FOLDABLE CHAIR AND LAP REST
A foldable chair includes a flat back inclined surface, a bottom flat horizontal surface, a cushion component, and a support component including the flat back inclined surface, the bottom flat horizontal surface, and two triangular side supports. Further, the bottom flat horizontal surface is connected to the flat back inclined surface by the two triangular side supports, and each triangular side support includes an upper rotatable connection, and the upper rotatable connections face one another for connecting the flat back inclined surface with the support component. Furthermore, the cushion component includes a bottom cushion resting on the bottom flat horizontal surface, the bottom cushion has a flat portion and an angled portion. Moreover, the bottom flat horizontal surface includes at least two hand grips on opposite edges of a distal end of the bottom flat horizontal surface.
Latest Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University Patents:
The present disclosure is related to ergonomic solutions, and more particularly, relates to a foldable chair.
Description of Related ArtThe “background” description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description which may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly or impliedly admitted as prior art against the present invention.
Traditional art forms, artists, and craft persons are an integral part of a society. Al-khuss art is one such craft, an important part of history and identity of middle-eastern states. The craft persons practicing Al-khuss craft have to work long continuous hours in uncomfortable positions to produce a finished product from raw materials. This includes cutting the Al-khuss followed by sitting on a floor for weaving and sewing the Al-khuss for extended periods. This remarkable craft takes a toll on the health of Al-khuss craftswomen and craftsmen, as they have to hold improper posture for hours. As a result of the improper posture, vertebral, cervical and lumbar deformities are seen in the Al-khuss craft persons. Further, these artists end up suffering from long term diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, high cholesterol, and arthritis. Due to a variety of chronic incurable diseases, a considerable burden of medical expenses falls upon the aforementioned artists. In today's world, medical expenses can represent a substantial burden on those affected by disease, on top of that, these craft persons suffer from loss of work as the diseases progress. Several possible solutions to the above stated problem statement are proposed in the market, such as, exercise, application of heat or cold to an affected area, restriction of movement, medication and surgery. However, none of the above stated solutions permanently or fundamentally resolve the problems and diseases faced by the Al-khuss craft persons.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,918,554B2 discloses a functional chair for human body correction and therapeutic efficacy promotion by applying heat. A heating mechanism to transfer heat to a human body by using a ceramic heating element installed in a sitting plate and a waist plate. A control unit is used to maintain the temperature of the heating mechanism. The prior art document provides enhancements to the immunity of an individual and promotes health by keeping skeletal structure and organs balanced by allowing a user to keep a correct posture when they are sitting on the functional chair. The functional chair applies heat to a structure including the sitting and waist plates as a Korean traditional floor heating system. However, the above disclosed document has limitations in regards to application in the Al-khuss art.
JP11216041A discloses an auxiliary legless-chair cushion including a cushion that includes a thick waist rest. The auxiliary legless-chair cushion includes a second cushion, that includes a hip rest thinner than the waist rest. Further, the second cushion connects to the first cushion. The auxiliary legless-chair includes a third cushion that includes a thigh rest, thicker than the hip rest, and connects to the second cushion. However, the above disclosed document does not describe lumbar support specifically for Al-khuss art applications.
Each of the aforementioned prior arts suffers from one or more drawbacks hindering their adoption. Accordingly, it is one object of the present disclosure to provide a foldable chair which is ergonomically sound, economical, and portable.
SUMMARYIn an exemplary embodiment, a foldable chair is disclosed. The foldable chair includes a flat back inclined surface, a bottom flat horizontal surface, a cushion component, and a support component. The support component includes the flat back inclined surface, the bottom flat horizontal surface, and two triangular side supports. Further, the bottom flat horizontal surface is connected to the flat back inclined surface by the two triangular side supports, and each triangular side support includes an upper rotatable connection. The upper rotatable connections face one another and are configured to connect the flat back inclined surface with the support component. Furthermore, the cushion component includes a bottom cushion resting on the bottom flat horizontal surface. The bottom cushion has a flat portion and an angled portion, and the angled portion is adjacent to the flat back inclined surface. Moreover, the bottom flat horizontal surface includes at least two hand grips with a first hand grip and a second hand grip on opposite edges of a distal end of the bottom flat horizontal surface.
