U.S. patent number 3,711,156 [Application Number 05/133,603] was granted by the patent office on 1973-01-16 for support systems for the seated human body.
This patent grant is currently assigned to British Railways Board. Invention is credited to Jack Bloomfield.
United States Patent |
3,711,156 |
Bloomfield |
January 16, 1973 |
SUPPORT SYSTEMS FOR THE SEATED HUMAN BODY
Abstract
A support system for the seated human body comprising a length
or lengths of net material constrained under tension in a
supporting frame to form a seat portion and a back support portion.
The net material forming the back support is attached to the
supporting frame to provide a transversely extending forwardly
projecting support portion for the upper pelvic/lumbar area and
sweeps downwardly and rearwardly from this support portion to a
position out of contact with the human body and upwardly and
rearwardly from the support portion to form the remainder of the
back support. The side edges of the net material are not attached
to the supporting frame over the downwardly and upwardly sweeping
portions and tension is applied longitudinally to the net material
over the back support through members of the supporting frame.
Inventors: |
Bloomfield; Jack (London,
EN) |
Assignee: |
British Railways Board (London,
EN)
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Family
ID: |
10126865 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/133,603 |
Filed: |
April 13, 1971 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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196484 |
Nov 8, 1971 |
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878849 |
Nov 21, 1969 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Apr 22, 1970 [GB] |
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19,285/70 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
297/452.13;
297/447.1; 297/440.11 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47C
7/282 (20130101); A47C 7/029 (20180801) |
Current International
Class: |
A47C
7/02 (20060101); A47C 7/22 (20060101); A47c
007/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;297/445,441,284,283,27,39,28,457 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: McCall; James T.
Parent Case Text
This invention relates to support systems for the seated human body
and in particular to modifications of the support system described
in U.S. application Ser. No. 878,849, filed Nov. 21, 1969, now
abandoned and refiled as continuation application Ser. No. 196,484,
filed Nov. 8, 1971. The present application is a
continuation-in-part of the aforesaid copending application Ser.
No. 196,484.
Claims
I claim:
1. A support system for the seated human body comprising: a
supporting frame; a non-elastic flexible web material constrained
under tension in the supporting frame to define a three-dimensional
support form including, in an upwardly extending length of said
material constituting a back support for the seated human body, a
transversely extending forwardly projecting support portion for the
upper pelvic/lumbar area of the seated human body; the material
which forms said back support sweeping downwardly and rearwardly
from said forwardly projecting support portion to a lower end which
will not contact the seated human body and also sweeping upwardly
and rearwardly from said support portion to form the remainder of
the back support; the side edges of the upwardly extending length
of material each being attached to said supporting frame in the
region of said forwardly projecting support portion to cause the
material to define said transversely extending forwardly projecting
support portion; the side edges of the material forming said back
support being unconstrained by the supporting frame over both the
upwardly and rearwardly and also the downwardly and rearwardly
sweeping portions; and means for tensioning said upwardly extending
length of material longitudinally of its length of material by
attachment of the upper end of said length of material to said
supporting frame and by a lower transverse frame member of the
supporting frame engaging said length of material in the region of
its lower end and at a position at which it will not contact the
seated human body.
2. A support system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a single length
of said material forms said upwardly extending length and a
generally horizontally extending seat portion, so that said lower
frame member applies tension longitudinally to the material of the
seat portion.
3. A support system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a separate
length of said material forms a generally horizontally extending
seat portion which is tensioned longitudinally by a rear frame
member.
4. A support system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper end of
said upwardly extending length of material is tailored to form a
pocket fitting over the supporting frame which is so shaped as to
form the said upper end of the material into a forwardly projecting
head rest.
5. A support system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the front end of
said length of material forming the seat portion is tailored to
form a pocket which fits over the front of said supporting
frame.
6. A support system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lower frame
member is adjustable in order to apply the required longitudinal
tension to the upwardly extending length of material.
7. A support system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the lower frame
member is pivotable about an axis extending transversely of the
supporting frame.
8. A support system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said lower frame
member is formed integrally with side frame portions, to which the
side edges of the upwardly extending length of material are
attached to define said transversely extending forwardly projecting
support portion, so that it is pivotable with said side frame
portions.
9. A support system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said lower frame
member comprises a bar rotatable about its longitudinal axis to
wind the material on to it,
10. A support system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said rear frame
member is adjustable in order to apply the required longitudinal
tension in the material of said seat portion.
11. A support system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the rear frame
member comprises a bar rotatable about its longitudinal axis to
wind the material of the seat portion on to it.
12. A support system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the supporting
frame comprises a first part supporting the material of the seat
portion and a second part pivotable about the first part,
substantially on the axis of the hip joints of the seated human
body, whereby the upwardly extending length of material can be
adjusted to a "recline" position.
Description
The basic form of support described in the aforesaid application
comprises a non-elastic flexible web material constrained under
tension by a supporting frame to define a three-dimensional support
form including in an upwardly extending length of said material
constituting a back support for the seated human body a
transversely extending forwardly projecting support portion for the
upper pelvic/lumbar area of the human body, the material sweeping
downwardly and rearwardly from said support portion to a lower end
which will not contact the seated human body and sweeping upwardly
and rearwardly from said support portion to form the remainder of
the back support.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a support
system of the above described kind and wherein the side edges of
the upwardly extending length of material are each attached to said
supporting frame to cause the material to define said transversely
extending forwardly projecting support portion, and are
unconstrained by the supporting frame over the upwardly and
rearwardly and downwardly and rearwardly sweeping portions, and
tension in the upwardly extending length of material is applied
longitudinally of said length of material by attachment of the
upper end of said length of material to said supporting frame and
by a lower transverse frame member of the supporting frame engaging
said length of material in the region of its lower end and at a
position at which it will not contact the seated human body.
