JP2024024719A - chairs and desks - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a chair for enabling a user to perform exercises, a stretching exercise, and a posture change at appropriate timing.SOLUTION: A chair includes: a backrest part where a user leans against; a seat part on which the user sits; a timer part for counting a predetermined time; a notification part for notifying that a time reaches the predetermined time; a pressure part for changing a posture of the user; a drive part for driving the pressure part; and a control part for controlling the drive part. The notification part urges the user to perform a posture change by using the pressure part. After the posture change of the user by the pressure part is completed, the timer part sets the predetermined time again.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to chairs and desks.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, chairs have been proposed that encourage exercise for workers who work at desks for long periods of time with poor posture. (For example, see Patent Document 1.)

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 63-29607

The chair disclosed in Patent Document 1 is designed to recover muscle fatigue caused by staying in the same position for a long time and promote blood circulation by lifting the hands upward and performing a stretching exercise that stretches the muscles of the entire body. However, the timing of the movement is left to the user. However, there is a problem in that users often use the device after they start to experience symptoms of fatigue due to sitting for a long time, and do not necessarily exercise or stretch at the appropriate timing. Moreover, it is not enough to perform exercise and stretching once, but it is preferable to perform them repeatedly at regular intervals. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a chair and a desk that allow users to exercise, stretch, and change their posture at appropriate timings.

The present invention includes a backrest portion on which a user can lean, a seat portion on which the user is seated, a timer portion that can count a predetermined time, a notification portion that notifies that the predetermined time has been reached, and a user's posture. It has a pressing part that changes, a driving part that drives the pressing part, and a control part that controls the driving part,
The chair is characterized in that the notification section prompts the user to change his posture by using the pressing section, and after the user's posture change by the pressing section is completed, the timer section sets the predetermined time again. shall be.
With this configuration, posture changes can be repeatedly performed at appropriate timings.

Further, it is preferable that the pressing section has a course program that operates according to a predetermined procedure.
With this configuration, the posture can be changed using a series of programs.

Further, it is preferable that the pressing part includes at least a back pressing part that presses the user's back.
With this configuration, it is possible to press the back and change the posture.

Further, it is preferable that the pressing section includes a buttock pressing section that presses at least the buttocks of the user.
With this configuration, it is possible to press the buttocks and change the posture.

Further, it is preferable that the pressing portions are provided as a left and right pair, and that the control portion is capable of controlling the pressing portions independently of the left and right sides.
With this configuration, it is possible to change the posture by twisting the body left and right.

Further, it is preferable that the backrest has a reclining function capable of switching between a tilted state and a standing state.
With this configuration, it is possible to change the posture between a leaning state and a standing state.

Moreover, it is preferable to have a changing unit that can change the predetermined time.
With this configuration, the posture can be changed at an appropriate time.

Further, it is preferable that the device has a usage detection sensor that detects whether the device is being used by a user, and the notification by the notification unit is performed when the usage detection sensor is detecting the usage by the user.
With this configuration, it is possible to prevent notification from being made when the user is not using the device.

Further, it is preferable that the timer unit counts a predetermined time while the usage detection sensor detects usage by a user.
With this configuration, time can be counted only while the device is being used.

The present invention includes a top plate supported at a predetermined height, a timer unit that can count a predetermined time, a notification unit that notifies that the predetermined time has been reached, and an elevating drive that drives the top plate so that it can be raised and lowered. and a control unit that controls the top plate, the desk can be switched between a standing desk state in which the top board is raised and a sitting desk state in which the top board is lowered, and The desk is characterized in that the desk urges the user to change the posture by switching between the standing desk state and the sitting desk state, and sets the predetermined time of the timer section after being raised or lowered by the lifting drive section. .
With this configuration, posture changes can be repeatedly performed at appropriate timings.

Moreover, it is preferable to have a changing unit that can change the predetermined time.
With this configuration, the posture can be changed at an appropriate time.

Further, it is preferable that the device has a usage detection sensor that detects whether the device is being used by a user, and the notification by the notification unit is performed when the usage detection sensor is detecting the usage by the user.
With this configuration, it is possible to prevent notification from being made when the user is not using the device.

