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 being movably attached to the aft cushion assembly with a movement assembly which allows both horizontal and vertical movement of the forward cushion assembly. The aft cushion assembly being adjustable attached to the base with an adjustment assembly which allows adjustment of the angle of the aft cushion assembly.

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    moving means for moving the forward cushion assembly while a user is sitting on the chair, said moving means being able to move the vertical position of the forward upwardly facing surface with respect to the aft upwardly facing surface to an extent at which the forward upwardly facing surface is at a vertical distance from the aft upwardly facing surface,    wherein said chair further comprising:    adjusting means for adjusting the angle of at least a part of the aft upwardly facing surface with respect to the base, to support the aft of the user when the forward upwardly facing surface is moved to a position at a vertical distance from the aft upwardly facing surface.    
   
   
       2 . The adjustable chair of  claim 1  wherein said adjusting means further being able to adjust the angle of at least a part of the aft cushion assembly with respect to the base.  
   
   
       3 . The adjustable chair of  claim 1  wherein said moving means further being able to move the forward cushion assembly to an extent at which the forward cushion is at a vertical distance from the aft cushion assembly.  
   
   
       4 . The adjustable chair of  claim 1  wherein the forward cushion assembly being removable from the chair.  
   
   
       5 . The adjustable chair of  claim 1  wherein the forward cushion assembly being movable to a position underneath the aft cushion assembly.  
   
   
       6 . The adjustable chair of  claim 1  wherein in each vertical position of the forward cushion assembly the forward cushion assembly being able to move freely in a horizontal direction.  
   
   
       7 . The adjustable chair of  claim 1  wherein said moving means further being able to move the forward cushion assembly in a horizontal direction to an extend at which said forward cushion assembly is at a horizontal distance from the aft cushion assembly and contacts a lower thigh portion of the legs of the user.  
   
   
       8 . The adjustable chair of  claim 1  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.    
   
   
       9 . The adjustable chair of  claim 8  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.  
   
   
       10 . The adjustable chair of  claim 8  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.