Chair having a pelvis-hip support adjustable relative to a front seat portion

• US 4,848,837 A
• Filed: 10/15/1987
• Issued: 07/18/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rolf Volkle
• Original Assignee: Rolf Volkle
• Inventors: Volkle, Rolf
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorner, Kenneth J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cranmer, Laurie K.
• Application Number:
  US07/108,594
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 297/300, 297/316, 297/317, 297/322, 297/301, 297/304
• US Class Current: 297/300.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/031 having coupled concurrently adjustable supporting parts
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/0325 by means of clamps or friction locking members
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03255 with a central column, e.g. rocking office chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03266 with adjustable elasticity
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03272 with coil springs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03274 of torsion type
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03294 slidingly movable in the base frame, e.g. by rollers
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/024 with double seats
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/46 with special, e.g. adjustable , lumbar region support profile; "Ackerblom" profile chairs

Abstract

A chair has a spring rocker which is articulatad to a seat support at a front edge of the seat. The rocker is connected to a pelvis-hip support by a horizontal pivot device. An entrance section of the pelvis-hip support is longer than an exit section thereof. Synchronizing levers connect the seat support and the pelvis-hip support in such a way that pivoting of the seat results in a relatively greater pivoting of the pelvis-hip support. A backrest is pivotably connected to the exit section of the pelvis-hip support toward the rear against the force of a spring by movement of the body of a seated person. This permits the shell elements of the shell contour of the chair to conform better to the course of movement executed by the body, of the seated person, and to give support throughout the pelvis-hip region of the body of the seated person.

Claims

1. A chair, comprising:

a rocker;

a front seat portion supported by said rocker;

a backrest having an adjustable inclination;

a foot rest having a supporting spindle which is adjustable in height;

a seat support connected to said supporting spindle, said seat support being pivotably connected by first pivot means to a front portion of said rocker, such that said rocker is pivotable relative to said seat support over an angle range which includes a horizontal angle;

a pelvis-hip support including a pelvis-hip support plate, said pelvis-hip support plate being pivotably connected by second pivot means to a rear portion of said rocker, said pelvis-hip support having an entrance section and an exit section which extends generally perpendicularly to said entrance section, said entrance section being longer than said exit section, said exit section being adapted to support a hip region of a seated person;

third pivot means pivotably connecting said exit section to said backrest;

adjustment means for changing the inclination of said front seat portion and said pelvis-hip support between a working position and a reclining position;

said entrance section and said front seat portion together forming a seat surface which, when said backrest is in said reclining position, is disposed approximately in a plane which is slightly downwardly inclined in a direction which extends from said front seat portion toward said pelvis-hip support;

said adjustment means including a plurality of synchronizing levers;

each of said synchronizing levers being pivotably connected at one end thereof to said pelvis-hip support plate by synchronizing lever pivot means, and each of said synchronizing levers being pivotably connected at the other end thereof to said seat support by transverse lever pivot means; and

said synchronizing lever pivot means being disposed at a first distance from said first pivot means, and said transverse lever pivot means being disposed at a second distance from said second pivot means, said first and second distances being related such that when said front seat portion is pivoted, said pelvis-hip support is proportionately pivoted through a greater angle than said front seat portion;

further comprising;

a plurality of slots disposed in said seat support; and

a linkage means for horizontally moving said rocker, said front seat portion, said support plate having said pelvis-hip support, and said backrest as a structural unit as a function of the swinging motion of said pelvis-hip support along a distance having a length which corresponds to the length of said plurality of slots;

said rocker having shaft pins displaceably supported in respective ones of said plurality of slots.

2. A chair, comprising:

a rocker;

a front seat portion supported by said rocker;

a backrest having an adjustable inclination;

a foot rest having a supporting spindle which is adjustable in height;

a seat support connected to said supporting spindle, said seat support being pivotably connected by first pivot means to a front portion of said rocker, such that said rocker is pivotable relative to said seat support over an angle range which includes a horizontal angle;

a pelvis-hip support including a pelvis-hip support plate, said pelvis-hip support plate being pivotably connected by second pivot means to a rear portion of said rocker, said pelvis-hip support having an entrance section and an exit section which extends generally perpendicularly to said entrance section, said entrance section being longer than said exit section, said exit section being adapted to support a hip region of a seated person;

third pivot means pivotably connecting said exit section to said backrest;

adjustment means for changing the inclination of said front seat portion and said pelvis-hip support between a working position and a reclining position;

said entrance section and said front seat portion together forming a seat surface which, when said backrest is in said reclining position, is disposed approximately in a plane which is slightly downwardly inclined in a direction which extends from said front seat portion toward said pelvis-hip support;

said adjustment means including a plurality of synchronizing levers;

each of said synchronizing levers being pivotably connected at one end thereof to said pelvis-hip support plate by synchronizing lever pivot means, and each of said synchronizing levers being pivotably connected at the other end thereof to said seat support by transverse lever pivot means; and

said synchronizing lever pivot means being disposed at a first distance from said first pivot means, and said transverse lever pivot means being disposed at a second distance from said second pivot means, said first and second distances being related such that when said front seat portion is pivoted, said pelvis-hip support is proportionately pivoted through a greater angle than said front seat portion.