Preferably, the timer unit counts a predetermined time while the usage detection sensor detects usage by a user.
With this configuration, time can be counted only while the device is being used.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a chair and a desk that allow the user to exercise, stretch, and change posture at appropriate timing.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a chair according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a chair according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a side view of a chair according to an embodiment of the present invention viewed from the left side, in which (a) is a diagram showing a standing state, and (b) is a diagram showing a reclining state. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an armrest related to posture change according to an embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a diagram showing a standing state, (b) is a diagram showing a reclining state, and (c) is a diagram showing a standing state. It is a perspective view of the right armrest in a state, (d) is a perspective view of the right armrest in a reclining state. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an operation unit according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating the use of a motion course. It is a perspective view showing a chair concerning other embodiments of the present invention. It is a perspective view showing a chair concerning other embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a desk according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a desk according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view showing posture change by the desk concerning one embodiment of the present invention, (a) shows a sitting desk state, and (b) is a figure showing a standing desk state. FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a notification function of a desk according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Configuration of chair according to one embodiment]
Hereinafter, the overall configuration of a chair 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a chair 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Note that external appearance parts such as sewn products are omitted. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the chair 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side view of the chair 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention as seen from the left side, in which (a) is a diagram showing a standing state, and (b) is a diagram showing a chair 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure showing a reclining state. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the armrest 5 related to changing the posture of the chair 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a diagram showing the standing state, and (b) is a diagram showing the reclining state. (c) is a perspective view of the right armrest 5 in the upright state, and (d) is a perspective view of the right armrest 5 in the reclined state. In addition, in (c) and (d), the elbow rest part 50 is described with a dotted line. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the operating section 10 according to an embodiment of the invention.
The concept of direction is that when viewed from the user sitting on the chair 1, the head side in the height direction is ``top'', the waist side in the height direction is ``bottom'', and the front side of the body (for example, face, chest, abdomen). The direction facing the back of the body (for example, the back of the head, back, waist or calf side) is defined as the "back", the left hand side is defined as "left", and the right hand side is defined as "right". However, other cases shall be explained as appropriate.

[Overall composition of chair]
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the chair 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention mainly includes a seat part 2 on which a user sits, and a seat part 2 provided at the rear of the seat part 2 so as to allow the user to recline. a backrest portion 3 that supports the seat portion 2; a leg portion 4 that supports the seat portion 2; an armrest portion 5 provided on both left and right sides of the seat portion 2; It has a footrest part 6 that supports the lower limbs of the patient. The seat portion 2, backrest portion 3, armrest portion 5, and footrest portion 6 function as a body support portion that supports the user's body. Air cells 20, which will be described later, are provided at various locations on the seat portion 2, backrest portion 3, and footrest portion 6 to press against the user's body. The chair 1 also includes a control section 9 that controls various operations of the chair 1, an operation section 10 that allows the user to perform various operations (to be described later), and a power supply section 90. Further, a pillow part 31 is provided on the upper front surface of the backrest part 3 to support the user's head and/or neck. Note that the pillow part 31 may not be provided, and the height of the backrest part 3 may be set to a height that supports the user's waist. Further, the power supply unit 90 may be a rechargeable battery, or may receive power from an external source. By using a rechargeable battery, the power supply cable does not get in the way when used in an office or the like.

Further, the backrest portion 3 is provided with a heater portion 32. As shown in FIG. 1, the heater section 32 is provided in the backrest section 3 at a position that overlaps with the air cell 20, and can promote blood circulation by warming the user's back, so that the user does not sit in the same position for a long time. It can relieve stiffness caused by being in a bad posture. Furthermore, by pressing the air cell 20 against the area heated by the heater unit 32, stiffness can be more deeply loosened. Note that the position of the heater section 32 is not limited to the arrangement of this embodiment, and may be provided along the back muscles, or may be provided on the seat section 2 or the footrest section 6.

The leg portions 4 are connected to the seat frame 2a at their upper portions and support the entire chair 1. Furthermore, it has a support part 42 extending to the left and right of the leg part 4, and the support part 42 supports the armrest part 5 by a first fixed support part 52a, which will be described later. Moreover, the lower part of the leg part 4 has caster part 41 which makes the chair 1 movable. Further, the chair 1 may have a locking mechanism (not shown) that locks the caster portion 41 so that it does not move. The locking mechanism may be a pedal type in which the user depresses a pedal with his/her foot and the stopper hits one or more caster parts 41 to lock the mechanism, or it may be locked by being electrically operated by the operating part 10. It may also be a locking mechanism.

[Seat configuration]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the seat portion 2 includes a hard seat frame 2a and a cover member (not shown) that covers the seat frame 2a. The seat frame 2a is made of a metal member and/or a resin member.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the seat portion 2 is provided with a buttock pressing portion a1 that presses the user's buttock and/or thigh from below (back side). The buttock pressing part a1 is composed of air cells 20 that expand and contract by supplying and exhausting air, and is provided in pairs on the left and right sides, and can be controlled independently on the left and right sides by the control unit 9, and adjusts the posture of the user. Functions as a pressing part for changing.

