A posture device

Abstract

Disclosed is a posture device configured to provide a support surface for a user. The device comprises a body, the body having a front end and a rear end, and an upper surface between the front and rear ends, the upper surface providing the support surface, the body being constructed from a resilient material, such that in use, the material generates a resilient return force in response to the user's weight, said resilient return force encouraging a posture in which the user's pelvis is neutral or slightly anteriorly tilted.

1 . A posture device configured to provide a support surface for a user, the user having a weight, left and right sides, a pelvis, and a spine including a lumbar spine and a thoracic spine, comprising: a body, the body having a front end and a rear end, an upper surface, and a base, wherein the base is contoured so that the body has at least one direction of instability. 
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one direction of instability includes a direction which is generally in vertical front-to-back plane which includes a longitudinal axis extending between said front and rear ends. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein, in use, the vertical front-to-back plane is generally in registry with a sagittal plane of the user. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one direction of instability includes a direction which is generally in vertical side-to-side plane, the vertical side-to-side plane being generally transverse to a central longitudinal axis extending between the front and rear ends. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the vertical side-to-side plane is in registry with a coronal plane of the user. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the device supports the user's pelvis and spine such that when application of the user's weight causes a pressure to be applied by the device to the spine, the user's lumbar spine at least in part is biased to assume a neutral curve which is balanced between left and right sides of the user, and the user's thoracic spine is relaxed. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the body is constructed from a resilient material, such that in use, the material generates a return force in response to the user's weight, said return force having a component in a forward direction. 
     
     
         8 . A posture device configured to provide a support surface for a user, the user having a pelvis, comprising:
 a body, the body having a front end and a rear end, and an upper surface between the front and rear ends, at least a portion of the upper surface providing the support surface, the body being constructed from a resilient material, such that in use, the material generates a return force in response to the user's weight, said return force having a component in a forward direction.   
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein said return force encourages a posture in which the user's pelvis is neutral or slightly tilted. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the upper surface and the base surface have different surface profiles. 
     
     
         11 . A posture device configured to provide a support surface for a user, comprising a body, the body having a front end and a rear end, and an upper surface between the front and rear ends, at least a portion of the upper surface providing the at least a portion of the upper surface providing the support surface, and a base surface, wherein:
 the upper surface and the base surface have different surface profiles.   
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the base has a longitudinal profile along a longitudinal axis extending between the front end and the rear end of the body which is outwardly curved, such that the longitudinal profile is at its lowest in a middle portion thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the base further has a transverse profile along a transverse axis which is transverse to the longitudinal axis, wherein the transverse profile is outwardly curved, such that the longitudinal profile is at its lowest in a middle portion thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the base has:
 a longitudinal profile along a longitudinal axis extending between the front end and the rear end of the body which is outwardly curved, such that the longitudinal profile is at its lowest in a middle portion thereof, and   a transverse profile along a transverse axis which is transverse to the longitudinal axis, wherein the transverse profile is outwardly curved, such that the longitudinal profile is at its lowest in a middle portion thereof.   
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the body is shaped such that it has a height which is higher at the rear end than at the front end, wherein the body is of a greatest height at a location between the front and rear ends, but closer to the rear end. 
     
     
         16 . A posture device configured to provide a support surface for a user, comprising a body, the body having a front end and a rear end, an upper surface between the front and rear ends, and a base surface, at least a portion of the upper surface providing the support surface, wherein:
 the upper surface and the base surface have different surface profiles; and   the body is shaped such that it has a height which is higher at the rear end than at the front end, wherein the body is of a greatest height at a location between the front and rear ends, but closer to the rear end.   
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the base in use is a generally flat surface. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the upper surface and the base surface meet at the front end of the body. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the body has a rear surface, located between the upper surface and the base, at the rear end of the body, the rear surface having a different curvature than a curvature of the base. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the support surface has a contour shaped and oriented to in use encourage a neutral pelvis or slight anterior tilt in the user's pelvis. 
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 20 , wherein the contour is oriented so that, in use, when the device is positioned at its longitudinal balance point, the neutral or slight anterior tilt in the user's pelvis encourages a posture where the user's lumbar spine is in a neutral position. 
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the upper surface includes a rear section extending from the rear end, and the support surface is located forward of the rear section. 
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the support surface is disposed in a profiled envelope which is generally convex. 
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the upper surface comprises a scalloped area which is gradually depressed from the support surface, wherein the support surface is generally located around the scalloped area. 
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein the scalloped area has a perimeter which is generally shaped like a quadrilateral or shaped like a triangle. 
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein the scalloped area is contoured to have a concave portion. 
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 26 , wherein the concave portion is located forward of a peak height region of the body. 
     
