Subject of the invention

The subject of the invention is a universal ergonomic device allowing for or facilitating keeping proper posture when working in sitting, as well as standing position.

Technical problem

The technical problem being solved by the invention is the device design according to the registered invention that will allow both separate adjustment of the bottom panel angle and separate adjustment of the top panel height, in such a way that adjustment of one panel will have no effect on changing the position of the other one. The bottom panel will provide an appropriate writing angle, while the top panel, slightly inclined, can be moved vertically and, simultaneously, the back or backs can be moved up and down in such a way that the top row of the reading area is at eye level, or slightly lower or higher, as it is most suitable to the user, which will provide for the best reading conditions. The device will be designed for people of different shapes to help them keep their proper posture when sitting or standing, in order to prevent neck bending over the work surface and to reduce the need of tilting the upper body, while preventing or slowing down the appearance of myopia by sitting or standing properly.

State of the art

There are several devices known that help keeping proper posture and facilitate reading and writing.

According to the patent file No. GB191109576 (A), an adjustable device is known that, however, does not allow keeping proper posture simultaneously when writing and reading, but only when reading. Furthermore, according to the patent file No. W02016010311 (Al), an adjustable device is known that, similarly, does not allow keeping proper posture simultaneously when writing and reading.

In addition, according to the patent file No. WO2012019567, an adjustable device is known that provides for a single solution of keeping proper posture when reading.

The weaknesses or disadvantages of the known devices described above represent an unsolved technical problem.

Their common feature is, in particular, that their solution is not fully effective in allowing the user to keep proper posture in both cases, when writing and reading. If the writing panel has no proper inclination, the user will keep bending their neck towards the writing surface, and it is also difficult to keep proper posture when reading as the top row of the reading surface is not at eye level, slightly lower or higher.

Description of the invention

The solution to the technical problem described above is based on an innovative design of the writing and reading device that allows keeping proper posture when sitting or standing. The structure is simple in terms of design. A special feature of the design enables the user to install the top panel, which is slightly inclined, to the height allowing the top row of the reading surface to be at the same height as the eyes, or slightly lower or higher, as best suited to the user in keeping their posture proper. The top panel has one or more backs that can be moved up and down, further allowing the top row of the reading surface to be at eye level when using different sizes of books, notebooks, tablets, phones, and the like. The bottom panel allows the user to adjust it at relevant angle to facilitate keeping proper posture, thereby achieving the body balance when moving or standing still, while using the least of muscular effort and minimum energy consumption, thus protecting the user against degeneration and damage. The optimum distance to the eyes is provided by moving the universal ergonomic device slightly towards or from the user that is in a position of proper posture.

The invention is based on a permanent development of the device design, with an emphasis on providing more optimal posture in terms of ergonomics and health when sitting. The universal ergonomic device will allow the user to keep optimum distance between their eyes and the work surface, and to keep a more optimal spine position. If there is a computer screen placed behind the top panel, the top panel can be easily removed, with only the bottom panel being in use, and it can be completed by a keyboard to facilitate typing. The advantage of removing the top panel is in the fact that it makes it easier to keep proper posture when transcribing from the computer screen while sitting or standing; in this case the keyboard not in use shall be put under the bottom panel. If the bottom panel is turned over to the back of the supporting elements, it can be used by painters, sketchers, and the like, due to its greater stability. A laptop can be installed on the bottom panel, which also facilitates keeping more proper posture while sitting or standing. However, the bottom panel can be pulled out of the grooves located in the supporting elements, and only the top panel is used.

Advantage of the universal ergonomic device is also obvious in ecological and economical terms, since the components can be cut-out from the panel and the panel can be used as the top panel, whereby reducing waste to a minimum. The design will be simple and lean, as will be its structure, and it will be easy to transport.

People stuck in long-term sitting at work eventually develop bad posture habits that may become permanent and result in harmful pathological, anatomical and physiological changes in the body, such as cervical spondylosis and myopia. Exposure to such habits is found particularly in people at their younger ages, such as children, secondary and tertiary students. Long-term improper sitting or standing may result in musculoskeletal disorders, which usually affect specific sectors of spine or the entire spine, neck, shoulders and upper limbs, and in damage or disease of joints or other tissues.

Proper sitting position improves blood circulation, thereby stimulate nutrition and oxygen supply, increases people's thinking and creativity capacity, prevents too frequent and too serious fatigue, reduces the risk of disorder and damage of some internal organs, such as kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, pancreas disease, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, and others. Furthermore, it can reduce the incidence of breast, ovarian and colon cancers, etc.

The key features of the device include solving the problem of improper people’s postures while reading and writing, or to provide conditions to help keeping proper posture when sitting or standing. The device will be suitable also in creating relevant conditions in manufacturing, allowing the top and bottom panels to be installed at the right height and the right angle, such as when writing, reading and drawing sketches, drawings, technological procedures, etc. Vital parts of the device are the two supporting elements having one or any number of grooves made at different angles on the front, which can be used to insert the bottom panel furnished with a tab designed to extend over the left and right supporting elements, and provided with a hole through which a fastening wedge is inserted, or the bottom panel shall be mounted into the two supporting elements using a similar or any known state of the art method.

On the back, the two supporting elements have one or more oblique grooves allowing for easy movement of the top panel in vertical direction, with a view to place the top panel at the height where the top row of the reading surface is found at eye level or slightly lower or higher, as found best by the user to keep their posture proper when sitting or standing.

The edges of the top panel have grooves in which a fastener can be fitted to secure the reading surface to the panel, if necessary.

