Headrest for medical treatment chair

• US 4,515,406 A
• Filed: 09/28/1982
• Issued: 05/07/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Takara Company One Belmont Drive Somerset NJ 08873
• Original Assignee: Takara Co., Ltd. (TOMY Company Limited)
• Inventors: Yoshikawa, Noriyuki, Fujiyama, Kunio, Okamoto, Kei
• Primary Examiner(s): Lyddane, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Peter R.
• Application Number:
  US06/425,310
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 297/391, 297/408-410, 297/61, 297/404, 297/330, 297/429-431, 5/72, 5/79, 248/631
• US Class Current: 297/409
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/38 for the head adjustable coupled to reclining or easy chairs A47C1/036
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 15/125 Head-rests

Abstract

A chair for human dental or medical treatment and having an improved adjustable headrest support. The chair features a flat curved linear strip member which extends between the headrest and the main frame of the chair. The strip member is guided by at least one, and preferably two pairs of opposed cylindrical guide rollers which contiguously straddle the strip member, so as to guide the motion of the strip member along its longitudinal axis, as it is displaced along its axis and towards or away from the frame, typically by a hydraulic mechanism. This makes possible vertical direction of movement of the strip member. The hydraulic mechanism, or two mechanisms in tandem, are a pivoted floating mounting for the strip member which facilitates ready adjustment of the headrest support relative to the main frame and seat of the chair. At least one tension spring is provided to produce smooth backdown of the piston plunger and piston head when hydraulic fluid pressure in the cylinder is reduced. The uses for the present chair and integral headrest configuration include human dental, medical, beauty parlor, and barber shop treatment facilities and installations.

Claims

1. A chair for human dental or medical treatment and having an improved adjustable headrest support, which comprises:

a. a chair, said chair having a frame,

b. a seat, mounted on said frame;

c. a headrest;

d. a bearing race rotatably mounted to a first transverse supporting shaft,

e. a flat curved strip member, one end of said strip member being attached to said headrest, said strip member defining part of a circle, and means mounting said strip member for circular movement around the center of the circle, the other end of said strip member being attached to said bearing race, whereby movement of said strip member corresponds to the natural movement of a human neck,

f. said mounting means comprising at least one pair of opposed cylindrical guide rollers on said frame, said rollers straddling said strip member and extending contiguously across the surface of said strip member substantially transverse to the linear longitudinal axis of said strip member, so as to guide the motion of said strip member along said longitudinal axis,

g. a hydraulic mechanism, said hydraulic mechanism comprising a fluid pressure cylinder pivotally linked at one end to said frame by a second transverse supporting shaft, said cylinder containing a piston plunger having a piston head, the outer end of said piston plunger being pivotally attached to the other end of said strip member by said first transverse supporting shaft and said bearing race, wherein said piston plunger moves in a horizontal path causing said curved strip member to move in a circular path in conjunction with said bearing race, resulting in the different positioning of said headrest without placing of a human body in a strained position,

h. means to pass a hydraulic fluid into said cylinder, so that said piston head and piston plunger may be displaced in said cylinder, and said headrest may be positioned in said way;

i. a spring, said spring extending between said first shaft and said second shaft, to produce substantially smooth backdown of said piston plunger and piston head when fluid pressure in said cylinder is reduced.

2. The chair of claim 1 in which two pairs of opposed cylindrical guide rollers are provided in tandem along the strip member.

3. The chair of claim 1 in which two tension springs are provided on opposite sides of the cylinder.

4. The chair of claim 1 together with a second hydraulic mechanism, said second hydraulic mechanism comprising a second fluid pressure cylinder pivotally linked at one end to said frame by a third transverse supporting shaft, said third shaft being mounted at each end directly to said frame, so that said third shaft is rotatable about its central longitudinal axis, said second cylinder containing a second piston plunger having a second piston head, the outer end of said second piston plunger being pivotally attached to said first transverse supporting shaft, so that said second hydraulic mechanism is pivotally linked to the principal hydraulic mechanism, means to pass a hydraulic fluid into said second cylinder, so that said second piston head and piston plunger may be displaced in said second cylinder, and thereby concomitantly said first shaft and principal hydraulic mechanism may be displaced relative to the frame, and at least one auxiliary tension spring, said auxiliary spring extending between said third shaft and said first shaft, to produce smooth backdown of said second piston plunger and second piston head when fluid pressure in said second cylinder is reduced.

5. The chair of claim 4 in which the cylinders of the principal and second hydraulic mechanisms are coaxial.

6. The chair of claim 4 in which two auxiliary tension springs are provided on opposite sides of the second cylinder.

7. The chair of claim 1 in which the flat curved linear strip member is in the shape of a circular arc.

8. The chair of claim 1, having two spaced-apart pairs of opposed cylindrical guide rollers in tandem, said guide rollers in each pair straddling contiguously across the surface of said strip member substantially transverse to the linear longitudinal axis of said strip member, so as to guide the motion of said strip member in said way.

9. The chair of claim 8 in which the means of element (f) comprises a hydraulic mechanism including a fluid pressure cylinder containing a piston plunger having a piston head, the outer end of said piston plunger being pivotally attached to the other end of said strip member.

10. The chair of claim 8 in which the flat curved linear strip member is in the shape of a circular arc.