Chair

• US 6,367,876 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2001
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Herman Miller Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Herman Miller 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:
  US09/833,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20010040399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• Field of Search: 297/217.2, 297/300.4, 297/300.7, 297/300.8, 297/301.6, 297/301.7, 297/302.3, 297/302.6, 297/302.7, 297/300.2
• US Class Current: 297/300.2
• 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 seat pivotally mounted to said housing, said seat pivotable to a plurality of tilt positions;

a tilt limiter engaged between said seat and said housing, said tilt limiter limiting a rearward tilting of the seat relative to the housing, said tilt limiter moveable between a plurality of settings wherein a maximum rearward ti position of said seat is determined by the setting of the tilt limiter, said seat having a plurality of maximum rearward tilt positions corresponding to said plurality of settings for said tilt limiter; and

a selector member connected to said tilt limiter, said selector member comprising indicia for indicating the setting of the tilt limiter, wherein said selector member with said indicia indicates 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.

2. The chair of claim 1 wherein said selector member comprises a handle having a substantially horizontal axis of rotation and wherein said indicia are formed on said handle.

3. The chair of claim 2 wherein said selector is moveable to a plurality of angular positions about said horizontal axis of rotation corresponding to the plurality of settings of said tilt limiter, wherein said angular position of the indicia on said handle indicates the setting of the tilt limiter.

4. The chair of claim 2 wherein said handle comprises a substantially flat elongated portion, said substantially flat elongated portion forming said indicia, wherein the angular position of said elongated portion indicates the setting of the tilt limiter.

5. The chair of claim 1 wherein said tilt limiter comprises a cam member pivotally attached to said housing and operably engaging said seat as said seat pivots rearwardly about a horizontal axis to said maximum rearward tilt position, wherein said engagement between said cam member and said seat support limits the maximum rearward tilting of the chair.

6. The chair of claim 5 wherein said seat further comprises a rack, wherein said cam engages said rack as said seat pivots to said maximum rearward tilt position.

7. The chair of claim 6 wherein said cam comprises a plurality of teeth, wherein at least one of said teeth selectively engages said rack on said seat as said seat pivots to said maximum rearward tilt position.

8. The chair of claim 5 wherein said tilt limiter further comprises a pivot rod rotatably mounted to said housing and a pivot member connected to said pivot rod, wherein said pivot member is connected to said cam member, and wherein said selector member is connected to said pivot rod.

9. The chair of claim 8 further comprising a connecting member connecting said cam member and said pivot member.

10. A chair comprising:

a housing;

a seat pivotally mounted to said housing, said seat pivotable to a plurality of tilt positions;

a tilt limiter engaged between said seat and said housing, said tilt limiter limiting a rearward tilting of the seat relative to the housing, said tilt limiter moveable between a plurality of settings, wherein a maximum rearward tilt position of said seat is determined by the setting of the tilt limiter, wherein said seat has a plurality of maximum rearward tilt positions corresponding to said plurality of settings for said tilt limiter; and

means for indicating the setting of the tilt limiter and the corresponding maximum rearward tilt position of the seat even when said tilt position of said seat is other than the maximum rearward tilt position of the seat.

11. A method for selecting the rearward tilt position of a chair comprising a housing, a seat pivotally mounted to said housing, a tilt limiter selectively engaged between said seat and said housing, wherein said tilt limiter limits the rearward tilting of the seat relative to the housing, the method comprising:

moving a selector member connected to said tilt limiter between a plurality of settings and thereby moving said tilt limiter between a plurality of settings, wherein a maximum rearward tilt position of said seat is determined by the setting of the tilt limiter, said seat having a plurality of maximum rearward tilt positions corresponding to said plurality of settings for said tilt limiter, and said selector member comprising indicia for indicating the setting of the tilt limiter;

pivoting said seat to a plurality of tilt positions including a maximum rearward tilt position;

engaging said seat with said tilt limiter when said seat is pivoted to said maximum rearward tilt position; and

indicating the maximum rearward tilt position of the seat corresponding to the indicated setting of the tilt limiter with said indicia even when said tilt position of said seat is other than the maximum rearward tilt position of the seat.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said selector member comprises a handle having a substantially horizontal axis of rotation and wherein said indicia are formed on said handle, and wherein said moving said selector member comprises rotating said handle about said horizontal axis of rotation.

13. The chair of claim 12 wherein said moving said selector member comprises rotating said handle to a plurality of angular positions about said horizontal axis of rotation, wherein the angular position of the indicia on said handle indicates the setting of the tilt limiter.

14. The chair of claim 13 wherein said handle comprises a substantially flat elongated portion, said substantially flat elongated portion forming said indicia, wherein the angular position of said elongated portion indicates the setting of the tilt limiter.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein said moving said tilt limiter between a plurality of settings comprises pivoting a cam member pivotally attached to said housing between a plurality of positions, and wherein said engaging said seat with said tilt limiter when said seat is pivoted to said maximum rearward tilt position comprises engaging said seat with said cam.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said engaging said seat with said cam comprises engaging a rack formed on said seat with said cam as said seat pivots to said maximum rearward tilt position.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said cam comprises a plurality of teeth, and wherein said engaging said rack with said cam comprises engaging said rack with at least one of said plurality of teeth as said seat pivots to said maximum rearward tilt position.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein said moving said selector member connected to said tilt limiter between a plurality of settings comprises rotating said selector member and further comprising rotating a pivot rod connected to said selector member and rotatably mounted to said housing, and wherein said pivoting said cam member comprises pivoting a pivot member connected to said pivot rod and to said cam member by said rotating of said pivot rod.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising a connecting member connecting said cam member and said pivot member.

20. A chair comprising:

a base;

a backrest pivotally mounted to said base;

a seat pivotally mounted to said base and connected to said backrest, wherein said seat and said backrest are pivotable to a plurality of tilt positions;

a tilt limiter mounted to said base, wherein said tilt limiter limits a rearward tilting of the seat and backrest, said tilt limiter moveable between a plurality of settings, wherein a maximum rearward tilt position of said seat and backrest is determined by the setting of the tilt limiter, said seat and backrest having a plurality of maximum rearward tilt positions corresponding to said plurality of settings for said tilt limiter; and

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

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

22. The chair of claim 21 wherein said selector is moveable to a plurality of angular positions about said horizontal axis of rotation corresponding to the plurality of settings of said tilt limiter, wherein said angular position of the indicia on said handle indicates the setting of the tilt limiter.

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

24. The chair of claim 20 Wherein said tilt limiter engages said seat.

25. The chair of claim 24 wherein said tilt limiter comprises a cam member pivotally attached to said housing and operably engaging said seat as said seat pivots rearwardly about a horizontal axis to said maximum rearward tilt position, wherein said engagement between said cam member and said seat support limits the maximum rearward tilting of the chair.

26. The chair of claim 25 wherein said seat further comprises a rack, wherein said cam engages said rack as said seat pivots to said maximum rearward tilt position.