Chair

• US 6,250,715 B1
• Filed: 01/20/1999
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Herman Miller Incorporated (Millerknoll Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Herman Miller Incorporated (Millerknoll Incorporated)
• Inventors: Nyenhuis, Jack R., Caruso, Steven J., Gierz, Marc A., Caruso, Jerome C., Gezon, Bruce R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Peter R.
• Application Number:
  US09/234,291
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 297/300.2, 297/300.8, 297/302.1, 297/302.7, 297/303.1, 297/303.3, 297/325
• US Class Current: 297/303.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03 the parts being arm-rests conversion into a bed A47C17/12
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/0303 adjustable rectilinearly in vertical direction
• 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 1/03266 with adjustable elasticity
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03277 with bar or leaf springs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03294 slidingly movable in the base frame, e.g. by rollers
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/402 adjustable in height

Abstract

A tiltable chair including a housing, a back support pivotally attached to the housing about a first horizontal axis and a seat support pivotally attached to the housing about a second horizontal axis. A leaf spring includes a first end engaging the housing and a second end biasing the back support and seat support in an upward direction. A fulcrum member is moveably supported in the housing and engages a bottom surface of the spring intermediate the first and second ends of the spring. The chair also include an adjustable backrest and armrests slideably mounted on the back support, and a seat slideably mounted on the seat support. A tilt limiter is provided to limit the rearward tilting of the chair. A selector member includes indicia that indicates the setting of the tilt limiter so as to apprise the user of maximum available rearward tilt position of the chair.

Claims

1. A chair comprising:

a housing;

a back support pivotally connected to said housing about a first horizontal axis;

a seat support directly pivotally connected to said back support about a third horizontal axis, and pivotally and slidably connected to said housing about a second horizontal axis;

at least one leaf spring extending longitudinally within said housing and comprising a first end engaging said housing and a second end biasing said back support and said seat support in an upward direction; and

a fulcrum member moveably supported by said housing and engaging said at least one leaf spring between said first and second ends.

2. The chair of claim 1 wherein said housing comprises a forward portion and said at least one leaf spring engages said forward portion.

3. The chair of claim 1 further comprising a pivot member pivotally connecting said back support and said seat support at said third horizontal axis, wherein said second end of said at least one leaf spring engages said pivot member to bias said back support and said seat support in an upward direction.

4. The chair of claim 1 further comprising a pivot member mounted to said housing and defining said second horizontal axis and wherein said seat support has a slot, said housing pivot member engaging said seat support at said slot such that said seat support is pivotally and slidably connected to said housing about said second horizontal axis.

5. The chair of claim 1 further comprising a pivot member mounted to said seat support and defining said second horizontal axis and wherein said housing has a slot, said seat support pivot member engaging said housing at said slot such that said seat support is pivotally and slidably connected to said housing about said second horizontal axis.

6. The chair of claim 1 wherein said second horizontal axis is positioned forwardly of said first horizontal axis which is positioned forwardly of said third horizontal axis, whereby said back support tilts rearwardly about said first horizontal axis at a greater rate than said seat support tilts rearwardly about said second horizontal axis.

7. The chair of claim 1 wherein said fulcrum member is adjustably connected to and longitudinally moveable within said housing, whereby said fulcrum member can be moved longitudinally within said housing so as to engage said at least one leaf spring at various points intermediate said first and second ends and thereby alter the amount of resistance applied to the seat support as a user tilts rearwardly on the seat.

8. The chair of claim 7 further comprising an adjustment member rotatably connected to said housing and threadably engaging said fulcrum member, whereby rotation of said adjustment member causes said fulcrum member to move along a longitudinal path within said housing to thereby alter the amount of resistance applied to the seat support.

9. The chair of claim 1 wherein said at least one leaf spring is made of a composite material.

10. The chair of claim 9 wherein said composite material comprises a fiber and binder matrix.

11. The chair of claim 1, wherein said at least one leaf spring comprises a top surface operably engaging a bottom surface of a cross member extending laterally across a front portion of said housing at said first end of said at least one leaf spring.

12. The chair of claim 11 wherein said top surface operably engages a pivot member pivotally connecting said seat support and said back support at said second end of said at least one leaf spring.