Below the seat part 2, a supply/exhaust device 11 having a pump 11a and a valve 11b for supplying and exhausting air to each of the pressing parts a1 to a4 made of an air cell 20, and the aforementioned control part 9 are provided. There is. The air cell 20 can press the user by supplying and exhausting air. The control unit 9 includes a programmable microcomputer and the like, and drives and controls the air supply and exhaust system 11 . The control section 9 is electrically connected to an operation section 10, a storage section 50, and a timer section 91. The chair 1 operates according to a preset course program (motion course C) stored in the storage section 50, and also according to instructions from the user on the operation section 10. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the operation unit 10 is provided with physical buttons 101, such as buttons for selecting or executing an action course C. Note that it is preferable that the control unit 9 stores a plurality of types of motion courses C. Further, the settings of the timer unit 91 may be configured to be able to be set by communicating with an external terminal such as a smartphone.

[Configuration of backrest]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the backrest portion 3 includes a hard back frame 3a and a cover member (not shown) that covers the back frame 3a. The back frame 3a is made of a metal member and/or a resin member. The back frame 3a has connecting shafts 3b on both sides, and an armrest 5 is pivotally supported on the connecting shafts 3b.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the backrest portion 3 is provided with a waist pressing portion a2 that presses the user's waist from the back. The waist pressing part a2 is composed of an air cell 20 that expands and contracts by supplying and exhausting air, and is provided in pairs on the left and right sides, and can be controlled independently on the left and right sides by the control unit 9, so as to adjust the posture of the user. Functions as a pressing part for changing.

[Armrest configuration]
As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, armrests 5 for supporting the user's forearms are provided on both left and right sides of the seat 2 (seat frame 2a). The armrest part 5 includes an elbow rest part 50 on which an elbow is placed, a first movable support part 51 having one end pivotally supported by the elbow rest part 50 and the other end pivotally supported by the seat frame 2a, A first fixed support part 52a extends perpendicularly upward from the part 42, and a second fixed support which is a rectangular tube-shaped inclined part with the hand side facing upward in the upper part of the first fixed support part 52a. It has a section 52b. A second movable support portion 53 is pivotally supported at the end of the second fixed support portion 52b on the elbow side. As shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(c), the second movable support part 53 is provided approximately parallel to the first fixed support part 52a when the chair 1 is in the upright state, and its lower end is attached to the seat frame 2a. It is pivotally supported.

The elbow rest part 50 has a first restriction part 54 at a position between the first movable support part 51 and the first fixed support part 52a. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4C, the elbow rest 50 has an inverted U-shaped cross section when viewed from the front. Further, the first regulating part 54 is provided so as to be in contact with the hand side of the second fixed support part 52b in the standing state, and regulates the movement of the backrest part 3 and the seat part 2 when the standing state is made. There is. Moreover, the second fixed support part 52b has a second restriction part 55 on the side surface of the second fixed support part 52b at a position directly above the first fixed support part 52a. As shown in FIG. 4, the elbow rest part 50 has a downward convex part in the middle of the elbow rest part 50 in the front-rear direction when viewed from the side, and the second restriction part 55 and the second fixed support part 52b It is pivotally supported by the armrest part 5 at the convex part. In addition, the second restriction part 55 and the second fixed support part 52b are located inside the inverted U-shape of the elbow rest part 50. As shown in FIGS. 4(b) and 4(d), the second restricting portion 55 is provided so as to be in contact with the first fixed support portion 52a in the reclining state. The movement of part 2 is restricted.

[Reclining configuration]
As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the backrest part 3 is configured to be able to recline back and forth relative to the seat part 2 by the user applying his or her weight to the backrest part 3. It is possible to change from the standing state shown in FIG. 3(b) to the reclining state (tilted state) in which the backrest surface is approximately horizontal. Specifically, when changing from the standing state to the reclining state, the user puts his/her weight on the backrest 3, so that the backrest 3 is tilted rearward. As shown in FIGS. 4(b) and 4(d), following the tilting of the backrest 3, the rear of the elbow rest 50 swings downward about the first fixed support part 52a. The first movable support part 51 and the second movable support part 53 move rearward, and the seat part 2 moves forward, so that the backrest part 3 tilts rearward. Here, the second movable support part 53 is regulated in its tilting motion by coming into contact with the second restricting part 55, and the tilting is stopped. As a result, the reclining operation stops at a predetermined angle, and the reclining state is established.

When the user puts his/her weight forward from the reclining state to the standing state, the weight is applied forward to the seat portion 2 and armrest portion 5, as shown in FIGS. 4(a) and (c). The elbow rest part 50 is tilted so that the rear part of the elbow rest part 50 swings upward about the first fixed support part 52, and the first movable support part 51 and the second movable support part 53 move forward. However, as the seat portion 2 moves rearward, the backrest portion 3 tilts forward. Here, the first regulating part 54 provided on the elbow rest part 50 comes into contact with the first fixed support part 52b, thereby regulating the tilting motion and stopping the tilting. As a result, the backrest portion 3 stops tilting forward and becomes an upright state. In addition, it is preferable that the substrate etc. be placed on the front side so that the center of gravity is shifted to the front side so that the state when not in use is in the upright state. In addition, in this embodiment, the armrest part 5 is configured to move in conjunction with the reclining of the backrest part 3, but the invention is not limited to this. Further, in this embodiment, reclining is performed by applying body weight, but reclining may be performed using an electric or hydraulic drive unit. When using an electric or hydraulic drive unit, it is preferable that the operating unit 10 is provided with a physical button 101 for operating reclining.

