Patent EP0475593A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0475593A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Cushion
Assignee: Medimatch Ltd
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Filing: 1991-08-13
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-08-13
Abstract
Abstract A cushion (2) for the seat of a chair, has at least two groups of inflatable tubes (10,12,14,16) arranged in a side-by-side relationship and oriented in a direction corresponding to the front to back direction of the chair seat. The tubes of each said group are inflatable together. The first group is a single tube or two or more adjacent tubes (10,12), and the other group is at least two spaced apart tubes (14,16) arranged on opposite sides of said first group of tubes. The groups of tubes are inflatable sequentially. Symmetrical but periodically varying support for the user is thus provided.
Inventors
- 👤 Angus Patrick Douglas Hannagan
- 👤 Michael Alan Archfact Ltd Mcgrath
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 20:19
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47C; A47C4/00; A47C4/54; A61; A61G; A61G5/00; A61G5/10; A61G5/1043; A61G5/1045; A61G7/00; A61G7/05; A61G7/057; A61G7/05769; A61G7/05776
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
50 words
A cushion for the seat of a chair characterized by a plurality of tubes (10,12,14,16) which are inflatable sequentially so as always to provide a symmetrical support about a central line corresponding to the front to back direction of the chair for supporting a person's body seated in the chair.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
108 words
A cushion for the seat of a chair, characterized in that the cushion (2) comprises at least two groups of inflatable tubes (10,12,14,16) arranged in a side-by-side relationship and oriented in a direction corresponding to the front to back direction of the chair seat, the tubes of each said group being inflatable together, the tubes (10,12) of a first said group being a single tube or two or more adjacent tubes and the tubes (14,16) of the or each other said group being at least two spaced apart tubes arranged on opposite sides of said first group of tubes (10,12), wherein said groups of tubes are inflatable sequentially.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
39 words
A cushion according to claim 2 wherein the cushion comprises an array of four said tubes (10,12,14,16) side-by-side, two inner tubes (10,12) of the array forming said first group and the two outer tubes (14,16) forming said second group.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
A cushion according to claim 2 or claim 3 having support means (4) to maintain the alignment of the tubes.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
A cushion according to claim 4 wherein said support means (4) comprises a supporting material which forms a surrounding frame for the tubes (10,12,14,16).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
A cushion according to claim 5 wherein said support (4) additionally comprises a base such that the tubes (10,12,14,16) lie in a well in a central region of the cushion.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
127 words
A cushion according to claim 1 which has means for controlling the sequential inflation of the different said groups of tubes, said control means having pressurised fluid supply means (P), a pressurised fluid distributor (30) having an inlet (37a) connected to said fluid supply means, a plurality of outlets (37b) connectible to said groups of tubes of said cushion and means (32) for sequentially connecting said inlet (37a) to said outlets (37b) to effect inflation of said groups of tubes in a predetermined sequence, and pressure-responsive control means (40) for said fluid supply means (P), having a sensor (54) of pressure at said inlet (37a) of said distributor and being arranged to control said fluid supply means (P) in dependence on said pressure sensed by said sensor.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
A chair which has a seat comprising a cushion as defined in any one of claims 1 to 7.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
123 words
A control device for a cellular inflatable body support (2), adapted to supply inflating fluid selectively to cells (10,12,14,16) of said body support and having pressurised fluid supply means (P), a pressurised fluid distributor (30) having an inlet (37a) connected to said fluid supply means, a plurality of outlets (37b) connectible to said cells (10,12,14,16) of said body support and means (32) for sequentially connecting said inlet to said outlets to effect inflation of said cells in a predetermined sequence, and pressure-responsive control means (40) for said fluid supply means (P), having a sensor (54) of pressure at said inlet (37a) of said distributor (30) and being arranged to control said fluid supply means in dependence on said pressure sensed by said sensor.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
A control device according to claim 9 wherein said fluid supply means (P) is power-operated and said control means (40) effects on-off control of power supply to said fluid supply means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
38 words
A control device according to claim 9 or claim 10 wherein said sensor has an inflatable sac (54) whose volume is determined by interior pressure, and a switch (48,49) operated by said sac on expansion and contraction thereof.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
A control device according to any one of claims 9 to 11 wherein said sensor (54) is connected to said inlet (37a) of said distributor via a fluid flow restrictor (68), to effect damping of pressure change at said sensor.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
In combination, a body support (2) having a plurality of inflatable cells (10,12,14,16) providing a body support region and a control device (30,40) according to any one of claims 9 to 12 for said body support.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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