RECLINING CHAIR AND CHASSIS, FRAME AND KIT THEREFOR

• US 20080231100A1
• Filed: 03/19/2007
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PBRD Innovations
• Original Assignee: PBRD Innovations
• Inventors: Bellefleur, Pierre
• Granted Patent: US 7,802,846 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/330
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/0244 by fluid means

Abstract

The present invention relates to a chassis for a reclining chair comprising at least two contiguous deformable quadrilateral segments, pivot points and at least two force-developing elements. Each quadrilateral segment has four rigid side members and four vertices. Each quadrilateral segment shares one of its side members with at least one other contiguous quadrilateral segment. The pivot points are located at each vertex of each quadrilateral segment. All pivot points have their pivot axis parallel to the pivot axis of the other pivot points. Each force-developing element independently provides a force to a corresponding one of the at least two quadrilateral segments. The invention also relates to a frame for a reclining chair made of two parallel chassis. A reclining chair made of this chassis and a kit for such a reclining chair are also described.

Claims

1. A chassis for a reclining chair comprising:

at least two contiguous deformable quadrilateral segments, each quadrilateral segment having four rigid side members and four vertices, each quadrilateral segment sharing one of said side members with at least one other contiguous quadrilateral segment;

a pivot point at each vertex of each quadrilateral segment, all pivot point having parallel pivot axes; and

at least two force-developing elements, each force-developing element independently providing a force to a corresponding one of said at least two quadrilateral segments.

2. The chassis of claim 1 wherein said force-developing element is located between two opposed pivot points.

3. The chassis of claim 1 wherein said force-developing element is located between one of said pivot point and one of said side member that is opposed thereto.

4. The chassis of claim 1 wherein said force-developing element is located between two side members.

5. The chassis of claim 1 wherein said force-developing element is located at one of said pivot point.

6. The chassis of claim 2 wherein said force-developing element is selected from the group consisting of coil spring, leaf spring, air spring, elastomeric material, pneumatic actuator, hydraulic actuator and electrical actuators.

7. The chassis of claim 1 wherein each quadrilateral segment shares one pivot point with another one of said at least two contiguous quadrilateral segments.

8. The chassis of claim 7 wherein each quadrilateral segment shares two pivot points with another one of said at least two contiguous quadrilateral segments.

9. The chassis of claim 1 wherein at least one of said quadrilateral segment has two parallel side members.

10. The chassis of claim 9 wherein at least one of said quadrilateral segment has the shape of a parallelogram.

11. The chassis of claim 10 further comprising a support pivotally attached to two opposite side members of said parallelogram-shaped quadrilateral segment.

12. The chassis of claim 1 further comprising at least three said contiguous deformable quadrilateral segments, each shared side member being opposed to another shared side member,

13. The chassis of claim 12 comprising five said contiguous deformable quadrilateral segments, each shared side member being opposed to another shared side member.

14. A frame for a reclining chair comprising:

two parallel chassis, each chassis having;

at least two contiguous deformable quadrilateral segments, each quadrilateral segment having four rigid side members and four vertices, each quadrilateral segment sharing one side member with another contiguous quadrilateral segment; and

a pivot point at each vertex of each quadrilateral segment, all pivot point having parallel pivot axes;

at least two cross-members, each cross-member connecting one of said at least two quadrilateral segment of one chassis to a corresponding quadrilateral segment of the other chassis, thereby defining a pair of corresponding quadrilateral segments; and

at least two force-developing elements, each force-developing element independently providing a force to a corresponding one of said pair of corresponding quadrilateral segments.

15. The frame of claim 14 wherein each of said chassis comprises at least three contiguous deformable quadrilateral segments, each shared side member being opposed to another shared side member.

16. The frame of claim 15 wherein said force-developing element is selected from the group consisting of coil spring, leaf spring, air spring, elastomeric material, pneumatic actuator, hydraulic actuator and electrical actuators.

17. A reclining chair comprising:

a seating surface for supporting a user;

a chassis for supporting said seating surface, said chassis having;

at least two contiguous deformable quadrilateral segments, each quadrilateral segment having four rigid side members and four vertices, each quadrilateral segment sharing one of said side members with at least one other contiguous quadrilateral segment;

a pivot point at each vertex of each quadrilateral segment, all pivot point having parallel pivot axes; and

at least two force-developing elements, each force-developing element independently providing a force to a corresponding one of said at least two quadrilateral segments; and

a base for supporting said chassis.

18. The reclining chair of claim 17 further comprising at least two transversal supporting members for supporting a user, each of said at least two transversal supporting members being attached to a different one of said at least two quadrilateral segments.

19. The reclining chair of claim 17 comprising two parallel chassis wherein each said quadrilateral segment of one chassis is connected by a cross-member to a corresponding quadrilateral segment of the other chassis.

20. A kit for a reclining chair, the kit comprising:

at least two contiguous deformable quadrilateral segments, each quadrilateral segment having four rigid side members and four vertices, each quadrilateral segment being provided with a pivot point at each vertex and being adapted to share one of said side members with at least one other contiguous quadrilateral segment, all pivot points having parallel pivot axes;

at least two force-developing elements, each force-developing element being adapted to be mounted to one of said at least two quadrilateral segments;

a seating surface adapted to be supported by said at least two quadrilateral segments; and

a base for supporting one of said at least two quadrilateral segment.