Orthopedic reclining chair

Abstract

An orthopedic reclining chair is reclinable to a position in which the body of the occupant is substantially inverted, the occupant being retained in the chair by means of a lap belt engaging the upper surface of the thighs whereby to support the weight of the head and torso through the hip joints so as to apply traction to the spine of the occupant. Preferably the heating unit comprises an integral backrest and seat, together with a support for the lower portions of the legs, the seating unit being rockably suspended from a frame relative to which it may be pulled rearwardly from an equilibrium semi-reclining position to its substantially inverted position.

What I claim is: 
     
       1. An orthopedic reclining chair comprising a seating unit having a back rest portion and a seat portion at a substantial angle to the back rest portion, a frame supporting said seating unit for movement between a substantially upright position and a traction position in which the seat portion is maintained at a substantial angle to the back rest portion and the body of a user would be substantially inverted with the torso inclined at an angle of at least 135° to the vertical, reclining mechanism acting between said seating unit and said frame for moving the seating unit between said positions, and a lap belt extending from said seat portion and .[.disposed to support the thighs of a user substantially parallel to said seat portion when the chair is in said traction position..]. .Iadd.having a thigh engaging portion wide enough to engage a substantial area of the front surface of the thighs of a user and to maintain them substantially parallel to said seat portion, whereby when the seating unit is in the traction position a major component of the weight of the head and torso of the user is suspended from the thigh bones through the hip joints, the back-rest portion being devoid of features substantially restraining the gravitational traction forces on the torso. .Iaddend. 
     
     
       2. A chair according to claim 1, wherein the seating unit is suspended from the frame so as to assume in equilibrium a substantially semi-reclining position. 
     
     
       3. A chair according to claim 2, wherein the reclining mechanism is a drive mechanism manually operated by the user, and including means to lock the seating unit in any desired position relative to the frame. 
     
     
       4. A chair according to claim 2, wherein the reclining mechanism comprises a capstan beneath the front edge of the seat portion, and a cable extending from the capstan to the upper rear of the back rest portion. 
     
     
       5. A chair according to claim 4, wherein the seating unit has arm rests, and the reclining mechanism further includes a capstan drive extending from said capstan to a manually operated winding handle adjacent the front end of one arm rest. 
     
     
       6. A chair according to claim 5, wherein the capstan drive includes an overrunning brake releasable by reverse motion of the winding handle. .[.7. A chair according to claim 1, wherein the lap belt has a widened thigh-engaging portion and is located so that said widened portion will in use engage a substantial area of the front surface of the user's thighs..].