JP7576962B2 - cushion - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cushion. More specifically, the present invention relates to a cushion that is particularly suitable for use as a seat cushion that is placed on the seat of a dining chair to improve seating comfort and posture adjustment.

In recent times, with the COVID-19 pandemic raging worldwide, the number of opportunities to work from home has increased, and people may have no choice but to sit and work for long periods of time using furniture in their living environment. However, unlike highly functional chairs designed specifically for office work, dining chairs, which are common furniture in living environments, have relatively hard and flat seats, making it difficult to work comfortably for long periods of time. For this reason, there is a demand for seat cushions that can be placed on the seats of dining chairs.

Conventionally, there have been cushions that have an airbag inside a cushion covered with cushioning material, and that can be inflated and deflated to suit the preferences of the seated person (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2010-110492 A

However, the control pump and hose that adjust the inflation and deflation of the airbag are exposed to the outside, resulting in a cushion that lacks aesthetic appeal. In addition, because they are exposed to the outside, there is a risk that the airbag device could be damaged if someone trips over the control pump or hose. This poses a high risk, particularly when used at home where there is a risk of small children touching them.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a cushion that is easy to handle without compromising its appearance.

In order to achieve this object, the invention described in claim 1 is a cushion formed by wrapping cushioning material in a cushion cover, wherein an airbag, an air supply means for supplying air to the airbag, and a hose connecting the airbag and the air supply means are contained inside the cushion cover together with the cushioning material, a cavity for accommodating the air supply means is provided in a part of the cushion material, the air supply means is contained in the cavity and can be operated through the cushion cover , the air supply means is an air supply ball equipped with a release valve, and the release valve is positioned so as to be exposed to the outside of the cushion cover and can be operated outside the cushion cover .

Here, it is preferable that the airbag is disposed between the fabric on the back surface of the cushion cover and the cushioning material.

It is also preferable that the upholstery of the cushion cover above the cavity has a mark indicating the storage area of the air supply means.

Furthermore, the cushion of the present invention is used as a seat, and it is preferable that the airbag is disposed behind the cushioning material and has a pelvic support function that acts in a direction to raise the rear of the buttocks of the seating part.

In the cushion described in claim 1, an airbag, an air supply means for supplying air to the airbag, and a hose connecting the airbag and the air supply means are housed inside the cushion cover together with the cushion material, the air supply means is housed in a cavity provided in a part of the cushion material and can be operated through the cushion cover , the air supply means is an air supply ball equipped with a release valve, and the release valve is arranged so as to be exposed to the outside of the cushion cover and can be operated outside the cushion cover , thereby maintaining the positional relationship between the airbag, air supply means, etc. and the cushion material, and since it is a single part, the cushion can be easily handled.

1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment in which a cushion according to the present invention is applied to a seat cushion. FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the seat cushion with a portion of the upholstery cut away. FIG. FIG.

The configuration of the present invention will be described in detail below based on the embodiment shown in the drawings. In this specification, the front, rear, left and right directions are defined with respect to the seated person, and "front or forward" means in front or facing forward from the seated person when applied to a seat, and "rear or rear" means in rear or facing backward from the seated person. The direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction in the horizontal plane is the left-right direction from the seated person or the width direction of the seat. Furthermore, "upper" and "lower" are upper and lower from the seated person's perspective, and are upper and lower in a vertical plane.

Figures 1 to 5 show an embodiment in which the cushion of the present invention is applied to a seat cushion. The seat cushion of this embodiment is used to improve seating comfort when sitting on the seat of a dining chair or on the floor, and is a cushion made of cushion material wrapped in a cushion cover 9. An airbag 7, an air supply means 5 that supplies air to the airbag 7, and a hose 8 that connects the airbag 7 and the air supply means 5 are housed inside the cushion cover 9 together with the cushion material 3. A cavity 4 in which the air supply means 5 is housed is provided in part of the cushion material 3, and the air supply means 5 is housed in the cavity 4, and the air supply means 5 can be operated through the cushion cover 9.