13. The chair of claim 1 comprising a pair of parallel and laterally spaced apart leaf springs extending longitudinally within said housing, wherein each of said leaf springs comprises a first end engaging said housing and a second end biasing said back support and said seat support in an upward direction, and wherein said fulcrum member engages each of said leaf springs between said first and second ends.

14. The chair of claim 1 wherein said housing comprises a landing and wherein said fulcrum member is slidably supported on said landing and slidably engages a bottom surface of said at least one leaf spring, whereby a user can slide said fulcrum member between said landing and said leaf spring so as to alter the amount of resistance applied to the seat support.

15. The chair of claim 1 wherein said fulcrum member is made of a plastic material.

16. The chair of claim 1 further comprising a seat adjustably mounted on said seat support, whereby said seat can be moved in a longitudinal direction relative to said seat support.

17. The chair of claim 1 further comprising a tilt limiter mounted to said housing and operably engaging said seat support so as to limit the rearward tilting of said seat support.

18. The chair of claim 17 wherein said tilt limiter comprises a cam member pivotally attached to said housing, and wherein said seat support further comprises a rack, wherein said cam member is adapted to operably engage said rack as said seat support pivots rearwardly about said second horizontal axis, whereby said cam member can be pivoted to a desired location so as to limit the maximum rearward tilting of the chair by engagement of said cam member with said rack.

19. The chair of claim 17 wherein said seat support is pivotable to a plurality of tilt positions, and wherein said tilt limiter is moveable between a plurality of settings, wherein a maximum rearward tilt position of said seat support is determined by the setting of the tilt limiter, said seat support having a plurality of maximum rearward tilt positions corresponding to said plurality of settings for said tilt limiter;

and further comprising a selector member connected to said tilt limiter, said selector member comprising indicia for indicating the setting of the tilt limiter, whereby the user is apprised of the maximum rearward tilt position of the seat corresponding to the indicated setting of the tilt limiter even when said tilt position of said seat is other than the maximum rearward tilt position of the seat.

20. The chair of claim 19 wherein said selector member comprises a handle having a substantially horizontal axis of rotation and wherein said indicia are formed on said handle.

21. The chair of claim 20 wherein said handle comprises a substantially flat elongated portion, said substantially flat elongated portion forming said indicia, whereby the angular position of said elongated portion indicates the setting of the tilt limiter.

22. The chair of claim 19 wherein said selector member is moveable to a plurality of angular positions about said horizontal axis of rotation corresponding to the plurality of settings of said tilt limiter, whereby said angular position of the indicia on said handle indicates the setting of the tilt limiter.

23. The chair of claim 1 further comprising a forward bias member mounted to said seat support and adapted to operably engage said housing to limit the forward tilting of the seat.

24. A chair comprising:

a housing comprising a landing;

a back support pivotally connected to said housing about a first horizontal axis;

a seat support pivotally connected to said housing about a second horizontal axis;

at least one leaf spring comprising a first end engaging said housing and a second end biasing said back support and said seat support in an upward direction; and

a fulcrum member comprising a shaft, a first roller mounted on said shaft and engaging said at least one leaf spring between said first and second ends thereof and a second roller mounted on said shaft, wherein said second roller is moveably supported on said landing.

25. The chair of claim 24 wherein said seat support is slidably connected to said housing at said second horizontal axis.

26. The chair of claim 24 wherein said housing comprises a forward portion and said at least one leaf spring engages said forward portion.

27. The chair of claim 24 further wherein said seat support is pivotally connected to said back support about a third horizontal axis.

28. The chair of claim 27 further comprising a pivot member pivotally connecting said back support and said seat support at said third horizontal axis, wherein said second end of said at least one leaf spring engages said pivot member to bias said back support and said seat support in an upward direction.

29. The chair of claim 27 wherein said second horizontal axis is positioned forwardly of said first horizontal axis which is positioned forwardly of said third horizontal axis, whereby said back support tilts rearwardly about said first horizontal axis at a greater rate than said seat support tilts rearwardly about said second horizontal axis.

30. The chair of claim 24 further comprising a pivot member mounted to said housing and defining said second horizontal axis and wherein said seat support has a slot, said housing pivot member engaging said seat support at said slot such that said seat support is pivotally and slidably connected to said housing about said second horizontal axis.

31. The chair of claim 24 further comprising a pivot member mounted to said seat support and defining said second horizontal axis and wherein said housing has a slot, said seat support pivot member engaging said housing at said slot such that said seat support is pivotally and slidably connected to said housing about said second horizontal axis.

