WO1995034457A1

WO1995034457A1 - Adjustable back rest apparatus for sports and competition appliances

Info

Publication number: WO1995034457A1
Application number: PCT/SE1995/000693
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tommy Schavon; Per ÅSTRÖM
Original assignee: Städet I Bergsjöbygden Ab
Priority date: 1994-06-15
Filing date: 1995-06-09
Publication date: 1995-12-21
Also published as: SE9402102D0; AU2758195A; SE9402102L; SE503188C2

Abstract

A seat back rest intended for being mounted on various types of sports appliances, trainings appliances and competition appliances, and which back rest can be individually adjusted for each separate person, both in the vertical direction and horizontally forwards and rearwards, respectively, and which is formed resilient. The back rest comprises a seat holder (1) adapted to be fixed mounted on the seat of the training or competition appliance, a carrier (2) for a back rest which is mounted against the seat holder (1), a back rest cushion (3) which is mounted adjustable (10, 15) in the vertical and horizontal direction on said carrier (2), and a variably adjustable spring means (8) for making it possible for the back rest cushion (3) move resiliently in relation to the seat holder (1) by individually adjusted spring forces.

Description

ADJUSTABLE BACK REST APPARATUS

FOR SPORTS AND COMPETITION APPLIANCES.

The present invention generally relates to a seat back rest intended to be mounted on various types of sports appliances, trainings appliances and competition appliances, and the invention is more particularly directed to such a seat back rest which can be individually adjusted for each separate person, both in the vertical direction and in the horizontal direction, forwardly and rearwardly, respectively, and which is formed slightly resilient, in particular resilient by a variable force so as to suit each individual person and is suitable for each specific occasion.

The invention has especially developed as the solution of the problem of eliminating person's back injuries which may appear in connection to trotting races, during which the trotting trainer or driver sits in an ergonomically very laboured position with his legs rather high lifted and fold out to the sides and with the back without any support whatsoever.

Normally the driver keeps himself in an upright position by means of the horse reins. The sitting position, however, is very stressing to the back, and trotting drivers and trainers rather frequently suffer from back injuries. In the following the invention will mainly be described with reference to a seat back rest for a sulky seat, but it is obvious that the invention is not restricted to said field of use and that the invention may as well be used for many other sports appliances, training appliances and competition appliances, for instances in canoes, in sailing boats, in rowing boats and rowing apparatus, and anywhere an adjustable, resilient support for the person's back can facilitate the execution of the training or the sport, and in front of all can prevent development of back injuries.

A well functioning seat back rest for this purpose has to fulfil certain demands, namely

- that the seat back rest is resilient, - that the spring action can be adjusted according to the shape of the person's body, and the length and the weight of the body of each individual person, that the back rest can be adjusted to suit each specific competition or training occasion or any other purpose and occasion, - that the back rest can be adjusted individually both in the horizontal direction and with respect to the vertical position to fit each person and to suit each occasion, that the back rest can be fold aside in order to make it easy to climb the seat of the appliance, - that the back rest is capable of following the movements of the body of the horse driver or the sporting person, that the back rest does not rub the back of the horse driver or the sporting person, or otherwise may have a tendency to cause friction against the person's body thereby causing a risque of development of sores, - and that the back rests can be applied to practically any existing seat of a training appliance or a competition appliance.

According to the invention the back rest comprises a seat holder adapted for being fixed mounted against the seat of the training appliance or the competition appliance, a carrier for a back rest cushion which is mounted at the seat holder, a vertically and horizontally adjustable back rest cushion which is mounted on said carrier, and means for providing a resilient action of adjustable strength of the back rest cushion in relation to the seat holder.

In one embodiment of the invention the back rest cushion is formed as a rotatable back rest roll which is mounted in a fork or on support arms and which can be rotated about a horizontal cross shaft over at least 90° in relation to a mounting point for the back rest cushion at the carrier therefore. The carrier for the back rest cushion preferably is telescopatable so that said mounting point can be moved a desired distance upwards and downwards.

