Ergonomic musician's stool
An ergonomic musician's stool or chair, comprising of a sitting surface at the top, which is supported by a support frame or structure with a number of legs attached. One or more of said legs having the ability to telescope to be able to be of a different length than at least one, and possibly more, of the other said legs. The ability to adjust the length of one or more of said legs gives a user the ability to affect the pitch, or lack thereof, of said sitting surface. This allows the user to affect the position and tilt of their pelvic region, the outcome being an overall benefit to the user's posture. An ergonomic attachment for a musician's stool or seat comprising a receiving piece capable of securely connecting to the stool or seat's supporting frame or leg, a telescoping foot or leg piece, a locking mechanism allowing said telescoping foot or leg piece to be locked or held into a desired position or length, and a self-leveling foot-base. The object of said attachment is to be incorporated to give the user the ability to have an affect on the sitting surface of the musician's stool or seat's degree of pitch or lack thereof. By doing so, the user will be able to affect the position and tilt of their pelvic region, the outcome being an overall benefit to the user's posture.
The present invention relates to the field of ergonomic chairs and stools. More specifically in this example, the present invention relates to musician's stools, which are commonly referred to as “thrones”.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIn the field of music study and performance, musician's stools, which are sometimes referred to as “thrones”, are common place. Although these stools come in various sizes with a variety of features available, most of them are generally quite similar to each other and are consisting of, 1) A sitting surface usually made of padding enclosed by woven fabric, rubber, or leather. 2) A supporting frame which may be height adjustable in some form or another. 3) A system of legs, most commonly 3 or 4 in number, which are connected to or extend from the supporting frame in some way, and may be able to collapse inward toward the frame for ease of storage and transportation.
Playing a musical instrument can be a very physical activity involving precise and repetitive body movements. Musicians who are in the habit of practicing and performing on a semi-regular to very regular basis often spend extended periods of time doing this physical activity in a seated position. It is for these reasons that several of the currently available, professional-level musician's stools have attempted to incorporate so-called “ergonomic” as well as high-comfort features and materials, and companies who manufacture and sell these devices have marketed them as such.
However, the fact remains that there is currently not a functional and portable musician's stool being offered that adequately addresses the topic of ergonomics as it relates to hip positioning and its affect on proper posture, support, and body movement of the individual user. The comfortable and so-called “ergonomic” features of current models fails to provide an answer for a musician's question of hip placement, ergonomics and proper body posture, and thus the problematic issues of chronic back, body, and joint pain still persist in the community.
It is therefore necessary to provide a design concept for an ergonomic musician's stool that will have a positive affect on the positioning of the user's hips, thus improving posture and helping to give proper support to the body so that one can do this work in a more comfortable, efficient, and overall healthy way, helping to prevent chronic body pain and fatigue.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe object of the present invention seeks to solve the above stated problems by offering a new, functional design for a musician's stool that allows the user to control the affect a stool has on their hip positioning, thus helping to provide for the individual user's proper body posture while performing their work.
The object of the present invention is provided for by an adjustable, tilting sitting surface which is affected by one or more telescoping legs, said leg/s being connected to the support structure of the stool's sitting surface.
The object of said telescoping leg/s is to have an effect on the pitch, or lack thereof, of the stool's sitting surface. The preferred method being to place the telescoping leg/s in back of the user's sitting position, and using said telescoping leg/s to tilt the sitting surface down and forward to a user's desired degree.
By allowing the user to be able to control the amount of pitch, or lack thereof, of the stool's sitting surface, the user will be able to affect the position of their hips while seated.
When the stool's sitting surface is tilted in the preferred method as described above, the user's hips will have cause to tilt upward and toward the back (away from the user's belly). Once a user has tilted the stool's sitting surface to a degree of their satisfaction, the user's preferred lumbar curve will be maintained, allowing opposing muscle groups in the back to be well-balanced, which in turn allows the back to rest in a straight and upright position.
Research suggests that sitting in the above mentioned positioning will increase a user's ease and range of mobility, allowing them to do their work in a more efficient manner as it relates to body mechanics. Further more, medical data and research suggest that when a user sits in the above mentioned positioning, the health benefits of said positioning may additionally include the alleviation of pressure on the lungs and stomach, resulting in easier breathing and improved circulation.
With reference to
The telescoping leg 5 is shown in both
The threaded steel post 6, when inserted into the threaded receiving section 8 as further illustrated in
Although the threaded receiving section 8 is able to receive and house the threaded steel post 6, a locking nut 7 is incorporated to further secure and hold into place the threaded steel post 6 once it has been extended or retracted to the user's preferred length or position.
