Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a seat in particular a seat for use in rehab constructions where the rehab construction includes seating possibilities for persons.

In the context of the present invention the invention will be explained with reference to rehab and in particular constructions involving handicapped persons, but the inventive seat according to the present invention will provide all users of seats an added comfort and the skilled person will recognize that the implementation of the principles of the inventive seat into other constructions will attain the same advantages as will be described below.

Background of the Invention

In the care of elderly and/or handicapped persons there are a number of situations where the person will be forced to sit in a chair or device for longer periods of time. This may be for example during treatment or when taking showers and in a number of other situations. During these prolonged periods of sitting down in combination with the usually very low physical activity level of these types of persons they are prone to become sore very fast and therefore these types of treatment tend to become very un- comfortable very quickly.

From prior art is disclosed a seat in US 2004/0070238 which has an undulating seating surface accommodating an average users' buttocks. Furthermore is provided a bidet function in the shape of an array of apertures arranged in a perineal groove. The groove extends to accommodate the tailbone as well. The seat is designed for shower use only, and consequently does not address or provide comfort for long time use.

Corresponding constructions with minor alterations are disclosed in for example DE 61343 and DE 19522315. Object of the Invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve the seating constructions such that these types of treatment are not considered as difficult experiences but may be considered as pleasant.

Description of the Invention

The invention addresses this by providing a seat, in particular for use in rehab constructions including seating possibilities for persons, where said seat has a seating surface surrounding an opening, the seating surface being defined by a front border and a rear border and opposing side borders, and where the seating surface undulates and where the seating surface is inclined towards the opening, such that the lowest areas of the seating surface is adjacent the opening, and where the seating surface is provided with hollows arranged substantially symmetrically on either side of the opening, generally arranged superposed where a user's Tuber ischiadicum and/or Os ischiadicum is positioned when using the seat.

Even people in good shape that get a lot of exercise tend to get sore if sitting still in a bad chair or seat for a prolonged period of time. It is particularly the Tuber ischiadicum or Os ischiadicum and the pressure the body puts on these two bones and the surrounding muscles and tissue that create the pain/soreness and sometimes cramps. By designing the seat taking into account the physiology of a user or a general user and providing hollow regions superposed a user's Tuber ischiadicum and/or Os ischiadicum great relief is provided. The opening around which the seating surface is arranged serves a number of purposes. The obvious one is allowing the user to use the toilet, but for example for shower applications it also allows the shower water, soap, etc. to drain away without staying in contact with the body for a prolonged period of time, and in this manner it creates a more hygienic and pleasant experience for the user. In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention the hollows are positioned approximately 2/3 in from the front border of the distance between the front and the rear borders of the seat, and immediately adjacent the opening. As this is the general position where a user will position the Tuber ischiadicum when sitting normally in a seat, it is optimal to arrange the hollows at this position. Naturally, for special applications, i.e. persons with "unusual" anatomy, it might be advantageous to position the hollows in different positions.

The shape of the opening is also relatively important, and in a further advantageous embodiment the opening has a greater extent between the front and rear borders than between the opposing side borders. In this manner it is achieved that also for example shower water agglomerating between the thighs of a user will be able to drain away through the opening.

Further advantageous features of the shape and size of the seat are encompassed in further dependent claims.

One particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention is a seat as described above, but where a cushion made from a resilient material is provided, substantially corresponding in size to the seating surface, where means are either provided in the seat or in the cushion for detachably arranging the cushion on said seat.

By providing a cushion in addition to the seat it is possible to provide cushions with different resiliency such that the seat although being a standard seat may be custom- made to fit that particular user's taste in resilient seating surface. Furthermore, the cushion will take the wear and tear and as such the seat itself will be protected from the everyday use and as such the cushion can be replaced at relatively low cost maintaining the comfortable seating capability provided by the inventive seat according to the present invention.

Furthermore, it is relatively easy to replace the cushion, and as such the seat can easily be made ready for another user simply by changing the cushion without having to thoroughly cleanse and disinfect the entire seat construction. It should be noted that even without a cushion the inventive seat provides superior comfort as compared to normal seating constructions of this type.

Description of the Drawing

The invention will now be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein

Figure 1 illustrates isometric view of a seat according to the invention;

Figure 2 illustrates plain view of a seat 1 according to the invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention

In figure 1 is illustrated an isometric view of a seat according to the invention. The seat

I has a seating surface 10 surrounding an opening 11 where the seating surface 10 is defined by a front border 12 and a rear border 13 and opposing side borders 14, 15. In this manner a seating surface 10 is arranged around the opening 11. The inventive seat surface 10 is special in that the seat surface is undulating such that the seating surface, as will be more evident with the explanation of figure 2, is inclined towards the opening

I I such that the lowest area of the seating surface 10 is adjacent the opening 11. In order to accommodate a user's Tuber ischiadicum and/or Os ischiadicum hollows 15 are arranged substantially symmetrically on either side of the opening 11 where the hollows are shaped in the seating surface 10. In the illustrative embodiment depicted in figure 1 the undulation illustrated by the lines 20 should give the viewer an impression of different heights comparable to topographic maps. In this embodiment the opening 11 is completely surrounded by the seating surface thereby having a closed circumference, but in other embodiments the bridge 16 completing the front border may be re- moved. In this manner the substantially oval shaped opening 11 does not have a close geometry, but is open towards the front border 12 by removal of the bridge 16. This facilitates that water or any other liquid agglomerating between a user's thighs may easily drain away through the extended opening 11. For reasons of clarity only the seating surface has been depicted in figure 1, but on the side borders 14, 15 means 17 are provided for mounting the seat 1 in any type of construction. For the same reasons the seat is provided with special mouldings 18 in the two front corners. These mouldings may be used to attach legs, arm rests, restraining means or the like.

Briefly turning to figure 2 the lowermost 20 plain view of a seat 1 according to the invention has been provided with sectional lines A to E and above each cross section, i.e. section AA, section BB, ect. is depicted. As is evident the seat's surface 10 has different shapes (cross sections) in the different sections, and for example in section AA the seating surface is much higher than the seating surface for example in section DD, where the hollows are present. This hollow 15 accomodates a user's Tuber ischi- adicum and/or Os ischiadicum providing comfortable seating.

The seat may also be provided with a cushion (not illustrated), but by providing a relatively thin, very resilient cushion the cushion will in use deform to the contours of the seat such that a user will still benefit from the inventive configuration of the seat as described above. By using a cushion the tear and wear of the seat structure is mainly absorbed by the seat cushion and as such by simply replacing the seat cushion the seat structure is as good as new. Also from a hygienic point of view it is easier to replace the seat cushion between users than to thoroughly clean the entire structure. In this manner the inventive seat structure becomes very user-friendly.