[Configuration of footrest]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the footrest section 6 has a pair of left and right leg holding sections 60 that hold the user's lower legs. The leg holding part 60 has a center wall 60a that stands up from the left and right centers of the user's lower legs, and side walls 60b that stand up from both left and right ends. A leg pressing portion a3 that presses the inner surface of the lower leg is provided on the inner surface of the side wall 60a, and a leg pressing portion a4 that presses the outer surface of the lower leg is provided on the inner surface of the side wall 60b. The leg pressing parts a3 and a4 are constituted by air cells 20 that expand and contract by supplying and exhausting air. The left and right leg pressing parts a3 and a4 can be independently controlled by the control part 9, respectively. By pressing the user's lower legs with the leg pressing parts a3 and a4, the user's lower legs can be held.

Further, the footrest portion 6 is attached to the seat portion 2 via a swing shaft 61. The footrest section 6 has a foot frame 62 provided on the back surface of the footrest section 6. The foot frame 62 is connected to the first movable support part 51 via a foot connection part 63, and as shown in FIG. , can be swung relative to the seat 2. An air cell 20 for further swinging the footrest portion 6 up and down is provided between the footrest portion 6 and the foot frame 62, and the foot frame 62 functions as a reaction force receiver for the air cell 20. By expanding and contracting the air cell 20 by the control unit 9, the footrest part 6 is pushed out and swings up and down from the raised state shown in FIG. 3 to the drooping state. The expansion fulcrum 20a of the air cell 20 is provided on the seat portion 2 side when viewed from the footrest portion 6.

[Configuration of operation panel]
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, an operating section 10 connected by wire is provided, and can be operated by the user while seated. This operation unit 10 has a physical button 101 that is operated by pressing the user. Using the physical button 101, the footrest section 6 can be swung up and down to change its posture. In addition, you can select which pressing parts a1 to a4 to operate, change the operation (strength, etc.) of each pressing part a1 to a4, switch on/off the heater part 32, etc. based on a preset program. Operation course C can be selected. It also has a power button to turn on the power to the chair 1 and an emergency stop button to stop the operation of the chair 1 in an emergency. Note that the operation unit 10 may be connected wirelessly.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the physical button 101 has a changing unit 102 that can change the operation timing of the operation course C to an arbitrary timing. Each time the change unit 102 is pressed, the set time of the timer unit 91 is changed to 30 minutes, 1 hour, or 2 hours, and an arbitrary set time can be selected. Further, it is preferable that the operation unit 10 includes a display unit 104 that displays characters and numbers. The change in the set time of the timer section 91 by the changing section 102 can be confirmed by displaying it on the display section 104. The method of confirming the change in the timer 91 is not limited to this, but may include turning on an LED lamp corresponding to each time, or outputting a sound from the speaker 103a installed in the operation unit 10. When the time set by the timer unit 91 has elapsed, the user is notified by the notification unit 103, which will be described later. Note that the present invention is not limited to this, and the time may be configured to be set at other times such as 3 hours or 4 hours, or may be configured to be set arbitrarily between 0 minutes and 3 hours. Alternatively, it may be configured to be set by time, such as 10 o'clock, 12 o'clock, 14 o'clock, etc.

Note that it is preferable that the seat portion 2 is provided with a seating detection sensor 21 (usage detection sensor) that detects whether a user is sitting on the seat (or whether the user is using the device). The seating detection sensor 21 detects that the user is seated when a predetermined load or more is applied to the seat portion 2 . Note that the detection of the user being seated does not depend on the load; for example, it may be configured to irradiate infrared rays upward from the seat portion 2 and detect whether the user is seated based on the reflection time. good. The timer section 91 performs counting only while the seating detection sensor 21 detects the user's seating state. With this configuration, it is possible to notify only users who have been sitting for a long time. Further, if the user has not been seated for a predetermined period of time or more, the count of the timer section 91 may be reset. By doing this, for example, even though the user has been working while standing from the chair for a predetermined period of time, when the user sits down again, it can be prevented from being immediately notified that the user has been sitting for a long time. In addition, if this function is provided, it is preferable to enable setting of ON/OFF of the function to reset the count and how long the count must be reset if the user is not seated, depending on the attributes of the user such as industry type. .

