CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority of U.S. Ser. No. 60/841,431, filed Aug. 31, 2006.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to exercise equipment, and more specifically to methods and apparatus for efficiently exercising while reducing lumbar strain.

The weightless chair, seatpan and back rest addresses an age old problem. With best estimate approximately 500,000 years ago, one of our primate ancestors choose to sit on an elevated surface, a log, a rock or a stump with his feet positioned some distance vertically below his posterior.

That same seating phenomena exists today with the same failings that were present so many thousands of years ago. That problem was and is; when one is seated ones buttocks become fixed or fixated to the surface of the chair. The consequences resulting from this seated position is that movement in our hip and pelvic area is compromised.

Once our hips become fixated a host of anomalies develop. The most obvious, of course, is back pain. But as our hips lose mobility, the range of consequences is far-reaching. Walking is directly affected by a lack of hip mobility or pelvic dysfunction. Once mobility is compromised inactivity will result.

One will not even understand why they are not interested in sports, dance or other physically challenging activities, they will just be disinterested. While in reality, their brain and their psyche are actually responding to one's innate awareness of their pelvic dysfunction and limitations.

Clearly professionals are too aware that inactivity leads to obesity, which of course contributes to high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. There is credible evidence that inactivity contributes to respiratory, digestive, circulatory ailments and sexual dysfunction, as well.

Let's not dismiss the fact that inactivity also will and does contribute to one's psychological well-being, or lack off. As the integrity of one mechanical structure is undermined, one's posture relationship becomes deviated. This can and will affect one's self-esteem, which as we know plays a major role in stress, anxiety and depression.

The list of consequences goes on, and it is quite extensive.

A sedentary lifestyle's less obvious problem; as clear as it is to see how an individual's buttocks become fixed against the chair's seatpan, is less apparent, as to what the effects are upon one's mechanical function resulting from its chair's back rest or lack of.

To discuss the consequences which occur, due to a seat having no backrest. It would be better explained, as to what benefits and consequences occur resulting from one's seat back itself.

In a perfect world, the seat back, especially in the lumbar area, can serve as a dynamic kinesthetic component. As one presses ones lower back firmly against the backrest especially in one's lumbar area, an automatic cause and effect relationship occurs; one's abdominal musculature is activated.

Unfortunately, conventional backrests, lumbar supports, lumbar cushions and the like are fixed or are built directly into the seat back. This phenomena puts the user at a mechanical disadvantage. One is forced to â€œseek-outâ€ and â€œengageâ€ the backrest and then apply force to it.

The body and brain then are engaged in a process; one must â€œassess and then subsequently direct a force onto the object or surface.â€ In that statement itself is an inherent flaw with many physical exercise type modalities and equipment.

The body and the brain are constantly engaged in this process of â€œassessing and directing force loads,â€ with varying degrees of success. For instance, some of those examples would be: Will this chair hold me? Does it wobble? How stable or unstable, is this surface and will it shift? And how much? And how far? And then of course the ultimate question is, what will happen if it does?

As we continue the engage in this process or dialogue with ourselves, the endgame is; Just how much load can we direct and what will be the resulting physical benefits that can be accomplished or not, regarding a particular physical surface.

To simplify, although we know and can feel that by pressing our lower backs into a firm structure are abdominal musculature will be activated, as we administer this movement or range of motion, we find it to be extremely uncomfortable. The obvious question is why? The larger reason for this is because we are applying linear forces against a fixed or immovable backrest. Conversely, our innate movement system would prefer to apply a more circular force against the backrest, to effectively and more comfortably achieve that muscular contraction in the abdominal area. We must never cease to remind ourselves that we are not linear creatures.

With regards to a chair without a backrest, the obvious failing is that there is no mechanical means for which to interact with in the first place. Therefore clearly, there is no structure to interact with to accomplish those associated physiological gains.

To summarize, the body's movement capacity is immense. If we limit its movement, especially in the pelvic or trunk area, the consequences will affect the body's entire movement capabilities. The bigger challenge is to design a movement system, especially one addressing the hip and pelvic area and one that will be conducive to the body's own innate movement patterns.

Given the understanding, that this core or trunk area is demonstrative of a multiple system of circular movement patterns; We must introduce mechanical components that are both linear and collinear with definite delineated parameters, yet having the capacity to allow the core to move in infinite directions.

Furthermore, it must be a mechanical system that the body has an affinity for.

