Customized seat cushion

• US 5,018,790 A
• Filed: 03/12/1990
• Issued: 05/28/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RIK Medical LLC (3M Company), Alden B. Hanson, Alden Laboratories, Inc., Chris A. Hanson, Flowfit Medical, LLC, Pressure Relief Technologies, Inc., Quickie Designs, Inc., Sunrise Medical Hhg Incorporated (Sunrise Medical Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: JAY Medical, Ltd.
• Inventors: Jay, Eric C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Peter R.
• Application Number:
  US07/491,554
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 297/284, 297/452, 297/458, 297/459, 297/DIG. 1-3, 297/DIG. 6, 5/446, 5/447
• US Class Current: 297/452.26
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/021 Detachable or loose seat cushions
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/029 of non-adjustable shape adapted to a user contour or ergonomic seating positions
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1043 Cushions specially adapted for wheelchairs
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1045 for the seat portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/1091 Cushions, seats or abduction devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05715 with modular blocks, or inserts, with layers of different material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 297/06 Hook and loop type fastener
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 5/922 with hook and loop type fastener

Abstract

A customized seat cushion for the human body comprises securable, removable supports which are used in combination with a shaped tray and a pad containing a fluid filling material. In the preferred embodiment, the supports are fastened to selected contours of the shaped tray, and the surface presented by the supports and shaped tray are covered by the pad which is fastened to the exposed surfaces of the tray and pads to form a customized seat cushion.

Claims

1. A seat cushion for supporting a human body and customizable assisting in the correction of posture and the prevention of development of posture deformities over time, while reducing the buildup of pressure over the bony prominences of the body, said seat cushion comprising:

a tray having a depressed area situated beneath a user'"'"'s ischial tuberosities, said tray having a plurality of rims, each of said plurality of rims sloping downwardly from an outer edge of the cushion toward said depressed area, said plurality of rims including a front rim having a central rise;

a discrete anatomically shaped support, removably secured to said front rim, said support being of a generally rigid material and wherein attachment of said support to said front rim presents a substantially concave posture correcting surface toward the center of said front rim, said substantially concave surface being a part of said posture correcting surface; and

a pad juxtaposed over said tray and said supports, said pad comprising a flexible envelope containing a fluid material.

2. The seat cushion of claim 1, wherein said support is secured to said front rim by fabric hook and loop fastening means.

3. The seat cushion of claim 1, wherein said fluid material is a viscous liquid which flows gradually under pressure but which maintains its shape and position in the absence of pressure.

4. The seat cushion of claim 1 wherein said fluid material is a gas.

5. A system for correcting posture in human beings, said system comprising:

a base means for supporting the system;

said base means presenting a seating surface contoured to provide vertical and lateral support to a human being in a seated position;

said base means having a depressed area bounded by a plurality of lateral support surfaces and a frontal support surface;

a discrete anatomical support means removably secured to said frontal support surface for selectively presenting posture correcting surfaces, said support means being selectably attachable to said base means in varying positions to establish a desired posture correcting contour, wherein attachment of said support presents a substantially concave surface toward the center of said frontal support surface;

a pad means for presenting a pressure compensating seating surface;

said pad means being removably securable to exposed surfaces presented by said desired posture correcting contour.

6. The posture correcting system of claim 5 wherein said support is secured to said frontal support surface by fabric hook and loop fastening means.

7. The system for correcting posture of claim 5 wherein said fluid material is a viscous liquid which flows gradually under pressure but which maintains its shape and position in the absence of pressure.

8. The system for correcting posture of claim 5 wherein said fluid material is a gas.

9. A seat cushion for supporting a human body and customizable assisting in the correcting of posture and the prevention of development of posture deformities over time, while reducing the buildup of pressure over the bony prominences of the body, said seat cushion comprising:

a tray having a depressed area situated beneath a user'"'"'s ischial tuberosities, said tray having a plurality of rims, each of said plurality of rims sloping downwardly from an outer edge of the cushion toward said depressed area, said plurality of rims including a front rim disposed between two side rims, said front rim having a central rise;

a discrete anatomically shaped support, removably secured to each of said rims, said supports being of a generally rigid material, wherein attachment of said supports to said rims presents a substantially concave surface toward said depressed area, said concave surface being a part of said posture correcting surface; and

a pad juxtaposed over said tray and said supports, said pad comprising a flexible envelope containing a fluid material.

10. The seat cushion of claim 9 wherein said support means is secured to said rims by fabric hook and loop fastening means.

