Adjustable seat and back cushion

[54] ADJUSTABLE SEAT AND BACK CUSHION

[75] Inventors: Patrick J. Coyne, Shaker Heights;

Paul E. Brokaw, Euclid, both of Ohio

[73] Assignee: Master Manufacturing Co.,

Cleveland, Ohio

[21] Appl. No.: 259,559
[22] Filed: Jun. 14, 1994

Related U.S. Application Data

[63] Continuation of Ser. No. 868,298, Apr. 19, 1992, abandoned.

[51] Int. C1.6 A47C 27/15

[52] U.S. CI 297/284.1; 297/284.5;

297/230.14; 297/452.21; 297/452.32; 5/653

[58] Field of Search 297/284.1, 284.3, 284.4,

297/284.5, 230.1, 230.14, 452.21, 452.26, 452.27, 452.30, 452.32; 5/464, 465, 481, 653

[56] References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

Re. 32,734 8/1988 McLeod .

D. 268,976 5/1983 Ross .

D. 279,642 7/1985 Ross .

1,211,548 1/1917 Courts 5/465

1,667,626 4/1928 Epstein .

1,673,433 6/1928 Wheeler .

1,982,516 11/1934 Holmested .

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3,103,219 9/1963 Chadner .

3,118,153 1/1964 Hood .

3,181,530 5/1965 Storey .

3,321,241 5/1967 Froelich .

3,464,754 9/1969 Gottfried .

3,495,871 2/1970 Rosag et al 297/284.5 X

3,534,417 10/1970 Boyles .

3,608,106 9/1971 Parramon .

3,610,685 10/1971 Lay .

3,639,927 2/1972 Munch 5/464

3,765,721 10/1973 Watkin .

3,894,565 7/1974 Conner .

3,939,508 2/1976 Hall et al. .

3,974,827 8/1976 Bodeen .

3,987,507 10/1976 Hall .

4,080,675 3/1978 Kanowsky et al. .

54

53

4,143,909 3/1979 McFarlin .

4,335,725 7/1982 Geldmacher .

4,471,993 9/1984 Watson 297/460 X

4,534,593 8/1985 Ojala 297/284.4

4,592,589 6/1986 Hellwig .

4,682,818 7/1987 Morell .

4,706,313 11/1987 Murphy .

4,718,727 1/1988 Sheppard 297/452.32 X

4,759,543 7/1988 Feldman .

4,777,681 10/1988 Luck et al. .

4,810,034 3/1989 Beier 297/284

4,824,169 4/1989 Jarrell 297/230

4,959,880 10/1990 Tesch .

4,960,304 10/1990 Frantz .

4,975,996 12/1990 Evans et al. .

5,018,790 5/1991 Jay 297/284.1

5,172,439 12/1992 Farley 5/481 X

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

224294 11/1962 Austria 5/464

2812961 6/1979 Germany 5/464

Primary Examiner—Peter R. Brown

Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Calfee Halter & Griswold

[57] ABSTRACT

An adjustable seat or back cushion to provide comfort and support for a sitting individual has an outer fabric cover with a front panel and a back panel forming an enclosure. The cover has a zippered opening which provides selected access to the enclosure. At least one support pad formed from compressible material with a first predetermined configuration and a first ILD is designed to be inserted through the opening and selectively located in the enclosure adjacent the front panel. A plurality of other support pads also formed of compressible material having at least one other predetermined configuration and ILD different than the configuration and ILD of the first support pad can be inserted through the opening and selectively located between the first support pad and the rear panel. The support pads are located in adjacent, surface-to-surface contact to create a tiered structure within the cushion. The support pads can be arranged and/or rearranged one in front of the other within the cushion to provide a cushion which can be personalized to the particular comfort and support needs of the individual.

20 Claims, 1 Drawing Sheet

ADJUSTABLE SEAT AND BACK CUSHION

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/868,298, filed on Apr. 14, 1992, abandoned. 5

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to seat and back cushions, and more particularly to seat and back cushions with inner support pads which can be selec- 10 tively arranged and/or rearranged within an outer cover to provide a cushion which can be personalized to the particular comfort and support needs of the individual.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 15

Maintaining comfort and support for the sitting individual, particularly in the work environment, has been the goal of industrial health practitioners for years. One way of achieving this goal has been through the use of 20 economically designed chairs. These types of chairs attempt to support the individual such that pressure on the pelvic and lumbar regions of the body is reduced— which has been found to increase circulation, require less muscle activity, and generally provide other health 25 benefits. While these types of chairs provide certain benefits in supporting the sitting individual which are typically not found in conventional chairs, economically designed chairs can be relatively expensive, require replacement of chairs previously acquired, and 30 can be limited in flexibility in adjusting to individuals with particular comfort and support requirements.