Here, the air supply means 5 for supplying air to the airbag 7 is not limited to a specific device, but in this embodiment, a manual air supply ball (hereinafter referred to as air supply ball 5) that does not require a power source is used. This air supply ball 5 is a hollow oval sphere (a so-called rubber ball) made of elastomer that has an exhaust port and an intake port equipped with a check valve. When it is crushed, the intake port is blocked and the air inside is discharged from the exhaust port, and when the force is released, the rubber's restoring force causes the rubber to return to its original shape, blocking the exhaust port and drawing in outside air from the intake port. In this embodiment, the air supply ball 5 is connected to the airbag 7 via a release valve 6 and a hose 8.

In other words, as shown in FIG. 3, the seat cushion of this embodiment is configured as a single seat cushion by combining the airbag 7, air supply sphere 5, release valve 6, and hose 8 together with the cushion material 3 and housing them in the cushion cover 9. Here, it is preferable that the release valve 6 is positioned so that at least the operating portion, for example the operating button portion, is exposed to the outside of the cushion cover 9 so that it can be operated outside the cushion cover 9.

In this embodiment, the cushion cover 9 is made by sewing the upholstery 1 and the non-slip sheet 2 that forms the back surface of the cushion together to form a bag shape, and has an opening in the rear half (e.g., behind the center of the seat) for inserting the cushioning material 3, etc., which can be opened and closed with a zipper or hook (not shown).

In this embodiment, the cushion cover 9 is made up of an anti-slip sheet 2 and an upholstery 1, with the upholstery 1 layered on top of the anti-slip sheet 2 and sewn together to form an integrated unit. By using the anti-slip sheet 2 on the back surface of the cushion cover 9, it is possible to effectively prevent the cushion cover 9 from shifting out of position.

The cushion cover 9 is not limited to a specific material, but is generally preferably made of a breathable and stretchable fabric. Specifically, the upper upholstery 1 is preferably breathable when the cushion material 3 is placed inside, and is made of, for example, a double raschel-knitted cushion cover 9 fabric. On the other hand, the non-slip sheet 2 on the back side is preferably made of a non-slip material or has been treated to make it non-slip, and is made of, for example, an acrylic fiber sheet material. The cushion cover 9 may be finished in a size that allows some room for the cushion material 3, but in some cases it may be molded with tight dimensions, shape, and material that will fit snugly when an airbag or other cushion material 3 is placed inside.

It is preferable to use molded urethane, for example, molded into a predetermined shape, for the cushion material 3. Here, a cavity 4 for accommodating the air supply ball 5 is formed near the edge of the cushion material 3. This cavity 4 is preferably formed in a position that is not under the buttocks or thighs when seated, and particularly along the edge of the cushion material 3 that is forward of the center. In the case of this embodiment, it is provided in a position where the occupant's hand can naturally reach when seated, for example, at the position where the occupant's arm hangs down to the side, or at a side edge slightly forward from that (i.e., the edge in the front-rear direction between the front edge and the rear edge). In this case, it is easy to operate the air supply ball by stretching your hand without losing your posture while seated. In addition, at the front side of the seat, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the thickness of the cushion material 3 is relatively thin even near the rear side that supports the occupant's buttocks, so there is an advantage that the force required to operate the air supply ball 5 is small. On the other hand, if it is located at the front edge, for example, in the center, in order to operate the air supply ball 5, the occupant must spread his legs or bend forward, so although it is not impossible to operate, it is not preferable. In addition, at the rear of the seat, for example at the rear side edge or rear edge, the molded urethane that supports the buttocks is thicker, so a large force is required to push the air ball 5. This makes it difficult for people with weak strength, such as women, to operate. In particular, at the rear edge, the body must be twisted to operate the air ball 5, making it difficult to operate. Therefore, it is preferable to form the air ball 5 along the side edge that is forward of the center of the cushion material 3. In this case, in the illustrated example, the void 4 is provided at the right side edge, but this is not limited to this and it may be provided at the left side edge or on both the left and right sides.

The shape of the cavity 4 is preferably as small as possible, while still allowing the operation of the contained air supply means, such as the air supply ball 5 (i.e., restoration by squashing and releasing) and without impairing the function of the cushioning material 3. On the other hand, since it depends on the shape and size of the air supply means contained inside, in this embodiment it is preferable to have a space of the minimum size necessary to contain and operate the air supply ball 5. This space may be penetrating in the vertical direction, but it may also be a space that leaves some of the cushioning material 3 on the upper surface (concave on top) so that there is no step on the seat surface, or a space that exposes the air supply ball 5 on the lower surface (concave on the bottom), or in some cases it may be a space that leaves some of the cushioning material 3 on both the upper and lower surfaces and is open to the sides (concave on the side).

