Chair, in particular office chair

• US 6,234,573 B1
• Filed: 06/29/1999
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Peter Roder
• Original Assignee: Peter Roder
• Inventors: Uhlenbrock, Johannes, Röder, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): BARFIELD, ANTHONY DERRELL
• Application Number:
  US09/343,102
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 297/300.1, 297/300.5, 297/300.2, 297/303.4, 297/300.7, 297/300.8
• US Class Current: 297/300.5
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03238 by means of peg-and-notch or pawl-and-ratchet mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03255 with a central column, e.g. rocking office chairs
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/126 for chairs

Abstract

A chair is provided in which the position and movement of the backrest, which is pivotally carried on a backrest carrier, is effected by movement of the seat top, which, in turn, is subjected to the weight of the seat user. The amount of the user'"'"'s weight differently affects the position of the backrest through the use of pivoting linkages and a tension spring.

Claims

1. A chair comprising:

a seat top with at least one front seat support arm and at least one rear seat support arm projecting at the underside of the seat top,

a seat carrier securely connected to a chair support,

a backrest mounted to a backrest carrier which firstly extends rearwardly under the seat top and thereafter upwards,

the backrest carrier is connected to the seat carrier by means of a crosswise horizontally extending backrest carrier swivelling joint, and the front seat support arm is articulately connected to the seat carrier through a lever, wherein the rear seat support arm, offset backwards from the backrest carrier swivelling joint, is articulately connected to the backrest carrier by means of a crosswise horizontally extending rear seat joint,

a spring arrangement provided under the seat top with the spring arrangement exerting a biasing force upwards upon the seat top and forwardly upon the backrest,

said lever connecting the front seat support arm with the seat carrier comprising a two-arm swivelling lever pivotable around a crosswise horizontally extending swivelling axis, and supported at the seat carrier with one lever arm of the swivelling lever articulately connected to the front seat support arm, and with the other lever arm of the swivelling lever connected to a front end of the spring arrangement, and

a rear end of the spring arrangement being connected to the backrest carrier at a connection point spaced apart from the backrest carrier swivelling joint.

2. The chair according to claim 1, wherein at least one tension spring is provided as the spring arrangement, that the second lever arm of the swivelling lever connected to the front end of the tension spring points rearward, and that the connection of the rear end of the tension spring with the backrest carrier is offset upwards from the backrest carrier swivelling joint.

3. The chair according to claim 2, wherein the swivelling lever is designed as a lever angled between 0 and 45°

between its two arms.

4. The chair according to claim 1, wherein at least one pressure spring is provided as the spring arrangement, that the second lever arm of the swivelling lever connected to a front end of the pressure spring points downwards or is angled downwards, and that a connection of a rear end of the pressure spring with the backrest carrier is offset downwards from the backrest carrier swivelling joint.

5. The chair according to claim 4, wherein the swivelling lever is designed as an angle lever with lever arms forming an angle of between 70°

and 110°

with each other.

6. The chair according to claim 1, including a mounting mechanism to adjust a force exerted upon the backrest by the spring arrangement.

7. The chair according to claim 6, wherein the connection point of the rear end of the spring arrangement at the backrest carrier is made at a second lever pivotally attached to said backrest carrier and is adjustable in a distance from the backrest carrier swivelling joint by the mounting mechanism.

8. The chair according to claim 7, wherein the second lever is lockable by the mounting mechanism and the rear end of the spring arrangement is connected to the backrest carrier through the second pivotable and lockable adjusting lever.

9. The chair according to claim 1, wherein the spring arrangement comprises at least one element from the group consisting of a helical, leg, torsion bar, gas pressure, rubber and elastomer spring.

10. The chair according to claim 9, wherein the spring arrangement comprises a gas pressure spring which is lockable in continuous or stepped positions.

11. The chair according to claim 1, further including a locking device wherein the backrest carrier pivotable around the backrest carrier swivelling joint may be locked in continuous or stepped swivelling positions by the locking device.

12. The chair according to claim 11, wherein at least one one-arm catch lever pivotable around a horizontal swivelling axis is connected to the backrest carrier in vertically spaced relationship from the backrest carrier swiveling joint, with the catch lever substantially extending horizontally to the seat carrier and freely displaceable in its longitudinal direction in relation to the seat carrier in a first, automatically occupied release position, and in a locking fashion engaging a locking element in a second, locking position occupied by adjusting an actuating element, wherein the locking element prevents a displacement of the catch lever in relation to the seat carrier.

13. The chair according to claim 12, wherein the locking element is at least one bolt extending through an elongated hole in the catch lever, wherein the elongated hole comprises at least one indentation extending downwards for receiving the bolt in the locking fashion.

14. The chair according to claim 12, wherein the locking element is formed by several projecting teeth extending in parallel at a radius around the swivelling axis of the catch lever with the teeth engageable and disengageable with corresponding teeth of the catch lever.

15. The chair according to claim 1, wherein the rear seat joint is adjustable and may be locked in its position in relation to the backrest carrier in the longitudinal direction thereof.

16. The chair according to claim 1, wherein two front and two rear seat support arms, two backrest carriers, and two spring arrangements are provided symmetrical in relation to a chair longitudinal middle plane.