Adjustable chair, in particular to prevent users from deep vein thrombosis (DVT)

Abstract

An adjustable chair for supporting a user in either a traditional seated position in which a pair of legs of the user rest upon a floor, or in a relaxed seated position in which at least one of the legs of the user are supported above the floor, provides a base supporting an aft cushion assembly, a forward cushion assembly, and an upwardly extending seat back which cooperate to support the user in a seated position. The forward cushion assembly comprises two forward cushions adjacent to each other. The two forward cushions being independently movably attached to the aft cushion assembly with two separate movement assemblies which allows both horizontal and vertical movement of the forward cushions.

1 . An adjustable chair for supporting a pair of legs of the user, the chair comprising: 
 a base supporting an aft cushion assembly, a forward cushion assembly, and an upwardly extending seat back;    the aft cushion assembly providing an aft upwardly facing surface, the forward cushion assembly providing a forward upwardly facing surface, and the upwardly extending seat back providing a front facing surface, the aft upwardly facing surface, the forward upwardly facing surface, and the front facing surface cooperating to support the user in a seated position; and    means for moving the forward cushion assembly while a user is sitting on the chair, wherein:    said forward cushion assembly comprises at least two forward cushions adjacent to each other, one for supporting each leg of the user, and    said moving means comprises at least two movement assemblies one for each forward cushion, said movement assemblies being able to move the forward cushions independently of each other in a vertical and/or horizontal direction.    
   
   
       2 . The adjustable chair of  claim 1  wherein the moving means are automatically operated means and wherein the adjustable chair further comprises means for controlling the moving means at least such that the moving means can move the forward cushions continuously or intermittently up and down and/or forwards and backwards.  
   
   
       3 . The adjustable chair of  claim 1  wherein the moving means are manually operated means, preferably operated by the feet or thighs or hands of the user of the chair at least such that the moving means can move the forward cushions continuously or intermittently up and down and/or forwards and backwards.  
   
   
       4 . The adjustable chair of  claim 1  wherein each of said movement assemblies being able to move the respective forward cushion in a vertical direction to an extend at which the forward upward facing surface is in its entirety at a vertical distance from the aft upward facing surface.  
   
   
       5 . The adjustable chair of  claim 4  wherein each of the movement assemblies further being able to move the respective forward cushion to an extent at which the forward cushion is at a vertical distance from the aft cushion assembly.  
   
   
       6 . The adjustable chair of  claim 1  wherein in each vertical position of the forward cushion the forward cushion being able to move freely in a horizontal direction.  
   
   
       7 . The adjustable chair of  claim 1  wherein each of said movement assemblies further being able to move the respective forward cushion in a horizontal direction to an extend at which said forward cushion is at a horizontal distance from the aft cushion assembly and contacts a lower thigh portion of the legs of the user.