权利要求：
CLAIMS
What is claimed is:
1. A universal joint for a seating device, comprising: a joint body including an outer joint body, an inner joint body arranged radially inwardly of the outer joint body, and a plurality of resilient bridges extending between the outer joint body and the inner joint body, the resilient bridges being circumferentially spaced from one another in a gap between the inner joint body and the outer joint body.
2. The universal joint according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of resilient bridges comprises a downwardly convex portion.
3. The universal joint according to claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of resilient bridges comprises an upwardly convex portion and a downwardly convex portion, and wherein the upwardly convex portion and the downwardly convex portion are connected by a cylindrical portion.
4. The universal joint according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of resilient bridges comprises ten or more resilient bridges.
5. The universal joint according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the inner joint body and the outer joint body has a cylindrical or frustoconical shaped portion.
6. The universal joint according to claim 1, wherein the inner joint body is rotatably connected to a coupling body by a bearing, thereby forming a universal swivel joint.
7. The universal swivel joint according to claim 6, wherein the bearing comprises an upper rolling bearing stacked on top of a lower rolling bearing.
8. The universal swivel joint according to claim 6, further comprising a torsion spring configured to bias the joint body into a predetermined rotational position relative to the coupling body.
9. The universal swivel joint according to claim 8, wherein one end of the torsion spring is fixed in a slot arranged in the joint body and wherein an opposite end of the torsion spring is fixed in a further slot in the coupling body.
10. The universal joint according to claim 1, wherein the outer joint body is fixedly connected to a bottom of a seat of a seating device.
11. The universal joint according to claim 1, wherein the gap is arcuate and extends circumferentially 360 degrees between the outer joint body and the inner joint body.
12. The universal joint according to claim 1, wherein the gap is annular.
13. The universal joint according to claim 1, wherein gap cover is arranged within the gap.
14. The universal joint according to claim 12, wherein the joint body is made of a first material, and wherein the gap cover is made of a second material, the second material having been overmolded into the gap.
15. The universal joint according to claim 14, wherein the inner joint body is fixedly connected to an end of a seat post.
16. The universal joint according to claim 14, wherein the outer joint body is directly connected to a base of a seating device.
17. An active seating device, comprising: a base; a seat post having an upper end and a lower end; and a seat arranged at the upper end of the seat post, wherein the lower end of the seat post is pivotally mounted in the base by a universal joint, the universal joint comprising an outer joint body, an inner joint body, and a plurality of resilient bridges extending between the outer joint body and the inner joint body, the resilient bridges being circumferentially spaced from one another in an annular portion of the base between the inner joint body and the outer joint body.
18. The active seating device as in claim 17,
wherein each of the resilient bridges comprises: a first section curved in one direction and a second section curved in an opposite direction.
19. The active seating device as in claim 17, wherein the outer joint body includes an outer rim; the inner joint body includes an inner rim; and the plurality of resilient bridges are circumferentially distributed in a gap between the inner rim and the outer rim, each of the resilient bridges having an inner end connected to the inner rim and an outer end connected to the outer rim.
20. The active seating device as in claim 17, wherein the outer joint body, the inner joint body, and the plurality of resilient bridges are one piece.
21. The active seating device as in claim 17, wherein the universal joint is free of indentations and protrusions and can be molded in a one-piece mold.
22. The active seating device as in claim 17, wherein the resilient bridges are circumferentially distributed in an annular gap between the outer joint body and the inner joint body, and wherein an axial projection of each of the resilient bridges is rectangular, and wherein a radial cross-section of each of the resilient bridges includes a generally S-shaped section.
23. The active seating device as in claim 17,
wherein the inner joint body is pivotable relative to the outer joint body in any direction by resilient deformation of the plurality of resilient bridges.
24. The active seating device as in claim 22, wherein the inner joint body is axially displaceable relative to the outer joint body by resilient deformation of the plurality of resilient bridges.
25. The active seating device as in claim 17, wherein the inner joint body comprises a cylindrical or frustoconical inner body.
26. The active seating device as in claim 17, wherein the outer joint body comprises a cylindrical or frustoconical outer body.
27. The active seating device as in claim 17, wherein the outer joint body comprises a support section for supporting the universal joint on a floor.
