US20160113404A1

US20160113404A1 - Malleable seat base with differentiated accommodation sectors for protuberant areas applied on seats of furniture destined to accommodating individuals in the seated position

Info

Publication number: US20160113404A1
Application number: US14/522,888
Authority: US
Inventors: Eduardo Walker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-10-24
Filing date: 2014-10-24
Publication date: 2016-04-28

Abstract

A malleable seat base with differentiated accommodation sectors for protuberant areas applied on seats of furniture destined to the accommodation of seated individuals” represented by an inventive solution in the furniture industry, specifically in furniture destined to the accommodation of individuals in the position technically known as “seated position,” wherein, to solve the problem of discomfort created by protuberances on the individual's clothing (A), notably in pockets (c1) of pants (c1), in the gluteal region, to the seat (b) notably in the structural foam element (b22), at least two relief sectors (b23), also made of foam, are introduced in line with the pockets (c1), wherein, however, their density is lower than the structural foam (b22) density, wherein, alternatively, the relief sectors may be defined in the form of empty spaces, inflatable purses and even a mechanical dampening system.

Description

FIELD OF APPLICATION

The invention is directed to the furniture and seats industry, specifically in furniture destined to the accommodation of individuals in the position technically known as “seated position.”

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In order to provide veracity, and to consolidate the context explicated in the topics of the introduction, an explanation shall be provided on the state-of-the-technique dictated by solutions developed and largely used to provide accommodation of seated, i.e., resting individuals, wherein, after a critical analysis thereof, once exposed to professionals with expertise in the design of products provided with ergonomics in association with designs of furniture for seating of the human body, they may identify their limiting aspects, thus consolidating the identification of the need of ergonomic nature listed above.

Conventional Constructive Concept:

Furniture destined to provide accommodation of a seated individual is known for thousands of years, wherein, with human evolution, such furniture experienced a great evolution, with the milestone of the search for the best possible ergonomics, i.e., to provide maximum comfort, invariably resulting in a constructive concept that may be understood by the composition of the following structural and functional modules:

- Structural base module: Comprised by a structure sustaining the seat module; may be comprised of feet (in case of chairs) or even one involving base (in case of armchairs or seats of motor vehicles);
- Seat module: Comprised by a structure specified to provide accommodation for the gluteal region, and also support the individual body weight, which, in seated position, is concentrated on said region;
- Support arms module: Present in some furniture destined to provide accommodation to seated individuals, being, in general, assembled on the lateral ends of the seat module structure, with the function of providing support and rest to the individual's forearms; and
- Back module: Also present in some furniture destined to provide accommodation for seating individuals, being assembled on the posterior part on the structure of the seat module, with the function of providing support and rest to the back of the individual.

In a remissive manner, furniture destined to provide accommodation to seated individuals have the following qualities:

- To provide comfort for the legs, with an optimized proportion of the height of the moveable seat related to the height of the legs of the individual;
- To provide comfort for the arms, with an optimized proportion of the forearms related to the “arms” of the furniture,
- To provide comfort of the back region, with an optimized proportion of the seatback with the curvature of the vertebral column of the individual, as well as related to the comfort generated by the correct accommodation of the back of the individual to the seatback; and
- To provide comfort of the gluteal region, with an optimined proportion of the height of the seat related to the gluteus, when the individual is in semi-squat position and also related to the comfort generated by the uniform distribution of the weight of the body seated on the seat.