For providing the resilient action of the back rest cushion a spring, for instance a gas spring or another spring of known type, can be mounted between the seat holder and the carrier for the back rest cushion, which spring can be adjusted to provide various desired spring pressures. Also the carrier for the back rest cushion preferably is rotatable mounted about a horizontal, longitudinally extending shaft so that the entire back cushion can be fold aside over for instance 45 - 90° to facilitate for the driver to climb the seat, whereupon the back cushion carrier can be fold up again and can be locked in a vertical position. Further advantages and characteristics of the invention will be evident from the following detailed description in which reference will be made to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings figure 1 shows, diagrammatically and in a perspective view, an equipage consisting of horse and sulky, on the sulky seat of which a back rest apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention has been mounted. Figure 2 is a side view of the back rest according to the invention, and figure 3 is a rear view of the back rest. Figure 4 shows, in a slightly enlarged scale, a cross section along line IV-IV of figure 3. Figure 5 shows, similarly to figure 2, the spring action of the back rest apparatus, and figure 6 shows, similarly to figure 3, a slightly modified embodiment of the back rest. Figure 7 is a side view, similar to that of figure 2, of a modified embodiment of a back rest, and figure 8 is a side view, in an enlarged scale, of the spring actuation means connected hydraulically to the seat shown in figure 7.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which gives an acceptable support for the back of trotting trainers, trotting drivers, or for persons who compete or train using various appliances, and thereby to eliminate development of back pains or injuries, depending thereon, or to reduce pains for persons who already suffer from back injuries.

To this end the apparatus shown in the drawings comprises a seat holder 1 which is arranged for being mounted against the bottom or the top of an available seat of a sulky or any other appliance, and which rotatably carries a carrier 2 for a back rest cushion 3 adapted to act as a support for the curve or the lower part of the back of a competing or training person, and which back cushion is mounted so that it can be raised and lowered. The seat holder 1 comprises a plate 4 having sideways projecting attachment wings 5, by means of which the apparatus can be mounted against the bottom surface of an available seat, or on top of which a seat can be mounted in the case that the apparatus is mounted already when an appliance is originally manufactured. At the rear edge of the plate 4 the carrier 2 for the back rest cushion is rotatably mounted over a transversal, horizontal joint 6. In the illustrated case the carrier 2 is mainly U-shaped, and one branch thereof acts as a mounting bar 7 for a spring means 8 which will be described more in detail in the following, whereas the other branch of said carrier 2 is formed as a bar 9 on which the back rest cushion 3 is mounted. Figures 2 and 3 show that the back rest cushion is mounted on a slide 10 which can be moved some distance up and down on the bar 9. To this end said bar 9 is formed with a screw extending through a vertical slot 1 1 of the slide 10. The slide 10 can be locked against the bar 9 in any desired height position by means of a nut 12. In the embodiment shown in figures 2 and 3 the back rest cushion 3 is formed as a rotatable roll 13, for instance a roll of compression moulded, pore sealed cellular plastic having a concentrically spacer tube 14 embedded therein. It is important that the back rest roll is not formed as a solid support for the back of the person. Therefore the roll may be capable of rolling or sliding, rather unimpededly, along the back curve or other parts of the back when the driver or the training or competing person leans rearwardly or forwardly. Therefore the roll is mounted on the slide by means of a fork 15 and a bar 16 extending through the spacer tube 14. The fork 15 is mounted on the slide 10 by means of a lock bolt having a lock screw 17. The fork is formed so that it can be rotated on its lock screw 17 over an angle of for instance up to 90° and can be locked in any desired intermediate position or extreme position. In figure 2 is shown with full lines that the fork has been set in a position with the fork rotated forwardly-downwardly of about 50° from a vertical top position, and with dotted lines is shown how the fork 15 with the back rest cushion 3 is almost in its uppermost position in which the back rest cushion 3 is in a position which is almost its rear end position. It is evident that the back rest cushion 3, by rotating the fork 15, can be displaced horizontally a distance which substantially corresponds to the length of the rotatable fork 15. By dot-dash phantom lines is shown how the slide 10 with the back rest cushion 3 has been lowered a distance downwards from the position marked with full lines. By rotating the fork 15 and raising and lowering the slide 10 it is thus possible to set the back rest cushion 3 in a large number of individual positions which are most convenient for any individual person and for any particular occasion. It is important that the back rest cushion is resiliently mounted so as to yield with a desired counter force when the horse driver or trainer leans back, and to this end a spring means 8 is mounted between the seat holder 1 and the carrier 2 of the back rest cushion 3. In the case which is illustrated in figures 2 and 5 said spring means is a gas spring 18 which is clamped between a bracket 19 at the bottom of the seat holder 1 and a bracket 20 provided on the mounting bar 7 of the U-shaped back rest carrier 2. The brackets 19 and 20 are mounted so as to form a suitable lever arm in relation to the rotation joint 6. For making it possible to adjust the spring force as desired the brackets 19 and 20 can be formed with two or more mounting bores 21 for the gas spring 18. It is obvious that it is possible to use other types of spring means, for instance a conventional helical spring, preferably in combination with a co-operating damper for providing a soft spring action.

