Locking chair tilt mechanism with torsion bar

• US 5,203,853 A
• Filed: 09/18/1991
• Issued: 04/20/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Herman Miller Incorporated (Millerknoll Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Herman Miller Incorporated (Millerknoll Incorporated)
• Inventors: Caruso, Jerome
• Primary Examiner(s): Brittain, James R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GARDNER, JAMES
• Application Number:
  US07/763,654
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 297/304, 297/303, 297/302, 297/376, 297/317, 297/318, 297/320, 297/321, 297/322, 297/326, 297/327, 297/328, 297/329, 297/340, 297/300, 297/301, 297/285, 297/363, 297/313 , 297/342, 297/343, 297/355, 248/575, 248/393, 248/394, 248/395, 248/397
• US Class Current: 297/303.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/026 by means of peg-and-notch or pawl-and-ratchet mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 3/026 with central column, e.g. rocking office chairs; Tilting chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/445 with bar or leaf springs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/4454 of torsion type

Abstract

A locking chair tilt mechanism for a chair in which the backrest and rear seat portion tilt rearwardly and downwardly, and the front seat portion of the chair slides generally horizontally is disclosed. The chair is supported by a tilt mechanism mounted between the base and the chair. Front and rear support arms extend from the biasing member mounted on top of the base, to the chair frame. The front support arm is slidably and pivotably mounted to the chair frame to create the horizontal sliding movement of the front portion of the chair. The locking mechanism mounts immediately adjacent the elongated opening and comprises a pivotable locking bar, a high pitch screw fixedly attached to said bar, a rack with a first set of teeth and a gripping member threadably mounted on said screw with a second set of teeth. The first and second set of teeth are selectively cooperable upon rotation of the locking bar and screw through movement of the threadably mounted gripping member.

Claims

1. In a chair comprising:

a base;

a chair frame for supporting a seat and a backrest;

an elongated opening in said frame near the front edge of a seat portion thereof; and

a tilt mechanism mounted between said base and said chair frame for tilting movement of the seat and backrest relative to the base, said tilt mechanism including means to bias the chair frame to an upright position, at least one front support arm which is fixedly mounted at a lower end to the base and at an upper end is both slidably and pivotably mounted in said elongated opening in the frame, and a back support arm having a lower end pivotally mounted to the base and an upper end pivotally mounted to the frame; and

a locking mechanism between said front support arm and the chair frame to selectively lock said chair frame in one of several tilted positions.

2. A chair according to claim 1 wherein said bias means comprises a torsion bar which is mounted to the top of the base to resist tilting movement of the seat and backrest relative to the base wherein said torsion bar comprises a first end which is fixedly attached to said base and a second end which is coupled to said chair frame.

3. A chair according to claim 2 wherein said bias means further comprises;

an inner sleeve which circumferentially surrounds the torsion bar;

a bearing sleeve which circumferentially surrounds the inner sleeve; and

an outer sleeve which is fixedly attached to the base and circumferentially surrounds the bearing sleeve wherein said first end of the torsion bar is fixedly attached to said inner sleeve and said second end of the torsion bar is rotatable relative to the inner sleeve.

4. A chair according to claim 2 wherein said lower end of said back support arm is fixedly mounted to the second end of the torsion bar.

5. A chair according to claim 4 wherein said tilt mechanism further comprises;

an inner sleeve which circumferentially surrounds the torsion bar;

a bearing sleeve which circumferentially surrounds the inner sleeve; and

an outer sleeve which is fixedly attached to the base and circumferentially surrounds the bearing sleeve wherein said first end of the torsion bar is fixedly attached to said inner sleeve and said second end of the torsion bar is rotatable relative to the inner sleeve.

6. A chair according to claim 5 wherein one end of the front support arm is fixedly attached to the outer sleeve.

7. A chair according to claim 2 wherein said tilt mechanism further comprises a tension control lever which is fixedly attached to the second end of the torsion bar to vary the tension of the torsion bar necessary to tilt the seat and backrest relative to the base.

8. A chair according to claim 1 wherein said locking mechanism further comprises;

a locking bar pivotably mounted to said front support arm;

a rotatable screw fixedly attached to said locking bar;

a rack with an aperture through which the screw passes;

a first set of teeth on a surface of said rack;

a gripping member which is threadably mounted on said screw adjacent the first set of teeth;

a second set of teeth on a surface of said gripping member which are cooperable with said first set of teeth on said rack;

whereby rotation of said locking bar causes rotation of said screw which in turn causes movement of the threadably mounted gripping member relative to said rack such that the first and second set of teeth are selectively engaged;

when engaged, the upper end of said front support arm is prevented from sliding within the elongated opening of said frame thereby preventing tilting movement of said chair and when not engaged the upper end of said front support arm is slidable within the elongated opening of said frame permitting tilting movement of said chair.