     
         28 . The device of  claim 27 , wherein the scalloped area further has a generally convex portion located forward of the concave portion. 
     
     
         29 . The device of  claim 28 , wherein the concave portion has a smaller radius of curvature than a radius curvature of the convex portion. 
     
     
         30 . The device of  claim 28 , where a ratio of the radius of curvature of the concave portion to the radius of curvature of the convex portion is 1 to Φ. 
     
     
         31 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the body has a rear face which is located at the rear end and adjacent the upper portion, the rear face providing the body with a greater height at the rear end. 
     
     
         32 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the device is supported by a frame of a chair. 
     
     
         33 . The device of  claim 32 , wherein the device is functionally integrated with the chair such that it forms a seat for the chair. 
     
     
         34 . The device of  claim 32 , wherein the device is secured to a seat portion of the chair. 
     
     
         35 . The device of  claim 32 , wherein the device is rotatably supported in the frame of the chair. 
     
     
         36 . A chair having a support surface provided by a posture device in accordance with  claim 1 . 
     
     
         37 . An exercise equipment comprising a posture device according to  claim 1  as seating. 
     
     
         38 . A seat for a toilet, comprising a posture device in accordance with  claim 17 , wherein the support surface of the posture device is provided substantially around a hollow region. 
     
     
         39 . A method of constructing a posture device configured to provide a support surface for a user, the posture device comprising a body having a front end and a rear end, an upper surface providing the support surface, and a base, the method comprising:
 providing the base and the upper surface with different surface contours;   wherein the upper surface is shaped such that a rear height of the body is greater than a front height of the body   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising providing the base with a generally curved contour, having a longitudinal profile along a longitudinal axis extending between the front end and the rear end of the body which is outwardly curved, such that the longitudinal profile is at its lowest in a middle portion thereof. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising providing the base with an outwardly curved transverse profile along a transverse axis which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, such that the transverse profile is at its lowest in a middle portion thereof. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the upper surface includes a recessed area, the support surface being located around the recessed area. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising providing in the body an end surface which connects between the upper surface and the base. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the end surface is located at the rear end. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising applying a spline geometry to the posture device, so that surfaces of the posture device are describable by two or more types of geometries. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the upper surface and the base of the body assume a geometry obtained by overlapping a plurality of volumes, each obtained by revolving a corresponding circle about the circle's centre. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the circles include two base profile circles defining the surface contour of the base, the surface contour of the base being obtained by:
 partially overlapping the two base profile circles such that the two base profile circles share a chord, which bisects an intersection area between the base profile circles; and   revolving the intersection area about the chord to define a spheroid volume, wherein a portion of a lower surface of the spheroid volume provides the surface contour of the base.   
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein an axis which is normal to the chord is angularly offset from the vertical. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein two radii, each extending between a respective end of the chord and a centre of either base profile circle, are at a right angle to each other. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the circles include an upper surface circle which partially overlaps with the intersection area, where a surface contour of the upper surface of the body is provided by an upper surface portion of a volume obtained by revolving the upper surface circle about its centre, said upper surface portion of the volume being located above said portion of said lower surface of the spheroid volume. 
     
     
         51 . A method of aiding the posture of a user in a seated position comprising subjecting the user to at least one direction of instability to encourage micromovements of the user in the direction of one or both of the sagittal plane or coronal plane of the user's body. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , further comprising subjecting the user to a return force to encourages a posture in which the user's pelvis is neutral or slightly tilted anteriorly and downwardly. 
     
     
         53 . A method of aiding the posture of a user in a seated position comprising subjecting the user to a return force to encourages a posture in which the user's pelvis is neutral or slightly tilted anteriorly and downwardly. 
     
     
         54 . A method according to  claim 52 , wherein the user is sitting on a posture device configured to provide a support surface having a body with a front end and a rear end an upper surface, and a base, wherein the base is contoured so that the body has at least one direction of instability.