The bottom part of the bottom panel has the back with fasteners that prevent writing, drawing and similar materials from slipping, and on the top of the bottom panel, there is the back with fasteners enabling the disposal of writing, drawing and similar materials. The top panel has one or several movable backs with fasteners, with grooves to be used to secure the reading material by fasteners, and an opening that enables a telephone, tablet or similar charge to be connected.

With a view to provide a more detailed description and presentation of the universal ergonomic device design according to the registered invention, the device is presented below by the figures showing

Fig. 1 Universal ergonomic device according to the invention, in graphical projection Fig. 2 Drawing of the device right part detail Fig. 3 Device front view

Fig. 4 Cross-section and device seen from the left-side

Fig. 5 Top right comer of the bottom panel - view from the top

The reference codes in the figure represent:

1 universal ergonomic device 2 bottom panel

3 top panel

4 left support element

5 right support element

6 spacer bar

7 back with fasteners

8 back with fasteners

9 back with fasteners

10 groove

11 groove

12 opening

13 opening

14 opening

15 groove

16 fastener

17 groove

18 cut-out

19 opening

20 tab

21 hole

22 fastening wedge

23 back with fasteners

24 work surface

a bottom panel angle

b top panel angle

g supporting element front angle

d supporting element back angle

Fig. 1 shows the universal ergonomic device 1 according to the invention consisting of the bottom panel 2, top panel 3, support element 4, and the support element 5. Fig. 3 shows that the bottom panel 2 has any number of openings 12 in any place, and through the openings 12, the back with fasteners 7 is installed on the bottom part of the bottom panel 2, and the back with fasteners 9 is installed on the top of the bottom panel 2. Through openings 13 on the top panel 3, the back with fasteners 8, and the back with fasteners 23 are installed, the later is shown in Fig. 3. The backs with fasteners 7, 8, 9, and 23 are movable; nevertheless, they may be attached to the bottom panel 2 and top panel 3 by magnets, caps, and the like, instead of through openings 12 and 13. The backs with fasteners 7, 8, 9, and 23 may be mounted to the bottom panel 2 and top panel 3 in a fixed way, and the bottom panel 2 and top panel 3 may be designed without openings 12 and 13. The back with fasteners 8, and the back with fasteners 23 have the opening 14, which may be in the middle, slightly shifted to the left- or right side, while the back with fasteners 8 and the back with fasteners 23 may have no opening 14. The back with fasteners 8, and the back with fasteners 23 have any number of grooves 17, which are cut-out on the front, back, or any side of the back with fasteners 8 and the back with fasteners 23. However, the back with fasteners 8, and the back with fasteners 23 may be also designed without grooves 17. The grooves 15 are shown, and they may be cut out by choice, in different distances on the top panel 3 edges. However, the top panel 3 may also be designed without grooves 15. Fig. 3 shows the fastener 16 that can be installed on the top panel 3 through grooves 15 horizontally, vertically, or across comers. The fasteners 16 may also include clamps, clips, magnets, flexible springs, etc.. There is also the spacer bar 6, which is inserted into the lower groove 11 on the left supporting element 4, and the lower groove 11 on the right supporting element 5; however, the spacer may be inserted into any groove 11. The universal ergonomic device 1 may also be designed without the spacer bar 6.

In Fig. 2, it is shown that the right support element 5 has three openings 19 through which the bottom panel 2 can be installed by using the tab 20. The tab 20 is designed in such manner as to extend over the right support element 5, and provided with a hole 21 through which the fastening wedge 22 is inserted. The bottom panel 2 can be mounted into the left support element 4 and the right support element 5 using a similar or any known state of the art method.

In Fig. 4, in the universal ergonomic device 1 cross section, seen from the left to the right side, the inside of the right support element 5 is shown, and the same reference codes for grooves 10 and 11 also apply to the left support element 4. On the right support element 5, there are three grooves 10 aimed at installing the bottom panel 2, and five grooves 11 aimed at installing the top panel 3. The left support element 4 and the right support element 5 may have any number of grooves 10 at different angles, and any number of grooves 11 at the same angle. The angle is shown as a between the bottom panel 2 and the work surface 24, which is 20°, and as angle b between the top panel 3 and the work surface 24, which is 75°. The angle g is also shown, it is located between the work surface 24 and the front of the right supporting element 5, which is 90°, and the angle d between the work surface 24 and the back of the supporting element 5, which is 100°.

In some other design case, these angles, a, b, g and d, may be slightly larger or smaller.

In some other design case, the left support element 4 and the right support element 5 are designed in such way that they have no openings 19, while the grooves 10 and grooves 11 are shown when the device is seen from the left or right side. The left support element 4 and the right support element 5 with grooves 10 and grooves 11 carry the bottom panel 2 and the top panel 3 at the same time, and they can be also moved horizontally along the bottom panel 2 top edge. In this case, the bottom panel 2 may have no cut-out 18 and no tab 20. The bottom panel 2 may be installed into the left support element 4 and the right support element 5 also in a fixed way.

Fig. 5 shows the bottom panel 2, which has the cut-out 18 in the top right comer, and the tab 20 with the whole 21 is also shown. The same applies for the top left comer of the bottom panel 2.

The left support element 4 and the right support element 5 carry both the bottom panel 2 through the grooves 10, and the top panel 3 through the grooves 11. The bottom panel 2 can be removed by pulling it out of the grooves 10, and only the top panel 3 is used. Likewise, the top panel 3 can be pulled out from the grooves 11 , and only the top panel 2 can be used.

All components of the universal ergonomic device 1 may be made of different materials, may have any cross-section, and be shaped in regular or irregular geometric shapes, which applies in particular to the left support element 4 and the right support element 5.