It is notorious that there is an infinity of solutions in furniture to provide rest to the seated individual, being also a general consensus that there are solutions with a high comfort degree, and in compensation, solutions that leave something to be desired in this sense.
For purposes of this invention, the applicant has elected the seat module of furniture destined to provide accommodation of a seated individual. Even though this constructive concept contained in the seat module of furniture to provide rest to a seated individual presents functional efficacy, it has a series of restrictive aspects, wherein, for purposes of this invention, the factor ergonomics of rest of the individual's gluteal region shall be considered for study.
Within this context, it is a fact that individuals, notably male, are contumacious users of the pockets defined on the front and on the back of their pants, shorts. Particularly, focusing on the use of the back pockets of clothes, particularly men use them to accommodate wallets.
Most recently, it has become common to accommodate therein mobile telephone devices. It occurs that, upon using such wallets or mobile telephone devices, the individual creates on their gluteal region an aesthetically undesirable protuberance when they stand up.
On the other hand turn, when the individual sits down on a specific furniture seat (motor vehicles seat, couches, among others, such protuberance interferes directly on the distribution of the individual's weight on said seat, causing the occurrence of a compression action, which, in a tight synthesis, causes the occurrence of a reverse force of compression, specifically against their gluteal region. Such reverse compression is what determines a certain discomfort of the individual, thus compromising their use ergonomics.
Considering the industry and trade of furniture destined to accommodate individuals on seated position, the applicant has noticed an emerging need of providing use ergonomics to them when a protuberance is formed on the gluteal part of the clothing. Such use ergonomics may be translated by the obtainment of a seated position of the individual with maximum comfort, wherein, in such condition, the individual must experience a high degree of satisfaction in comfort, mainly when one considers the fact that said individual must remain seated for a long time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the revelations of the invention demand topic, the applicant has elected as a paradigm of development seats of furniture destined to provide rest on seated position, and for purposes hereof, the applicant has elected chairs or seats of motor vehicles.
More specifically, it is possible to list a roster of furniture particularly useful to receive the malleable seat base with differentiated sectors of accommodation for protuberant areas.
By protuberant areas we understand those areas with a rebound compared to the area commonly defined for the gluteus of an individual, when dressed, such as on the region where the back pockets are provided, wherein, in complement, protuberances are commonly formed by objects accommodated inside the so-called back pockets, such as wallets.
By furniture for seated accommodation, it is possible to list a rich roster of possibilities, such as furniture for the residential environment (chairs, sofas, puffs, among others) and seats for motor, terrestrial, sea and air vehicles, among others.
According to the demand and paradigm of the invention, the applicant idealized an unedited “malleable seat base with differentiated sectors of accommodation for protuberating areas applied to seats of furniture destined to accommodating seated individuals” provided with the associated novelty of inventive activity, for it does not result, in an obvious or evident manner, of other known solutions in the state-of-the-technique for furniture of this nature and of conventional constructive and functional concept.
Additionally, the “invention” is provided with industrial applicability, being economically feasible and, therefore, thoroughly fulfilling the patentability requirements, notably as an invention patent.
The applicant, aware of the gap existing for the current seat module of furniture with the purpose of providing rest to seated individuals, has idealized an inventive solution wherein, even though they do not eliminate the eventual existence of a protuberance on the back pockets of clothing, causes the discomfort caused thereby to be at least minimized, with the consequent obtainment of a seat module with ergonomic quality.
In order to render feasible the benefit listed, the seat module presents a differentiated constructive embodiment, wherein, considering that such seat presents a foam base, exactly on the point of contact of gluteus, its area then receives an insertion of a foam segment of lesser density, thus collaborating with a correct and effective action of accommodation of the individual's gluteal region.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement this description so as to obtain a better comprehension of the characteristics of this invention and, according to a preferred form of practical embodiment thereof, followed by the attached description, a set of drawings, where, in an exemplified manner, but not limited thereto, the following was represented:

FIG. 1 illustrates a general representation of an individual seated on a chair-type piece of furniture indicating the seat module, which is the object of present invention;

FIG. 2 is an illustrative representation of the condition of accommodation of the gluteus of the individual on a conventional seat module, indicating the undesired accommodation upon the presence of protuberances on the pockets of the individual's clothing;

FIG. 3 is an illustrative representation of the condition of accommodation of the gluteus of the individual on a seat module according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is an illustrative representation on an orthogonal cross-sectional view of the seat module, according to an embodiment with the introduction of segments of foam of better density in the region of accommodation of the gluteus;

FIG. 5 is an illustrative representation on a transversal cross-sectional view of the new constructive layout of the seat module, in an embodiment of the invention with the introduction of segments of foam of lesser density in the region of accommodation of the gluteus;

FIG. 6 is an illustrative representation of the condition of accommodation of the gluteus of the individual on a seat module according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is an illustrative representation on an orthogonal cross-sectional view of the seat module, according to another embodiment of the invention with empty spaces in the region of accommodation of the gluteus;

FIG. 8 is an illustrative representation on a transversal cross-sectional view of seat module, according to another embodiment of the invention with empty spaces in the region of accommodation of the gluteus;

FIG. 9 is an illustrative representation of the condition of accommodation of the gluteus of the individual on a seat module according to yet another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is an illustrative representation on an orthogonal cross-sectional view of the seat module, according to yet another embodiment of the invention with inflated bags in the region of accommodation of the gluteus;

FIG. 11 is an illustrative representation on a transversal cross-sectional view of the seat module, according to yet another embodiment of the invention with inflated bags in the region of accommodation of the gluteus;

FIG. 12 is an illustrative representation of the condition of accommodation of the gluteus of the individual on a seat module according to still another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 13 is an illustrative representation on an orthogonal cross-sectional view of seat module, according to still another embodiment of the invention with a damping mechanism in the region of accommodation of the gluteus; and

FIG. 14 is an illustrative representation on a transversal cross-sectional view of the seat module, according to still another embodiment of the invention with a damping mechanism in the region of accommodation of the gluteus.

