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Apparatus for supporting the body of a personApparatus for supporting the body of a person description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070069563, Apparatus for supporting the body of a person. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] The invention relates to an apparatus for supporting the body of a person, comprising a seating surface, a back support and a movable lordosis support arranged in the region of the back support, in which the one support acting in the region of the musculus latissimus dorsi of the person is provided for the trunk and in which the seating surface is provided with a configuration that can be lowered relative to the back support. [0002] Health problems in the field of the spine have become increasingly more important in the past few years. As a result of the currently prevailing living conditions, the intervertebral disks are strained to a strong extent, which may lead to a prolapse of a disk for example. Surgery for treating problems with intervertebral disks is very complex and naturally linked with side effects and risks. The stiffening of sections of the spinal column for relieving the damaged disks often leads to consequential damage in adjacent areas. In view of the above facts, the prevention of damage is of special importance and even a conservative treatment of injuries that have already occurred by methods of physiotherapy is also gaining in importance. [0003] From a scientific viewpoint, respective dynamic functional sequences and control loops are increasingly given more focus: [0004] In the clinical examination of persons with myealgia (which currently afflict two-thirds of the population of western industrial states), imaging diagnostics (X-rays, CT) show no respective morphological substrate in up to 90% of the cases. [0005] They predominantly concern functional-dynamic disorders and their consequences. [0006] The discovery of so-called Nozi receptors (receiving devices of certain cells which forward certain adverse influences; they can be found in numerous structures such as the capsules of the small vertebral joints, in the ligamentous apparatus, invertrebral disks, the periosteum of the spine of a vertebrae, etc.). [0007] A favorable tissue trophism (nutritional state, metabolism in the tissue) as occurs by dynamic sitting will prevent myealgia. [0008] Intervertebral disks (which are also known as the cartilage of the vertebral joints) do not have any blood vessels; trophism occurs through diffusion. [0009] Intervertebral disks require an exchange of fluids (and respective displacements of fluid in their fiber tissue) for nutrition and for removing metabolic products. This is ensured by an alternating load on the intervertebral disk. [0010] The intervertebral disk lives by movement. [0011] Lack of movement (e.g. longer "static" or non-dynamic sitting) impairs the metabolic processes and leads to early wearing of the intervertebral disks. Decreasing height of the intervertebral disks leads to a clear increase in pressure in the intervertebral joints (spondylarthrosis). [0012] The relevance of functional control loops and the pathogenesis of functional spinal column disorders are shown in FIG. 8 as a simplified example. [0013] Intradiskal pressure measurements have revealed that certain intermittent changes in position of the seated person will consistently reduce the intradiskal pressure. Especially advantageous are dosed traction positions of the lumbar spine with a slight flattening of the lumbar lordosis (=dosed kyphotic traction). This can be compared to a certain extent to zero-gravity in water (backstroke swimming). This method has proven its worth both preventatively as well as curatively. [0014] In nearly all functional disorders of the (lumbar) spine, a dosed traction (up to zero-gravity in the segments) is subjectively felt as pleasant and further acts in alleviating pain. [0015] So-called "lordosis supports" serve for providing an optimized seating static (the tendency towards kyphosis is compensated). Nozi-reactive reactions cannot be prevented due to lack of dynamic relief in case of longer sitting (examples: WO 01/60209, DE 100 30 065 A and EP 0 702 522 B). [0016] The precondition for a successful sitting concept therefore means considering physiological static and purposeful dynamic functional sequences. [0017] It has been seen however that said lordosis supports will often not show the desired effect and will partly even lead to increased problems. [0018] Solutions as are known for example from FR 2 683 983 A, EP 0 113 613 A or U.S. Pat. No. 3,140,118 A cannot solve the problems as described above in a satisfactory manner. [0019] It is the object of the present invention to avoid the disadvantages and to provide a solution which allows an actual relief especially in the region of the lumbar spine. [0020] It is provided for in accordance with the invention that the seating surface is subdivided into a front section and a back section which are height-adjustable independent from one another. The present invention is based on the finding that although conventional lordosis supports can cause a reduction of the normal forces occurring in the lumbar spine which are caused by the weight of the trunk of the respective person and any loads carried by such person, said lordosis support will lead to a bending strain on the spine which increases the concavity of the spine, which again leads to an unfavorable loading situation of the individual intervertebral disks. As a result, the actually positive effect of such a lordosis support is reduced or, under adverse conditions, is even reversed entirely. [0021] By providing an additional support which encloses and supports the thorax of the person, the solution in accordance with the invention allows a substantially pressure strain in the region of the lordosis support, so that the curvature of the spine in the concave region is not amplified but even reduced by stretching. As a result, the positive