Exercising Chair

Abstract

A chair having a seat, back and leg sections and arm supports. With a person seated in the chair, the back and leg sections and the arm supports are moved through a cycle in which the person's back is lowered and his legs are raised and thereafter his back is raised and his legs are lowered, and his arms are bent and unbent while being comfortably supported.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of exercising methods and apparatus.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The improved exercising method is practiced on a person seated in a substantially upright position, simultaneously moving the person through a cycle which involves lowering his back and raising his legs and thereafter raising his back and lowering his legs, and repeating the cycle. During the cycle the arms are gradually bent and unbent while being comfortably supported. It is preferred to lower the person's back and head to a position below the elevation of his legs. This causes his blood to gravitate out of his legs, and when, thereafter, his back and head are raised and his legs are lowered blood will again gravitate into his legs. It is preferred that a complete cycle take about 11/2 minutes, but a cycle having a duration of between about 30 seconds and out 2 minutes is contemplated. By this method a person can relax while exercising; this is known as passive exercise.

A chair for carrying out the method of the invention includes a seat section which is preferably stationary, a back section which is pivotally mounted relative to the seat section, and a leg section which is pivotally mounted relative to the seat section. The back and leg sections are driven by an actuator which includes a rigid plate having means engageable with the back and leg sections to effect their lowering and raising movements. An electric motor is used to drive the actuator. The back section includes a back-supporting panel and a mounting panel. The back-supporting panel can shift relative to the mounting panel as the entire back section pivots. This arrangement prevents the skin of the person's back from being pulled up and down as the back section is respectively lowered and raised. The position of the back-supporting panel when fully upright is determined by the arm supports which are pivotally connected to the back-supporting panel and are pivotally connected to the seat or frame. If it is desired to lower the person's back and head to only a limited extent, then an adjustable stop is positioned to define the maximum position to which the back section of the chair can be lowered.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exercising chair for carrying out the method of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational, partly sectional, view of the chair shown in FIG. 1, showing the chair slightly away from its initial, substantially upright position;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational, partly sectional, view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the chair in its fully reclined position;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing structure of the chair in greater detail than shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is another perspective view of the chair as viewed from the rear;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view of the back section of the chair, and an actuator therefor;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing part of the seat section and a mounting panel of the back section;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8--8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line 9--9 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view showing the leg section of the chair raised to expose a portion of the chair frame;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken generally along line 11--11 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary view showing the manner in which the back panel and the mounting panel of the back section are interconnected;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary partly sectional view of a portion of the actuator;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary view showing a portion of the arm support and a cooperating link; and

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary view showing a detent of a stop.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown an exercising chair generally indicated at 20 including a seat section 21, a back section 22, and a leg section 23 having respective cushions or coverings 24, 25 and 26. The seat section 21, the back section 22 and the leg section 23 are adapted to support a person's seat, his back and his legs respectively. In the remaining figures of the drawings the cushions 24, 25 and 26 are omitted for the sake of simplicity.

The chair 20 has a frame 27 with a base 28, sides 29 and 30, transverse supports 31 and 32, and top strips or members 33 and 34. The transverse supports 31 and 32 are suitably secured, as by screws (not shown) and by gluing, to the base 28, the respective sides 29 and 30, the respective top strips 33 and 34 and to the seat section 21. The seat section 21 is suitably secured to the top strips or members 33 and 34. The top members 33 and 34 and the seat section 21 are disposed at an angle with respect to the horizontal, so that when the chair 20 is moved from the position shown in FIG. 2 to the position shown in FIG. 3, the person is caused to move from a seated position to a reclining position in which the person's body and head are disposed below the level of his legs. In the position shown in FIG. 3, the back section 22, the leg section 23, as well as the seat section 21, make approximately an 8.degree. angle with respect to the horizontal, although other angles can be used. The back section 22 is pivotally mounted to the seat section by hinges 35. The leg section 23 is pivotally mounted relative to the seat section by hinges 36.