The cushion bar 9 is also provided with a mark 10 which indicates the location of the storage area for the air supply means, i.e., the void 4. In this embodiment, the mark 10 is formed by, for example, sewing together an upholstery with a different grain direction from the upholstery 1 in other areas, an upholstery with a different pattern or color, or an upholstery of a different material. Of course, the mark 10 which indicates the location of the storage area for the air supply means, i.e., the void 4, is not limited to being displayed as a surface as described above, but may be displayed, for example, as a line bordering the edge of the area, or may be replaced by a mark such as a symbol or pattern, although not shown.

In the present embodiment, the cushion material 3 has a concave shape on the seating side supporting the buttocks at the rear side compared to the thigh support part supporting the thighs at the front side, in order to facilitate the ischial sitting position, as shown in FIG. 5, for example. In other words, the seating part of the cushion material 3 forms a concave surface that matches the shape of the buttocks so as to envelop the buttocks of the seated person, and the front of the seating part is raised to prevent the buttocks of the seated person from sliding forward. The front end of the seat hangs forward so that the thighs of the seated person do not come into contact with it. In addition, the peripheral part of the cushion material 3 is raised so as to envelop the buttocks and thighs. Therefore, when viewed from the side, the cushion material 3 has a composite curved shape, that is, a gentle, approximately S-shaped shape, in which the front end hangs down, the rear part rises slightly, sinks again toward the buttocks, and then rises again at the rear end. Of course, there are no particular limitations on the shape and structure of the cushioning material 3.

In the case of the cushion of this embodiment applied to a seat, as shown in FIG. 5, an airbag 7 is provided at the rear of the cushion material 3 to push up the rear of the seated person's buttocks. It is preferable to place the airbag 7 as far back as possible in the seat. This allows the pelvis to be lifted and erected, allowing the occupant to naturally adopt a forward-leaning posture. The airbag 7 is housed and fixed at least rearward of the center position in the front-to-rear direction of the seat, and is inflated by air being sent from the air supply ball 5, which causes the rear part of the cushion material 3 to rise and push up the rear of the seated person's buttocks. This provides a pelvic support function that adjusts the pelvis to an erect posture and a slightly forward-leaning posture to maintain the natural S-shape of the spine.

The airbag 7 is preferably placed under the cushion material 3, that is, between the cushion material 3 and the non-slip sheet 2. In this case, the change in height caused by the expansion of the airbag 7 directly contributes to lifting the cushion material 3, so the cushion material 3 behind the buttocks can be folded and raised while maintaining the shape of the seat, that is, while supporting the buttocks of the seated person. This does not deny the possibility of embedding the airbag inside the cushion material 3.

The airbag 7 may be stored in a recess (not shown) in the cushion material 3 to prevent it from shifting out of position, but in some cases it may be fixed in position by previously gluing the area that will become the peak of the bulge to the cushion material 3 or the non-slip sheet 2, or it may be directly tethered with a hanging string (not shown), or it may be fixed in position by storing the airbag 7 in a bag (not shown) sewn to the cushion material 3 or the non-slip sheet 2. Furthermore, a bottom friction material may be attached to the airbag 7 itself to prevent it from shifting out of position due to friction between the cushion material 3 or the non-slip sheet 2.

In this embodiment, the airbag 7 is a rectangular bag that is widely available on the market, but is not limited to this shape. If necessary, it may be formed into a curved or elliptical shape to fit the shape of the cushion or buttocks.

In this embodiment, the hose 8 is placed in the corner of the sewn area between the upholstery 1 and the non-slip sheet 2, i.e., in the gap between the corner of the cushion cover 9 and the cushion material 3, and is clamped between the cushion material 3 and the corner of the cushion cover 9 to restrict its movement. Of course, to more reliably restrict the movement of the hose, a groove into which the hose 8 fits may be formed in the corner or side of the cushion material 3, and the hose 8 may be placed in the groove.

