, with a
person seated on the chair
FIG. 4 is a front view of the balance platform, in three different
positions
FIG. 5 shows an implementation of the inventive balance platform
mounted on a wheeled dolly.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The figures show an embodiment of the inventive activating platform
comprising a slightly curved support plate 5 and a mounting
arrangement 2 with gas lift cylinder and a saddle seat 3 mounted on
the plate. The support plate is designed to be so roomy that the
user may rise and stand on the platform in front of the seat. Thus,
the platform forms a combined standing and sitting platform divided
into an area or part 6 for standing on and an area 7 for sitting,
i.e. the part of the platform with the chair. The platform may find
application as a work platform for a person performing a part of or
perhaps the main part of his work standing, but who occasionally
wants to sit down. The plate is designed with a curvature allowing
a person to stay thereon during a whole day of work without feeling
exhausted. This is apart from dedicated training platforms intended
to be used only for short periods.
The seat may be of any shape suited for the purpose, but is
preferably of the saddle shaped variety, e.g. the seat disclosed in
Norwegian patent 328285, which is owned by the present inventor.
However, the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1 employs a
different saddle shaped seat that is not so long as the seat in NO
328285, but of the same or a similar width. The shallow shape of
the seat allows more room for the user on the support platform.
FIG. 1 the seat 3 is mounted with its sitting direction 90.degree.
on the rocking direction of the support plate 5.
FIG. 2a shows a user standing on the activating platform while
working at an adjustable computer table. The user is standing in
front of the chair.
FIG. 2b the user is standing on the platform in front of the chair.
The seat 3 has been tilted forward, now acting as a leg
support.
FIGS. 3 and 4 a user is sitting on the chair, more or less like
riding on horseback. The chair allows the user to find a
comfortable sitting position wherein the body is in balance along a
line or axis through the middle of the body from the head to the
feet. The balance line is indicated in the figures with a line 13.
This balanced sitting position is beneficial as the body will have
to use its muscles to maintain the balance, thus obtaining a
measure of training said muscles. The object of the support plate 5
is to provoke this balance. The body is thrown out of balance, and
has to regain the balance by flexing the hips and lumbar area. The
body will start rocking, and thereby train the muscles in the back
and belly supporting the spinal column. This is illustrated in FIG.
3, showing a user sitting on the chair. In the middle position the
user is in balance, as shown by the line 13 and the thick bar in
the background, both being in line. In the leftmost position, the
user has rocked the chair towards the left and tries to regain
balance by flexing in the lower back. This is shown by the line 13
still being vertical. In the rightmost position, the user has
rocked towards the right, again compensating for the unbalance.
In order to obtain the desired provocative effect, the support
plate 5 should form a cylindrical arched contact plane towards the
floor. The curvature should equal a radius corresponding to the hip
height of the user. The hip height is of course dependent on the
height of the user, but in adults a hip height of 800 to 1200 mm
may be assumed. Thus, a radius of about 1000 mm is preferred, as
this will suit an average user. When standing, the user will
approach a position akin to Leonardo's famous figure, the feet
meeting the plate at a normal angle, and with the calves and knee
joints normal to the plate. However, the hip height should be a
projected hip height, as discovered by Michelangelo, still
referring to classical art theory. The possible extent of rocking
could also be limited to about +-50 mm (in horizontal direction,
measured at the hips), to avoid the body leaving the range where it
can handle the rocking movement. To limit the rocking range, the
curvature could be reserved to the central area of the plate, with
flattened parts outside this area.
Alternatively, stoppers could be mounted on the underside of the
plate, on both ends thereof.
The plate may be produced in laminated wood, plastic or metal. The
plastic material may be reinforced. One function of the support
plate is to prevent the user from placing the feet on the
ground/floor. With the feet on the ground, the body will no longer
find balance in the desired optimal way. For this reason,
conventional open runners are avoided.
The plate may be designed as a curved plate or as a flat plate with
runners.
FIG. 5 shows how the chair may be supported on a wheeled platform
or dolly 6. The dolly includes a frame or plate 8 with castors 9.
The support plate 5 is fastened to the dolly by a system of springs
(not shown) located below the plate. The spring system may be
similar to the system used in the old fashioned "American" rocking
chair, or a more modem system of torsion spring.
A point of the invention is that the user in all positions, even
when seated, should have the feet placed on the support plate, and
not as in conventional rocking chairs, where the user may place the
feet on the floor. It is important to understand the difference
between this chair and the common rocking chair. In a rocking chair
the body is not in balance, but is resting against a backrest. The
system of chair and body may be in balance, but the body is resting
unbalanced and is moved by the chair. The runners of a rocking
chair are shaped to allow the user to find a stable lean back
position. Thus, the body is passivated and there is no activation
of the muscles. In principal there are two ways of sitting, either
balanced in the centre of one's own gravity, or in an unbalanced
position. The inventive chair is designed to move in a small range
around the middle position. Thus, the support plate is
symmetrically shaped.
* * * * *