THERAPEUTIC CHAIR FOR EXERCISING BACK MUSCLES

• US 3,824,991 A
• Filed: 09/05/1972
• Issued: 07/23/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William J. Whitaker
• Original Assignee: William J. Whitaker
• Inventors: Whitaker, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trapp, Lawrence W.
• Application Number:
  US05/285,994
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 128/24,25,33,48,70,49 272/58
• US Class Current: 601/5
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 9/002 with exercising means or having special therapeutic or ergonomic effects
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/0292 for the spinal column A61H1/0218 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2203/0431 in 90°/90°-position, like on a chair

Abstract

A therapeutic chair to enable a person to exercise his back muscles. The chair includes a base that sets on the floor and includes a seat rockably mounted on the base to rock from side to side about a horizontal axis. To the base there is fixed a guide that extends over the person'"'"''"'"'s head. The guide is adjustable to accommodate various size people so that the guide just contacts the head of the person sitting on the seat, to notify the person to keep his head steady. Mounted within the base is an electric motor with an eccentric crank that is coupled to the seat to rock it from side to side. A timer is provided in series with the electric motor, which cuts off current to the motor after a predetermined time.

Claims

1. A therapeutic chair comprising:

a base adopted to be disposed firmly on a floor, a seat pivotably mounted to said base and disposed to pivot about a fixed horizontal axis, first means for pivoting said seat back and forth on either side from its horizontal position, and second means fixed to said base to assist in maintaining the user'"'"''"'"'s head substantially stationary and adopted to allow the user'"'"''"'"'s back to bend to the left and to the right.

2. The chair of claim 1 wherein:

said second means includes a rod vertically fixed to said base member, and a horizontal feeler slidably mounted on said rod and projecting therefrom over said seat.

3. The chair of claim 2 wherein:

said first means includes a pair of bearing pillow blocks mounted on top of said base member, a shaft bearing mounted to said pillow blocks with said seat fixed to said shaft, a bar depending from and fixed to said shaft, a motor means mounted within said base member to provide rotational motion to said eccentric, and a connecting rod connecting said eccentric to said bar.

4. The chair of claim 3 wherein:

a timer switch is serially connected with said motor to cause said motor to turn off afTer a predetermined time.

5. The chair of claim 1 wherein said second means includes a sighting means fixed to said base projecting therefrom parallel to said axis and disposed substantially directly below said axis.

6. The chair of claim 5 wherein:

said first means includes a pair of bearing pillow blocks mounted on the top of said base member, a shaft bearing mounted in said pillow blocks with said seat fixed to said shaft, a bar depending from and fixed to said shaft, a motor means mounted within said shaft member to provide rotational motion to an eccentric, and a connecting rod connecting said eccentric to said bar.

7. The chair of claim 6 wherein:

a timing switch is serially connected with said motor to cause said motor to turn off after a predetermined time.