The operation unit 10 also includes a notification unit 103. The notification unit 103 notifies the user that the predetermined time set by the physical button 101 has been reached using music or audio output from a speaker 103a installed in the operation unit 10. Note that the speaker 103a may be installed inside the chair 1, or instead of the speaker 103a, an LED lamp (not shown) or a display (not shown) may be provided on the operation unit 10, and characters may be displayed on the display. The user may be notified by displaying the information in the form of a graphic or a graphic.

Furthermore, by operating the operating section 10, the footrest section 6 can be swung up and down to change its posture. Furthermore, it is possible to select each of the pressing parts a1 to a4 to be operated, and to change the movement and strength. In addition, if the backrest 3 is configured to be reclined using an electric or hydraulic drive unit, the posture can be changed by reclining the backrest 3 by operating the operating unit 10. It may be possible to do so.

[Operation flow]
The operation flow of the chair 1 will be described below. FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating the use of motion course C for chair 1. The series of motion courses C of the chair 1 will be explained based on FIG. 6.

The user operates the physical button 101 of the operation section 10 to set the operation course C and the time of the timer section 91 that becomes the operation timing of the operation course C. (Step S1) Following step S1, a determination step is performed to determine whether the time set in the timer section 91 has elapsed. (Step S2) In the determination step, when the time set in the timer section 91 has elapsed, following step S2, the notification section 103 notifies the user that the time set in the timer section 91 has elapsed. Perform the notification step. (Step S3) Here, in addition to notifying the passage of time, a sound may be played or text may be displayed urging the use of action course C.

Following step S3, operation course C is executed. (Step S4) Specifically, the user uses the physical button 101 of the operation unit 10 to start the motion course C selected in step S1. An example of the contents of the operation course C to be started is as follows. When the user leans on the backrest part 3 and puts his or her weight on it, the standing state changes to a reclining state. At this time, it is preferable to announce to the user through the speaker 103a that the user will be in a reclining position. Subsequently, the leg pressing parts a3 and a4 expand and press the user's legs, thereby holding the user's legs so that they do not move due to the pressure exerted by the pressing parts a1 and a2. Subsequently, the buttock pressing section a1 and the waist pressing section a2 are expanded. With the legs held, one of the left and right sides of the buttock pressing part a1 and the waist pressing part a2 is inflated to perform a stretching motion of twisting the upper body. Thereafter, by inflating the other left and right sides of the buttock pressing part a1 and the waist pressing part a2, it is possible to perform a stretching motion of twisting the upper body in the opposite direction to that described above. Furthermore, by inflating one side of the buttock pressing part a1 and the other side of the waist pressing part a2, it is possible to perform a stretching motion in which the upper body twists in a complicated manner. In this way, by performing a stretching operation using the pressing parts a1 to a4, the user's posture can be changed, posture adjustment, fatigue recovery, and blood circulation can be promoted.

In this embodiment, the leg pressing parts a3 and a4 are used to hold the legs, but are not limited to this, and may be used to stretch the legs or change the posture. Furthermore, each of the pressing parts a1 to a4 may be used as a massage part to perform a massage operation. Further, the buttock pressing portions a1 may be arranged in front and back, or may be operated independently on the front, back, right and left sides. With this configuration, more complex posture changes can be performed.

Note that the operation course C may be started automatically after notification, or may be started when the user selects start with the physical button 101. In the case where the process is started by the user's selection, it is preferable that if the user does not make any selection, the notification unit 103 notifies the user again at regular intervals (eg, every 3 minutes). With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the user from missing the notification or forgetting to use the device.

When the series of action courses C is completed, the time for implementing the next action course C is reset in the timer section 91. (Step S5) Here, the time to be reset may be the same as the initially set time, or may be configured to be a different time. If a different time is set, the operation course C may be performed once every 30 minutes or every hour, for example. By doing this, you can avoid sitting in the same position for long periods of time due to desk work, etc., and you can perform stretching exercises regularly at appropriate intervals to change your posture. Can be done. Alternatively, the user may be able to set the time to be reset. By doing so, settings can be made that match the user's work and life rhythm.

Further, in this embodiment, the motion course C is set at the beginning (step S1), but the motion course C may be selected at the timing of executing the motion course C (step S4). With this configuration, it is possible to execute an appropriate operation course C at the timing when the user uses it. Further, it may be possible to change the motion course C to a different motion course C from the initially set motion course C. With this configuration, it is possible not only to repeatedly receive the same motion course C, but also to receive a combination of different motion courses C.

When the resetting of the timer section 91 is completed, the process returns to step S2 and steps S2 to S5 are repeatedly executed. This repeated execution may be terminated when the user turns off the power to the chair 1, or may be terminated when the repetition is repeated a predetermined number of times. Furthermore, the process may be terminated when a predetermined time is reached. (Step S6) The predetermined time is, for example, the closing time (for example, 17:00). By setting in this way, the operation course C is carried out only during working hours, and does not operate after the end of the workday, so that it is possible to prevent unnecessary operation in a situation where the user is absent.