For facilitating for the horse driver or trainer to climb the seat it can be convenient that the back seat rest can temporarily be fold aside and for this purpose the web portion 22 of the U-shaped cushion carrier 2 is rotatable about a pin 23 extending in the longitudinal direction, so that the bar 9 with the slide 10 and the seat back cushion 3 can be fold to the left or to the right, e.g. +45° or -45° as indicated with the dotted lines of figure 3. The locking of the bar 9 in the vertical direction is made by means of a pin 24 which can be actuated by means of a spring biassed handle 25. When the handle 25 is pushed the pin 24 is pulled out and the seat rest can be rotated in any direction. When the handle 25 is released and the bar 9 is rotated back to a vertical position it will automatically become locked in that the pin 24 enters the locking bore of the mounting bar 7. In figure 6 there is shown an alternative embodiment of the means for raising and lowering the slide 10. In said case the bar 9 is formed with barbs 26 on both sides thereof, and the slide is formed with corresponding ratchets 27. Said barbs and ratchets are arranged in such directions that the adjustment of the height of the back rest cushion is made in that the ratchets 27 are released, the slide 10 is let down to its lowermost position, and it can thereafter easily be pulled up to the desired height position, during which movement the ratchets 27 snap over a certain number of barbs 26. When the slide is let free it is safely kept in the position thereby taken. The function of the apparatus is as follows: After the back rest apparatus has been mounted on a seat, if appropriate, the bar 9 with the slide 10 is fold aside, see the dotted position of figure 3, in that the pin 24 is released by means of the handle 25. The horse driver or trainer thereby easily can climb the seat, and the bar 9 with the slide 10 and the back rest cushion is fold back to a vertical position by hand, whereby the pin 23 snaps into engagement in the locking bore of the mounting bar 7. If the back rest cushion 3 is in a too high or too low position it can easily be adjusted in that the slide 10 is lowered or raised, respectively, in relation to the bar 9. In the apparatus of figure 6 the slide 10 with the back rest cushion 3 is lowered to its lowermost position and is thereafter pulled up to the desired position, in which the ratchets 27 lock the cushion in said position against the barbs 26.

If the back rest cushion 3 has a too strong or a too soft spring action the spring can be adjusted by means of the adjustment bores 21 of the brackets 19 and 20, or the spring can be substituted by another spring. After the best possible position has been taken the training or the competition tour can start, whereby the training or competing person gets a certain support at his back curve by the resilient, rotatable back rest cushion 3 which constantly follows the movements rearwardly and forwardly of the person thereby constantly providing some support by means of a desired force.

The alternative embodiment of the back rest apparatus shown in figures 7 and 8 is basically of the same type as that of figures 1-5, except that the back rest cushion is in the form a curved plate 3' rather than a roll, and that the spring actuation means is split into two parts which are hydraulically connected to each other, namely a hydraulic sensing cylinder 28 which is mounted between the brackets 19 and 20 and a spring actuation cassette 29 containing a hydraulic sensing receiving cylinder 30, a spring means 31 , like a gas spring, and a means 32 for controlling the spring force. The spring actuation means which is arranged in the separate cassette 29 can be mounted at a place which can easily be reached by the trotting driver, and it is designed so that the spring action can quickly and easily be adjusted by the trotting driver any time, even during a run.

A basic setting, or a change of horizontal position of the seat back cushion 3' is made, like in the previously described embodiment, in that the sensing cylinder is set in different bores of the bracket 19.

The movement sensing cylinder 28 is hydraulically connected to the movement receiving cylinder 30 over hydraulic conduits 33 and 34 interconnecting the two ends of the cylinders 28 and 30. Both the movement receiving cylinder 30 and the spring cylinder 31 are, at one end thereof connected to one wall 35 of the cassette 29, and the pistons of said two cylinders are connected to the spring force control means 32. Said spring force control means comprises a screw 36 in a screw mounted in a screw housing 37 which is rotatable about a pin 38 in the cassette. The piston rod of the receiving cylinder 30 is connected to the screw housing 37 and the spring cylinder piston rod is connected to the screw 36 via a nut 39 which is sliceable in a slot 40 in the screw housing. The screw 36 is, at the top thereof, formed with a knob 41 which extends outside the cassette 29 and which is arranged at a place which can easily be reached by the driver, e.g. just aside of the seat holder 1 , so that the driver can quickly and easily adjust the spring force as desired, even during a run.

