Sliding and swiveling device

• US 6,402,114 B1
• Filed: 02/18/2000
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caroline Carnahan, Garnett Carnahan
• Original Assignee: Caroline Carnahan, Garnett Carnahan
• Inventors: Carnahan, Caroline, Carnahan, Garnett
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Jr., Milton
• Application Number:
  US09/506,904
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 248/416, 248/425, 248/429, 297/344.24, 297/344.26, 297/344.22
• US Class Current: 248/425
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/023 the parts being horizontally-adjustable seats ; Expandable seats or the like, e.g. seats with horizontally adjustable parts
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 3/18 Chairs or stools with rotatable seat adjustable in height by rotation A47C3/24

Abstract

A sliding and swiveling device includes a mounting plate, a moving seat, a moving assembly, and a rotating assembly. On the moving scat is provided an inner annular-toothed portion. The rotating assembly includes a fixedly toothed sleeve, a movably toothed ring, a first protruding strip, a camshaft, etc. In the toothed sleeve is provided an annular-toothed portion. On the toothed ring is provided an annular-toothed portion, and the upper surface thereof is provided a protruding pillar. The first protruding strip and camshaft are fitted on the mounting plate, which can be engaged each other or not. The mounting plate can freely rotate in twenty locking positions within 360 degrees around the toothed sleeve. Because the camshaft is also positioned on the mounting plate, the sliding and turning of the chair are both operated in the same place along with the movement thereof, thus it'"'"'s convenient for users.

Claims

1. A sliding and swiveling device, comprising:

a support tube;

a mounting plate having symmetrical, longitudinally extending sliding slots on two opposite sides thereof, each slot being formed by a flange extending downward and inward at a right angle;

an end cover fitted on one of two opposing ends of said mounting plate;

a moving seat including;

an upper plate with an opening, and an inner annular toothed portion having a series of rectangular teeth provided around the opening, said upper plate being movably inserted in said sliding slots to position said moving seat under said mounting plate; and

a holding tube integral with said upper plate and located under said upper plate, the holding tube having a tube hole in communication with the opening of said upper plate; and

a rotating assembly comprising;

a short toothed sleeve fixed to said support tube and having an opening;

an annular toothed portion with a series of straight teeth provided around the opening of said sleeve and on an inner peripheral face of said sleeve;

a protruding inner ring on the inner peripheral face and under the annular toothed portion; and

2 to 4 uniformly distributed cylinders on an upper surface of said protruding inner ring, said toothed sleeve being rotatably inserted into said holding tube of said moving seat;

a movable toothed ring including an upper annular toothed portion having an outer peripheral face and a plurality of straight teeth on the outer peripheral face;

a lower circular ring portion integrally formed with and located under said upper annular toothed portion; and

a radial recess on an upper surface of said upper annular toothed portion, said radial recess having a bottom face with a long strip-shaped protruding pillar thereon, said movable toothed ring being fitted in the opening of said upper plate and the opening of said toothed sleeve;

2 to 4 coil springs, each being individually placed in a respective cylinder of said toothed sleeve, said coil springs being located between said protruding inner ring of said fixed toothed sleeve and a bottom face of said upper annular toothed portion of said movable toothed ring;

a first, long strip-shaped protruding strip having a semi-circular slot, and being disposed on a middle position of a rear face of said mounting plate in a lengthwise direction opposite to the recess of said movable toothed ring; and

a cam shaft having a shaft lever, and a handle fitted to one end of said shaft lever using a connecting rod, said shaft lever being provided with an axially-extending right-angle slot on an outer peripheral face, said shaft lever being rotatably fitted in the first protruding strip, said coil springs urging said movable toothed ring to cause a right angle wall of said protruding pillar to mesh with the right-angle slot, and to simultaneously make said upper annular toothed portion of said movable toothed ring mesh with said teeth of said inner annular toothed portion of said moving seat, thereby allowing said movable toothed ring to be rotatable relative to said toothed sleeve and to said support tube;

wherein when said camshaft is rotated, an edge of the right-angle slot on said shaft lever presses said protruding pillar downward and said movable toothed ring downward, and simultaneously causes said teeth of said upper annular toothed portion of said movable toothed ring to mesh with said teeth of said toothed sleeve and said moving seat, thereby rotatably fixing said movable toothed ring to said support tube via said toothed sleeve.

2. The sliding and swiveling device according to claim 1, wherein said upper annular toothed portion of said movable toothed ring, said inner annular toothed portion of said moving seat, and said upper annular toothed portion of said toothed sleeve are each provided with 12 straight teeth.

3. The sliding and swiveling device according to claim 1, wherein said moving seat further includes a protruding toothed portion comprised of a row of protruding teeth on an upper surface of said upper plate, each of said protruding teeth having an inclined face;

further comprising;

a moving assembly, including;

a second, long strip-shaped protruding strip having a semi-circular slot, and being fixed to the rear face of said mounting plate so as to be parallel to said first protruding strip, said second protruding strip linearly opposing said protruding toothed portion;

a tooth-shaped shaft including a shaft-shaped rack, and a handle fitted to one end of said shaft using a connecting rod, said shaft-shaped rack having an obtuse-angle slot portion on an outer peripheral face thereof, and that extends in an axial direction, said shaft-shaped rack further having a row of spaced teeth, said shaft-shaped rack being fitted in the second protruding strip, wherein when said tooth-shaped shaft is rotated clockwise, the teeth of said rack and the inclined face of said protruding teeth of said moving seat are parallel to each other, allowing said moving seat to be slid relative to said mounting plate, and wherein when said tooth-shaped shaft is rotated in a counterclockwise rotation, the teeth of said rack and said protruding teeth of said moving seat mesh to lock said moving seat to said mounting plate; and

a tension spring having one end fixed on said handle of tooth-shaped shaft, and another end fixed on the rear face of said mounting plate.

4. The sliding and swiveling device according to claim 1, wherein each of four corners of said upper plate of said moving seat are provided with a wheel frame portion, said moving seat further comprises four small wheels, each being individually rotatably fitted in a respective wheel frame portion using a wheel shaft, said moving seat being movably inserted into the sliding slots of said mounting plate by utilizing the four small wheels.

5. The sliding and swiveling device according to claim 1, further comprising a lockup hook having a right-angle fitting portion located at an upper portion thereof;

a hook-shaped clamping portion located at a lower portion thereof, and a corrugated push-pull portion joining the fitting portion and clamping portion, the lockup hook being fixed to said moving seat via the fitting portion, so as to cause the clamping portion to be tightly located at a lower end of said moving seat and said toothed sleeve.

6. The sliding and swiveling device according to claim 1, wherein opposite walls of said support tube and said toothed sleeve are provided with mutually matching concave and convex slots to allow said support tube to be fixed to said toothed sleeve.

7. The sliding and swiveling device according to claim 1, wherein said movable toothed ring is comprised of plastic.

8. The sliding and swiveling device according to claim 1, wherein said toothed sleeve is comprised of nylon.

9. The sliding and swiveling device according to claim 1, wherein said moving seat and said support tube are comprised of aluminum alloy.