When a single length of material is used to form the back support
and the seat portion, said lower frame member may be used to
tension both the upwardly extending length and the seat portion.
When a separate length is used for the seat portion this will have
its own rear tensioning frame member.
In order that the invention may be readily understood, various seat
constructions in accordance with the invention will be described by
way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in
which:
FIG. 1 shows in side view the basic form of the support system
using a single length of netting,
FIG. 2 is a similar view showing the basic form of support system
where separate lengths of netting are used for the seat portion and
the upwardly extending back support portion,
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a seat construction embodying
the basic form of support system of FIG. 1,
FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic side view showing a second seat
construction embodying the basic form of support system of FIG.
1,
FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic side view showing a seat construction
embodying the basic form of support system of FIG. 2,
FIG. 6 illustrates a modification of the FIG. 5 construction,
and
FIG. 7 is a view showing a reclining seat construction embodying
the basic form of support system of FIG. 2.
Referring to FIG. 1, the single length of netting 1, which is
constrained by a supporting frame to define seat portion 2 and
upwardly extending back support portion 3, is provided with pockets
4 and 5 which locate over side frames of the support system. If
necessary for tensioning purposes the netting can be anchored to
cross-members 6 and 7 at front and upper end edges. To form the
forwardly projecting support portion 6 for the upper pelvic/lumbar
area, the length of netting 1 is attached along each of its side
edges over the region 8 to side frame portions. In order to impart
the desired tension to the net, a lower frame member in the form of
a tensioning bar 9 engages within the acute angled apex formed in
the netting at the junction between the seat portion 2 and the
upwardly extending portion 3.
Referring to FIG. 2, where the same reference numerals have been
used as in FIG. 1 to indicate corresponding parts, an arrangement
is shown similar to that of FIG. 1 except that the separate lengths
of netting defining the seat portion 2 and upwardly extending back
support portion 3 are tensioned by respective tensioning bars 10
and 11.
In FIG. 3 is shown one seat construction embodying the basic form
of support system of FIG. 1.
A tubular metal framework forms floor-standing side frames 13 and
14 which are shaped to receive the pockets 4 and 5 to form head
rest 35 and a rounded front edge 36 to the seat portion 2. The
cross-member 6 is a curved bar which assists in shaping the
upwardly extending portion 3 of the netting. Bracing is provided by
cross-members 15, 16 and 17.
The frame supports to which the side edges of the netting 1 are
attached over the region 8, and the transverse tensioning bar 9
form integral parts of a frame member 18. The frame member 18 is
pivotable on axis 19 to the side frames 13 and 14, to enable the
tensioning bar to be forced against the net 1 to tension it. When
the desired tension has been achieved the frame member 18 is locked
to the side frames 13 and 14. This locking has not been shown in
FIG. 1 but could be effected in several ways. For example the
tensioning bar 9 could be arranged to spring behind the side frames
13 and 14. Alternatively, a locking arrangement such as a
screw-threaded arrangement could be provided which permits the
adjustment of the tensioning bar 9 to take up any stretching of the
netting caused by wear.
As an alternative to the integrally formed support and tensioning
member 18, the net support in the regions 8 could, as shown in FIG.
4, be provided by forwardly projecting `U` shaped frame members 19
fixed on the side frames 13 and 14 and the tensioning bar 9 could
then form part of a separate frame 20 pivoted on axis 21 to the
side frames 13 and 14. In FIG. 4 the side frames are shown mounted
on a base 23 with legs 24 so that seats may be used singly or
assembled in rows on a common base 23.
To achieve the basic form of support system shown in FIG. 2, the
arrangement of FIG. 5 can be used. This is similar to the
arrangement of FIG. 4 in having frame members 19 and pivoted frame
20. In the arrangement of FIG. 5, however, the frame 20 provides
the tensioning bar 10 for the length of netting forming seat
portion 2. The tensioning bar 11 forms part of frame 25 pivoted at
26 to side frames 13 and 14.
Conveniently, hems can be formed in the ends of the lengths of
netting 2 and 3 for receiving the tensioning bars 10 and 11. Net
stretch in both the lengths 2 and 3 can be taken up by removing the
tensioning bars 10 and 11 and placing them in other preformed hems
which effectively shorten the lengths 2 and 3 in their untensioned
state. Alternatively, the lengths of netting 2 and 3 could be
welded to the tensioning bars 10 and 11 and net stretch taken up by
winding the netting around the bars 10 and 11.
As an alternative to attaching the netting 3 to the tensioning bar
11, the arrangement of FIG. 6 can be used, where the length of
netting is attached to cross-bar 27 and the tensioning bar 11 of
frame 25 presses against the netting to impart the tension into
it.
In a still further alternative arrangement the tensioning bars 9,
10 and 11 can be mounted in the side frames 13 and 14 for rotation
about their longitudinal axes and the netting simply wound around
these tensioning bars to impart the described tension to the
netting.
Referring now to FIG. 7, this shows the basic form of support
system of FIG. 2 embodied in a reclining seat construction. The
same reference numerals as in the previous Figures have been used
to indicate corresponding parts. The seat comprises two side arms
28, which support in fixed manner side frames 29 for supporting and
locating the length of netting forming the seat 2. Pivotally
mounted in side arms 28 are side frames 30 which support and locate
the netting forming upwardly extending support portion 2.
The side frames 30 are pivotable about axis 31 which passes through
the hip joint of the average person seated in the seat so that the
seat is adjustable between the upright position shown in full line
and the recline position shown in chain-dotted line. By pivoting at
the hip joint the supporting characteristics of the seat are not
substantially altered.
It will be appreciated that in all the above described embodiments
the netting is readily replaceable by a new netting.
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