The back section 22 includes a back-supporting panel 37 to which the cushion 25 is secured and a mounting panel 38. As best shown in FIG. 7, the mounting panel 38 mounts four sets A, B, C, and D of rollers 39, each set being identical in construction to the other sets. Group A is shown in detail in sectional views 8 and 9. The rollers 39 are rotatably mounted in a housing 41 received in a cutout 42 in the mounting panel 38. The housing 41 has a flange 43 which underlies the mounting panel 38. A plate 44 abuts the flange 43. Bolts 45 threadably receive nuts 46 which clamp the flange 43 of the housing 41 to the panel 38. The rollers 39 are in rolling contact with the back-supporting panel 37. The mounting panel 38 pivots about the fixed pivot axis 35' of the hinges 35, and as the panel 38 pivots the panel 37 can shift relative to the panel 38 and to the axis 35'. The panel 37 is guided by flat legs 47 (FIG. 5) of a U-shaped bracket 48 (FIG. 12). The legs 47 are joined by a bight 49 which is secured to the panel 37 by screws 50. The legs 47 project through spaced-apart elongated guide slots 51 in the panel 38 (FIG. 5). Spaced-apart pins 52 (FIG. 12) extend through legs 47. The pins 52 enable the panel 37 to shift relative to the panel 38, but prevent the panel 37 from separating from the panel 38. Arm supports 53 and 54 (FIG. 4) are pivotally mounted by pivot pins 55 and 56 carried by brackets 57 and 58. The brackets 63 and 64 are secured to the seat section 21. Pins 65 and 66 provide a pivotal connection between respective links 59 and 60 and arm supports 53 and 54. The arms 59 and 60 and the arm supports 53 and 54 are identical so only the arm 59 and the support 53 are shown in detail in FIG. 14. A plate 67 is screwed to the link 59 by screws 68. The pin 65 is captive between the hooked end 69 and the terminal end of the link 59. In the initial, substantially upright, position of the chair 20 shown in FIG. 14, the arm supports 53 and 54 cannot pivot any further clockwise relative to the respective links 59 and 60. Consequently, the arm supports 53 and 54 prevent the panel 37 from shifting downwardly toward the pivot axis 35' and will hold the panel 37 in approximately the position shown in FIG. 2 against the force of gravity.

An actuator 70 is shown (FIG. 11) to include a rigid plate 71 pivotally mounted by fixed pivot pin 72 mounted in pillow blocks 73 secured to the seat section 21. The plate 71 is preferably composed of metal and has transverse rods 74 and 75 (FIG. 2) welded to its opposite ends. The rod 74 mounts spaced-apart ball bearings 76 (FIG. 13) which engage a bearing plate 77 (FIG. 2) secured to the underside of the panel 38 of the back section 22. The rod 75 mounts spaced-apart ball bearings 78 which engage a bearing plate 79 secured to the underside of the leg section 23. The fact that the bearings 76 and 78 engage the respective bearing plates 77 and 79 at spaced-apart locations obviates the need for additional guiding means for the actuator 70. If desired, the groove 80 (FIG. 11) in the base 28 could be used as a guide.

A variable-speed electric motor 81 drives a speed reducer 82. The speed reducer 82 is mounted to the base 28 and has an output shaft 83. A crank 84 is secured to the shaft 83. The crank 84 is connected to a connecting rod 85 by a crankpin 86 (FIG. 3). The connecting rod is connected to the plate 71 by a pin 87. As the motor 81 drives the speed reducer 82, its output shaft 83 drives the crank 84 which causes the connecting rod to pivot the actuator 70 slowly, first in one direction and then in the opposite direction. With reference to FIG. 2, the chair 20 is shown as being substantially in its upright position. The crank 84 which pivots in a clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow 88 is shown in FIG. 2 as having moved slightly away from the initial position. Accordingly, the actuator 70 has pivoted clockwise through a small angle, and the chair 20 is thus slightly away from its upright position. As the crank 84 continues to rotate in the clockwise direction, the actuator 70 rotates clockwise, the back section 22 is lowered and the leg section 23 is raised until the chair 20 is in the position shown in FIG. 3. Continued rotation of the crank 84 causes the actuator 70 to rotate counterclockwise, thereby raising the back section 22 and lowering the leg section and returning the chair through the position shown in FIG. 2 to its initial or upright position.

