Sitting means having sensing device

A combination of a sensing device with a sitting means for encouraging and urging an occupant in a sitting means to have optimum sitting posture, comprising:

• a sitting means having a substantially horizontal seat member which supports the thighs and pelvis of an occupant and a substantially vertical back member which is vertically positioned above the seat member and supports the back of the occupant, and
• a sensing device for said sitting means:
• said sensing device comprising;
• one or a plurality of sensors for generating electrical signal when an occupant contacts or activates the sensor(s) and sending said signal to a microcomputer, said sensor(s) being provided to the seat member and/or the back member of said sitting means to which the body of an occupant is positioned,
• a microcomputer which stores in memory data for the sensor(s) provided to the sitting means, data for the signal generated by each sensor, and data for the number(s) of said sensor(s), in a predetermined program, and which is programmed to discriminate which signal is generated by which sensor, to compare the number of the signal(s) sent by the sensor(s) with the number of the sensor(s) preset in the predetermined program, and to order the responding means either to respond or not,
• a responding means for producing responding signal in accordance with the order of the microcomputer, said responding means including devices for producing an auditory signal, a visible signal and/or a vibratory signal,
• a switch part being provided with several kinds of switches,
• a power supply being battery supplied or A/C power supplied via a plug,
• said one or a plurality of sensors, microcomputer, responding means, switch part and power supply being electrically interconnected to one another;
• and
• said microcomputer being so programmed, according to said predetermined program, that;
• the microcomputer examines the presence of a signal(s) sent thereto by the sensor(s), and if no signal is detected, the microcomputer let the responding means remain in non-responding state,
• when an occupant sitting on the sitting means contacts the sensor(s) provided to the sitting means and thereby the number of the signal(s) sent to the microcomputer coincides with the preset number of the sensor(s), the microcomputer orders the responding means to remain in non-responding state,
• when the occupant does not contact or activate at least any one sensor and thereby the number of the signal(s) sent to the microcomputer is less than the preset number of the sensor(s), the microcomputer orders the responding means to produce responding signal, and it is arranged that the response is stopped when the occupant, upon recognizing the responding signal, corrects his/her sitting posture and contacts or activates all the sensor(s) the number of which is preset.

A combination of a sensing device with a covering member for a sitting means for encouraging and urging an occupant in a sitting means covered with a covering member to have optimum sitting posture, comprising:

• a covering member for a sitting means,
• said sitting means having a substantially horizontal seat member which supports the thighs and pelvis of an occupant and a substantially vertical back member which is vertically positioned above the seat member and supports the back of the occupant,
• said covering member consisting of a seat covering element which supports the thighs and pelvis of an occupant and a back covering element which is vertically positioned above the seat covering element and supports the back of the occupant when said covering member is placed over said sitting means, and
• a sensing device for said covering member:
• said sensing device comprising;
• one or a plurality of sensors for generating electrical signal when an occupant in the sitting means covered With said covering member contacts or activates the sensor(s) and sending said signal to a microcomputer, said sensor(s) being provided to the seat covering element and/or the back covering element of said covering member to which the body of an occupant is positioned,
• a microcomputer which stores in memory data for the sensor(s) provided to the covering member, data for the signal generated by each sensor, and data for the number(s) of said sensor(s), in a predetermined program, and which is programmed to discriminate which signal is generated by which sensor, to compare the number of the signal(s) sent by the sensor(s) with the number of the sensor(s) preset in said predetermined program, and to order the responding means either to respond or not,
• a responding means for producing responding signal in accordance with the order of the microcomputer, said responding means including devices for producing an auditory signal, a visible signal and/or a vibratory signal,
• a switch part being provided with several kinds of switches,
• a power supply being battery supplied or A/C power supplied via a plug,
• said one or a plurality of sensors, microcomputer, responding means, switch part and power supply being electrically interconnected to one another;
• and
• said microcomputer being so programmed, according to said predetermined program, that;
• the microcomputer examines the presence of a signal(s) sent thereto by the sensor(s), and if no signal is detected, the microcomputer let the responding means remain in non=responding state,
• when an occupant sitting on the sitting means covered with said covering member contacts the sensor(s) provided to the covering member and thereby the number of the signal(s) sent to the microcomputer coincides with the preset number of the sensor(s), the microcomputer orders the responding means to remain in non-responding state,
• when the occupant does not contact or activates at least any one sensor and thereby the number of the signal(s) sent to the microcomputer is less than the preset number of the sensor(s), the microcomputer orders the responding means to produce responding signal, and it is arranged that the response is stopped when the occupant, upon recognizing the responding signal, corrects his/her sitting posture and contacts or activates all the sensor(s) the number of which is preset.