Patient chair

A back for a patient chair with which a patient may be moved from a generally upright sitting position to a generally supine position, the back comprising:

• a back shell having a front surface, a back surface, a top, a bottom, opposed first and second outer sides, a central section extending longitudinally from a region adjacent the top to a region adjacent the bottom, opposed side sections extending laterally outwardly from the central section toward the first and second outer sides and occupying a substantially common plane, and opposing first and second scapula support extension sections adjacent and extending longitudinally beyond adjacent portions of the top;
• a headrest receiving area defined by each of the first and second scapula support extension sections and a depressed portion of the top between the scapula support extension sections, the headrest receiving area being configured to receive a headrest retractably mounted to the back when the headrest is retracted into a retracted position with a lower edge of the headrest contacting or overlapping the depressed portion of the top;
• and
• a cushion adjoining the back shell wherein the central section is substantially rigid along a longitudinal direction and the scapula support extension sections are deflectable in both directions of an axis extending normal to the opposed side sections, wherein the region adjacent the bottom of the back shell defines a trough shaved portion and the substantially common plane is disposed forwardly of the trough shaved portion so as to flexibly support shoulder portions of different-sized patients forwardly of the patient's back when occupying the chair in a supine position.

A chair for patient treatment having a chair back which may be reclined to place a patient in a generally supine position, the chair comprising:

• a substantially rigid elongate support member having a proximal end, a distal end and a front surface, the member being configured for connection at its proximal end to a mechanism on the chair allowing the member to be moved from a generally upright position to a position tilted rearwardly therefrom;
• a back shell having a front surface, a back surface, a top, a bottom, opposed first and second outer sides, a central section secured to the substantially rigid elongate support member and extending longitudinally from a region adjacent the top to a region adjacent the bottom and opposed side sections extending laterally outwardly from the central section toward the first and second outer sides and occupying a substantially common plane, the region adjacent the bottom of the back shell defining a trough shaped portion, the substantially common plane being disposed forwardly of the trough shared portion and the opposed side sections being deflectable in both directions along an axis normal to the opposed side sections so as to resiliently support one or more respective portions of different sized patients forwardly of the patient's back when occupying the chair in a generally supine position;
• and
• a cushion adjoining the back shell.

A chair for patient treatment having a chair back which may be reclined to place a patient in a generally supine position, the chair comprising:

• an elongate support member having a proximal end, a distal end and a front surface, the member being configured for connection at its proximal end to a mechanism on the chair allowing the column to be moved from a generally upright position to a position tilted rearwardly therefrom;
• a back shell having a front surface, a back surface, a top, a bottom, opposed first and second outer sides, a central section extending longitudinally from a region adjacent the top to a region adjacent the bottom and being substantially rigid, the region adjacent the bottom defining a trough shaped portion, and opposed side sections extending laterally outwardly from the central section toward the first and second outer sides and occupying a substantially common plane disposed forwardly of the trough shared portion, the side sections being substantially deflectable and having sufficient flexural resiliency along an axis normal to the side sections in an at-rest position so as to resiliently support different-sized patients in each of a plurality of supine positions, the bottom being connected to the distal end of the elongate support column;
• a cushion adjoining the back shell;
• and
• a headrest and headrest stem, the headrest stem being movably coupled relative to the back shell,
• wherein the headrest stem can be retracted to position the headrest in overlapping relation or in contact with the top of the back shell.