DYNAMIC ORTHOPAEDIC CHAIR

• US 20100259083A1
• Filed: 04/13/2010
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Afshin Aminian
• Original Assignee: Afshin Aminian
• Inventors: Aminian, Afshin
• Granted Patent: US 8,231,175 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/311
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 9/002 with exercising means or having special therapeutic or ergonomic effects

Abstract

An orthopaedic chair that requires a seated person to actively and dynamically support their upper bodies while seated is provided. The chair is designed such that the core musculature of the seated person must be actively engaged while in a seated position. To accomplish this, the chair is provided with an unstable or dynamic seating platform, i.e., a seating platform which is independently movable in several dimensions such that to stabilize the seating platform the musculature of the body, and in particular the core, must be utilized.

Claims

1. A functionally dynamic orthopaedic chair comprising:

a dynamic seating platform having top and bottom surfaces and having a vertical axis passing therethrough; and

a base portion having upper and lower ends, and a receiving element for movably engaging said bottom surface of said dynamic seating platform disposed in said upper end;

wherein the dynamic seating platform is capable of pivoting within said receiving element in any direction about its vertical axis such that a user must actively engage the muscles in the back and abdomen to support the upper body when seated on the top surface of said dynamic seating platform.

2. The chair of claim 1, wherein the lower end of the base portion is designed to stably engage the floor.

3. The chair of claim 1, wherein at least the bottom surface of said dynamic seating platform is a partial hemisphere, and the receiving element is a cooperative hemispherical bowl disposed in the upper end of the base portion.

4. The chair of claim 1, wherein the cooperative surfaces of the receiving element and the bottom surface of the dynamic seating platform are surface treated with a material having a low coefficient of friction.

5. The chair of claim 4, wherein the material is selected from the group consisting of a metallic coating, a polymeric materials and a lubricant.

6. The chair of claim 1, further comprising a retaining element disposed such that the degree of movement allowed between the receiving element and the dynamic seating platform in any one direction is limited.

7. The chair of claim 6, wherein the retaining element is a rim disposed about the dynamic seating platform between the top and bottom surfaces thereof such that the rim engages the outer edge of the receiving element when the dynamic seating platform pivots beyond a pre-designated number degrees past horizontal thereby preventing further movement in said direction.

8. The chair of claim 6, wherein the retaining element is a rim disposed about the outer edge of the of the receiving element such that the rim engages the a portion of the dynamic seating platform when said dynamic seating platform pivots beyond a pre-designated number degrees past horizontal thereby preventing further movement in said direction.

9. The chair of claim 1, wherein the dynamic seating platform is moveably interconnected with the base portion.

10. The chair of claim 1, wherein the top surface of said dynamic seating platform comprises a partial hemisphere.

11. The chair of claim 1, wherein the height of the dynamic seating platform in relation to the floor is adjustable.

12. The chair of claim 1, further comprising arm supports interconnected to said base portion.

13. The chair of claim 1, wherein the position of said arm supports relative to said dynamic seating platform is adjustable.

14. The chair of claim 1, further comprising a lumbar reminder interconnected to said base portion.

15. The chair of claim 1, wherein the position of said lumbar reminder relative to said dynamic seating platform is adjustable.

16. The chair of claim 1, wherein the dynamic seating platform comprises an elongated body such that said platform has an elongated vertical axis thereby requiring optimal alignment of the users spine while seated.

17. The chair of claim 16, wherein the dynamic seating platform has top and bottom ends, and wherein the bottom end comprises a partially hemispherical portion designed to cooperatively engage the receiving element of the base of the chair, and the top end comprises a seating portion.

18. The chair of claim 17, wherein the seating portion is substantially flat.

19. A functionally dynamic orthopaedic chair comprising:

a dynamic seating platform defined by an elongated body having top and bottom ends wherein the elongated dimension lies along the vertical axis of said body; and

a base portion having upper and lower ends, and a receiving element for movably engaging said bottom surface of said dynamic seating platform disposed in said upper end;

wherein the dynamic seating platform is capable of pivoting within said receiving element in any direction about its elongated vertical axis such that a user must actively engage the muscles in the back and abdomen to support the upper body and wherein the spine must be in optimal alignment when seated on the top surface of said dynamic seating platform.

20. The chair of claim 19, wherein the bottom end of said dynamic seating platform comprises a partially hemispherical portion designed to cooperatively engage the receiving element of the base of the chair, and the top end comprises a seating portion.