[Configuration of chair according to other embodiments]
A chair 100 according to another embodiment will be described below. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a chair 100 according to another embodiment. The chair 100 is a seat having the above-mentioned pressing parts a1 and a2. In the following, the same components as those of the chair 1 described above will be given the same reference numerals and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

Like the chair 1 described above, the chair 100 mainly has a seat shape having a seat part 2, a backrest part 3, a control part 9, and an operation part 10. On the seat part 2, buttock press parts a1 are provided in pairs on the left and right, and are arranged in front and back, and can be independently controlled in the front and back and left and right by the control part 9. The backrest portion is provided with three waist pressing portions a2 in left and right pairs, and the left and right sides can be controlled independently by the control unit 9. In this embodiment, the backrest portion 3 has a height that supports the user's lower back, but may have a height that supports the entire back of the user, and may further include a pillow portion 31.

The chair 100 can be attached to the surface of a chair such as an office chair, allowing a user seated on the chair to exercise, stretch, or change posture at an appropriate timing. With this configuration, the user only needs to attach the chair 100 to a chair that is already installed in an office or the like, so that the already installed chair can be used as is. Further, in this embodiment, the configuration is such that the chair 100 can be simply placed on the chair, but it may also be configured such that it can be tied to the back of the chair with a belt or the like to prevent the chair 100 from shifting. It may be configured so that it can be used as a chair.

[Configuration of chair according to other embodiments]
A chair 200 according to another embodiment will be described below. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a chair 200 according to another embodiment. The chair 200 is a massage chair having the aforementioned pressing parts a1 to a4. In the following, the same components as those of the chair 1 described above will be given the same reference numerals and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

Like the chair 1 described above, the chair 200 mainly has the shape of a massage chair, which includes a seat part 2, a backrest part 3, an armrest part 5, a footrest part 6, a control part 9, and an operation part 10. doing. On the seat part, buttock press parts a1 are arranged in pairs on the left and right, and are arranged in front and back, and can be independently controlled by the control unit 9 in the front and back and the left and right sides. The backrest portion 3 is provided with a left and right pair of waist pressing portions a2, and the left and right sides can be independently controlled by the control portion 9. Moreover, it is preferable that the backrest part 3 is provided with a pillow part 31.

In the chair 200, the footrest part 6 has a pair of left and right leg holding parts 60, and has a center wall 60a that stands up from the left and right center of the user's lower legs, and side walls 60b that stand up from both left and right ends. ing. A leg pressing portion a3 is provided on the inner surface of the side wall 60a, and a leg pressing portion a4 is provided on the inner surface of the side wall 60b. The left and right leg pressing parts a3 and a4 can be independently controlled by the control part 9, respectively. By pressing the user's lower legs with the leg pressing parts a3 and a4, the user's lower legs can be held.

Further, the armrest portion 5 may be provided with arm pressing portions a5 for pressing the left and right arms, respectively. The arm pressing section a5 is constituted by an air cell 20 that expands and contracts by supplying and exhausting air, and can be controlled independently on the left and right sides by the control section 9. Further, it is preferable that the arm pressing portions a5 are provided on the hand side and the elbow side, respectively, and can be independently controlled. Further, the backrest portion 3 is provided with a pair of left and right side wall portions 7 that are provided to face the outer surface of the user's shoulders or upper arms. This side wall portion 7 is erected forward on the side of the backrest portion 3. A shoulder pressing portion a6 for massaging the outer surface of the shoulder or upper arm is provided on the inner surface of the side wall portion 7. The shoulder pressing portion a6 is composed of an air cell 20 that expands and contracts by supplying and exhausting air.

Further, a massage unit 8 that performs a kneading massage and/or a tapping massage may be provided in the backrest portion 3. Specifically, the massage unit 8 is composed of a left and right pair of arms 81 and a treatment element 82 provided at both upper and lower ends of the arm 81, and is driven by massage motors M1 and M2. A kneading massage in which the treatment elements 82 approach and move away from each other, and a tapping massage in which the left and right treatment elements 82 alternately advance and retreat toward the user can be performed. Furthermore, the massage unit 8 has an advance/retreat drive section 65 made of an air cell or the like, and can advance and retreat in the front and rear directions.

With this configuration, the upper body is held by the arm pressing part a5 and the shoulder pressing part a6, and the massage unit 8 pushes out the back, thereby making it possible to perform a stretching action to lengthen the back muscles and a stretching action to arch the chest. . Further, by combining the pressing parts a1 to a6, the reclining action of the backrest part 3, and the swinging action of the footrest part 6, various stretching actions and posture changing actions can be performed.

