A portable lumbar support and ergonomic chair having a lumbar support. The lumbar support has a seat hingedly coupled to a seat back having a teardrop-shaped lumbar support seat back cushion. A rigid back support portion may be rotated forward about hinges to collapse substantially parallel to the seat frame and backward to open to a variety of angles with respect to the seat frame. The seat back freely pivots around an upper lateral axis, and the rigid back support portion is linearly adjustable to space the seat back toward and away from the hinges to enable raising or lowering the upper lateral axis and thus the seat back with respect to the lower lateral axis. This provides multiple ways of changing which part of the teardrop-shaped lumbar support curve hits your lumbar curve for proper support. Variable lumbar lordotic support is thus provided.

An apparatus (1) for positioning the body of a user (100), wherein the apparatus can be used in a seat or in the form of a rest, comprising a seating element (20), a pelvis and lumbar-spine module (13) and a computer unit (40), wherein the pelvis and lumbar-spine module comprises an adjusting element (117) and a sensor (113), and the seating element comprises an adjusting element (108) and three sensors (111, 112), wherein the sensors (111, 112, 113) sense seat-related and rest-related pressures, wherein the computer unit activates the adjusting elements, wherein a first and second sensor (112) and a third sensor (111) sense the seat-related pressure of the first and second ischial tuberosities (102) and of the coccyx (104), wherein the first and the second ischial tuberosities define an ischial-tuberosity level, wherein the adjusting element of the seating element compensates for the ischial-tuberosity level horizontally about the user's sagittal axis, and whereupon the adjusting element of the pelvis and lumbar-spine module tilts the user's pelvis (101) about the horizontal axis of the same until the seat-related and/or rest-related pressure of the coccyx has a value substantially equal to zero.

An apparatus (1) for positioning the body of a user (100), wherein the apparatus can be used in a seat or in the form of a rest, comprising a seating element (20), a pelvis and lumbar-spine module (13) and a computer unit (40), wherein the pelvis and lumbar-spine module comprises an adjusting element (117) and a sensor (113), and the seating element comprises an adjusting element (108) and three sensors (111, 112), wherein the sensors (111, 112, 113) sense seat-related and rest-related pressures, wherein the computer unit activates the adjusting elements, wherein a first and second sensor (112) and a third sensor (111) sense the seat-related pressure of the first and second ischial tuberosities (102) and of the coccyx (104), wherein the first and the second ischial tuberosities define an ischial-tuberosity level, wherein the adjusting element of the seating element compensates for the ischial-tuberosity level horizontally about the user's sagittal axis, and whereupon the adjusting element of the pelvis and lumbar-spine module tilts the user's pelvis (101) about the horizontal axis of the same until the seat-related and/or rest-related pressure of the coccyx has a value substantially equal to zero.

A hardness adjustment unit includes an elastic frame, a barrier, and a field generator. An enclosed space is provided inside the elastic frame and filled with a fluid filling. The barrier is arranged in the enclosed space and divides the enclosed space into an upper space and a lower space. The upper space communicates with the lower space. The field generator is arranged outside the elastic frame and used to apply a field to the fluid filling to adjust a viscosity of the fluid filling, thereby adjusting a flow damping of the fluid filling in the upper space and the lower space to control a deformation of the elastic frame.

A seat assembly includes a cushioned component having a lattice matrix, wherein the lattice matrix includes a first portion defined by a first pattern of interconnected links which defines a first set of cells, and a second portion defined by a second pattern of interconnected links which defines a second set of cells. The first portion of the lattice matrix includes a density profile that is different than a density profile of the second portion of the lattice matrix. An air bladder is disposed within a core portion of the lattice matrix and includes a non-porous outer casing surrounding an interior cavity. The outer casing of the air bladder and the lattice matrix are integrated components comprised of a common material to define a monolithic structure created using an additive manufacturing process.

A seating assembly includes a seat and an upright coupled with the seat. A pliable backrest is coupled with the upright and includes a support face and a coupling face. The pliable backrest includes a pliable material extending between the support and coupling faces. The support face is a first exterior face of the pliable back rest and the coupling face is a second exterior face of the pliable back rest. The coupling face is spaced away from the upright with a deformation gap. Another seating assembly includes a joint assembly along the upright member. The joint assembly includes a pivot configured to promote rotation of a first upright portion of the upright relative to a second upright portion. The joint assembly includes opposed stop interfaces configured to control rotation of the first upright portion relative to the second upright portion.

A multi-gear adjustable support mechanism includes a base plate, a support plate, a support element, a gear forming element having gear grooves and a limiting part and a gear controller having an abutting part and a platform. The support element includes a support crossbar for supporting the support plate at a different angle from the base plate. A moving surface of the gear forming element bears and supports the movement of the support crossbar. The platform is aligned with the moving surface at the position of the gear groove closest to the limiting part when the support crossbar moves and reaches the limiting part. The support crossbar moves on the surface of the platform part and passes the gear groove when the support crossbar returns from the limiting part. An adjustable seat is provided including the multi-gear adjustable support mechanism.

A multi-gear adjustable support mechanism includes a base plate, a support plate, a support element, a gear forming element having gear grooves and a limiting part and a gear controller having an abutting part and a platform. The support element includes a support crossbar for supporting the support plate at a different angle from the base plate. A moving surface of the gear forming element bears and supports the movement of the support crossbar. The platform is aligned with the moving surface at the position of the gear groove closest to the limiting part when the support crossbar moves and reaches the limiting part. The support crossbar moves on the surface of the platform part and passes the gear groove when the support crossbar returns from the limiting part. An adjustable seat is provided including the multi-gear adjustable support mechanism.

A body support structure includes a frame and a membrane attached to the frame. The membrane includes elastomeric filaments. The membrane includes different regions with different stiffness. The membrane may form a part of a seat or a backrest.

A body support structure includes a frame and a membrane attached to the frame. The membrane includes elastomeric filaments. The membrane includes different regions with different stiffness. The membrane may form a part of a seat or a backrest.