Method for optimally determining appropriate ergonomics for occupants of a workspace

• US 8,195,475 B1
• Filed: 06/03/2003
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atlas Ergonomics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Atlas Ergonomics, LLC
• Inventors: Landsman, James, Robbins, Sherman, Bossen, Drew, Gregory, Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunham, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALTSCHUL, AMBER L
• Application Number:
  US10/250,095
• Time in Patent Office: 3,290 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 3
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/20 relating to practices or guidelines

Abstract

A business method for optimally determining appropriate ergonomics of occupants of a workspace including a metric determined from personal-, environmental- and task-related attributes.

Claims

1. An apparatus for improving ergonomics for a user within a workplace, comprising:

plurality of work areas, wherein a user can perform multiple physical tasks within the workplace by interacting with the plurality of work areas, each of the plurality of work areas having at least one physically adjustable parameter adjustable through a range of motion;

an indicator associated with each of the plurality of work areas, the indicator comprising a series of visually unique settings, each setting corresponding to a physical range of motion of the at least one physically adjustable parameter of the corresponding plurality of work areas; and

a stored data set associated with the user of the workplace, wherein the stored data set comprises information representative of a determined series of ergonomic settings for each of the at least one physically adjustable parameter of the plurality of work areas in the workplace as represented by the indicator and correlated with the user of the workplace;

wherein retrieval of the stored data set corresponding to the user permits the plurality of work areas to be conformed to the determined series of ergonomic settings in the stored data set associated with the user of the workplace.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the determined series of ergonomic settings are based on input data representative of at least one of:

(1) at least one physical characteristic of the user, (2) at least one physical characteristic of at least one task performed by the user, and (3) at least one physical characteristic of at least one environmental feature of the workplace.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the input data is input into at least one function and an output of the at least one function is used to determine a first series of fit settings for each of the plurality of work areas in the workplace.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the first series of fit settings is used to determine the series of ergonomic settings corresponding to the user of the workplace.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the workplace comprises an office environment.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein at least one of the work areas comprises a keyboard located on an adjustable support tray having at least one physically adjustable parameter.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein at least one of the work areas comprises a chair having a plurality of physically adjustable parameters.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein at least one of the work area comprises a monitor mounted on a stand having at least one physically adjustable parameter.

9. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the workplace comprises a home office.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the workplace comprises a manufacturing facility.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the work area comprises at least one of a work station, an assembly station, a computer work station and combinations thereof.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one physically adjustable parameter comprises at least one of a seat height of a chair, an arm height of a chair, a monitor position, a leg position, a thigh position, an arm width adjustment of a chair, a lumbar height adjustment of a chair, a tilt lock adjustment of a chair, seat depth adjustment of a chair, a work surface height, a keyboard height, an input device position, a document holder position, a telephone position, a telephone use position, a foot rest position, a task position and combinations thereof.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one physically adjustable parameter is adjustable through a range of motion having a first end and a second end and the series of visually unique settings comprises a first unique setting generally associated with a portion of the range of motion adjacent the first end, a second unique setting generally associated with a portion of the range of motion adjacent the second end, and at least one intervening unique setting between the first unique setting and the second unique setting.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each visually unique setting is color-coded to be visually distinct from the other of the visually unique settings.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the stored data set includes a matrix of determined ergonomic settings to which each of the at least one users is coded corresponding to each of the at least one physically adjustable parameters.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the visually unique settings of the indicator are visually perceptible from a distance to allow for easy visual auditing of the alignment of the at least one physically adjustable parameter of the plurality of work areas with the determined series of ergonomic settings corresponding to the user in the work area.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the visually unique settings of the indicator include sub-graduated areas corresponding to additional ergonomic settings.