In some embodiments, the support component further includes an upper slat and a lower slat.
In some embodiments, the angled portion of the bottom cushion is configured to provide pelvic support and spine correction.
In some embodiments, the bottom flat horizontal surface further includes at least two hinges with a first hinge located along a width of the bottom flat horizontal surface and a second hinge located at a distance from the first hinge along the width of the bottom flat horizontal surface.
In some embodiments, the bottom flat horizontal surface folds along the first and second hinges to form a bent portion of the bottom flat horizontal surface.
In some embodiments, the bent portion of the bottom flat horizonal surface is configured to be vertically adjustable to provide knee support.
In some embodiments, the flat back inclined surface includes an upper portion and a lower portion.
In some embodiments, the upper portion of the flat back inclined surface extends upwards to support an upper cushion of the cushion component.
In some embodiments, the bottom cushion includes a medium pressure foam.
In some embodiments, the angled portion of the bottom cushion is configured to lift a user's pelvis to decrease pelvic rearward rotation.
In some embodiments, the support component is made of wood.
In some embodiments, the cushion component further includes a fabric covering.
In some embodiments, the upper rotatable connection is configured to fold the flat back inclined surface downwards and parallel with the bottom flat horizontal surface.
In some embodiments, the upper slat connects to an upper portion of each of the two triangular side supports and connects to the flat back inclined surface.
In some embodiments, the lower slat connects to a lower portion of each of the two triangular side supports and extends perpendicularly from the bottom flat horizontal surface.
In some embodiments, the cushion component further includes an upper cushion with a longest dimension of at least 40 centimeters (cm), and the upper cushion covers a top side of the flat back inclined surface.
In another exemplary embodiment, a system is disclosed. The system includes the foldable chair and a lap component. The lap component is comprised of a foldable flat material allowing the lap component to fold into a closed body.
In some embodiments, the lap component further includes a top surface and a bottom surface when folded into the closed body.
In some embodiments, the bottom surface of the closed body is configured to rest on a user's lap and the top surface of the closed body is configured to provide arm support for the user.
In some embodiments, the support for the arm on the top surface of the closed body provides posture correction by preventing the user from hunching over while seated.
The foregoing general description of the illustrative embodiments and the following detailed description thereof are merely exemplary aspects of the teachings of this disclosure and are not restrictive.
A more complete appreciation of this disclosure and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
In the drawings, like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views. Further, as used herein, the words “a”, “an” and the like generally carry a meaning of “one or more”, unless stated otherwise.
Furthermore, the terms “approximately,” “approximate”, “about” and similar terms generally refer to ranges that include the identified value within a margin of 20%, 10%, or preferably 5%, and any values therebetween.
Aspects of this disclosure are directed towards a foldable chair designed to provide ergonomic comfort and prevent long-term illnesses incurred due to poor posture, to Al-khuss craft persons. In general, Al-khuss refers to hand-woven palm leaves. Al-khuss is one of the oldest crafts known to mankind, traditionally used to make roofs and floor mats. The foldable chair acts as an ergonomic aid for craft persons who sit on the floor to produce Al-khuss art. The foldable chair as described in the present disclosure preferably uses a wood and fabric construction, however, other suitable materials known in the art may also be used to manufacture the foldable chair.
