Chair mechanism providing for an inclination range and inclination stop means

• US 5,417,473 A
• Filed: 09/30/1993
• Issued: 05/23/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Protoned B. V.
• Original Assignee: Protoned B. V.
• Inventors: Brauning, Egon
• Primary Examiner(s): Bertsch, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): McAndrews, Jr., Roland G.
• Application Number:
  US08/129,599
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 297/300, 297/301, 297/302, 297/303
• US Class Current: 297/302.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03238 by means of peg-and-notch or pawl-and-ratchet mechanism
• 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 1/03261 characterised by elastic means
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03272 with coil springs

Abstract

A chair mechanism (1) for office chairs comprises a synchronous mechanism with integrated negative inclination. The aim is to achieve all sitting postures occurring during office work, and in particular the correction of injurious continuous sitting. The arrangement, the function and the connection of the pivot axes and the configuration of the seat support (4) within the chair mechanism (1) have predominant novelty value. Mechanical springs, which are less expensive than gas springs, are used as component parts. Springing during synchronous movement is effected by means of a torsion spring (9), while the negative inclination utilizes compression springs (21). The mechanism offers a number of options--locking in determined functions--for special applications. In addition to the wide movement range, the apparatus is distinguished by a compact and efficient construction.

Claims

1. A work chair mechanism providing for a swivelling range with stepless transition from a forwardly inclined position to a rearwardly inclined position based on the sitting posture and distribution of a user'"'"'s body, said mechanism comprising:

a seat carrier (7) pivoted at a front portion about a front pivot axis (13) and a rear portion about a rear pivot axis (11);

a back rest carrier (8) in connection with the seat carrier about said rear pivot axis; and

a plurality of driver plates (15) forming a recess (16) in which a stop is provided for limiting the swivelling range of the chair, the driver plates connecting said front pivot axis to a main pivot axis (12), the main pivot axis comprising a longitudinal axis of a torsional spring (9), wherein;

the seat carrier, drive plates, torsion spring and back rest carrier are mounted as a system on a resilient seat support (4) and pivotable about a negative inclination pivot axis (10) of the resilient seat support, the negative inclination axis being in line with an upright tube (2) of the chair.

2. Chair mechanism according to claim 1, characterised in that a positioning of the pivot axes, i.e. the negative inclination pivot axis (10), main pivot axis (12), front pivot axis (13), and rear pivot axis (11) for the seat and back rest carriers, along with the dimensioning of the components of the apparatus are formed in such a manner that the chair mechanism (1) reacts over its entire swivelling range to the weight displacement by the upper part of the user'"'"'s body.

3. Chair mechanism according to claim 1, characterised in that options are provided for the separate locking of a rearwardly inclined position by means of a catch lever (18) and of a forwardly inclined position by means of a locking lever (23).

4. Chair mechanism according to claim 3, characterised in that the locking of the rearwardly inclined position is effected by swivelling the catch lever into the recess (16) formed by the driver plates (15).

5. Chair mechanism according to claim 3, characterised in that the locking of the forwardly inclined position is effected by swivelling in the locking lever (23) against a fixed seat support part (6).

6. Chair mechanism according to claim 1, characterised in that the seat support (4) comprises a fixed seat support part (6), which is provided with a receiving cone (3) for mounting on the upright tube (2), and a movable seat support part (5), the movable seat support part (5) being spring mounted on the fixed seat support part (6) by means of a compression spring (21).

7. Chair mechanism according to claim 6, characterised in that the movable seat support part (5) of the seat support (4) is resiliently mounted on the negative inclination pivot axis (10).

8. Chair mechanism according to claim 7, characterised in that a leaf spring is used to bias the seat support (4).