Reclining chair

• US 5,354,120 A
• Filed: 10/21/1992
• Issued: 10/11/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rolf Volkle
• Original Assignee: Rolf Volkle
• Inventors: Volkle, Rolf
• Primary Examiner(s): Grosz, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US07/964,025
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 297/301, 297/300, 297/342
• US Class Current: 297/300.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03233 by means of a rack-and-pinion or like gearing mechanism
• 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 1/03294 slidingly movable in the base frame, e.g. by rollers

Abstract

In a reclining chair a seat carrier and a reclining backrest carrier are movably interconnected to perform synchronized shifting movements relative to the frame of the chair. The bottom end portion of the backrest carrier extends under the seat carrier. Connecting means connect the seat carrier and the backrest carrier to each other and cause them to move at the same time. When the body of a person sitting on the seat carrier initiates a shifting movement of the backrest carrier from a steep position to a reclined position, the seat carrier will be moved forwardly at the same time and at least its rear portion will be lowered. Because the backrest carrier and the seat carrier are connected to the connecting means at spaced apart points, any movement of one of said carriers will be transmitted to the connecting means and by the latter to the other carrier. In spite of their connection by the connecting means the two carriers are guided on the frame along paths which are independent of each other. During the reclining movement the backrest carrier is lowered to an at least slightly larger extent than the seat carrier adjacent to the latter. As a result, an inexpensive reclining chair is provided, which can conveniently be moved to a reclined position for a comfortable rest.

Claims

1. In a reclining chair comprising

a frame,

a seat carrier having a rear portion and movably mounted on said frame,

a backrest carrier, which has a bottom portion extending under said seat carrier and an intermediate portion adjacent to said rear portion of said seat carrier and is movably mounted on said frame and is adapted to perform a shifting movement between a relatively steep position and reclined position, in which said bottom portion is on a lower level than in said steep position, and

connecting means connected to said seat carrier and to said backrest carrier and arranged to impart to said seat carrier relative to said frame a forward movement and to lower at least said rear portion of said seat carrier in response to and during said shifting movement to said reclined position,

the improvement residing in that

said seat carrier and said backrest carrier are connected to said connecting means at respective spaced apart points of said connecting means, and

guiding means are provided for guiding said seat carrier and said backrest carrier independently of each other relative to said frame along mutually independent paths during said shifting movement.

2. The improvement set forth in claim 1 as applied to an office swivel chair.

3. The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein said connecting means comprise a belt.

4. The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein said connecting means comprise a spring.

5. The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein said connecting means comprise a gear train.

6. The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein said backrest carrier is arranged to move from said steep position toward said reclined position in response to pressure applied by the back of a person sitting on said seat carrier to said backrest carrier.

7. The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein said guiding means are arranged to guide said bottom portion of said backrest carrier along an arcuate path during said shifting movement.

8. The improvement set forth in claim 7, wherein

said guiding means are arranged to constrain said backrest carrier to perform said shifting movement about an imaginary axis, which extends through the hip joints of a person sitting on said seat carrier,

said seat carrier has a portion which constitutes the highest point of said seat carrier in its position corresponding to said steep position of said backrest carrier and defines a predetermined horizontal plane in said position and

said guiding means are arranged to prevent a movement of said seat carrier above said horizontal plane.

9. The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein said guiding memos comprise a guide slot provided on said seat carrier and at least one pin, which is fixed to said frame and slidably mounted in said guide slot.

10. The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein said guiding means comprise at least one guide slot, which is provided on said bottom portion of the backrest carrier and extends along an arc of a circle, and at least two bearings, which are fixed to said frame and movably mounted in said guide slot.

11. The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein

said frame is provided with a track formed in the center of its width with a longitudinally extending groove,

said seat carrier is provided with an axle, on which a symmetrical roller is rotatably mounted, which has at the center of its axial extent a radial rib extending into said groove.

12. The improvement set forth in claim 11, wherein

said roller is elongate and has its largest diameter at said rib and linearly decreases in diameter from said rib toward both ends,

said track is undulated and has a convexly curved portion and a concavely curved portion longitudinally succeeding each other and

said roller is arranged to contact said track on said convexly curved portion at a distance from said concavely curved portion when said backrest carrier is in said reclined position and to contact said track at said concavely curved portion at a distance from said convexly curved portion when said backrest carrier is in said steep position.

13. The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein said connecting means comprise a flexible tensile element, which is fixed to two of the three parts consisting of said frame, said seat carrier, and said backrest carrier and is at least relatively movably connected to the third of said parts.

14. The improvement set forth in claim 13, wherein said flexible tensile element consists of a rope.

15. The improvement set forth in claim 13, wherein said flexible tensile element consists of a belt.

16. The improvement set forth in claim 13, wherein

said two parts consist of said seat carrier and said backrest carrier and

said frame is provided with a rotatably mounted, fixed axle, which is at least partly wrapped by said flexible tensile element for movably connecting said flexible tensile element to said frame.

17. The improvement set forth in claim 16, wherein

said axle comprises an inner section and an outer section, which is larger in diameter than said inner section,

said flexible tensile element comprises a rear portion, which is connected to said seat carrier and arranged to be unwound from said inner section of said axle during said shifting movement of said backrest carrier from said reclined position to said steep position, and also has a forward portion, which is connected to said backrest carrier end arranged to be wound up on said outer section of said axle during said shifting movement to said steep position, and

said axle is arranged to guide and to be driven by said backrest carrier during said shifting movement.

18. The improvement set forth in claim 16, wherein

said flexible tensile element comprises rope means,

said axle is formed with a central bore, which extends in both said sections, and with angularly spaced radial openings leading from said bore to the outside, and

said rope means extend through said openings into said bore.

19. The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein

a lever is pivoted to said frame and to said rear portion of said seat carrier and is provided with a cam follower and

said backrest carrier is provided with a cam for cooperating with said cam follower.

20. The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein

said guiding means comprise guide slot means, which are provided on one of the parts consisting of said seat carrier and said backrest carrier and are provided with longitudinally spaced apart recesses,

an adjustable locking member is provided, which has a pivot extending into said guide slot means and arranged to move relative to said guide slot during said shifting movement and

said locking member is pivotally movable about said pivot into any of said recesses in said guide slot to lock said chair in an intermediate position.

21. The improvement set forth in claim 19, wherein

said backrest carrier is provided with guide slot means which extend along an arc of a circle and have mutually opposite side faces formed with said recesses, which are regularly spaced apart and angularly staggered,

two laterally spaced apart bearings are fixed to said frame and extend through and are slidable in said guide slot means, and

said pivot extends through said guide slot means.

22. The improvement set forth in claim 20, wherein

said guide slot means comprise a first guide slot defined by a bottom surface and with a second guide slot formed in said bottom surface and having an area which is about one-half of the area of said bottom surface and defined by said side faces formed with said recesses,

said bearings extend through said first guide slot and consist of guide rollers, and

said pivot extends through said second guide slot.

23. The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein said connecting means comprises a flexible tensile element fixed to said frame, said seat carrier and said backrest carrier.

24. The improvement set forth in claim 1, wherein said connecting means and said guiding means are arranged to lower said intermediate portion of said backrest carrier to an at least slightly larger extent than said rear portion of said seat carrier.