The release valve 6 between the hose 8 and the air supply ball 5 is pulled out of the cushion cover 9 for easier operation. The hose 8 is then reinserted into the cushion cover 9, for example through a stitched portion of the upper upholstery of the cushion cover 9. The release valve 6 is normally closed, and the air supply ball 5 is operated to send air into the airbag 7, thereby inflating the airbag 7. The air in the airbag can be released while the release valve 6 is open as needed, for example by operating a button. This makes it possible to completely crush the airbag, or to adjust its height by stopping the release of air midway.

With the seat cushion configured as described above, even a chair with a relatively hard and flat seat, such as a dining chair, can be improved in comfort to the same level as the seat of an office chair optimized for long periods of sitting at work, simply by placing the seat cushion of this embodiment on it.

In other words, when the seat cushion is placed on the seat of a chair, as shown in FIG. 5, the rear buttock support part is lower than the front thigh support part and the thigh side is kept almost horizontal, so that the thighs of the seated person are raised higher than the buttocks and a force is applied to prevent the body from slipping forward. This prevents the so-called sacrum sitting. Furthermore, the buttock support part supports the buttocks in a wrapping manner, dispersing body pressure and providing stable support. Moreover, by operating the air supply ball 5 to inflate the air bag 7 and pushing up the cushion material 3 behind the buttocks, a pelvic support function can be achieved that adjusts the posture to a slightly forward-leaning posture to keep the pelvis upright and the spine in a natural S-shape.

In addition, the airbag 7 and the air supply ball 5, which serves as the air pressure source, the release valve 6, and the hose 8 are housed in a cushion cover 9 in a combined state with the cushion material 3, so that the relative positions of all parts are maintained while forming a single seat cushion, making it easy to handle.

The above-mentioned embodiment is one example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but is not limited to this and can be modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the above-mentioned embodiment has been described as being used to improve the comfort of the seat by placing it on the seat of a chair with a flat seat, such as a household chair, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to this and can be used for other purposes, such as as a cushion for welfare or medical purposes.

In the above embodiment, the present invention has been described using an example of a seat cushion suitable for use in a dining chair, but the present invention is not particularly limited to this, and is also suitable as a seat cushion for use in a chair or wheelchair, or as a substitute for a cushion, and can even be used as a cushion attached to the backrest of a dining chair to improve the comfort of the backrest.

In the above embodiment, the airbag 7 is mainly provided at the rear of the seat cushion and is configured to have a pelvic support function, but this is not particularly limited. If necessary, the airbag 7 can be provided at the front of the seat to improve the function of preventing forward slipping by lifting the thighs, or at the side to enhance the lateral support function from the thighs to the buttocks.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was given in which molded urethane was mainly used as the cushioning material 3, but this is not particularly limited, and it may be carved out of a urethane foam slab, or multiple blocks may be glued together to form the desired shape, or a three-dimensional mesh structure may be used.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an air supply ball 5 is used as the air supply means for supplying air to the airbag 7, but this is not particularly limited and may be a pump means that does not require a power source, or in some cases, an electric pump.

1. Upholstery 2. Anti-slip sheet (lining)
3. Cushion (molded urethane)
4 Vacant space 5 Air supply balloon (air supply means)
6 Release valve 7 Airbag 8 Hose 9 Cushion cover 10 Mark indicating storage area for air supply means

Claims (4)

A cushion comprising a cushion cover and a cushioning material wrapped therein,
an airbag, an air supply means for supplying air to the airbag, and a hose connecting the airbag and the air supply means are housed inside the cushion cover together with the cushion material;
a cavity in which the air supply means is housed is provided in a part of the cushion material, the air supply means is housed in the cavity, and the air supply means is operable through the cushion cover ;
The air supply means is an air supply balloon equipped with a release valve, and the release valve is arranged so as to be exposed to the outside of the cushion cover and can be operated outside the cushion cover.
A cushion characterized by: The cushion according to claim 1, characterized in that the airbag is disposed between the fabric on the back surface of the cushion cover and the cushioning material. 3. The cushion according to claim 1, wherein the upholstery of the cushion cover above the cavity has a mark indicating the storage area of the air supply means. 4. The cushion according to claim 1, which is used as a seat, the airbag is disposed behind the cushion material, and has a pelvic support function that acts in a direction to raise the rear of the buttocks of the seating portion.

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