SUMMARY

Office-chair especially for computer-workstations and/or seat/standing seat, footstool, standingspace, (also for medical (therapeutical) use)

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  1. The invention / the idea
  2. Customer benefit
  3. Product benefit
  4. Possibilities for development of a product family
  5. State of project
  6. Utilisation concept
  7. Account of figures
  1. The invention / the idea

The invention is an innovative chair, whose seat reels (or wobbles) around a pivot (also virtual pivot), which lies between the stationary foot and the seat, driven by one or more electric motors (positioned in the foot of the chair). As such the seat itself is actively compulsory continuously and cyclically moved an the person seated can follow it's motion passively. One can switch easily between several individual motion patterns. (Version A, basic chair)

Different variations of use are possible. In addition the chair can provide a backrest, that travels within a horizontal concave way, swinging mounted (suspended from a high fixing point) forearm rests that lock to help one rise, and movable and lockable leg supports plus antiglare lighting. (version A1, A1,2 or A1,2,3 etc.)

Version B has the drive integrated in the seat itself and is a compact design. Therefore it can be carried out as chair (adding legs or post with 5 wheels), seat/standing seat (adding a base with a gas spring for alternating between heights), footstool (with short or no legs) and/or standing space (positioned flat on the ground, without legs).

  1. Customer benefit

Target group for the distribution are providers and users of computer- or machine workplaces, but also physicians, physiotherapists and hospitals.

Version B (Fig.5) is qualified as a introductory model due to low production cost and it's versatility .

Since the times of ,,homo erectus" man is used to the passive following of an active motion or movement in seated position such as being carried as a child on the hips of the mother or horseback riding. This is carried out unconsciously and without muscle tense up, having the affect of being very relaxing but not tiresome, and having a therapeutical use.
Because the motion is resilient gentle and slow, an ergonomic seating position will be encouraged if not enforced., many muscles in the pelvic area will be used without tension and the upper body can be kept steady. This will support blood circulation of the entire body the (intervertebral) disks will experience a softly varying strain and the upper thighs will be relieved of pressure.

This chair will enhance the well-being, will result in a feeling of security and safety, without
having a tiresome effect, and being moved slowly will not distract from the actual work because one follows the motion unconsciously.

The user will realise an upgrading of his workplace, what will result in a better work climate. The therapeutical benefit is not to be underestimated
That the chair can be employed in home workplaces or private use also, results in quite a large market.

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  1. Product benefit

With this chair it is possible for the first time to provide and keep an ideal distance to the monitor (between 50 and 90 cm) and an ideal angle of view (of 35 ° under the horizontal), as recommended by the European Standard for Office Furniture - office work chair (of Dec. 1996) because it is always standing in the same position.(once adjusted for each individual, or when desk-sharing is asked for, the adjustments can be made by individual chip card)
And it is not possible anymore to sit crouched because the movement of the seat forces the upper body into an upright position (just as one cannot sit badly on a horse or hold the upper body in bend forward position while walking).

Conventional chairs, like chairs similar to rocking chairs, swivel chairs, chairs to kneel on or balls to sit on have all different disadvantages in reference to ergonomic seating. They either lead to relatively crouched or cramped upper body posture with a round back, which is bad for spine and disks and will eventually give backaches, or in case of the kneeling chair the body weight puts pressure on the crucial ligament. Besides one can sit wrong in the best ergonomic chair because it does not force into an upright position resulting in backaches, aches of the neck- and shoulder region and too large seats in a wrong angle will restrict blood flow.
Extract from the brochure ,,Telearbeit" (Teleworking) of the German ministries of BMA ,BMWi and bmb+f, page 92, § 4.5:
In his working life an office worker spends approximately 80.000 hours mostly seated. If only for that reason the chair should be better than the standard calls for. An american study claims that a bad office chair will swallow up five minutes of productivity every hour. Pains and aches and loss of working capacity are held responsible for this unusual result.

This chair will meet the following requirements, to provide:

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  1. Possibilities for development of a product family

Version A (basic chair) can be upgraded step by step through arm rest, back rest, rest for lower leg and antiglare lighting.

Version B (Fig.5)can be used as a (moving) standing space (for instance for work at machine tools) (like standing on the helm of a sailing yacht) and
adding legs it is a heatable footstool,
adding longer legs or any kind of solid base it is a chair similar to Version A,
adding a special base with a gas spring it is a chair that can alternate between the position of sitting and standing and supports to get up to standing position too,
besides it can be built in into a car seat.

In addition the backrest can be a pillow type neck- and backrest for use on couches, camp beds or beds to maintain a reading position or to help getting up or sitting up, plus it is useful after plastic surgery of the face.

Multiple variations of design with many options within the levels of specification are possible.

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  1. State of project

A patent application has been filed at the German patent office on October 16th 1998 (patent pending). PCT- and international applications are in preparation. Patent investigation has been carried out.

Prototypes (of version B) have been built.


  1. Utilisation concept

Requested is a company that has a good market position in the field of office furniture or related products and is interested in building and distributing the chairs.
Manufacturing and Distribution shall take place on the basis of a licensing agreement. The inventor of the chair offers in addition her advisory support in reference to development of following products, design and advertising.


  1. Account of figures

A cost/benefit analysis on the subject of market chances and long term turnover and sales expectations can be ordered.

Please inquire at the E-Mail address given below for a more detailed exposé on the topic Bewegung bei Rückenschmerzen (motion against spinal pain) containing numerous sources, references and statements of both orthopedic science and the media.


Schon.Gisela@Schonstuhl.com