Another way of achieving proper comfort and support for the sitting individual has been through the use of cushions, and in particular, seat and/or back cush- 35 ions. For example, back cushions can be attached to the back of the chair to provide a certain amount of comfort and support for the lumbar region of the individual; while seat cushions can be placed on the seat of a chair to provide comfort and support for both the lumbar and 40 pelvic regions of the individual. The seat and back cushions can be relatively less expensive than ergonomically designed chairs, can be used with existing chairs, and in some cases allow a certain amount of adjustment to compensate for the particular comfort and support re- 45 quirements of the individual.

Seat and back cushions of this type have been developed to correct posture or muscular imbalances, to provide support to compensate for a poorly-designed chair, and/or to provide a favorable physiological lum- 50 bar lordosis for the sitting individual. "Lumbar lordosis" is the slight forward curvature of the spine in the lumbar region achieved during forward tilt sitting. This position minimizes the pressure on the invertebral discs, requires less muscle activity (e.g., diaphragm function) 55 than the Kyphotic ("hunched-over") posture, and minimizes stress on the posterior lumbar ligaments.

For example, one type of back cushion is shown in Feldman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,543; and Beier, U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,034. These references disclose orthopedic 60 devices attached to or leaning against the back of the chair to support the lumbar region of the spine when a person is in a sitting position. These orthopedic devices have inflatable air chambers which can be inflated/deflated depending upon the desired lumbar support. 65

Another type of back cushion is shown in Bodeen, U.S. Pat. No. 3,974,827 ("Bodeen"). This reference discloses a cushion having a backrest and a lumbar

support cushion enclosed within a cover. The lumbar support cushion can be adjusted relative to the backrest (or removed and replaced) to accommodate the physical structure of different individuals.

Still another type of back cushion is shown in Watson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,993 ("Watson"). The Watson device includes an orthopedic-shaped structural support formed of thermoplastic material and covered by a fabric enclosure. The Watson device includes straps which allow the cushion to be attached to the back of a chair or seat.

On the other hand, one type of seat cushion is shown in Hellwig, U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,589 and Frantz, U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,304. These references disclose a seat cushion having inflatable enclosures which can be inflated/deflated depending upon the necessary support for the pelvis and the lumbar region.

Although the aforementioned seat and back cushions provide a certain amount of flexibility in adjusting the profile of the cushion, there is a continued need for relatively inexpensive seat and-back cushions which can be simply and easily adjusted to provide a cushion which can be personalized to the particular comfort and support needs of the individual.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a new and useful adjustable seat and back cushion which provides comfort and support for the sitting individual. The adjustable cushion includes a plurality of inner support pads which can be selectively arranged and/or rearranged within an outer cover to provide a cushion with a predetermined geometric profile. According to one aspect of the invention, the cushion can be used as a back cushion to provide lumbar support for the sitting person, while according to another aspect of the invention, the cushion can be used as a seat cushion to provide lumbar and pelvic support, and in particular, to achieve lumbar lordosis.

According to either aspect of the invention, the adjustable cushion includes an outer fabric cover folded lengthwise to form a front panel and a back panel. The front panel and back panel normally extend in proximate relation to each other and are connected along their open sides and front with a fastener such as a zipper.

The plurality of support pads for the cushion are formed of generally flat, compressible material and are designed to be inserted within the zippered opening and selectively located between the front panel and the back panel of the cover. More particularly, in the case of the seat cushion, a first pair of support pads are designed to be inserted into the cover and located adjacent to the front panel. A plurality of other support pads can be inserted into the cover between the first pair of support pads and the back panel. The other support pads have a configuration (e.g., a length) which is different from the configuration of the first pair of support pads to create a tiered structure within the cushion. The tiered structure of the pads provides a seat cushion with a predetermined geometric profile for supporting the sitting individual.

The plurality of other support pads can be arranged and/or rearranged one in front of the other within the cover to adjust the tiered structure by removing the pads through the zippered opening and reinserting the pads in a different arrangement, by inserting more (or few pads within the cushion, or by manipulating (e.g., 3

folding over or rolling up) the pads. By adjusting the tiered structure of the pads, the geometric profile of the cushion can be adjusted such that lumbar lordosis is achieved for a particular individual when the individual sits on the cushion. Moreover, the support pads can be 5 introduced into the cover periodically as the individual becomes comfortable and accustomed to the geometric profile of the cushion. In any case, it is preferred that the pair of support pads adjacent the front panel have a predetermined firmness which provides a substantially 10 smooth and continuous outer surface for the sitting individual, regardless of the arrangement of the other support pads.