3. Chair as defined in claim 2, wherein, in said working position, said third pivot axis of said backrest is disposed approximately 14 cm above said second pivot axis of said pelvis-hip support, said exit section being about half as long as said entrance section, and wherein said entrance section and said exit section are connected together by a curved section.

4. Chair as defined in claim 3, wherein said transverse lever pivot means is disposed downwardly and to the rear of said second pivot means such that a pivot ratio of relative pivoting between said rocker and said pelvis-hip support is approximately 1:

2.5.

5. Chair as defined in claim 2, wherein said transverse lever pivot means is disposed downwardly and to the rear of said second pivot means such that a pivot ratio of relative pivoting between said rocker and said pelvis-hip support is approximately 1:

2.5.

6. Chair as defined in claim 2, wherein said adjustment means includes a multiple disc clutch which is penetrated by a clamping rod that is manually controllable.

7. Chair as defined in claim 6, wherein said friction locking multiple disc clutch is rigidly connected with said pelvis-hip support by said transverse lever pivot means and by a transverse pin disposed parallel to said transverse lever pivot means, said friction locking multiple disc clutch extending below said front seat portion and having a frontal, broadened end which has an arcuate longitudinal slot through which passes said clamping rod.

8. Chair as defined in claim 6, further comprising a further friction locking multiple disc clutch which is pivotally connected to said seat support, by an elongated hole through which said clamping rod passes, about a stationary bearing axis of said seat support and extends in an approximately vertical direction, with the friction locking multiple discs of said friction locking multiple disc clutch for said pelvis-hip support and the friction locking multiple discs of said further friction locking multiple disc clutch for said rocker lying alternatingly against one another in the region of said clamping rod.

9. Chair as defined in claim 2, further comprising a vertical coil spring disposed between said supporting spindle and the front edge of said front seat portion to provide suspension for said rocker, and a means for changing the initial tension of said vertical coil spring, and further coil springs disposed on both sides of the vertical plane of symmetry of said seat surface, said further coil springs having a common plane of symmetry with said clamping rod.

10. Chair as defined in claim 2, further comprising a biasing means for biasing said pelvis-hip support from a lower pivot position to a higher pivot position.

11. An adjustable chair, comprising:

seat support means;

rocker means pivotably connected at one end thereof to said seat support means for pivoting about a first pivot axis;

a front seat portion supported by said rocker means;

pelvis-hip support means having one end pivotably connected to said rocker means for pivoting about a second pivot axis, said pelvis-hip support means including an entrance section which together with said front seat portion forms a seat surface;

synchronizing lever means pivotably connected at one end to said seat support means for pivoting about a synchronizing lever pivot axis which is spaced at a first distance from said first pivot axis, the other end of said synchronizing lever means being pivotably connected to said pelvis-hip support means for pivoting about a transverse lever pivot axis which is spaced at a second distance from said second pivot axis;

a backrest connected to the other end of said pelvis-hip support means;

said seat surface being movable between a first position and a second position, said first distance and said second distance being in such proportion that, during movement of said seat surface between said first position and said second position, said pelvis-hip support means pivots through a greater angle than does said seat support means.

12. An adjustable chair is claimed in claim 11, wherein said first position is a working position and said second position is a reclining position, said pelvis-hip support means having an exit section which is disposed approximately at a right angle to said entrance section, and wherein in said reclining position an uppermost surface of said entrance section of said pelvis-hip support means is generally level with an uppermost surface of said front seat portion.

13. An adjustable chair as claimed in claim 11, wherein said rocker means has another end, and further comprising an adjustable spring-biasing means for resiliently biasing said other end of said rocker means away from said seat support means.

14. An adjustable clair as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a clutch means for selectively locking said pelvis-hip support means in a selected position relative to said rocker means, said clutch means being pivotably connected to said seat support means.

15. An adjustable chair as claimed in claim 14, wherein said rocker means includes a pin, and said clutch means includes a coupling means, said coupling means having a slot which slideably receives said pin to constrain movement of said rocker means relative to said seat means to that permitted by the travel of said pin within said slot.

16. An adjustable chair as claimed in claim 15, wherein said clutch means includes a friction locking lever having one end pivotably connected to said pelvis-hip support means and having another end thereof connected to said coupling means, and a selective locking means for locking said another end of said friction locking lever in a selected position relative to said seat support means.

17. An adjustable chair as claimed in claim 11, wherein said pelvis-hip support means has another end, and wherein said backrest is pivotably connected to said other end of said pelvis-hip support means, and further comprising a resilient biasing means connected between said other end of said pelvis-hip support means and said backrest means to resiliently bias said backrest toward a predetermined position.