Chair with exercise apparatus

Abstract

An ergonomic chair that serves the conventional chair functions such as an office, desk or side chair and that functions as a motion or exercise chair as well. The exercise components include armrests and a headrest that convert to apparatus for exercising muscles in the shoulders, chest, arms, back and lateral thoracic area of a person seated in the chair. Additional apparatus is provided for exercising the legs of the person seated in the chair.

1 . A chair capable of functioning as a conventional chair and as an exercise station comprising; 
 a seat and back assembly,    an arm assembly mounted adjacent each side of the seat and each having a handle,    said arm assemblies each including an arm post extending upwardly from the seat and carrying an arm cushion for supporting the arm of an occupant of the chair,    a support for each arm assembly enabling each to move back and forth on the side of the seat,    a control for each arm assembly, said controls including a piston and cylinder assembly mounted beneath the level of the seat and having a piston rod connected to the arm assembly causing the piston to move back and forth in the cylinder when the arm assembly moves back and forth on the side of the seat,    a passage connected to the cylinder on each side of the piston and forming a closed fluid filled system with it,    and a valve means in the passage for altering the ability of the fluid to flow from one side to the other of the piston through the passage to vary the resistance to movement of the arm.    
   
   
       2 . The chair as defined in  claim 1  wherein an overhead press and pulldown assembly is attached to the back, said overhead assembly including a movable grip disposed above the back in position to be engaged by both hands of an occupant of the chair, 
 a piston cylinder assembly mounted on the chair and having a piston rod connected to the grip and connected to the piston in the cylinder,    a passage connected to the cylinder on each side of the piston, said cylinder and passage forming a closed loop with fluid filling the cylinder and passage,    and a valve in the passage for adjusting the ability of fluid to pass from one side of the piston to the other in the cylinder to vary the force required to raise and lower the grip.    
   
   
       3 . The chair as defined in  claim 1  wherein the arm assembly includes a height adjustment for the handle to be grasped by the chair occupant to move the arm assembly.  
   
   
       4 . The chair as defined in  claim 1  wherein each arm assembly includes income for enabling the resistance to movement of each arm to be adjusted independently of the other.  
   
   
       5 . The chair as defined in  claim 3  wherein the handle for each arm assembly is mounted on the arm post and movable to a position above the arm cushion.  
   
   
       6 . The chair as defined in  claim 2  wherein the movable grip of the overhead push and pull assembly is part of a headrest for supporting the head of an occupant seated in the chair.  
   
   
       7 . A chair suitable for use both as a conventional executive desk chair and exercise station comprising; 
 a pedestal base carrying a chair frame including a seat and backrest and a center seat post providing a swivel support for the seat,    a pair of arm assemblies for the chair each including an arm post, said arm posts extending upwardly from the seat and each being pivotally mounted for movement independently of each other about a horizontal axis connected to the lower portion of the posts,    each arm assembly having a grip in position to be grasped by the hand of an occupant of the seat for moving the arm assembly toward and away from the occupant,    and a motion control piston and cylinder connected between the arm assembly and the chair frame for imposing a variable load on the pivotal motion of the arm post about said axis.    
   
   
       8 . A chair suitable for use both as a conventional executive desk chair and exercise station comprising; 
 a base carrying a chair frame including a seat and backrest and a center seat post providing a swivel support for the chair frame,    a headrest assembly mounted on the chair frame and having a head cushion above the top of the backrest and extending from side-to-side of the chair frame and beyond the sides of the top portion of the backrest,    a piston forming part of the headrest assembly extendable vertically on the backrest and carrying the head cushion for substantially vertical movement toward and away from the top of the backrest, said piston imposing a yieldable and variable resistance to the vertical movement of the headrest,    and gripping means forming part of the headrest and proximate the shoulders of an occupant of the seat for applying a pushing and a pulling force on the head cushion.    
   
   
       9 . The chair as defined in  claim 7  wherein the horizontal axis is substantially transverse to the seat enabling each arm post to pivot front and back in an essentially vertical plane.  
   
   
       10 . The chair as defined in  claim 9  wherein the grip is extendable from the top of the arm post.  
   
   
       11 . The chair as defined in  claim 10  wherein the motion control is disposed below the seat.  
   
   
       12 . The chair as defined in  claim 7  wherein the arm posts are connected to opposite ends of a bar that defines a pivotal axis and extends from side-to-side of the chair and beneath the seat.  
   
   
       13 . The chair as defined in  claim 8  wherein the head cushion is movable between a lower position close to the top of the backrest and an elevated position several inches above the top of the backrest.  
   
   
       14 . The chair as defined in  claim 8  wherein the gripping means is on the back of the head cushion.  
   
   
       15 . The chair as defined in  claim 8  wherein the backrest has a rigid frame on its back surface and the piston is mounted on the rigid frame.  
   
   
       16 . The chair as defined in  claim 1  wherein handles are mounted on the sides of the backrest for enabling a person seated in the chair to perform stretching exercises by reaching across his/her midline to grasp the handle on the opposite side of the backrest.  
   
   
       17 . The chair as defined in  claim 6  wherein handles are mounted on the sides of the backrest for enabling a person seated in the chair to perform stretching exercises by reaching across his/her midline to grasp the handle on the opposite side of the backrest.  
   
   
       18 . A chair suitable for use both as a conventional chair and exercise station comprising; 
 a seat and backrest assembly,    a headrest assembly mounted on the seat and backrest assembly and having a head cushion above the top of the backrest and extending from side-to-side of the chair and beyond the sides of the top portion of the backrest,    a piston forming part of the headrest assembly extendable vertically on the backrest and carrying the head cushion for substantially vertical movement toward and away from the top of the backrest, said piston imposing a yieldable and variable resistance to the vertical movement of the headrest,    and gripping means forming part of the headrest and proximate the shoulders of an occupant of the seat for applying a pushing and a pulling force on the head cushion.    
   
   
       19 . The chair as defined in  claim 7  wherein a legrest/leg exerciser is attached to the base and extends radially outwardly from the base, said exerciser including a generally horizontal member having a footrest at its radially outer end and supported by a roller at said outer end, 
 and a retracting means attached to the member urging the outer end radially inwardly toward the base.    
   
   
       20 . The chair as defined in  claim 19  wherein the legrest/leg exerciser is detachably connected to the base.  
   
   
       21 . The chair as defined in  claim 1  wherein the fluid is gas.  
   
   
       22 . The chair as defined in  claim 2  wherein the fluid used in each of the cylinders is gas.