Throughout the figures, the same reference numbers and characters, unless otherwise stated, are used to denote like elements, components, portions or features of the illustrated embodiments. The subject invention will be described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying figures, in view of the illustrative embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description must be read and interpreted with reference to the drawings presented, representing a preferred form of realization for the “malleable seat base with differentiated sectors for accommodation for the protuberating areas applied on seats of furniture destined to the accommodation of seated individuals,” not being intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is limited only to what is explicited in the claims chart.
As evidenced in FIG. 1, one individual is represented (A) in seated position on a piece of furniture (B), chairlike, evidencing the parts that are the main components of such piece of furniture, such as: base (b1), in the form of fixed or rotating feet, for instance, seat (b2), rest arms (b3) and back (b4).
As evidenced in FIG. 2, the individual (A), when sitting down, has his/her gluteal region accommodated on the seat (b2), creating a force of contact (F1), wherein, however, when clothing (c) such as pants, has their pockets (c1) filled with objects, such as wallet, cell-phone, etc., generating a protuberating region, which, on its turn, upon forcing on the seat cover (b21), causes a reverse effect, causing the creation of a reverse force (F2) to the force of contact (F1).
Such condition occurs due to the structural foam (b22) presenting uniform thickness, which causes it to be adequate to the contact with the gluteal region, but is not effective on the region of protuberance, causing it, due to the action of a the reverse force (F2) to return compared to the gluteal region, causing discomfort in the individual (A).
As evidenced in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the new layout for the seat (b2) now has at least two relief sectors (b23), in the form of an insertion with foam of lesser density compared to the structural foam (22).
As evidenced in FIG. 3, the individual (A), when sitting down, has their gluteal region accommodated on the seat (b2), creating a force of contact (F1), wherein, however, when clothing (c) such as pants, has their pockets (c1) filled with objects, such as wallet, cell-phone, etc., generating a protuberating region, which, on its turn, upon forcing on the seat cover (b21), causes a reverse effect, causing the creation of a reverse force (F2) to the force of contact (F1).
In a tight synthesis, the region of protuberance is easily accommodated on the seat (b).
Within the context of the previous paragraphs, it is also possible to think in a second form of embodiment of the invention, wherein in the region of accommodation of the gluteus, specifically in the position of the ischial tuberosities, the relief sectors (b23) are merely empty spaces, as evidenced in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 respectively.
On the other hand, in another form of embodiment, the relief sectors (b23) may be defined in the form of inflatable purses, as evidenced in FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 respectively.
Finally, and in another form of embodiment, the relief sectors (b23) may be defined as a dampening platform, comprised by an inferior base structure (b24) on which a set of springs (b25) is assembled, which, on its turn, is superimposed by a support plate (b26), as evidenced in FIGS. 12, 13 and 14 respectively.
It is verified through the description and illustrations that the malleable seat base with differentiated sectors of accommodation for protuberant areas applied on seats of furniture destined to the accommodation of seated individuals claimed herein fits in the standards governing the invention patent in the light of the Industrial Property Law, and deserves, under what was exposed and as a consequence, the respective privilege.
The choice of the preferred form of realization of the invention object of the claim hereof, described in this invention details topic is supplied only as example. Changes, modifications and variations may be made for any forms of realization of inventive seat by those with ability in the art, without, however, diverging from the purpose revealed in the plea of this patent, which is exclusively defined by the attached claims.

Claims

I Claim:

1. A malleable seat base with differentiated sectors of accommodation for the protuberant areas applied on seats of furniture destined to the accommodation of seated individuals, wherein one piece of furniture (B) includes a base (b1), in the form of fixed or rotating feet, for instance, a seat (b2), support arms (b3) and back (b4), wherein on an seat (b2) it is comprised of a cover (b21) which covers a structural foam (b22), said seat (b2) comprising: at least two sectors of relief (b23) of foam inserted in the structural foam (b22).

2. The malleable seat according to claim 1, wherein the relief sectors (b23) comprise foam of lesser density than the structural foam (b22).

3. The malleable seat according to claim 1, wherein said relief sectors (b23) comprise empty spaces.

4. The malleable seat according to claim 1, wherein the relief sectors (b23) comprise inflatable purses.

5. The malleable seat according to claim 1, wherein the relief sectors (b23) comprise an accommodation platform comprised of an inferior base structure (b24) on which a set of springs (b25) is assembled, which in turn, is super-imposed by a support plate (b26).