28. The active seating device as in claim 17, further comprising a second universal joint stacked on top of the universal joint.
29. The active seating device as in claim 28, wherein the universal joint and the second universal joint are embraced within an assembly housing.
30. The active seating device as in claim 17, further comprising a compression spring coaxially arranged with the universal joint.
31. The active seating device as in claim 17,
wherein the seat is connected to the upper end of the seat post by a further universal joint, and wherein the further universal joint comprises a plurality of resilient further bridges circumferentially spaced from one another in a further annular portion of the seat between an inner further joint body and an outer further joint body.
32. A universal joint integrated within a seating device, comprising: an outer joint body; an inner joint body; and a plurality of resilient bridges extending between the outer joint body and the inner joint body, wherein the resilient bridges are circumferentially distributed and concentrically aligned between the inner joint body and the outer joint body, and wherein each of the resilient bridges includes a generally U-shaped profile with parallel legs when the universal joint is in a straight configuration, and wherein at least some of the resilient bridges are elastically deformed such that their legs assume a non-parallel arrangement when the universal joint is in a pivoted configuration.
33. The universal joint as in claim 32, further comprising an intermediate ring arranged radially between the outer joint body and the inner joint body, wherein the plurality of resilient bridges comprises a first plurality of resilient bridges extending between the intermediate ring and the inner joint body and a second plurality of resilient bridges extending between the outer joint body and the intermediate ring.
34. A base for an active seating device, comprising:
an inner joint body adapted to receive a seat post; an outer joint body; a plurality of resilient bridges extending between the outer joint body and the inner joint body; and a plurality of elastic floor supports extending from the outer joint body, wherein the resilient bridges are circumferentially distributed and concentrically aligned between the inner joint body and the outer joint body, and wherein each of the resilient bridges includes a generally U-shaped profile with parallel legs when the active seating device is in a straight configuration, and wherein at least some of the resilient bridges are elastically deformed such that their legs assume a non-parallel arrangement when the active seating device is in a pivoted configuration.
35. The base as in claim 34, wherein the plurality of elastic floor supports are circumferentially spaced outwardly convex serrations.
36. A method, comprising: injection-molding the base as in claim 35 by injecting heated thermoplastic material in a cavity between two dies; separating the two dies; and forcibly removing the base off a first of the two dies by outwardly bending the plurality of elastic floor supports.
37. A universal swivel joint for a seating device, comprising: a joint body including an outer joint body, an inner joint body arranged radially inwardly of the outer joint body,
a plurality of resilient bridges extending between the outer joint body and the inner joint body, the resilient bridges being circumferentially spaced from one another in an annular portion of the joint body between the inner joint body and the outer joint body; and a cover including a centrally arranged upper slot; a coupling body including a coupling portion forming a lower flange, the coupling body including a centrally arranged lower slot, and a coupling post extending upwardly from a center of the coupling portion; two bearings stacked on top of one another, an inner race of each of the two bearings being supported on the coupling post and an outer race of each of the two bearings supporting the inner joint body.
38. The universal swivel joint as in claim 37, further comprising: a helical spring having a helical spring body arranged between an upper hook and a lower hook, wherein the upper hook extends through the upper slot and the lower hook extends through the lower slot.
39. The universal swivel joint as in claim 37, wherein the outer joint body is formed as a flange.
40. The universal swivel joint as in claim 37, wherein the outer joint body has a cylindrical or frustoconical shape.
41. The universal swivel joint as in claim 40, wherein the outer joint body forms a friction- fit interface with a seat of the seating device.
42. A base for an active seating device, comprising: an inner base body adapted to receive a seat post; an outer base body; an annular gap extending between the inner base body and the outer base body; a plurality of resilient bridges extending across the annular gap between the outer base body and the inner base body.
43. The base for an active seating device as in claim 42, wherein the resilient bridges are circumferentially distributed and concentrically aligned between the inner base body and the outer base body, and wherein each of the resilient bridges includes a generally U-shaped profile with parallel legs when the active seating device is in a straight configuration, and wherein at least some of the resilient bridges are elastically deformed such that their legs assume a non-parallel arrangement when the active seating device is in a pivoted configuration.
44. The base for an active seating device as in claim 42, further comprising a gap cover overmolded within the annular gap.