Any movement of the back rest cushion 3' is transmitted to the motion sensing cylinder 28 which in turn transmits said movement to the receiver cylinder 30 of the spring cassette 29. Also, any movement of the receiver cylinder 30 is directly transferred to the screw housing 37 and the screw 34, and via said screw 36 to the spring 31 , for instance the gas spring. If the driver finds that the spring force is too soft he rotates the screw knob 41 so that the nut 37 comes closer to the bottom of the screw 36; if he finds that the there is a too strong spring force he rotates the screw knob 41 in the opposite direction, so that the nut 39 approaches the top of the screw 36.

Reference numerals

1 seat holder 22 web portion (of 2)

2 cushion carrier 23 pin

3 back rest cushion 24 pin

4 plate 25 handle

5 attachment wings 26 barb

6 joint 27 ratchet

7 mounting bar 28 motion sensing cylinder

8 spring 29 spring actuation cassette

9 bar 30 motion receiving cylinder

10 slide 31 spring

1 1 slot 32 spring force control means

12 nut 33 hydraulic conduit

13 back rest roll 34 hydraulic conduit

14 spacer tube 35 wall

15 fork 36 screw

16 bar 37 screw housing

17 lock screw 38 pin

18 gas spring 39 nut

19 bracket 40 slot

20 bracket 41 knob

21 mounting bore

Claims

C L A I S

1. A back rest adapted to be mounted on various types of sports appliances, training appliances and competition appliances, which back rest is individually adjustable for each individual person, both as to the height position and horizontally forwardly and rearwardly, respectively, and which back rest is formed resilient, characterized in that said back rest comprises a seat holder (1 ) arranged for being fixed mounted against the seat of the training or competition appliance, a carrier (2) for a seat rest cushion (3) which is pivotably mounted on the seat holder (1 ), a back rest cushion (3) which is mounted adjustable in the vertical and horizontal direction on said carrier (2) , and a means (8; 29) for providing an adjustable spring action of the back rest cushion (3) in relation to the seat holder (1 ).

2. A back rest according to claim 1 , characterized in that the back rest cushion (3) is mounted in a slide (10) which can be moved upwards and downwards and can be locked in any desired position on a support bar (9) being a part of the back rest carrier (2).

3. A back rest according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the spring means (8) is mounted over a variably adjustable lever arm for making it possible to individually adjust the spring force executed on the back rest cushion (3).

4. A back rest according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carrier (2) for the back rest cushion (3) is mounted on a longitudinally extending horizontal pin (23) for making it possible to rotate said carrier sideways over an angle of 45 - 90°, thereby facilitating a climbing onto the seat of the training or competition appliance.

5. A back rest according to claim 5, characterized in that carrier (2) for the back rest cushion (3) can be locked in a central, vertical position by means of a pin (24) which engages a bore which is fixed in relation to the seat holder (1 ).

6. A back rest according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the spring means (8) can be a gas spring (18), and in that said spring means is mounted between the seat holder (1 ) and the carrier (2) for the back rest cushion (3), which is rotatably mounted at the seat holder (1 ), whereby said back rest carrier (2) with the back rest cushion (3) operates as a resilient unit.

7. A back rest according to claim 1 , characterized in that the back rest cushion (3) comprises a roll which is rotatably mounted on a central horizontal shaft (16), and in that the back rest cushion (3) is mounted in a fork (15) which is rotatably mounted (17) in the carrier (2) for the back rest cushion (3) so that the roll (3) with its fork (15) can be rotated about a transversal horizontal shaft (17) over an angle of about 90°, whereby the roll is concurrently therewith displaced in the longitudinal direction of the back rest.

8. A back rest according to any of claims 1-4, characterized in that the spring means (8') in split into two separate parts comprising a motion sensing hydraulic cylinder (28) which is mounted between the seat holder (1 ) and the cushion carrier (2) for sensing any movements of said cushion carrier, and a spring actuation cassette (29), which can be mounted at any place spaced from the seat (1 , 2) and which comprises a motion receiving cylinder (30) which is hydraulically connected to said motion sensing cylinder (28) and which transmits such motions to the spring means (31 ).

9. A back rest according to claim 8, characterized in that the spring actuation cassette (29) comprises an adjustment screw (36) mounted in a screw housing (37) which is rotatably mounted in said cassette (29), and in that the motion receiving hydraulic cylinder (30) in connected between a wall (35) of the cassette (29) and the spring housing (37), and that the spring means (31) is mounted between a wall (35) of the cassette (29) and the screw (36).

10. A back rest according to claim 9, characterized in that the spring means (31 ) is connected to the screw (36) over a nut (39), and in that said screw (36) can be rotated, whereby the nut (39) is moved closer to, or away from the motion receiving cylinder (30), thereby changing the spring force which is transmitted to the seat back rest (3').