[Configuration of desk according to one embodiment]
The overall configuration of the desk 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 9 is a front perspective view of a desk 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a desk 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a posture change by the desk 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) shows a sitting desk state, and (b) shows a standing desk state. The concept of direction is that when a user uses a desk, the head side in the user's height direction is ``top'', the waist side in the height direction is ``bottom'', and the front side of the body (for example, "Front" is the direction facing the back of the body (e.g. the back of the head, back, waist or calf side), "left" is the left hand side, and "left" is the right hand side. "Right" shall be specified, and other cases shall be explained as appropriate.

[Overall configuration of desk]
As shown in FIG. 9, the desk 300 according to the first embodiment of the present invention mainly includes a top plate 301 provided on the top surface of the desk 300, legs 302 that support the top plate 301 at a predetermined height, have. The leg portion 302 includes an elevating drive section 303 that drives the top plate so as to be able to move up and down, and a control section 304 that controls the elevating and lowering operation of the elevating drive section 303. A timer section 305, a notification section 308, and a storage section 309 are electrically connected to the control section 304. When the predetermined time set in the timer section 305 has elapsed, the control section 304 can control the elevating operation to drive the elevating drive section 303 to raise or lower the top plate 301.

Note that in this embodiment, the control unit 304 is provided on the lower surface of the top plate 301, but it may be provided in another location. Further, the settings of the timer section 305 may be configured to be able to be set by communicating with an external terminal such as a smartphone.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the desk 300 has an operation section 311 provided on the lower surface of the top plate 301. The operation unit 311 has a physical button 306, and the physical button 306 has a changing unit 307 that can change the timing of the raising/lowering operation to an arbitrary timing. Each time the change section 307 is pressed, the set time of the timer section 305 is changed to 30 minutes, 1 hour, or 2 hours, and an arbitrary set time can be selected. When the time set by the timer unit 305 has elapsed, the user is notified by a notification unit 308, which will be described later. Note that the present invention is not limited to this, and the time may be configured to be set at other times such as 3 hours or 4 hours, or may be configured to be set arbitrarily between 0 minutes and 3 hours. Alternatively, it may be configured to be set by time, such as 10 o'clock, 12 o'clock, 14 o'clock, etc. Furthermore, although the operation unit 311 in this embodiment is provided on the bottom surface of the top plate 301, it may also be provided on the side surface of the top plate 301 or the legs 302, or may be provided on a wired or wirelessly connected remote control. good.

Note that it is preferable that the desk 300 is provided with a usage detection sensor 310 that detects whether the desk 300 is being used by a user. The use detection sensor 310 detects that a user is using the top plate 301 when a load of a predetermined value or more is applied to the top plate 301. Note that the detection of use does not depend on the load; for example, infrared rays or the like are irradiated from the top plate 301 toward the front side, and it is detected from the reflection time whether the user is using the device. Also good. The timer unit 305 counts only while the usage detection sensor 310 detects that the user is using the device. By configuring the usage detection sensor 310 in this way, it is possible to notify only users who have been using the device for a long time. Furthermore, if the device has not been used for a predetermined period of time or more, the count of the timer section 91 may be reset. By doing this, for example, even though the user has been working away from the desk 300 for a predetermined period of time, when the user uses the desk 300 again, it can be prevented from being immediately notified that the user has been using the desk for a long time. . In addition, when providing this function, it is preferable to enable/disable the function to reset the count and to set how long the count must be reset if the function is not used, depending on the attributes of the user such as industry type. .

[Lifting/lowering operation]
As shown in FIG. 11(b), the desk 300 can be used in a standing desk state in which the top plate 301 is raised by the lifting drive unit 303 and the user stands, and as shown in FIG. The top plate 301 is lowered by the portion 303, and the table has a sitting desk state in which the user is seated. Here, the elevation drive unit 303 is composed of an electric motor or a gas cylinder, and can raise and lower the top plate 301 by expanding and contracting the legs 302. Note that the user can adjust the height of the top plate 301 by operating the lift drive unit 303 using the lift button 306a, which is the physical button 306. The adjustment result of the height of the top plate 301 is preferably stored in the storage unit 309. Here, it is preferable that the height can be memorized in both the sitting desk state and the standing desk state in each usage state. The distinction between the sitting desk state and the standing desk state when storing in the storage unit 309 may be switchable by the physical button 306, or may be defined by the height. For example, a business operator can set various settings, such as recording a table top height of 90 cm or more as a standing desk condition and recording a tabletop height of less than 90 cm as a sitting desk condition.

[Notification function]
The desk 300 has a notification section 308 on the bottom surface of the top plate 301. The notification unit 308 notifies the user that the predetermined time set by the physical button 306 has been reached using music or audio output from the speaker 308a. Note that instead of the speaker 308a, an LED lamp (not shown) or a display (not shown) is provided on the bottom or side surface of the top plate 301, and text or figures are displayed on the display to notify the user. You can.

