Chair having automatic adjustable cycle seat

• US 6,033,021 A
• Filed: 10/02/1998
• Issued: 03/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Akihiro Udo, Hiroshi Udo, Stephan Konz
• Original Assignee: Akihiro Udo, Hiroshi Udo, Stephan Konz
• Inventors: Udo, Hiroshi, Konz, Stephan, Udo, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): BARFIELD, ANTHONY DERRELL
• Application Number:
  US09/165,818
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 297/217.1, 297/217.3, 297/311, 297/312, 297/313, 297/314, 297/330
• US Class Current: 297/313
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 3/0251 driven by electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 3/0255 pivotally mounted in the base frame, e.g. swings
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/14 of adjustable shape; elastically mounted ; adaptable to a user contour or ergonomic seating positions movably-coupled seat and backrests with elastic adjustment means A47C1/03261; elastically-mounted back-rests or backrest-seat units in the base frame A47C7/44
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 9/002 with exercising means or having special therapeutic or ergonomic effects

Abstract

A chair with an automatic seat which cyclically inclines is configured with a forward/backward cyclically inclining mechanism (8) which supports the seat (6) supplied separate from and independent of the backrest (2) so that the seat can be inclined forward and backward and driven mechanically to incline by continuously changing its inclining angle. The inclination direction of the seat can be automatically reversed within a specified angle range. In addition, the chair is equipped with a rightward/leftward cyclically inclining mechanism (13) which is rectangularly installed beneath the forward/backward cyclically mechanism (8) to support it along with seat 6 to allow and drive inclination in the rightward and leftward directions.

Claims

1. A chair comprising:

a base for supporting said chair on a supported surface;

a seat tiltably coupled with said base and being inclinable to a selected inclination, said seat being tiltable leftward and rightward;

a powered inclining mechanism coupled with said seat to change cyclically the inclination of said seat between predetermined inclination angles;

a sensing device oprable to sense said inclination and for producing an inclination output representative thereof; and

a controller coupled with said powered inclining mechanism, said controller being operable to receive said inclination output and responsive thereto for operating said powered inclining mechanism.

2. The chair of claim 1, said sensing device including an encoder.

3. The chair of claim 1, said powered inclining mechanism including an electrical motor.

4. The chair of claim 3, said powered inclining mechanism including a tilt gear mechanically coupled with said seat, said motor including a drive shaft having a worm gear connected thereto engaging said tilt gear for rotation thereof upon operation of said motor.

5. The chair of claim 1, said seat further being tiltable forward and backward.

6. The chair of claim 1, said powered inclination mechanism being operable to change cyclically said inclination at a variable rate over time.

7. The chair of claim 1, said predetermined inclination angles being adjustable.

8. The chair of claim 1, further including a backrest coupled with said base, said backrest being separate from said seat.

9. The chair of claim 1, wherein the whole seat is tiltably coupled with said base.

10. A chair comprising:

a base for supporting said chair on a support surface;

a seat tiltably coupled with said base, said seat being inclinable to a selected inclination;

a powered inclining mechanism coupled with said seat to change cyclically the inclination of said seat between predetermined inclination angles, said powered inclining mechanism including an electrical motor and a tilt gear mechanically coupled with said seat, said motor including a drive shaft having a worm gear connected thereto engaging said tilt gear for rotation thereof upon operation of said motor;

a sensing device operable to sense said inclination and for producing an inclination output representative thereof; and

a controller coupled with said powered inclining mechanism, said controller being operable to receive said inclination output and responsive thereto for operating said powered inclining mechanism.

11. A chair comprising:

a base for supporting said chair on a support surface;

a seat tiltably coupled with said base, said seat being tiltable forward and backward and leftward and rightward and being inclinable to a selected inclination; and

a powered inclining mechanism coupled with said scat to change cyclically the inclination of said seat between predetermined inclination angles at a variable rate over time, said powered inclining mechanism including

an electrical motor,

an encoder to sense said inclination and for producing an inclination output representative thereof,

a controller coupled with said motor, said controller being operable to receive said inclination output and responsive thereto for operating said motor, and

a tilt gear mechanically coupled with said seat, said motor including a drive shaft having a worm gear connected thereto engaging said tilt gear for rotation thereof upon operation of said motor.