A self-leveling foot 9 is incorporated at the bottom end of the threaded steel post 6, in order to maintain stable contact on the floor or ground surface whilst the threaded steel post 6 is adjusted to it's various positions. Although, as illustrated in
Furthermore, both
In summary, it is shown that the present invention as implemented using the preferred embodiment described herein, can be used as a design for an ergonomic musician's stool, in which the user is able to control the amount of pitch or lack thereof of the stool's sitting surface by way of an adjustable telescoping leg or legs. When a user is able to control the amount of pitch or lack thereof of a stool's sitting surface, they will in turn be able to control the positioning and angle of their pelvic region, which will have an affect on their overall posture.
Let it be stated that the preferred embodiment of the present invention described herein has been created to be simple and affordable to manufacture, and easy for a user to operate. Let it also be stated that the information and illustrations included here are not meant to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. All variations and modifications made in accordance with the patent application and the specification of the present invention are within the scope of the present invention.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to the field of ergonomic attachments and accessories for stools and chairs. More specifically in this example, the present invention relates to the field of ergonomic attachments and accessories for musician's stools, which are commonly referred to as “thrones”.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIn the field of music study and performance, musician's stools, which are sometimes referred to as “thrones”, are common place. Although these stools come in various sizes with a variety of features available, most of them are generally quite similar to each other and are consisting of, 1) A sitting surface usually made of padding enclosed by woven fabric, rubber, or leather. 2) A supporting frame which may be height adjustable in some form or another. 3) A system of legs, most commonly 3 or 4 in number, which are connected to or extend from the supporting frame in some way, and may be able to collapse inward toward the frame for ease of storage and transportation.
Playing a musical instrument can be a very physical activity involving precise and repetitive body movements. Musicians who are in the habit of practicing and performing on a semi-regular to very regular basis often spend extended periods of time doing this physical activity in a seated position. It is for these reasons that several different brands and models of stools or “thrones” have been specifically designed to be marketed to musicians such as drummers, guitar players, pianists, and the like.
This being the case, it stands to reason that there are many such items that have been sold in recent years, and are currently owned and in regular use by musicians
However, the fact remains that in recent years a functional and portable musician's stool has not been offered that adequately addresses the topic of ergonomics as it relates to hip positioning and its affect on proper posture, support, and body movement of the individual user. The comfortable and so-called “ergonomic” features of some recent models fails to provide an answer for a musician's question of hip placement, ergonomics and proper body posture, and thus the problematic issues of chronic back, body, and joint pain as well as inefficient body mechanics still persist in the use of these stools.
It is therefore necessary to provide a design concept for an ergonomic attachment for musicians' stools that, when attached and put to use, will have a positive affect on the positioning of the user's hips, thus improving posture and helping to give proper support to the body so that one can do their work in a more comfortable, efficient, and overall healthy way, helping to prevent chronic body pain and fatigue as well as improving overall body mechanics.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe object of the present invention seeks to solve the above stated problems by offering a new, functional design for an ergonomic attachment piece to be used with musicians' stools, that when attached will allow the user to control the affect that the stool has on their hip positioning, thus helping to provide for the individual user's proper body posture while performing their work.
The object of the present invention is provided for by giving the user the ability to tilt the sitting surface of their musician's stool by incorporating the use of a telescoping leg or foot piece, which is a part of said attachment piece.
By incorporating the use of one or more of said attachment pieces with a musician's stool, the user will gain the ability to raise or lower a particular side or area of the stool's sitting surface, thus allowing the user to have an effect on the pitch, or lack thereof, of said sitting surface. The preferred method of use being to place and use the attachment piece/s in such a way that the telescoping leg piece/s would be used to tilt the stool's sitting surface down and forward to a user's desired degree.
By allowing the user to be able to control the amount of pitch, or lack thereof, of the stool's sitting surface, the user will be able to affect the position of their hips while seated.
When the stool's sitting surface is tilted in the preferred method as described above, the user's hips will have cause to tilt upward and toward the back (away from the user's belly). Once a user has tilted the stool's sitting surface to a degree of their satisfaction, the user's preferred lumbar curve will be maintained, allowing opposing muscle groups in the back to be well-balanced, which in turn allows the back to rest in a straight and upright position.
Research suggests that sitting in the above mentioned positioning will not only benefit the user from a perspective of posture and body support, but will also increase a user's ease and range of mobility, allowing them to do their work in a more efficient manner as it relates to body mechanics. Further more, medical data and research suggest that when a user sits in the above mentioned positioning, the health benefits of said positioning may additionally include the alleviation of pressure on the lungs and stomach, resulting in easier breathing and improved circulation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSWith reference to
Although in
In both
Referring now to
To aid in the insertion of the rubber mold 10 into the aluminum casing 11,
As shown in
Concerning the telescoping ability of the ergonomic attachment 26,
The threaded steel post 13 is designed to be inserted and housed in an internal, threaded housing area 14 which is a part of the aluminum casing 11, as illustrated in
Looking at
Comparing
In summary, it is shown that the present invention as implemented using the preferred embodiment described herein, can be used to effectively turn a standard musician's stool into one that has ergonomic benefits for the user. This is achieved by incorporating the use of the present invention with a standard musician's stool to be able to affect the pitch or lack thereof of a stool's sitting surface. When a user is able to control the amount of pitch or lack thereof of a stool's sitting surface, they will in turn be able to control the positioning and angle of their pelvic region, which will have an affect on their overall posture.