The notification function of desk 300 will be explained below. FIG. 12 is a flow diagram illustrating the notification function of the desk 300. A series of steps when using the notification function of the desk 300 will be described based on FIG. 12.

The user operates the physical button 306 to set the time on the timer section 305. (Step S1) Following step S1, a determination step is performed to determine whether the time set in the timer section 305 has elapsed. (Step S2) In the determination step, if the time set in the timer unit 305 has elapsed, following step S2, the notification unit 308 notifies the user that the time set in the timer unit 305 has elapsed. Perform the notification step. (Step S3) Here, in addition to notifying the passage of time, a voice or text prompting the user to change the height of the desk 300 from a standing desk state to a sitting desk state or from a sitting desk state to a standing desk state is played. You may also display the following.

Following step S3, the height of the desk 300 is changed. (Step S4) Specifically, the user selects the start of the lifting/lowering operation of the desk 300 using the physical button 306. The control unit 304 controls the lift drive unit 303 to raise and lower the top plate 301, changing the standing desk state to the sitting desk state and changing the sitting desk state to the standing desk state. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the user from remaining in the same position for a long time. Note that the start of the lifting and lowering operation of the desk 300 may be started automatically after the notification is made.

When the lifting/lowering operation of the top plate 301 is completed, the start time of the next lifting/lowering operation is reset in the timer section 305. (Step S5) Here, the time to be reset may be the same as the initially set time, or may be configured to be a different time. When setting different times, for example, the raising and lowering operation may be started once every 30 minutes or every hour. By doing this, you can avoid staying in the same position for long periods of time due to desk work, etc., and can periodically change your standing and sitting positions at appropriate time intervals. Alternatively, the user may be able to set the time to be reset. By doing so, settings can be made that match the user's work and life rhythm.

When the resetting of the timer unit 305 is completed, the process returns to step S2 and steps S2 to S5 are repeatedly executed. This repeated execution may be terminated when the user turns off the power to the desk 300, or may be terminated after it has been repeated a predetermined number of times. Furthermore, the process may be terminated when a predetermined time is reached. (Step S6) The predetermined time is, for example, the closing time (for example, 17:00). By setting in this way, the posture change is performed only during working hours and does not operate after the work is finished, so it is possible to prevent unnecessary movements when the user is absent.

An object of the present invention is to provide a chair and a desk that allow users to exercise, stretch, and change their posture at appropriate timing.

1 Chair 100 Chair 200 Chair 2 Seat 3 Backrest 11 Supply and exhaust device 20 Air cell 21 Seating detection sensor 102 Changing section 103 Notification section 9 Control section 91 Timer section C Operation course 300 Desk 301 Top plate 303 Lifting drive section 304 Control section 305 Timer section 307 Changing section 308 Notification section 310 Usage detection sensor

Claims (13)

a backrest portion on which the user can lean; a seat portion on which the user sits;
A timer section that can count a predetermined time,
a notification unit that notifies that the predetermined time has been reached;
a pressing part that changes the user's posture;
a drive unit that drives the pressing unit;
a control unit that controls the drive unit,
The notification unit prompts the user to change his/her posture by using the pressing unit,
A chair characterized in that, after the user's posture change by the pressing part is completed, the predetermined time is set again by the timer part.
The chair according to claim 1, characterized in that the pressing section has a course program that operates according to a predetermined procedure.
The chair according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pressing section includes a back pressing section that presses at least the user's back.
The chair according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pressing portion includes a buttock pressing portion that presses at least a user's buttock.
The pressing portions are provided in left and right pairs,
The chair according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control section is capable of controlling the left and right pressing sections independently.
The chair according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the backrest has a reclining function that allows switching between a tilted state and a standing state.
The chair according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a changing section that allows the predetermined time to be changed. It has a usage detection sensor that detects whether the user is using it,
The chair according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the notification by the notification unit is performed when the use detection sensor detects use by the user.
9. The chair according to claim 8, wherein the timer unit counts a predetermined time while the use detection sensor detects use by the user.
A top plate supported at a predetermined height,
A timer section that can count a predetermined time,
a notification unit that notifies that the predetermined time has been reached;
an elevating drive unit that drives the top plate so that it can rise and fall;
A desk having a control unit that controls the top plate,
It is possible to switch between a standing desk state with the top board raised and a sitting desk state with the top board lowered,
The notification unit prompts the user to change the posture by switching between the standing desk state and the sitting desk state,
The desk is characterized in that a predetermined time is set in the timer section after the lifting and lowering drive section moves up and down.
11. The desk according to claim 10, further comprising a changing section that allows the predetermined time to be changed.
It has a usage detection sensor that detects whether the user is using it,
The desk according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the notification by the notification unit is performed when the usage detection sensor is detecting use by the user.
13. The desk according to claim 12, wherein the timer unit counts a predetermined time while the usage detection sensor detects usage by the user.

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