WO1991016840A1

WO1991016840A1 - Localised supports inside cushions seats and mattresses and their adjustment

Info

Publication number: WO1991016840A1
Application number: PCT/GB1991/000022
Authority: WO
Inventors: John Bernard Paxon
Original assignee: Paxon John B
Priority date: 1990-05-02
Filing date: 1991-01-08
Publication date: 1991-11-14

Abstract

A localised body support that can be incorporated into seating loose cushions or mattresses and which is fitted to or part of a ''floating'' adjuster bracket. Adjustment is facilitated by locating the ''floating'' adjuster bracket (8) on to slides (14) fixed to or made in a frame board (1) or other fixed surface incorporated in or one the cushion seat or mattress. The slides can be holes (14a) in the frame or board (1) into switch pegs or pillars (14) fixed to the ''floating'' adjuster bracket (8) are located, or the holes (14a) may be made in the floating adjuster bracket (8) that locate over pillars or pegs (14) fixed to the frame, board or other fixed surface (1) or the said bracket (8) may locate into channels or recesses made in the fixed surface. The support may itself be resilient or it may be fixed by resilient means (2) to the ''floating'' adjuster bracket (8).

Description

1 .

LOCALISED SUPPORTS INSIDE CUSHIONS

SEATS AND MATTRESSES

&

THEIR ADJUSTMENT

5. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to localised supports for incorporation in cushions, seats and mattresses that can be easily adjusted by the user.

Proposals have been made that incorporate flat plates that are

10. pushed against the back face of foam from which a seat support area is made such plates themselves adding no additional shaped and in which no vertical adjustment is possible for example Gottfried U.S. 1,203,322 or cams fixed to a rotatabie spindle wfticn wnen turned push the inside face of the seat

15. outwards thereby creating a harder localised area as in Stylex

GB 2112277A or spindles that when turned pull a cord attached to one side of a guttering-shaped support to increase pressure against the user such support being localised on a fixed back plate with slots made therein to allow for movement as in

20. Volvo 2554397.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is to provide means of resilient support that is positioned on a "floating" adjuster bracket that can be located on a frame or board to facilitate

25. easy movement of the support to and away from the user and at the same time maintaining its resilience without restricting in any way methods by which it can also be moved vertically.

It is particularly suitable for using in conjunction with feature/s incorporated in my European Patent No 0227676 in

30. whicft a loose frame is used inside the filling of a cushion, although it could, if preferred, be used on a fixed frame. The

"floating" adjuster bracket on which the support is resting either directly or indirectly or of which it is a part can be controlled in its forwards or backwards movement - on a cnair

35. back for example - cy a number of methods, some of which are defined in this and previous applications, and the resilient support may oe made of any springy material, or non-resilient material in the latter eventthe springyness or resilience in the support being derived from the resilient material on which 5. the frame is resting and/or from the resilient material from whicn the "floating" adjuster bracket is made.

The localised support inside a cushion, seat or mattress in which movement of the support towards or away from the user is controlled by a "floating" adjuster bracket attached to a 10. frame or other fixed surface by slides, said support being part of the said bracket, or directly fixed to the bracket or resting on non-rotatable material that is fixed to the said nracket.

Vertical adjustment is made by moving the frame or board 15. itself within the cushion, seat or mattress such frame or board or other fixed surface preferably being loosely placed therein, or by other means. A slot can be made in the back of tne cushion cover to facilitate vertical movement of any pressure control bolt fitted, preferably of a width and/or 20. snape - for example serrated - to grip the bolt to prevent slippage downwards when the required height has been selected. The support shall preferably be dome-shaped and resilient and preferably part of the said bracket or the support may oe fixed oy resilient means to the "floating" adjuster nracxer. 25. The "floating" adjuster bracket is located on slides which can be in the form of recess/es or cavity/ies into which a protrusion/s on the "floating" adjuster bracket slide up and down although preferably the slides will consist of holes made in the board or frame into which pegs or pillars fixed to the 30. "floating" adjuster bracket slide in and out, or pillars or pegs fixed to the board or frame over which the "floating" adjuster bracket is located by holes in the said bracket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG 1 shows the "floating" adjuster bracket located in slides 35. in the form of channels or recesses fixed to the frame with the support fixed to the bracket.

FIG 2 shows a cross section in view of a cushion - side view - with an adjuster bolt controlling the movement up the pillars of the "floating" adjuster bracket located thereon. 5. FIG 3 shows a "floating" adjuster bracket with holes tnerein located over pillars fixed to a frame with a support fixed to the bracKet.

FIG 4* snows an underside view of a localised support fixed to the "floating" adjuster bracket.

10. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIG 1 the "floating" adjuster bracket 8 is located on slides 14 in the form of recesses or channels fixed to the frame 1. Such recesses or channels could be part of tne frame for example extruded moulded or otherwise formed. The

15. support 4 is attached to the "floating" adjuster bracket 8 by springs 2. As the nut 7a i s turned on the bol t 7 the "floating" adjuster bracket 8 at section or protrusion point 8b is drawn upwards together with the support 4. As the nut 7a is slackened the "floating" adjuster bracket is pulled back by

20. the spring 42. The spring 42 may be placed el sewhere, for example one at each end of the "floating" adjuster bracket for more even pull on the bracket, or a compression spring could be positioned around the bolt for exampl e. FIG 2 is a cross- section in view of the side of a cushion i n wnich the

25. "floating" adjuster bracket 8 is fitted to a bol t 7. When the knob 7a is screwed on to the bolt 7 through a hole in the frame 1 and brings with it the "f loating" adjuster bracket located on the slide comprising pillars 14 fixed to tne frame 1. Preferably another pillar - not visible - is placed further

30. along the frame 1 to create level movement of the "floating" adjuster oracket 8 when adjustment is made. As the knob 7a is turned the other way the spring 42 draws the "floating" adjuster bracket 8 tack towards the other side of the frame 1 and taxes with it the support 4 nearer to the user a part of

35. whose body is resting on or against the cushion or chair back

.SUBSTITUTE SHEET for example in which the support is incorporated 1 1. The springs 2 give the resilience of support preferred oy most users.

In FIG 3 the "floating" adjuster bracket 8 is located on 5. pillars 14 fitted through a hole 14a made in the frame .. The form of adjustment is not shown, but when adjustment is made the said bracket 8 moves up or down the pillars 14 moving with it the support 4 fixed to the "floating" adjuster bracket. The said bracket 8 is extended through a cavity l a made in the 10. frame 1 to enable the support to be located at the base of the cushion or seat for example - not shown - into which the support is located. Arrows 43 indicate upwards and downwards movement - or oackwards and forwards movement if used m a seat back - caused by the resilience of the material from 15. which the "floating" adjuster bracket can be made. The "floating" adjuster bracket may be extended to any point in the frame and can be located on hinges or rotary points to enable it to pivot on the said point/s - not shown - when adjustment is made. 20. In FIG 4 the "floating" adjuster bracket 8 is l ocated on an adjuster bolt 7 through a slot not shown in the "f loating" adjuster bracket by a recess or cut-out 40 made m the bolt 7. The support 4 wnicn is resilient is fixed to the said DracKet which is located in the frame 1 by pil lars 1 4 f ixed through 25. the frame into holes 14a made in the frame 1 in which a cavity la has been made in its bottom end. The support 4 is moved towards or further from the user when the knob 7a is turned. 1 5 is a spring around one pil lar - other not shown - ro facilitate even adjustment when the knob is turned. 30. A number of other forms of adjustment can oe made using these oasic principles under which a support is positioned on or is part of a "floating" adjuster £>racκet located on a frame, ooard or other fixed surface.

Vertical adjustment or pressure adjustment can De made 35. either from inside or outside the cover of the mattress cushion or seat, vertical adjustment being made by moving the bolt 7 attached to the "floating" adjuster bracket 8 up a slot - not shown - which may be a tight fit over the said bolt 7 or which may have narrow and wider inside edges, the bolt 7 resting on the narrow edge section of the slot when adjustment is made. This serrated type edging can be of any length in relation to the length of the slot.

For adjustment from inside the cover of the seat cushion or mattress an opening can be incorporated.

Claims

CLAIMS I. k Localised Support inside a cushion, seat or mattress in wnicn movement of the support towards or away from the user is controlled by a "floating" adjuster bracket attacned to a 5. frame or other fixed surface by slides, said support being characterised by being part of the said bracket, or directly fixed o the said bracket, or indirectly fixed to the bracket or resting on non-rotatable material that is fixed to the said bracket. 10.

2. A Localised Support as claimed in Claim 1 in which the slides are characterised by holes in the frame or board or other fixed surface into which pegs or pillars fixed to the "floating" adjuster bracket move up and down wnen adjustment is made. 15.

3. A Localised Support as claimed in Claim 1 in which the slides are characterised by holes in the "floating" adjuster bracket are located over pillars or pegs located in or on the frame board or other fixed surface.

4. A Localised Support as claimed in Claim 1 in which the slides 20. are characterised by a recess or channel fixed to or being part of the frame board or fixed surface and in wnicn recess or channel a section of the "floating" adjuster brac et is positioned to facilitate adjustment.

5. Localised Support as claimed in Claim 1 in wnicn vertical 25. adjustment of the support up or down a cushion or horizontal adjustment along a mattress is characterised by moving the frame board or other fixed surface on whicn the "floating" adjuster bracket is located to any desired position.

6. A Localised Support as claimed in Claim 1 in whicn the

30. "floating" adjuster bracket is characterised by being made from resilient material.

7. A Localised Support as claimed in Claim 1 in which the support is characterised by making it from resilient materia .

8. A Localised Support as claimed in Claim 1 in whicn tne 35. "floating" adjuster bracket is characterised by havung located

SUBSTITUTE SHEET thereon a bolt that protrudes through a slot made in the cover of the cushion seat or mattress and which controls tne positioning of the support, said slot gripping the bolt that can be pulled upwards or downwards within the slot fcr 5. vertical adjustment of the frame and tne support.

9. A Localised Support as claimed in Claim 1 in which tne frame, board^* or other fixed surface on wnicn the "floating" adjuster bracket is located is moved for vertical adjustment to any desired position oy opening the cover on the cushion, seat or

10. mattress .