Pivot seat with a non-rolling weighted base

Abstract

A seat that can move between an upright position and one or more active positions is provided. The seat can have a base with a non-planar portion to wobble the seat into one or more wobble orientations, thereby permitting controlled pitching of the seat relative to a floor surface. The base can have one or more roll reduction pads to restrict roll in or about a roll axis perpendicular to a pitch axis about which the seat pitches. The seat can also have a post coupled to the base and a seat pan to provide a seating surface. The base can be weighted and can have a non-planar portion to wobble the seat into one or more wobble orientations. The roll reduction pads can extend radially outwardly from the apex of the non-planar portion. One or more pads can generally conform to contours of the non-planar portion of the base.

1 . A seat, comprising:
 a base having:
 a non-planar portion to permit wobbling of the seat into one or more wobble orientations, thereby permitting controlled pitching of the seat relative to a floor surface about a pitch axis when a user's body weight is applied thereon, 
 the seat being configured to move between an upright position and one or more active positions, 
 one or more roll reduction pads to restrict roll in or about a roll axis in the one or more active positions, the roll axis being perpendicular to the pitch axis; 
   a post having:
 a center axis, 
 a first end coupled to the base, and 
 a second end opposite to the first end; 
   a seat pan coupled to the second end of the post, the seat pan being configured to provide a seating surface.   
     
     
         2 . The seat of  claim 1 , wherein the base comprises a center of gravity positioned to be closer to the floor surface than to the first end of the post so as to facilitate returning the seat from the one or more active positions to the upright position when the user's body weight is removed from the seat. 
     
     
         3 . The seat of  claim 1 , wherein the seat has a pitch axis positioned on a plane parallel to the floor surface. 
     
     
         4 . The seat of  claim 3 , wherein the base forms a non-zero angle with the floor surface when the seat is in the one or more active positions. 
     
     
         5 . The seat of  claim 4 , wherein the angle formed by the base is sufficient to form an angle of between about 100 degrees and about 150 degrees between a user's torso and hip, when seated in the one or more active positions. 
     
     
         6 . The seat of  claim 5 , wherein the angle formed by the base with the floor surface is between about 20 degrees and about 70 degrees. 
     
     
         7 . The seat of  claim 1 , wherein the base has a generally symmetric shape about a yaw axis. 
     
     
         8 . The seat of  claim 7 , wherein the seat pan is configured to yaw about the yaw axis relative to the base into one or more yaw positions. 
     
     
         9 . The seat of  claim 7 , wherein the seat is pivotable into one or more active positions for each yaw position of the seat post relative to the base. 
     
     
         10 . The seat of  claim 8 , wherein the base is generally dome-shaped, with an apex of the dome-shaped base generally contacting the floor in the upright position, and each yaw position corresponds to a portion of a circumference of the base. 
     
     
         11 . The seat of  claim 9 , wherein the generally symmetric shape of the base permitting omnidirectional yaw of the seat pan relative to the base. 
     
     
         12 . A seat, comprising:
 a base permitting controlled pitching of the seat about a pitch axis relative to the floor surface when a user's body weight is applied thereon, the seat being configured to move between an upright position and one or more active positions,   the base comprising a roll reduction portion provided on an outer surface of the base to restrict roll about a roll axis perpendicular to the pitch axis;   a post coupled to the base at a first end, the post having a second end opposite to the first end; and   a seat pan coupled to the second end of the post, the seat pan being configured to provide a seating surface.   
     
     
         13 . The seat of  claim 12 , wherein the base comprises a non-planar portion at least a portion of which contacts the floor surface at least in the upright position when the seat is positioned thereon. 
     
     
         14 . The seat of  claim 13 , wherein the roll reduction portion comprises a plurality of pads extending outwardly from the non-planar portion of the base. 
     
     
         15 . The seat of  claim 14 , wherein the base is pivotable with respect to the floor surface about the pitch axis into the one or more active positions. 
     
     
         16 . The seat of  claim 15 , wherein the non-planar portion is rotationally symmetric about a yaw axis when the seat is in the upright position. 
     
     
         17 . The seat of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of pads extend radially outwardly from an apex of the non-planar portion. 
     
     
         18 . The seat of  claim 17 , wherein one or more pads of the plurality of pads generally conforms to contours of the non-planar portion of the base. 
     
     
         19 . The seat of  claim 17 , wherein one or more pads of the plurality of pad has a length corresponding to between about 50% and about 90% of an arc length of the non-planar portion. 
     
     
         20 . A weighted base for a pivot seat, comprising:
 an upper portion to connect to a post of the pivot seat;   a non-planar portion to wobble the seat into one or more wobble orientations; and   a roll reduction portion provided on the base, the roll reduction portion comprising a plurality of pads extending radially outwardly from the apex of the non-planar portion,   one or more pads of the plurality of pads generally conforming to contours of the non-planar portion of the base,   the roll reduction portion to restrict rolling motion about a roll axis perpendicular to a pitch axis about which the seat is configured to pitch.   
     
     
         21 . The weighted base of  claim 20 , wherein the non-planar portion is curved and has a radius of curvature and an apex, the radius of curvature being equal to a distance between a center of curvature of the curved non-planar portion and the apex. 
     
     
         22 . The weighted base of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more pads are curved about the center of curvature of the non-planar portion, the one or more pads having a radius of curvature offset from the radius of curvature of the non-planar portion. 
     
     
         23 . The weighted base of  claim 22 , wherein, at least one pad has a thickness, whereby the thickness equals the difference between the radius of curvature of the one or more pads and the radius of curvature of the non-planar portion. 
     
     
         24 . The weighted base of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one pad has a first thickness near the apex and a second thickness radially away from the apex, the first thickness being less than the second thickness. 
     
     
         25 . The weighted base of  claim 20 , wherein at least one pad includes a raised edge forming a first ridged portion and a second ridged portion disposed near an outer edge of the non-planar portion, the first ridged portion and the second ridged portion providing further roll suppression. 
     
     
         26 . The weighted base of  claim 25 , wherein, the first ridged portion and the second ridged portion each extend over a distance between about ⅕ th  and ⅓ rd  of a length of the at least one pad.