Secured to the base 28 is a collar 90 which snugly receives the lower end of an upright channel member 91. The member 91 has a groove 92 which receives and guides an upright stop bar or stop member 93. The member 93 has an elongated slot 94. A bolt 95 extends through a hole 96 in the member 91 and the slot 94 and threadably receives a wingnut 97. The stop member 93 can be adjusted by loosening the wingnut 97 and sliding the member 93 relative to the member 91. The adjusted position of the member 93 defines the position to which the back section 22 can be pivoted. When the back panel 38 abuts the member as shown in FIG. 15 the rollers 76 lose contact with the plate 77. Thereafter, when the rollers 76 again contact the plate 77 the back section 22 can again be raised.

Claims

I claim:

1. An exercising chair, comprising: seat, back and leg sections for respectively supporting a person's seat, back and legs, means pivotally mounting said back section for lowering and raising movements relative to said seat section, means pivotally mounted said leg section for raising and lowering movements relative to said seat section, an actuator for lowering said back section and raising said leg section and for thereafter raising said back section and lowering said leg section during each cycle of operation, means for driving said actuator, a rolling contact connection between said actuator and said back section, and a rolling contact connection between said actuator and said leg section.

2. An exercising chair, comprising: seat, back and leg sections for respectively supporting a person's seat, back and legs, means pivotally mounting said back section for lowering and raising movements relative to said seat section, means pivotally mounting said leg section for raising and lowering movements relative to said seat section, an actuator for lowering said back section and raising said leg section and for thereafter raisin said back section and lowering said leg section during each cycle of operation, means for driving said actuator, wherein said actuator comprises a single rigid plate, means for pivotally mounting said plate, an electric motor, and means providing a drive connection between said electric motor to said plate.

3. An exercising chair, comprising: a seat section and a back section, means pivotally mounting said back section for relative movement with respect to said back section about a fixed pivot axis, said back section including a panel engageable with the back of a person seated in said chair, and means mounting said back panel for shifting movement relative to said pivot means so that when said back section is pivoted about said fixed pivot means said back panel shifts relative to said pivotal mounting means but does not shift relative to the person's back, wherein said back section includes a mounting panel for mounting said back panel, said means mounting said back panel for shifting relative movement including rollers which mount said back panel for movement relative to said mounting panel.

4. An exercising chair as defined in claim 3, said mounting means being secured to said pivotal mounting means, and an actuator engageable with said mounting panel for effecting pivotal movement of said back section.

5. An exercising chair as defined in claim 3, including a pair of arm supports for supporting the person's arms, and means pivotally mounting said arm supports to said back section.

6. An exercising chair, comprising: seat, back and leg sections for respectively supporting a person's seat, back and legs, a rigid actuator for actuating the back and leg sections, and means for pivotally mounting said actuator interconnecting said back and leg sections for lowering said back section and raising said leg section and for raising said back section and lowering said leg section, wherein said actuator includes a single plate disposed centrally of said chair and having means engageable with said back section and said leg section for simultaneously moving said back and leg sections.

7. An exercising chair as defined in claim 6, wherein each of said back and leg sections includes a bearing plate, said actuator having spaced-apart members engageable with each bearing plate at spaced-apart locations.

8. An exercising chair as defined in claim 6, including a fixed pivot for pivotally mounting said plate.

9. An exercising chair as defined in claim 6, including means for guiding said plate.

10. An exercising chair as defined in claim 6 including means for pivotally mounting said plate about a fixed pivot axis, and means for oscillating said actuator.

11. An exercising chair, comprising: seat, back and leg sections for respectively supporting a person's seat, back and legs, said seat section being fixed, means for pivotally mounting said leg section with respect to said seat section, means for pivotally mounting said back section with respect to said seat section, a rigid pivotal actuator, means for pivotally mounting said actuator on a fixed axis, means providing a drive connection between said pivotal actuator and said legs section, and means providing a drive connection between said pivotal actuator and said back section, said actuator exerting countergravitational forces on both said leg and back sections.

12. An exercising chair as defined in claim 11, including an electric motor, a speed reducer driven by said motor and a crank connecting said speed reducer and said actuator, whereby said back section is lowered and said leg section is raised and thereafter said back section is raised and said leg section is lowered.