Training device for a seating device and method of using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9883748-B2
Application number	US-201615369100-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2016
Priority date	May 15, 2015
Publication date	Feb 6, 2018
Grant date	Feb 6, 2018

Abstract

A seating device includes a training device connected to a component of the base of the seating device. The training device is configured to tilt the seating device to help a user learn how to use the seating device to help the user avoid losing the user's balance while sitting or leaning on the seat of the seating device when the user initially starts to use the seating device. The training device can be releasable from the base of the seating device after the user has learned how to balance on the seating device. The training device can also be reattachable to the seating device to facilitate the training of other users.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of using a seating device, the seating device comprising a seat to support a user, a floor engagement member that is elongated in a width direction, an elongated training device, and only a single leg extending at least part of a distance between the floor engagement member and the seat for interconnecting the seat with the floor engagement member, the method comprising:
removably attaching the elongated training device to the floor engagement member of the seating device that engages a floor to tilt the leg of the seating device at a pre-selected angle in a forward or rearward direction that is transverse to the width direction, wherein the elongated training device extends lengthwise in the width direction along a forward edge or a rearward edge of the floor engagement member; and
providing instructions on how to at least one of: (i) use the training device and (ii) remove the training device.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
using the seating device with the training device attached to the floor engagement member to learn how to use the seating device, the using of the seating device being performed such that the seating device supports a weight of a user leaning on a seat of the sitting device or sitting on the seat of the sitting device;
removing the training device from the seating device.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the training device is removed after it is determined that the user has learned how to avoid losing balance while sitting or leaning on the seat of the seating device.

4. The method of claim 3 , comprising:
reattaching the training device to the floor engagement member after the training device is removed to facilitate training of at least one other user.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the training device comprises a body that defines a slot, the slot sized and configured to receive a first side of the floor engagement member to tilt the leg at the pre-selected angle, the first side comprising the forward edge or the rearward edge.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the training device is configured to be releasably connectable on a bottom of the floor engagement member adjacent a first side of the floor engagement member, the first side of the floor engagement member comprises the forward edge of the floor engagement member or the rearward edge of the floor engagement member.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the floor engagement member and the training device is comprised of at least one magnetic element or at least one magnetic member to facilitate releasable connection between the bottom of the floor engagement member adjacent the first side of the floor engagement member and a top of the training device.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the training device has a body having a first end, a second end, and a middle portion between the first and second ends, a first magnetic element being positioned adjacent the first end and a second magnetic element being positioned adjacent the second end; and
wherein the floor engagement member has at least one magnetic member configured to magnetically attract at least one of the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-selected angle is within a range of 5°-35°, 5°-25°, or 5°-15°.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the pre-selected angle is 10°.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the training device has a body that defines a slot, the slot sized and configured to receive a first side of the floor engagement member to tilt the leg at the pre-selected angle, the first side comprising the forward edge or the rearward edge of the floor engagement member.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first side of the floor engagement member is a rear side of the floor engagement member.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the body of the training device has a top portion, a bottom portion, and middle portion between the top and bottom portion that defines the slot and wherein the bottom portion is spaced apart from the top portion via the middle portion and extends forwardly past the top portion.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the training device is configured to be releasably connectable on a bottom of the floor engagement member adjacent a first side of the floor engagement member, the first side of the floor engagement member comprising the forward edge of the floor engagement member or the rearward edge of the floor engagement member.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first side of the floor engagement member is a rear side of the floor engagement member.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the pre-selected angle is within a range of 5°-35°, 5°-25°, or 5°-15°.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the pre-selected angle is 10°.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the floor engagement member and the training device is comprised of at least one magnetic element or at least one magnetic member to facilitate releasable connection between the bottom of the floor engagement member adjacent the first side of the floor engagement member and a top of the training device.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the training device has a body having a first end, a second end, and a middle portion between the first and second ends, a first magnetic element being positioned adjacent the first end and a second magnetic element being positioned adjacent the second end.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the floor engagement member has at least one magnetic member configured to magnetically attract at least one of the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the floor engagement member has a first magnetic member configured to magnetically attract the first magnetic element and a second magnetic member configured to magnetically attract the second magnetic element to releasably connect the bottom of the floor engagement member to the training device.

22. The method of claim 14 , wherein the training device has a body having a first end, a second end, and a middle portion between the first and second ends, a top of the body shaped such that the middle portion is at an apex of a curve defined by the top of the body to mate with a contour on the bottom of the floor engagement member.

23. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
providing an instructional member wrapped about the floor engagement member, the instruction member having at least a portion of the instructions, a portion of the instructional member being positioned between the training device and the floor engagement member.

Assignees

• Knoll Inc

Inventors

• Murray Seth
• Recor Bret
• Van Hekken Hendrik R
• Harper Michael

Classifications

• F16B2001/0035

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• A47C9/002 Primary

  with exercising means or having special therapeutic or ergonomic effects · CPC title

• A47C7/004

  for chairs or stools with central column, e.g. office chairs · CPC title

• A47C3/029

  with curved rocking members resting on the floor · CPC title

• A47C3/02

  Rocking chairs · CPC title