Let it be stated that the preferred embodiment of the present invention described herein has been created to be simple and affordable to manufacture, and easy for a user to operate. Let it also be stated that the information and illustrations included here are not meant to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. All variations and modifications made in accordance with the patent application and the specification of the present invention are within the scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. An ergonomic stool comprising a sitting surface which is attached to a supporting frame or body comprising legs, one or more of said legs comprising the ability to telescope to be of a different length than one or more of the other legs attached to said supporting frame or body or said sitting surface, thus acting upon said sitting surface to affect it's degree of pitch or lack thereof.
2. Legs as claimed in claim 1, comprising the ability to connect to the frame or body as claimed in claim 1, and comprising of a lower portion that sits on the ground.
3. A leg or legs comprising a telescoping ability as claimed in claim 1, which is comprised of the ability to increase and/or decrease the distance between a ground surface and a side or portion of the sitting surface claimed in claim 1, thus affecting said sitting surface's degree of pitch or lack thereof.
4. One or more legs comprising the ability to telescope as claimed in claim 1, comprising a telescoping, threaded steel post.
5. One or more legs comprising the ability to telescope as claimed in claim 1, comprising a threaded receiving piece able to receive said threaded steel post as claimed in claim 4.
6. A foot piece attached to said threaded steel post as claimed in claim 4, comprising the ability to maintain stable contact with a ground surface whilst said telescoping leg is placed into its numerous possible telescoping positions.
7. A telescoping leg or legs as claimed in claim 1, comprising a locking mechanism such as a locking nut allowing said telescoping leg or legs to be locked or held into a desired position or length.
8. An attachment piece made to fit onto a musician's chair or stool, giving the user the ability to affect and/or adjust the pitch, or lack thereof, of the sitting surface of said musician's chair or stool.
9. An attachment piece as claimed in claim 8, being comprised of a fitted attaching portion, an adjustable telescoping portion, a locking mechanism comprising the ability to lock the previously mentioned adjustable telescoping portion into a fixed position or length, and a foot portion which rests on the ground surface and may be attached to, affixed to, or a part of the adjustable telescoping portion.
10. A fitted attaching portion as claimed in claim 9, comprising of a portion which is molded or otherwise pre-sized to fit and attach to standard musician's stool or chair legs or frame pieces.
11. A fitted attaching portion as claimed in claim 9, comprising of a portion which is molded or otherwise pre-sized as claimed in claim 10, which is made of rubber, and is injected or otherwise fitted into an outer casing comprising of cast aluminum.
12. An attaching portion that is injected or otherwise fitted into an outer casing comprising of cast aluminum as claimed in claim 11, comprising a section that is not contained by the outer casing claimed in claim 11, for purposes of flexibility to account for the variation of size in musician's stool or chair legs or frame pieces.
13. An adjustable telescoping portion as claimed in claim 9, comprising the ability to increase and decrease the distance between a ground surface and a portion or side of the musician's chair or stool's sitting surface, thus affecting said sitting surface's pitch or lack thereof.
14. An adjustable telescoping portion as claimed in claim 9, comprising a threaded steel post.
15. An adjustable telescoping portion as claimed in claim 9, comprising a square-headed top piece, allowing said adjustable telescoping portion to be adjusted with the use of a standard sized drum key.
16. An attachment piece as claimed in claim 8, comprising a threaded receiving piece sized to be able to receive a threaded steel post as claimed in claim 14.
17. A foot portion as claimed in claim 9, comprising the ability to maintain stable contact with a ground or floor surface as the moveable telescoping portion claimed in claim 9 is moved in and out of it's various adjustable positions, an example of this being a self-leveling foot.
18. A foot portion as claimed in claim 9, comprising of a bottom-most section made of rubber, which can be attached or removed from the movable telescoping portion claimed in claim 9, allowing different sized foot portions to be interchanged with the attachment piece as claimed in clam 8.
19. A locking mechanism as claimed in claim 9, comprising of a threaded clamp collar.
20. A locking mechanism as claimed in claim 9, comprising of a square headed screw, allowing said locking mechanism to be activated by use of a standard sized drum key.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 18, 2009
Publication Date: Nov 25, 2010
Inventor: Daniel Seth Barman (Brooklyn, NY)
Application Number: 12/653,866