Referring to
The foldable chair 100 further includes a cushion component 106. The cushion component 106 is manufactured using a compressible solid material such as, but are not limited to, pressure foam, memory foam, and a combination of the pressure foam and the memory foam. The cushion component 106 is configured to support a body weight and a pelvis of the user for elongated periods without showing signs of permanent deformation. In other words, the cushion component 106 regain its original shape after use. In some embodiments, the cushion component 106 further includes separate upper cushion 108 and bottom cushion 110 components. The upper cushion 108 has a longest dimension of 20 to 80 cm, in other words, a length of the upper cushion 108 is about 20 to 80 cm. Preferably, the upper cushion 108 has a longest dimension of at least 30 to 80 cm. In an embodiment, the upper portion 102A of the flat back inclined surface 102 extends upwards to support the upper cushion 108 of the cushion component 106. The upper cushion 108 preferably has a greater length than a length of the flat back inclined surface 102, such that, the upper cushion 108 is configured to cover a top side of the flat back inclined surface 102. Further, the bottom cushion 110 includes a flat portion 110A and an angled portion 110B, configured to detachably couple with the bottom flat horizontal surface 104 with the help of an adhesive or any other attachment mechanism known in the art. In an embodiment, the bottom cushion 110 is manufactured using a medium pressure foam. The angled portion 110B is configured to be adjacent to the flat back inclined surface 102. The angled portion 110B of the bottom cushion 110 is configured to provide pelvic support and spine correction for the user. In particular, the angled portion 110B of the bottom cushion 110 is configured to lift the user's pelvis to decrease pelvic rearward rotation. In general, pelvic rotation or pelvic rearward rotation is defined as the rotation of the pelvis within an axial plane. The rotation may be caused by a plurality of factors such as, but are not limited to, muscular imbalance, asymmetrical leg length, hip flexion, hip adduction, and poor posture.
Referring to
Referring to
In some embodiments, the lower slat 204 is configured to mechanically connect to a lower portion of each of the two triangular side supports 152. In particular, a first end 204A of the lower slat 204 is configured to couple with the first triangular side support 152A and a second end 204B of the lower slat 204 is configured to couple with the second triangular side support 152B. In addition, the lower slat 204 is configured to perpendicularly extend from the bottom flat horizontal surface 104 in an upward direction. In an embodiment, the lower slat 204 is positioned to provide support to the angled portion 110B of the bottom cushion 110.
The first triangular side support 152A includes a first upper rotatable connection 154A rotatable along an axis ‘R’. Further, the second triangular side support 152B includes a second upper rotatable connection 154B rotatable along the axis ‘R’. The first and second upper rotatable connections 154A, 154B are collectively referred to as ‘the upper rotatable connection 154’ and individually referred to as the first upper rotatable connection 154A and the second upper rotatable connection 154B. In addition, the first upper rotatable connection 154A configured on the first triangular support 152A faces the second upper rotatable connection 154B configured on the second triangular support 152B, as such, the flat back inclined surface 102 is rotatably coupled with the support component 150 via the upper rotatable connection 154. Further, the bottom flat horizontal surface 104 of the support component 150 includes at least two hinges 160. The two hinges 160 may include a first hinge 160A and a second hinge 160B, or be a single piano style hinge having extended length. The first hinge 160A is configured to be positioned along a width of the bottom flat horizontal surface 104 and along a first longitudinal axis ‘L1’ for providing bending and folding capabilities to the bottom flat horizontal surface 104 along the first longitudinal axis ‘L1’ in an upward direction. In some embodiments, multiple first hinges 160A may be configured to be positioned at pre-determined distances along the width of the bottom flat horizontal surface 104. In particular, the multiple first hinges 160A may be positioned in a straight line along the first longitudinal axis ‘L1’.
In some embodiments, the second hinge 160B located at a distance from the first hinge 160A along the width of the bottom flat horizontal surface 104 and along a second longitudinal axis ‘L2’ for providing bending and folding capabilities to the bottom flat horizontal surface 104 along the second longitudinal axis ‘L2’ in a downward direction. In some embodiments, multiple second hinges 160B may be configured to be positioned at pre-determined distances along the width of the bottom flat horizontal surface 104. In particular, the multiple second hinges 160B may be positioned in a straight line along the second longitudinal axis ‘L2’. As such, the first and second hinges 160A, 160B allow the bottom flat horizontal surface to bend in upward and downward directions.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
The foldable chair 100 of the present disclosure may find wide ranging application throughout the art and craft industry, involving extended time periods of working while sitting on a floor or a plurality of flat horizontal surfaces. The foldable chair 100 may be an economical and low maintenance ergonomic aid, preventing young craft persons from developing posture related illnesses and may assist in healing process of individuals with existing posture related illnesses. Apart from the art and craft industry, the foldable chair 100 may be used by people having poor posture, back problems, and other posture related illnesses.