THE OBJECT OF THIS INVENTION

Given the background, the need for both an active and interactive seating apparatus is of absolute necessity.

The weightless chair, seatpan and backrest provide the user with a sophisticated and interactive lumbar and pelvic support system.

The uniqueness of the support system created by the weightless chair, seatpan and backrest is that it provides the user with an infinite range of motion, in both the pelvic and lumbar areas. An even more important fact is, that its design and movement patterns which are created, although infinite in direction, fall on specific delineated parameters.

What is interesting about these movement parameters is that they integrate with the brain's innate interpretive process. That process of; â€œassessing and directing force loads,â€ as was mentioned above.

It should be easy to understand, that the easier it is for one to intellectually integrate with one's physical environment, the propensity to accomplish larger and more sophisticated force loading onto those surfaces, will occur. Obviously, pointing to a greater degree of muscular activity and improved muscular coordination, will result.

Furthermore, given the fact that one will accomplish movement in infinite directions, in the torso or pelvic area and additionally expand the limits of those ranges of motion, one's movement potential is increased geometrically.

The indigenous aspect of the weightless chair is the fact that both components create a virtual weightless environment without limits, friction or resistance, unless such components are desired, and those features can be implemented upon demand.

A further object of said invention is that the weightless, seatpan and backrest can be permanently fixed or built into a conventional chair or conversely, said device can be made portable and can be strapped onto existing chairs and seating.

The objects set forth above, as well as, further and other objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved by the embodiments of the invention described herein below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The weightless chair, seatpan and backrest is described below.

The weightless chair, seat pan consists of a multilevel platform. The bottom most level is the base structure. It has two parallel tracks of rollers or balls moving along a linear path which the next upper level sits on top of. Said bottom most level or base structure is equipped with adjustable stop limits, to limit or expand the range of motion of the second-level platform.

The second level has tracks that integrate with the bottom rollers of the base, which provide for linear movements of the second platform. The top of the second-level has a second set of rollers or balls at a right angle to the set of rollers of the base.

On top of the second-level is a third level. This third level has a set of tracks which integrate with the balls or rollers of the second-level which again provides movements in a linear path at a right angle to the lower-level. This linear movement pattern, which is at a right angle to the second-level platform constitutes a collinear moving system.

This is unique movement system is what sets the weightless chair, seatpan and backrest apart from other moving seatpan arrangements. It allows the seatpan to move exactly linearly forward and backward, exactly linearly side to side, the capacity to move in any diagonal direction and to move in any arc or circular direction as well. All movement is completely uninhibited and without obstruction. Therefore it is virtually the freest formal movement possible.

On top of the third level incorporates a rotating surface. This top surface is a seat pan which is appropriately cushioned for comfort.

The weightless chair, backrest. Just as the seatpan is a collinear directional moving device, so too is the weightless chair backrest at its optimum functional capacity.

It is duly anticipated and designed such that a simplified application and construction of said backrest can be administered.

At its optimal functioning capacity, the weightless chair backrest affords movement in both vertical and horizontal directions, and simultaneously in a combination of both directions as required by the user.

A simplified aspect of said backrest, would be capable of only horizontal movement of said backrest, side to side. In the optimal functioning, fully integrated, weightless chair backrest, said backrest consists of a multilayered planar device. The largest of which, the base structure, would be a mostly flat planar structure with attaching means at the top and bottom. Such attaching means would be implemented for clamping or strapping on to seek back.

On the front-most surface of said may structure I parallel series of rollers arranged in a vertical manner. This said base structure would be attached to the weightless seatpan arrangements via a hinged connection. Such connection is important to adjust for the angle of the chairs original backrest.

The second planar structure has on its rear surface, that side closest to the chair's backrest series of troughs to align with the vertical rollers of the base structure. This second planar structure also has a series of parallel bowlers on its fronts, most surface, that surface furthest away from the chairs back. Arranged such that they would allow for movement side to side of a third planar structure that being, the backrest itself.

This second planar surface also contains a series of rollers on its top surface. Such that a third planar surface can rest on top, holding said third planar surface suspended above and in front of said second planar surface.

Although said this second planar structure may be attached to a larger first planar structure for optimal function, affording it vertical movement, there are loops and attachment means at both ends of the second planar surface, such that, it can be attached or strapped independently to an existing chair back and held securely in place.

