Chair control having an adjustable energy mechanism
First Claim
1. A chair control comprising:
- a control housing;
a component operably attached to the control housing for movement between a plurality of positions;
an actuator on the control housing operably connected to the component for controlling movement of the component;
a manually operable handle for operating the actuator; and
an overtorque device connecting the handle to the actuator, the overtorque device being constructed to limit force transmitted from the handle to the actuator to a maximum amount to prevent damage to the chair control.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A chair control is provided for use with a chair having a base assembly including a base frame, a back frame pivoted to the base frame for movement between upright and reclined positions, and a seat slidably supported on the base frame and pivoted to the back frame so that the seat moves forwardly and its rear moves forwardly and downwardly with the back frame upon recline. The chair control includes a novel energy mechanism comprising a control housing, a transverse spring positioned transversely in the housing, and a lever pivotally engaging a side of the housing to form a fulcrum with one end of the lever engaging the spring and another end of the lever engaging a synchronized seat and back arrangement. A moment arm shift adjuster is provided for adjusting the spring tension on the back frame. The moment arm shift adjuster is readily adjustable and includes an overtorque device to prevent damage to components of the energy mechanism.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A chair control comprising:
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a control housing; a component operably attached to the control housing for movement between a plurality of positions; an actuator on the control housing operably connected to the component for controlling movement of the component; a manually operable handle for operating the actuator; and an overtorque device connecting the handle to the actuator, the overtorque device being constructed to limit force transmitted from the handle to the actuator to a maximum amount to prevent damage to the chair control. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A control comprising:
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a control housing; a single stored energy source positioned transversely in the control housing and extending longitudinally side-to-side providing a longitudinal force; a lever operably interconnected with said single energy source for movement between upright and reclined positions, said single stored energy source both exerting pretension to bias the lever toward the upright position and providing resistance to tilting of the lever when reclining; and a control for regulating the pretension of the stored energy source and tilt rate of the lever, the control being configured for adjustment without an operator having to overcome the longitudinal force of the said single stored energy source. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. A control comprising:
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a control housing having a sidewall; a stored energy source positioned in the control housing and having an end abutting the sidewall; a back-supporting first lever operably interconnected with said energy source for movement between upright and reclined positions, said stored energy source both exerting pretension to bias the first lever toward the upright position and providing resistance to tilting of the first lever when reclining; and a control for regulating the pretension of the stored energy source of the first lever, the control including a crank lever within the control housing, said crank lever having one end engaging the stored energy source and the other end operably interconnected with the first lever, and said crank lever having a portion between said one end and said other end forming a fulcrum, so that the energy source biases the crank lever about the fulcrum to bias the first lever toward the upright position. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A control comprising:
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a control housing; a stored energy source positioned in the control housing; a first lever operably interconnected with said energy source for movement between upright and reclined positions, said stored energy source both exerting pretension to bias the first lever toward the upright position and providing resistance to tilting of the first lever when reclining; an adjustable control for adjustably regulating the pretension of the stored energy source, the control including a manually operable handle for regulating the pretension of the stored energy source; and an overtorque device configured to limit the physical force transmitted from the handle to the control.
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11. A control comprising:
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a control housing; an elongated and longitudinally compressible energy source positioned in the control housing; and a lever operably interconnected with said energy source for movement between upright and reclined positions, said energy source both exerting pretension to bias the lever toward the upright position and providing resistance to tilting of the lever when reclining; and the lever both longitudinally compressing the energy source and causing at least a portion of the energy source to bend laterally when moving between the upright and reclined positions. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. A control comprising:
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a control housing; a stored energy source positioned in the control housing; a first lever operably interconnected with said energy source for rotational movement about an axis of rotation between upright and reclined positions, said stored energy source both exerting pretension to bias the first lever toward the upright position and providing resistance to tilting of the first lever when reclining; and an adjustable control for adjustably regulating the pretension of the stored energy source, the control including a manually operated handle for regulating the pretension of the stored energy source.
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Specification