Chair

• US 6,425,633 B1
• Filed: 07/21/2000
• Issued: 07/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Haworth Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Haworth Incorporated
• Inventors: Wilkerson, Larry A., Roslund, Richard N. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US09/621,879
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 397/344.16, 397/344.12, 397/344.19, 397/300.2, 397/300.4, 397/301.1, 397/303.3, 397/303.1, 248/161, 248/188.2, 248/157, 248/408
• US Class Current: 297/300.2
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03255 with a central column, e.g. rocking office chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03261 characterised by elastic means
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03272 with coil springs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03274 of torsion type
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03277 with bar or leaf springs

Abstract

An office-type chair which provides for synchronous differential tilting of the seat and back assemblies, with the seat assembly being constructed such that the front lip thereof does not significantly lift upon rearward tilting. The chair incorporates a tilt control mechanism formed by a control body which secures to the upper end of the chair pedestal and an upright which pivotally connects to the control body about an axis disposed forwardly of the pedestal. A pivot assembly connects the upright and control body together.

Claims

1. In an office-type chair having a base, a cantilevered pedestal projecting upwardly from substantially a center of said base, and a seat-back arrangement connected to an upper end of said pedestal, said seat-back arrangement including a generally horizontally enlarged seat assembly and a back assembly projecting upwardly from and adjacent a rear edge of said seat assembly, said seat assembly including a control housing therein which is fixed to an upper end of the pedestal, said pedestal including a height-adjustable pneumatic cylinder unit which has a lower end thereof connected to said base and an upper end thereof connected to said control housing for permitting selected variation in the height of the seat assembly, said cylinder unit having a movable valve actuator projecting from an upper end thereof, and a manually-operable activating mechanism mounted on said seat assembly and cooperating with the valve actuator to permit selected actuation thereof when height adjustment is desired, comprising the improvement wherein:

said activating mechanism includes an elongate actuator rod which has one end thereof disposed exteriorly of the seat assembly and provided with a gripping knob thereon, said actuator rod having an interior rod part which is positioned interiorly of the seat assembly and which is positioned closely adjacent and projects transversely relative to the valve actuator and its direction of movement; and

a one-piece resilient actuator member including a first part supportingly engaged on said interior rod part, a second part engaged with said valve actuator, and a third part engaged with said control housing, said third part comprising a resilient spring part which reacts between the housing and the interior rod part to normally maintain the interior rod part in a released position wherein the valve actuator is not activated.

2. A chair according to claim 1, wherein said actuator member is horizontally elongated and is formed from a thin platelike spring material, said actuator member having said first and third parts formed adjacent opposite ends thereof, said first part including a generally upright wall having an opening through which the interior rod part projects, said third part being formed as an elongated cantilevered platelike spring having opening means through which an intermediate portion of said actuator rod projects for guidably positioning the actuator member, said first and third parts being disposed on opposite sides of said valve actuator, and said second part being disposed intermediate said first and third parts and positioned directly over said valve actuator for engagement therewith.

3. A chair according to claim 1, wherein said first part includes an opening through which said interior rod part is inserted in supporting engagement therewith.

4. A chair according to claim 3, wherein said control housing includes an upward facing surface and said third part has an opposing downward facing surface in contact with said upward facing surface to resist a downward movement of said interior rod part.

5. A chair according to claim 4, wherein said third part is formed as an elongate cantilevered leaf spring which projects downwardly into contact with said control housing.

6. A chair according to claim 1, wherein said actuator rod includes an outer rod part disposed outwardly of said interior rod part and an intermediate rod part disposed between said interior and outer rod parts, said intermediate rod part being in pivotable engagement with said control housing such that upward movement of said outer rod part effects a downward movement of said interior rod part toward said valve actuator.