While aspects of the present disclosure have been particularly shown and described with reference to the embodiments above, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various additional embodiments may be contemplated by the modification of the disclosed methods and systems without departing from the spirit and scope of what is disclosed. Such embodiments should be understood to fall within the scope of the present disclosure as determined based upon the claims and any equivalents thereof.
Claims
1. A foldable chair and lap rest comprising:
- a flat back inclined surface,
- a bottom surface configured to fold from a flat horizontal form to a bent form,
- a cushion component, and
- a support component comprising the flat back inclined surface, the bottom surface, and two triangular side supports, wherein the bottom surface is connected to the flat back inclined surface by the two triangular side supports, and
- a foldable lap body,
- wherein each triangular side support comprises an upper rotatable connection, wherein the upper rotatable connections face one another and are configured to connect the flat back inclined surface with the support component,
- wherein the cushion component further comprises a bottom cushion resting on the bottom surface, wherein the bottom cushion has a flat portion and an angled portion, wherein the angled portion is adjacent to the flat back inclined surface, and
- wherein the bottom surface further comprises at least two hand grips with first and second hand grips on opposite edges of a distal end of the bottom surface, and
- wherein the foldable lap body is configured with creases such that folding at the creases forms a closed body configured for placement under the bottom surface when in a bent form.
2. The foldable chair of claim 1, wherein the support component further comprises an upper slat and a lower slat.
3. The foldable chair of claim 1, wherein the angled portion of the bottom cushion is configured to provide pelvic support and spine correction.
4. The foldable chair of claim 1, wherein the bottom surface further comprises at least two hinges with a first hinge located along a width of the bottom surface and a second hinge located at a distance from the first hinge along the width of the bottom surface.
5. The foldable chair of claim 4, wherein the bottom surface folds along the first and second hinges to form a bent portion of the bottom surface.
6. The foldable chair of claim 5, wherein the bent portion of the bottom surface is configured to be vertically adjustable to provide knee support.
7. The foldable chair of claim 1, wherein the flat back inclined surface comprises an upper portion and a lower portion.
8. The foldable chair of claim 7, wherein the upper portion of the flat back inclined surface extends upwards to support an upper cushion of the cushion component.
9. The foldable chair of claim 1, wherein the bottom cushion comprises a medium pressure foam.
10. The foldable chair of claim 1, wherein the angled portion of the bottom cushion is configured to lift a user's pelvis to decrease pelvic rearward rotation.
11. The foldable chair of claim 1, wherein the support component is made of wood.
12. The foldable chair of claim 1, wherein the cushion component further comprises a fabric covering.
13. The foldable chair of claim 1, wherein the upper rotatable connection is configured to fold the flat back inclined surface downwards and parallel with the bottom surface.
14. The foldable chair of claim 2, wherein the upper slat connects to an upper portion of each of the two triangular side supports and connects to the flat back inclined surface.
15. The foldable chair of claim 2, wherein the lower slat connects to a lower portion of each of the two triangular side supports and extends perpendicularly from the bottom surface.
16. The foldable chair of claim 1, wherein the cushion component further comprises an upper cushion with a longest dimension of at least 40 centimeters (cm), and
- wherein the upper cushion covers a top side of the flat back inclined surface.
17-20. (canceled)
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 22, 2026
Publication Date: Sep 3, 2026
Applicant: Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (Dammam)
Inventors: Asma Abdulaziz ALDUALEG (Dammam), Dana ALHUSSAIN (Dammam), Hala EL-WAKEEL (Dammam), Zati HAZIRAT (Dammam), Lama ALSHEHRI (Dammam)
Application Number: 19/655,031