9. A chair according to claim 8 wherein said screw has high pitch treads incorporated thereon.

10. A chair according to claim 8 further comprising a mounting member with an aperture through which said screw passes wherein said mounting member is mounted adjacent said locking bar.

11. A chair according to claim 10 further comprising a cooperating spring ball plunger mounted on one of said locking bar or mounting member and at least one cooperable detent for selectively receiving said ball plunger mounted on the other of said locking bar or mounting member.

12. A chair according to claim 8 wherein said screw is fixedly attached to said locking bar by a pin which is received in a first pin aperture in said screw and a second pin aperture in said locking bar.

13. A chair according to claim 1 wherein said locking mechanism further comprises;

a locking bar pivotably mounted to one of said front support arm or chair frame;

at least one engaging tooth on the locking bar; and

a complementary member which is cooperable with said at least one tooth and is mounted to the other of said front support arm or said chair frame and adjacent said locking bar so that said at least one engaging tooth is selectively registerable with said rack to lock said front arm with respect to the chair frame.

14. In a chair comprising;

a base;

a chair frame for supporting a seat and a backrest;

an elongated opening in said frame near the front edge of a seat portion thereof; and

a tilt mechanism mounted between said base and said chair frame for tilting movement of the seat and backrest relative to the base, said tilt mechanism including means to bias the chair frame to an upright position and at least one front support arm which is fixedly mounted at a lower end to the base and at an upper end which is both slidably and pivotably mounted in said elongated opening in the frame;

the improvement comprising;

at least one back support arm which is mounted between said biasing means and said chair frame wherein a lower end of said back support arm is fixedly mounted to the biasing means and an upper end is mounted to the frame.

15. A chair according to claim 14 wherein said bias means comprises a torsion bar which is mounted to the top of the base to resist tilting movement of the seat and backrest relative to the base wherein said torsion bar comprises a first end which is fixedly attached to said base and a second end which is fixedly attached to said back support arm.

16. A chair according to claim 15 wherein said bias means further comprises:

an inner sleeve which circumferentially surrounds the torsion bar;

a bearing sleeve which circumferentially surrounds the inner sleeve; and

an outer sleeve which is fixedly attached to the base and circumferentially surrounds the bearing sleeve wherein said first end of the torsion bar is fixedly attached to said inner sleeve and said second end of the torsion bar is rotatable relative to the inner sleeve.

17. A chair according to claim 14 wherein said tilt mechanism further comprises a locking mechanism between said front support arm and the chair frame to selectively lock said seat and backrest in one of several tilted positions.

18. A chair according to claim 14 wherein said tilt mechanism further comprises a tension control lever which is fixedly attached to the second end of the torsion bar to vary the tension of the bar necessary to tilt the seat and backrest relative to the base.

19. A chair according to claim 14 wherein said locking mechanism further comprises;

a locking bar pivotably mounted to said front support arm;

a rotatable screw fixedly attached to said locking bar;

a rack with an aperture through which the screw passes;

a first set of teeth on a surface of said rack;

a gripping member which is threadably mounted on said screw adjacent the first set of teeth;

a second set of teeth on a surface of said gripping member which are cooperable with said first set of teeth on said rack;

whereby rotation of said locking bar causes rotation of said screw which in turn causes movement of the threadably mounted gripping member relative to said rack such that the first and second set of teeth are selectively engaged;

when engaged, the upper end of said front support arm is prevented from sliding within the elongated opening of said frame thereby preventing tilting movement of said chair and when not engaged the upper end of said front support arm is slidable within the elongated opening of said frame permitting tilting movement of said chair.

20. A chair according to claim 19 wherein said screw has high pitch treads incorporated thereon.

21. A chair according to claim 19 further comprising a mounting member with an aperture through which said screw passes wherein said mounting member is mounted adjacent said locking bar.

22. A chair according to claim 21 further comprising a cooperating spring ball plunger mounted on one of said locking bar or mounting member and at least one cooperable detent for selectively receiving said ball plunger mounted on the other of said locking bar or mounting member.

23. A chair according to claim 19 wherein said screw is fixedly attached to said locking bar by a pin which is received in a first pin aperture in said screw and a second pin aperture in said locking bar.

24. A chair according to claim 14 wherein said locking mechanism further comprises;

a locking bar pivotably mounted to one of said front support arm or chair frame;

at least one engaging tooth on the locking bar; and

a complementary member which is cooperable with said at least one tooth and is mounted to the other of said front support arm or said chair frame and adjacent said locking bar so that said at least one engaging tooth is selectively registerable with said rack to lock said front arm with respect to the chair frame.