11. The seat cushion of claim 9 wherein said fluid material is a viscous liquid which flows gradually under pressure but which maintains its shape and position in the absence of pressure.

12. The seat cushion of claim 9 wherein said fluid material is a gas.

13. A seat cushion for supporting a human body and customizable assisting in the correction of posture and the prevention of development of posture deformities over time, while reducing the buildup of pressure over the bony prominences of the body, said seat cushion comprising:

a tray having a depressed area situated beneath a user'"'"'s ischial tuberosities, said tray having a plurality of rims, each of said plurality of rims sloping downwardly from an outer edge of the cushion toward depressed area, said plurality of rims including a front rim having a central rise;

a discrete anatomically shaped support, removably secured to said central rise, said support being of a generally rigid material and wherein attachment of said support to said central rise effectively convexly extends said central rise; and

a pad juxtaposed over said tray and said support, said pad comprising a flexible envelope containing a fluid material.

14. The seat cushion of claim 13 wherein said support is secured to said central rise by fabric hook and loop fastening means.

15. A seat cushion of claim 13 wherein said fluid material is a viscous liquid which flows gradually under pressure but which maintains its shape and position in the absence of pressure.

16. The seat cushion of claim 13 wherein said fluid material is a gas.

17. A system for correcting posture in human beings, said system comprising:

a base means for supporting the system;

said base means presenting a seating surface contoured to provide vertical and lateral support to a human being in a seated position;

said base means having a depressed area bounded by a plurality of lateral support surfaces and a frontal support surface;

a discrete anatomical support means removably secured to said lateral support area for selectively presenting posture correcting surfaces, said support means being selectably attachable to said base means in varying positions to establish a desired posture correcting contour, wherein attachment of said support presents a substantially concave surface toward said depressed area;

a pad means for presenting a pressure compensating seating surface;

said pad means being removably securable to exposed surfaces presented by said desired posture correcting contour.

18. The system for correcting posture of claim 17, wherein said support means is secured to said lateral support area by fabric hook and loop fastening means.

19. A system for correcting posture of claim 17 wherein said pad means contains a viscous liquid which flows gradually under pressure but which maintains its shape and position in the absence of pressure.

20. The system for correcting posture of claim 17 wherein said pad means contains a gas.

21. A system for correcting posture in human beings, said system comprising:

a base means for supporting the system;

said base means presenting a seating surface contoured to provide vertical and lateral support to a human being in a seated position;

said base means having a depressed area bounded by a plurality of lateral support surfaces and a frontal support surface and having a leg separating means is integrally formed with said frontal surface;

a discrete anatomical support means removably secured to said leg separating means for selectively presenting posture correcting surfaces, said support means being selectably attachable to said base means in varying positions to establish a desired posture correcting contour wherein attachment of said supports associated with said leg separating means effectively convexly extend said leg separating means;

a pad means for presenting a pressure compensating seating surface;

said pad means being removably securable to exposed surfaces presented by said desired posture correcting contour.

22. The system for correcting posture of claim 21 wherein said support means is secured to said frontal support surface by fabric hook and loop fastening means.

23. A system for correcting posture of claim 21 wherein said pad means contains a viscous liquid which flows gradually under pressure but which maintains its shape and position in the absence of pressure.

24. The system for correcting posture of claim 21 wherein said pad means contains a gas.

25. A seat cushion for supporting a human body and customizable assisting in the correction of posture and the prevention of development of posture deformities over time, while reducing the buildup of pressure over the bony prominences of the body, said seat cushion comprising:

a tray having a depressed area situated beneath a user'"'"'s ischial tuberosities, said tray having a plurality of rims, each of said plurality of rims sloping downwardly from an outer edge of the cushion toward said depressed area, said plurality of rims including a front rim disposed between two side rims, said front rim having a central rise;

a discrete anatomically shaped support, removably secured to each of said rims, said support being of a generally rigid material and wherein attachment of said support to said rims presents a substantially concave surface toward said depressed area, said concave surface being a part of said posture correcting surface; and

a pad juxtaposed over said tray and said supports, said pad comprising a flexible envelope containing a fluid material; and

secured to one of said rims, said support being of a generally rigid material.

26. The seat cushion of claim 25 wherein said support is secured to said rims by fabric hook and loop fastening means.

27. The seat cushion of claim 25 wherein said fluid material is a viscous liquid which flows gradually under pressure but which maintains its shape and position in the absence of pressure.

28. The seat cushion of claim 25 wherein said fluid material is a gas.