Patent Application
20170135488
The present invention relates to supporting normal functions of blood circulatory systems for an extended periods of sitting. When people sit in a seat for an extended periods of time, the part of blood circulatory systems via buttocks and upper thighs are largely blocked or impaired by body weight against the seat. While keeping seat unmoved and maintain body and sitting pose unchanged, the invented method and apparatus releases pressures on buttocks and upper thighs against seat and helps blood circulatory system function normally.
Health risks related to extended periods of sitting are well-known. Researches have linked sitting for long periods of time with many health concerns, including metabolic syndrome—a cluster of conditions including high blood pressure, and it is also linked to risks of death from cardiovascular disease, vein twitching and varicose veins, muscle spasm and other health issues.
These problems are greatly due to circulatory systems, including arteries and veins, are largely blocked or impaired at upper thigh and buttocks, especially when we sit in a well-fitted, soft and comfortable seat. By comparison sitting in a hard surface chair without cushion may not feel comfortable, however since the body weight against chair is only with small areas of buttocks covering ischium (part of hips bones directly against seat).
There are great numbers of inventions and innovations related to sitting in prior arts. These invented technologies are mostly concentrated on improving sitting with comfort, conveniences, and applying modern technologies to maneuver details in sitting poses and touches, such improvements may not help and support normal functions of circulatory systems over an extended periods of sitting.
The present invention, apparatus and method, relates to supporting normal functions of blood circulatory systems over an extended periods of sitting. The invented apparatus and method help arteries and veins to circulate normally, while keeping body and or sitting poses unchanged. Keeping body and or sitting poses unchanged are necessary in many circumstances involving extended periods of sitting such as driving or sitting in an automobile, or sitting requiring not being interrupted by unwanted moves from the seat.
The invented apparatus has a platform consisted of non-active and active components, an actuator, a mechanical controller or hydraulic pressure controller or pneumatic pressure controller, is connected to the active components of the platform, a computerized-control system is connected to the actuator and sensors installed on the platform.
The non-active component, extending from the front end of the seat to the back or close to the back end of the seat and narrow at the front and gradually widened in bicycle-seat-like shape, is located in the middle of the seat; an active component or a group of active components on each side of the non-active component extending from the front end of the seat to the back or close to the back end of the seat cover areas on each side of the seat.
When a person sits in the seat his ischium bones directly sitting on the non-active component in the middle of the seat, like sitting on a bicycle seat. As the apparatus starts to operate with programmed motion patterns, timespans and time intervals, the active components descend one side after the other or both sides at the same time and then after a period of time raise back to their original levels repeatedly with pre-determined timespans and intervals. Each descending yields spaces just enough to allow buttocks and upper thighs to be released from pressures created by body weight against the seat, and to help arterial and vein circulations. Regardless whether active components descend one side after the other or at the same time on both sides, the person's body and sitting pose won't be affected as his main body structure sits on the non-active component like sitting on a bicycle seat.
Components of the platform, non-active and active, may be of panels made of hard materials such like metals and plastics, or soft compartments made of flexible materials such like rubber and filled with liquid or air.
If the active components are made of hard materials they are connected to a mechanical controller; if the active components are made of soft compartments they are either connected to a hydraulic pressure controller or pneumatic pressure controller.
Multiple active components on each side of the non-active component are installed to meet a variety of needs and conditions. For instance if the front end of the seat is higher than the back end, it is especially true for armchairs and sofa with cushion and the person sitting on them leaning back and or the front end seat raised higher than the back end, then it may need active components at and close to the front end of the seat to descend more than other components covering the other sections of the seat, so that pressures allocated over upper thighs may be released.
An angular sensor installed on the apparatus and connected to the computerized-control system. When seat angle is changed the apparatus is capable of adjusting pressure release and increase levels of the components in different areas of the platform in response to different angle-level of the seat and providing the best space and angle for helping normal functions of circulatory systems.
Pressure sensors are installed on different parts of the platform. By pinpointing body weight center lodged on the seat the active components may be adjusted to fit the various sitting positions. Further when sitting positions are changed in the chair, pressure sensors may send signals to the computerized-control system and adjust active components status, or when one side of chair receive much more weight than the other side, the computerized-control system may send visual, audio or voice signals via a system-control interface to remind the person to sit in middle, before start to operate the apparatus.
The apparatus shall immediately be stopped to operate when an unusual situation occurs. For instance the apparatus is installed underneath a driver's seat in an automobile if the driver starts to accelerate or decelerate the automobile, suddenly puts on brakes or abnormal road conditions, the apparatus shall be stopped to operate and keeping the active components stay at where they are at the moment when an unusual situation related to seating and or surrounding conditions occurs.
The apparatus may be activated by pressure sensors installed on the platform and turned on by body weight, or by receiving commands from a system-control panel configured with the computerized-control system.
The apparatus shall automatically return to its starting position as soon as the seat is unoccupied.
The apparatus may either be configured with a seat installed in automobiles, airplanes, armchairs, wheel chairs and etc., or designed and manufactured as portal products with plug and play features and put in any seat at any time.
An embodiment in accordance with the invention, and with reference to
A non-active component (
Three active components on each side of the non-active components covering rest of the seat areas (
When a person sits on the seat, pressure sensors (
Under preprogrammed procedures, the apparatus takes first move cycle after the person sitting on the seat for 10 minutes; it takes 10 seconds for the hydraulic pressure controller to release fluid from active components to the reservoir and complete the process of generating space on each side of the non-active component (
When a move cycle starts, the computerized-control system receives data from the angular sensor (
A layer of flexible material covering surface of the non-active component (
Pressure sensors (
If the apparatus is inserted in and configured with a seat in an automobile, the system-control interface in form of control panel is configured on dashboard or any convenient locations and the person occupying the seat may select functions on the control panel and change operation cycle pattern and other options.
If the apparatus is inserted in and configured with an armchair, wheelchair and etc., the control panel may be installed at a convenient place on the chair.
The hydraulic pressure controller of the apparatus may be replaced by a pneumatic pressure controller connected to the active components and the computerized-control system. By controlling air pressures within the active components the apparatus operates and functions the same.
The actuator and computerized-control systems may be installed at any place on the seat for the best arrangements of the components and or configuration along with other equipped devices on the seat.
Another embodiment in accordance with the invention, and with reference to
The embodiments are mainly a few illustrations of the invention, advantages of the invention may be learned by practice, realized and attained by means of the elements and combination particularly pointed out in claims. Further it is understood that both the foregoing general descriptions and detailed descriptions are exemplary and explanatory only and are not limited to the invention as claimed.
