Chair, particularly an office chair

• US 4,773,706 A
• Filed: 07/06/1987
• Issued: 09/27/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dr. Ing. H.C.F. Porsche Ag
• Original Assignee: Dr. Ing. H.C.F. Porsche Ag
• Inventors: Hinrichs, Kurt
• Primary Examiner(s): Aschenbrenner, Peter A.
• Application Number:
  US07/070,240
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 297/300, 297/301, 297/302, 297/316, 297/303, 297/304, 297/320, 297/322
• US Class Current: 297/300.5
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03255 with a central column, e.g. rocking office chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03294 slidingly movable in the base frame, e.g. by rollers

Abstract

A chair, particularly an office chair, has a vertically adjustable seat carrying means at which, by means of a control linkage, a seat plate that can be adjusted in its slope is coupled as well as a backrest are coupled. The backrest adjusts itself as a function of the slope of the seat plate. The control linkage comprises coupling elements that are held at the seat carrying means and are arranged in the shape of scissors and are coupled to seat parts of a seat surface that are flexibly connected with one another. By means of this coupling, an imaginary axis of rotation in the knee area is formed that is transversely extending and unchangeable and is located in front of the seat surface. This axis of rotation in the knee area is located in an intersecting line that is formed between a horizontal plane of the seat surface when in a basic adjusted position and a diagonal plane of one coupling element when in an inclined adjusted position. As a result, an uncomfortable sitting is avoided when the chair is adjusted because no change of the user'"'"'s relevant support points takes place with respect to the chair as well as of the leg supporting points with respect to the contact surface of the chair.

Claims

1. A chair, particularly an office chair, having a vertically adjustable seat carrying means including at least two seat plate means for adjusting the slope of the seat by means of a control linkage, one of said seat plate means being adjustable in its slope and fixedly attached to a seat backrest, and said seat backrest being adjusted as a function of the slope of the said one seat plate means, said control linkage having at least two coupling elements that are held at the seat carrying means and are arranged in the shape of scissors, said coupling elements being coupled with said at least two plate means, a seat surface connected to said at least two plate means for inclination therewith as said one seat plate means has its slope adjusted and said at least two seat plate means being flexibly connected with one another to form an imaginary, height unchangeable transversely extending axis of rotation in a knee area that is located in front of the seat surface, said axis of rotation being located on an intersecting line formed by a horizontal plane of the seat surface when adjusted to a horizontal position and along a diagonal plane of one coupling element when said one seat plate means is sloped to an inclined adjusted position.

2. A chair according to claim 1, wherein the coupling elements are arranged in the shape of scissors and are connected with one another via a joint located between the ends of both coupling elements, wherein a first of said coupling elements extends toward a front edge of the seat surface and is coupled to the other of said at least two seat plate means via a horizontal axis of rotation in an area of this front edge of the seat surface, and wherein a second of said coupling elements extends toward a rear side of the seat surface and is connected with both said at least two plate means via a rear joint.

3. A chair according to claim 2, wherein said one plate means is integral with the backrest, and wherein both said at least two plate means are connected via said rear joint, and wherein a transversely extending axis of said rear joint is arranged in front of a normal pelvis location of said seat surface.

4. A chair according to claim 2, wherein said one plate means has a portion means that extends beyond said rear joint and includes control arms which are coupled at the seat carrying means to be rotatable about a horizontal axis.

5. A chair according to claim 1, wherein the at least two seat plate means are adjusted via the control linkage that, in a basic seat surface adjusted position, they occupy a straight position therebetween which is located in a longitudinal horizontal plane, and in an inclined seat surface adjusted position, the one of said seat plate means has a more extensive slope in a diagonal plane than does the other of said two plate means.

6. A chair according to claim 5, wherein the other of said at least two plate means has a front edge that is located below said horizontal seat surface plane when the seat surface is inclined to its adjusted position.

7. A chair according to claim 1, wherein relative lengths of the control linkage cause the other of said two seat plate means to be sloped at an angle to the horizontal at a ratio of 1:

2 with respect to the angle of sloping of the one of said two seat plate means in the inclined adjusted position as well as in intermediate positions of the seat surface.

8. A chair according to claim 1, wherein one of said coupling elements coupled to said one of said seat plate means has a slot with a length permitting relative movement between one end of said one coupling element and the other coupling element to allow for connection of said one coupling element to said seat carrying means.

9. A chair according to claim 1, wherein said one of said at least two plate means extends beyond a joint connecting the two plate means and has control arms which extend in a vertical direction and are connected with a seat supporting carrier at a joint around a horizontal shaft, and wherein the supporting carrier can be swung around another horizontal shaft at a bracket of the seat carrying means.

10. A chair according to claim 1, wherein there are plural sets of the at least two coupling elements, one set at each side of the chair and wherein one of the coupling elements are two members directed to a rear side of the seat surface and receive the seat carrying means between them and the other coupling elements include two members that are coupled to the outside of said first two coupling means and which extend to a front edge of the seat.

11. A chair according to claim 1, wherein the coupling elements connected to the other of said at least two seat plate means are in a U-profile shape, and wherein between legs of this U, the other seat, plate means is coupled to the U-profile shape around a horizontal shaft.