Anti-rattle pad

• US 6,290,296 B1
• Filed: 07/01/1999
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Leggett & Platt Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Northfield Metal Products (1994), Ltd.
• Inventors: Beggs, Ken A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US09/346,407
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 297/344.16, 297/344.19, 297/463.1, 297/301.2, 297/302.2, 248/562, 248/609, 248/632, 248/205.3, 744/90, 744/70, 267/139, 267/140, 267/140.11, 267/141, 267/145, 267/153, 267/292
• US Class Current: 297/344.16
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 3/30 with vertically-acting fluid cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20006 Resilient connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20299 Antirattling elements

Abstract

A chair height control mechanism has a gas cylinder with a valve control finger extending from an upper end overlain by a tilting actuator. A resilient pad is adhered to the upper end of the gas cylinder surrounding the valve control finger and maintains a spacing between the valve control finger and actuator when the actuator is not in use to avoid rattle.

Claims

1. A chair control mechanism, comprising:

a gas cylinder with a valve control finger extending from one end;

a gas cylinder actuator disposed over said valve control finger;

an annular disk fabricated of a resilient material mounted on said one end of said cylinder surrounding said valve control finger and perpetually deformed into a compressed state by said gas cylinder actuator so that said disk perpetually urges said actuator away from said valve control finger.

2. The chair control mechanism of claim 1 wherein said disk is adhered to said one end of said cylinder by an adhesive layer on said disk.

3. The chair control mechanism of claim 2 wherein said gas cylinder actuator comprises a rod extending generally transversely of said gas cylinder and overlying said valve control finger.

4. The chair control mechanism of claim 3 including a seat bracket mounted on said gas cylinder, said seat bracket having openings for receiving said rod, one of said openings being elongated so as to permit said rod to tilt toward said valve control finger, said elongated opening also limiting movement of said rod away from said valve control finger such that said disk is perpetually deformed by said actuator.

5. The chair control mechanism of claim 4 wherein said disk is fabricated of foam.

6. The chair control mechanism of claim 1 wherein said gas cylinder actuator comprises a rod extending generally transversely of said gas cylinder and overlying said valve control finger.

7. The chair control mechanism of claim 6 including a seat bracket mounted on said gas cylinder, said seat bracket having openings for receiving said rod, one of said openings being elongated so as to permit said rod to tilt toward said valve control finger, said elongated opening also limiting movement of said rod away from said valve control finger such that said disk is perpetually deformed by said actuator.

8. The chair control mechanism of claim 1 wherein said disk is fabricated of foam.