relieving effect which is caused by a reduction in the normal force can even be amplified. For this purpose it is not only necessary to lower the seating surface but to have a relative movement of the front and back section of the seating surface. [0022] The musculus latissimus dorsi is the largest muscle of the human with respect to its surface area. It is wide and planar and forms the muscular basis of the rear axillary fold. It originates with the pars vertebralis from the spines of the 7.sup.th to 12.sup.th vertebra of the chest, with the pars costalis from the 10.sup.th to 12.sup.th rib and as pars scapularis from the shoulder blade. Point of attachment is the crista tuberculi minoris on the humerus. It is the function of the musculus latissimus dorsi to lower the lifted arm, to adduct the arm and to pull the same to the back and medial. At the same time, an inside rotation of the arm is produced. [0023] In the area of this muscle there are also numerous points which are assigned spasmolytic (muscle-relaxing) properties in TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) when performing acupressure. [0024] A further relevant aspect of the invention is that the stretching of the spine is not caused primarily by a lifting of the lordosis support but on the contrary by a lowering of the seating surface, especially in the back region. On the one hand, the entire back support can also contribute to the support of the trunk by the occurring frictional forces and, on the other hand, this type of movement is conceived to be substantially more pleasant by persons using the apparatus. When using the apparatus in accordance with the invention as a vehicle seat it must be noted specially positively in this connection that the height of the head will virtually not change in this way. [0025] In order to achieve an especially advantageous effect it can be provided that only the rear section of the seating surface will lower in order to achieve a relief or that both sections will lower, but the back section more than the front one. It is especially advantageous when simultaneously with the lowering the front section is moved forwardly, as a result of which a bending moment is introduced into the lower lumbar spine, causing a stretching of the spine and a reduction in the concave curvature. A similar effect can also be achieved in that the seating surface is provided with a tiltable configuration in addition or as an alternative, as a result of which the buttocks is lowered in relationship to the knees of the sitting person. [0026] In an especially advantageous embodiment of the invention it is provided that the additional support encloses the thorax laterally up to the region of the axillary line. This means that the additional support supports the thorax of the person at the back and side, but releases the same to the front in order to avoid obstructing the movements necessary for breathing. An especially favorable transmission of force can be achieved in such a way that the additional support is provided with a movable configuration and can be pressed onto the trunk of the person. This is achieved by means of elements which can be inflated pneumatically, so that the exerted forces can be controlled individually. [0027] The solution in accordance with the invention can be used on the one hand as a therapeutic appliance in which a physician or a therapist controls the individual movements via a control unit in order to achieve the respective therapeutic effects. On the other hand, the apparatus can also be used as a seat for vehicles or as an office chair for example. The sequence of movements as described above is carried out at least when a person sits on the chair, but it can also be repeated in numerous intervals in order to neutralize the setting effects occurring in the meantime and in order to newly align the spine. [0028] The invention is now explained in closer detail by reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, wherein: [0029] FIG. 1 schematically shows an apparatus in accordance with the invention in a longitudinal sectional view; [0030] FIG. 2 shows an axonometric view of the apparatus of FIG. 1; [0031] FIG. 3 shows a sectional view along line III-III in FIG. 1; [0032] FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show details which show the actuation of the additional support; [0033] FIG. 6 shows an alternative form of the additional support; [0034] FIG. 7 schematically shows an alternative embodiment of the invention in a longitudinal sectional view, and [0035] FIG. 8 shows a diagram explaining the relevance of functional control loops and the pathogenesis of functional spinal disorders. [0036] FIG. 1 shows an apparatus in accordance with the invention as seat 1 for a motor vehicle together with the person 2 using the seat 1. The seat 1 consists of a seating surface 3 and a back support 4. The seating surface 3 is composed of two sections, namely a front section 5 provided for supporting the distal section of the thigh 7 of the person 2 and a rear section 6 provided for supporting the proximal section of the thigh 7 of the person 2. Continue reading about Apparatus for supporting the body of a person... Full patent description for Apparatus for supporting the body of a person Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Apparatus for supporting the body of a person patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Apparatus for supporting the body of a person or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Chassis as well as a child vehicle seat provided with such a chassis Next Patent Application: Chair having automatically adjustable backrest Industry Class: Chairs and seats ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Apparatus for supporting the body of a person patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.49052 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Medical: Surgery , Surgery(2) , Surgery(3) , Drug , Drug(2) , Prosthesis , Dentistry 174 |
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