Chair control with tilt lock

• US 4,099,775 A
• Filed: 10/07/1976
• Issued: 07/11/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hoover Universal Incorporated (Adient plc)
• Original Assignee: Hoover Ball and Bearing Company
• Inventors: Mizelle, Ned W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zugel, Francis K.
• Application Number:
  US05/730,161
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 297/328, 297/327, 297/325, 297/269, 297/270, 297/313, 297/302, 297/303, 248/397, 248/382, 248/371, 248/373
• US Class Current: 297/302.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/024 the parts, being the back-rest, or the back-rest and seat unit, having adjustable and lockable inclination
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 3/026 with central column, e.g. rocking office chairs; Tilting chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 3/03 Locking members A47C3/027 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/445 with bar or leaf springs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/4454 of torsion type

Abstract

A chair control comprising a frame structure adapted to be supported on a conventional chair base, a chair seat support pivotally mounted on the frame structure for fore and aft tilting movement relative to the frame structure, a biasing structure such as a torsion bar biasing the seat support to a position corresponding to a normal seating position of a chair seat, and rotatable blocking members mounted on the seat support for movement, in a tilted position of the seat support, to a position engaged with the frame structure so as to block return movement of the seat support to the normal position. The blocking members are operable by an actuating knob conveniently located close to the seat for operation by the seat occupant and are moveable to a plurality of positions corresponding to various tilted positions of the chair. This tilt lock structure enables the chair occupant to sit comfortably in the chair in a tilted position of the seat without having to fight the continuous tendency of the chair to return to the normal seating position.

Claims

1. A chair control comprising a frame structure supportable by a base, seat support means pivotally mounted on said frame structure for tilting movement relative to said frame structure, bias means operatively associated with said frame structure and said seat support means biasing said support means to a normal position relative to said frame structure in all tilted positions of said support means, said seat support means supported on the front of said frame structure in said normal position, a multiposition member comprising a body having a plurality of angularly arranged blocking surfaces, a shaft member the rear of on said seat support means movably supporting said body thereon for movement between frictionally adjusted positions in one of which said blocking surfaces are disengaged from the rear edge said frame structure and another selectible position in a tilted position of said seat support means in which one of said blocking surfaces is engaged with said rear edge of said frame structure so as to block return movement of said seat support means to said normal position while enabling further tilting of said seat support means away from said normal position, and coacting stop means on said body and said seat support means engageable to define a moved position of said body in which said body is in a clearance relation with the rear of said frame structure to allow return movement of said seat support means to said normal position and free rearward tilting movement of said seat means.