In the case of the back cushion, a first support pad can be inserted between the front and back panels and lo- 15 cated adjacent to the front panel of the outer fabric cover. A plurality of other support pads can be inserted into the cover between the first support pad and the back panel. The other support pads have a configuration (e.g., a length) which is different from the configu- 20 ration of the first support pad to provide a tiered structure within the back cushion. The tiered structure of the support pads provides a back cushion with a predetermined geometric profile for supporting the sitting individual. As with the seat cushion, the other support pads 25 within the back cushion can be selectively arranged and/or rearranged one in front of the other within the cover to adjust the geometric profile of the cushion depending on the support and comfort needs of the individual. Additionally, the first support pad adjacent 30 the front panel has a predetermined firmness which provides a substantially smooth and continuous outer surface for the individual, regardless of arrangement of the other support pads.

Both the seat and back cushion can be secured to a 35 chair using hook and loop fasteners or other fastening means. For example, for the back cushion, strips of velcro can be attached to the back panel, while other strips of velcro (or fabric) can be attached to the back of the chair to allow the back cushion to be easily attached 40 and/or detached from the back of the chair. In the case of the seat cushion, velcro strips can be attached to the back panel to allow the seat cushion to be easily attached and/or detached from the seat of the chair.

Accordingly, it is a basic object of the present inven- 45 tion to provide an adjustable cushion which provides comfort and support for a sitting individual.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lowcost seat or back cushion which has a geometric profile that can be simply and easily adjusted depending upon 50 the particular comfort and support needs of the individual.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a cushion such as a seat cushion which can be periodically adjusted as the sitting individual becomes 55 comfortable and accustomed to the geometric profile of the cushion until lumbar lordosis is achieved.

Further objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings which form a part of the speci- 60 fication.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a chair having a seat cushion and a back cushion constructed according to 65 the principles of the present invention attached thereto;

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional perspective view of the seat cushion of FIG. 1;

4

FIG. 3A is a schematic illustration of a first step for assembling the seat cushion of FIG. 1, wherein a first pair of support pads are introduced into the cushion;

FIG 3B is a schematic illustration of a subsequent step for assembling the seat cushion of FIG. 1, wherein a third support pad is introduced into the cushion;

FIG. 3C is a schematic illustration of yet a subsequent step in assembling the seat cushion of FIG. 1, wherein a fourth support pad is introduced into the cushion;

FIG. 3D is a schematic illustration of still another step in assembling the seat cushion of FIG. 1, wherein a fifth pad is introduced into the cushion;

FIG. 3E is a schematic illustration of a different arrangement of support pads for the seat cushion of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional side view of the back rest of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5A is a schematic illustration of a first arrangement support pads for the back rest of FIG. 1;

FIG. SB is a schematic illustration of another arrangement of support pads for the back rest of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5C is a schematic illustration of yet another arrangement of support pads for the back rest of FIG. 1 with one support pad in a rolled up configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIG. 1, a chair is illustrated generally at A for providing support for a sitting individual. A seat cushion, indicated generally at 10, and a back cushion, indicated generally at 12, are attached to the chair to provide comfort and support for a sitting individual, as will be described herein in more detail. It must be noted that the chair is shown for illustration purposes only, and the present invention is not limited to a particular type of chair or chair design. In fact, the present invention can be used in any situation where it is necessary to support an individual in a sitting position, for example, in an automobile or an airplane, or on a couch or bench. These variations should become apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading the present specification.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the seat cushion 10 of the present invention includes an outer fabric cover 20 preferably formed in one piece and folded lengthwise to form a front panel 22 and a back panel 24. The seat cushion is also shown as having sides 27, front 28 and back 29. A fastening means such as a zipper 26 or velcro fasteners (not shown) extends along the sides 27 and front 28 on each panel and is designed to interconnect the periphery of the panels to define an enclosure. The zipper 26 can be any commercially available type that is sewn or otherwise attached to the panels and which allows selected access to the enclosure. It will also be understood that the cover can also be formed in a plurality of pieces sewn or otherwise fastened together along one or more sides or edges, and/or that the zipper (or other fastening means) could extend completely around the sides and edges of the front and back panels, or alternatively, only partially along a side or edge. These variations should also be apparent to those skilled in the art.

A plurality of support pads, indicated generally at 30, can be introduced within the enclosure to create a seat cushion with a predetermined geometric profile for support and cushioning of a sitting individual. The plurality of support pads are preferably formed from com