32. The chair of claim 24 wherein said fulcrum member is adjustably connected to and longitudinally moveable within said housing, whereby said fulcrum member can be moved longitudinally within said housing so as to engage said at least one leaf spring at various points intermediate said first and second ends and thereby alter the amount of resistance applied to the seat support as a user tilts rearwardly on the seat.

33. The chair of claim 32 further comprising an adjustment member rotatably connected to said housing and threadably engaging said fulcrum member, whereby rotation of said adjustment member causes said fulcrum member to move along a longitudinal path within said housing to thereby alter the amount of resistance applied to the seat support.

34. The chair of claim 24 wherein said at least one leaf spring is made of a composite material.

35. The chair of claim 34 wherein said composite material comprises a fiber and binder matrix.

36. The chair of claim 24 wherein said at least one leaf spring comprises a top surface operably engaging a bottom surface of a cross member extending laterally across a front portion of said housing at said first end of said at least one leaf spring.

37. The chair of claim 36 wherein said top surface operably engages a pivot member pivotally connecting said seat support and said back support at said second end of said at least one leaf spring.

38. The chair of claim 24 comprising a pair of parallel and laterally spaced apart leaf springs extending longitudinally within said housing, wherein each of said leaf springs comprises a first end engaging said housing and a second end biasing said back support and said seat support in an upward direction, and wherein said fulcrum member engages each of said leaf springs between said first and second ends.

39. The chair of claim 24 wherein said fulcrum member is made of a plastic material.

40. A chair comprising:

a housing;

a back support pivotally connected to said housing about a first horizontal axis;

a seat support pivotally connected to said housing about a second horizontal axis, said seat support comprising a pair of channels and a plurality of notches;

a seat adjustably mounted on said seat support, wherein said seat is moveable in a longitudinal direction relative to said seat support, wherein said seat comprises a seat pan having a pair of channels cooperating with said channels on said seat support to slideably mount said seat pan on said seat support, and said seat further comprising a lever slidably mounted on said seat pan, said lever comprising a nose adapted to engage at least one of said notches on said seat support so as to releasably lock said seat to said seat support;

at least one leaf spring comprising a first end engaging said housing and a second end biasing said back support and said seat support in an upward direction; and

a fulcrum member moveably supported by said housing and engaging said at least one leaf spring between said first and second ends.

41. A chair comprising:

a housing;

a back support pivotally connected to said housing about a first horizontal axis;

a seat support pivotally connected to said housing about a second horizontal axis;

a tilt limiter mounted to said housing and operably engaging said seat support so as to limit the rearward tilting of said seat support, wherein said tilt limiter is moveable between a plurality of settings such that a maximum rearward tilt position of said seat support is determined by the setting of the tilt limiter, said seat support having a plurality of maximum rearward tilt positions corresponding to said plurality of settings for said tilt limiter;

a selector member connected to said tilt limiter, said selector member comprising indicia indicating the setting of the tilt limiter, wherein said indicia indicates said maximum rearward tilt position of the seat corresponding to the indicated setting of the tilt limiter even when said tilt position of said seat is other than the maximum rearward tilt position of the seat;

at least one leaf spring comprising a first end engaging said housing and a second end biasing said back support and said seat support in an upward direction; and

a fulcrum member moveably supported by said housing and engaging said at least one leaf spring between said first and second ends.

42. The chair of claim 41 wherein said tilt limiter comprises a cam member pivotally attached to said housing, and wherein said seat support further comprises a rack, wherein said cam member is adapted to operably engage said rack as said seat support pivots rearwardly about said second horizontal axis.

43. A chair comprising:

a housing;

a back support pivotally connected to said housing about a first horizontal axis;

a seat support pivotally connected to said housing about a second horizontal axis;

a forward bias member mounted to said seat support and operably engaging said housing to limit the forward tilting of the seat;

at least one leaf spring comprising a first end engaging said housing and a second end biasing said back support and said seat support in an upward direction; and

a fulcrum member moveably supported by said housing and engaging said at least one leaf spring between said first and second ends.

44. The chair of claim 43 wherein said forward bias member comprises a rod rotatably connected to said seat support and a cam member extending from said rod and engaging said housing, said cam members pivotable between at least a normal seating position and a forward bias seating position.