7. In an office-type chair having a base unit and a seat arrangement, said seat arrangement including a generally horizontally enlarged seat assembly which has a housing fixed to an upper end of said base unit, said base unit including a height-adjustable pneumatic cylinder unit which has an upper end thereof connected to said housing for permitting selected variation of a height of said seat assembly, said cylinder unit having a movable valve actuator projecting therefrom, and a manually-operable activating mechanism being mounted on said chair and cooperating with said valve actuator to permit selected actuation thereof when height adjustment is desired, comprising the improvement wherein said activating mechanism includes an elongate actuator rod assembly which is positioned closely adjacent to said valve actuator and engages said valve actuator during movement of said actuator rod assembly, said actuator rod assembly including an actuator rod having an inner rod part which projects transversely relative to said valve actuator and its direction of movement, and a one-piece resilient actuator member having a mounting part fixedly attached to said inner rod part such that said actuator member is directly mounted on said actuator rod, said actuator member further including a resilient spring part which is connected to said mounting part in cantilevered relation therewith and is engaged with said housing so as to react between said housing and said inner rod part to normally maintain said inner rod part in a released position away from said valve actuator wherein said valve actuator is not activated, said resilient spring part being deflectable to permit movement of said inner rod part toward said valve actuator for activation thereof when height adjustment is desired.

8. A chair according to claim 7, wherein said mounting part includes an opening which receives said inner rod part therein, said resilient spring part extending transversely away from said mounting part.

9. A chair according to claim 8, wherein said spring part is a leaf spring.

10. A chair according to claim 7, wherein said actuator rod includes an intermediate rod part disposed transversely outwardly of said inner rod part and an outer rod part disposed outwardly of said intermediate rod part, said intermediate rod part being pivotally engaged with said housing wherein movement of said outer rod part in a first direction effects an opposite movement of said inner rod part in a second direction toward said valve actuator.

11. A chair according to claim 10, wherein said actuator member includes a hook at a distal end thereof which engages said housing to prevent movement of said inner rod part in said first direction while permitting movement of said inner rod part in said second direction.

12. A chair according to claim 11, wherein said actuator rod pivots about said hook when said outer rod part is moved in said second direction such that said inner rod part disposed outwardly of said distal end is movable toward said valve actuator for activation thereof.

13. A chair according to claim 7, wherein said spring part has a downward facing surface which contacts an opposing upward facing surface of said housing.

14. A chair according to claim 13, wherein said actuator member includes an extension which projects downwardly into engagement with said housing.

15. A chair according to claim 14, wherein said actuator rod engages said housing to define a first pivot about which said actuator rod pivots when moved in a first direction, and said extension engages said housing to define a second pivot about which said actuator rod pivots when moved in a second direction.

16. An office-type chair comprising:

a chair mechanism;

a housing which permits access to said chair mechanism; and

an actuator rod assembly which is supported on said housing and is actuatable to operate said chair mechanism, said actuator rod assembly including an actuator handle which is pivotally supported on said housing and is connected to said chair mechanism to operate said chair mechanism during pivoting movement of said actuator handle, said actuator handle having an inner handle part which cooperates with said chair mechanism and an outer handle part which is manually accessible from an exterior of said housing, said actuator handle assembly further including a biasing member having a mounting part fixedly attached to said inner handle part such that said biasing member is directly mounted on said actuator handle and is movable therewith, said biasing member further including a resilient member which is connected to said mounting part and cooperates with said housing so as to bias said inner handle part away from said housing to normally maintain said inner handle part in a first position, said resilient member being resiliently deflectable to permit movement of said inner handle part away from said first position to a second position to actuate said chair mechanism.

17. A chair according to claim 16, wherein said mounting part includes an opening which receives said inner handle part therein, said resilient member extending away from said mounting part generally along said actuator handle.

18. A chair according to claim 17, wherein said inner handle part has a terminal end which is slidably received within said opening of said mounting part.

19. A chair according to claim 16, wherein said resilient biasing member is an elongate cantilevered plate-like spring which extends away from said mounting part in cantilevered relation therewith, said spring having a spring surface near an end thereof, and said housing having a housing surface against which said spring surface abuts in opposing relation.

20. A chair according to claim 16, wherein said actuator handle assembly includes a hook on one end thereof and a pivot portion spaced from said hook wherein said hook and said pivot portion abut against said housing and said resilient member biases said actuator handle assembly away from said housing to maintain said hook and said pivot part in abutting relation with said housing, said actuator handle being movable in opposite first and second directions wherein said handle pivots about said pivot part when said actuator handle is moved in said first direction and pivots about said hook when said actuator handle is moved in said second direction.

21. The chair according to claim 16, wherein said chair mechanism is a height-adjustment mechanism which permits adjustment of a height of said housing.