The front surface of the third planar structure is covered with a cushion for contacting the lumbar area of the spine. This third planar structure has sides and a front to establish an open box type appearance, where the sides act as limiting stops, given horizontal movement and the top has an internal keyword to integrate with the uppermost series of rollers of the second planar surface.

Provisions are made such that the second and first planar structures are movably attached to each other via pros and springs. Said posts are fixedly attached to planar structure number two, and pass through troughs in planar structure number one. Said posts have a spring tension to maintain a constant slight pressure against the rollers of planar structure number one. This constant tension maintains the interconnection and integrity of the to planar structures.

Said posts and spring arrangements may be tightened at will, as required to offer degrees of resistance, to provide the user with a more intensified exercise component. As with the limit stops in the original weightless chair seat pan, the backrest too has adjustable stop lot components to limit and expand one's movement range as required.

Other objects, features and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. A-1 through A-6 are embodiments a representative of the weightless seatpan as to be installed permanently into a chairs shares the structure; and

FIGS. B-1 through B-4 are embodiments of a portable and removable weightless chair, seatpan and backrest structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. B-1 is a pixel graphic of the seatpan apparatus. B-1-1 is the topmost seatpan surface to engage with the person's buttocks, it will be padded as necessary. FIG. B-1-5 other rollers of the base structure of the seatpan see FIG. B-1-6. FIG. b-1-3 are hinged posts of the base structure for the seatpan assembly, to integrate with cooking member of the seatback assembly. FIG. B-1-2 straps for attaching said seatpan assembly to a chair surface. FIG. B-1-4 is the planar platform connected loosely to the base structure via pins and slots

FIG. B-2 is a more graphic representation of the seatpan component system. FIG. B-2-1 is the seating surface. FIG. B-2-2 other balls and rollers of the base structure, FIG. B-2-3 is the planar structure number two having troughs that integrate with the rollers of the base structure number one and rollers see FIG. B-3-4 that integrate with the trough of the seatpan surface FIG. B-2-1

FIG. B-3 is aside pictorial of the combined collinear moving seatpan and backrest.

B-3-1 other securing straps to be secured to the backrest of a conventional chair, B-3-2 is the base structure of the backrest assembly, B-3-3 is the second planar surface consisting of a trough to integrate with the balls of the base structure and a ball arrangement to integrate with a third planet surface, the backrest structure. B-4-4 other balls of the base structure, B-3-5 other loosely fitting posts that hold the said planar structures together. B-3-6 is the ball assembly of the second planar structure, B-3-7 is the backrest surface. B-3-8 other balls of the second planar structure, B-3-9 other rollers on the top surface of the second planar structure, which integrate with the trough FIG. B-3-10 of the backrest surface, the third planar structure of the backrest.

B-3-11 is the seating surface of the seatpan, B-3-12 is the centrally pivoting base structure of the seatpan, B-3-13 is the laterally rolling structure of the seatpan, B-3-14 is the trough of the laterally rolling structure of the seatpan. B-3-15 is the second planar structure of the collinear moving seatpan. B-3-16 is the base structure of the collinear moving seatpan. B-3-17 other straps to secure the collinear moving seatpan to a conventional seat. B-3-20 is a vertical limit stop for the backrest. B-3-10 is the hinge post of the base structure of the collinear moving seatpan. B-3-18 is the hooked arrangement of the base structure of the collinear moving backrest.

FIG. b-4 is a pictorial representation of the collinear moving backrest assembly. B-4-11 is the backrest component. B-4-6 other balls of the second planar structure, which integrate with the trough of the backrest component. B-4-5 are the vertical rollers of the second planar structure, which with the trough of the backrest, B-4-2 are the straps to a fix the base structure of the collinear moving backrest to a conventional chair. B-4-1 is the base structure or first planar surface of the collinear moving backrest assembly. B-4-3 are the balls or rollers of the first planar surface or said base structure. B-4-7 is the second planar surface having troughs that integrate with the balls of the first planar surface and balls or rollers that integrate with the troughs on the back of the planar surface of the backrest. B-4-7 other posts that integrate with the troughs see FIG. B-4-4 which loosely hold together the support structure and a second planar surface. B-4-9 other limit stops of the second planar surface.

It will now be apparent to those skilled in the art that other embodiments, improvements, details, and uses can be made consistent with the letter and spirit of the foregoing disclosure and within the scope of this patent, which is limited only by the following claims, construed in accordance with the patent law, including the doctrine of equivalents.