Chair control actuator with depiction

• US 6,609,760 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2002
• Issued: 08/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leggett & Platt Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leggett & Platt Incorporated
• Inventors: Patton, Arthur A., Matern, Gerard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cranmer, Laurie K.
• Application Number:
  US10/097,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20030184144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 297/463.1, 297/183.1, 297/285, 297/354.1, 297/344.16, 297/344.19, 297/463.2, 406/611.2, 403/20, 403/31
• US Class Current: 297/463.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/00 Details or accessories for chairs, beds, or the like, not provided for in other groups of this subclass, e.g. upholstery fasteners, mattress protectors, stretching devices for mattress nets

Abstract

A chair control actuator, such as a chair control paddle, is provided with a surface relief. The surface relief depicts a chair in two different positions illustrative of different chair positions which may result from use of said actuator. The surface relief has solid relief areas depicting a first of the two positions and outline relief areas depicting a second of the two positions.

Claims

1. A chair control actuator comprising:

a surface relief depicting a chair in two different positions illustrative of different chair positions which may result from use of said actuator, said surface relief having solid relief areas depicting a first of said two positions and outline relief areas depicting a second of said two positions.

2. The actuator of claim 1 wherein said solid relief areas include portions of said depicted chair not controlled by said actuator.

3. The actuator of claim 1 further comprising a surface relief depicting a double-headed arrow oriented to indicate a direction of change between said first of two positions and said second of two positions.

4. The actuator of claim 1 further comprising a recessed area, said surface relief extending within said recessed area.

5. The actuator of claim 1 wherein said actuator has a paddle-shaped end bearing said surface relief.

6. The actuator of claim 5 wherein a top surface of said paddle-shaped end bears said surface relief.

7. The actuator of claim 6 wherein a bottom surface of said paddle has a lip with a pair of finger receiving notches.

8. A chair control paddle actuator comprising:

a surface relief depicting a chair in two different positions illustrative of different chair positions which may result from use of said actuator, said surface relief having solid relief areas depicting a first of said two positions and outline relief areas depicting a second of said two positions.

9. A chair control mechanism, comprising:

a plurality of chair control actuators, each actuator having a surface relief depicting a chair in two different positions illustrative of different chair positions which may result from use of said each actuator, said surface relief having solid relief areas depicting a first of said two positions and outline relief areas depicting a second of said two positions.

10. The control mechanism of claim 9 wherein said solid relief areas include portions of said depicted chair not controlled by said actuator.

11. The control mechanism of claim 10 wherein each said actuator further comprises a surface relief depicting a double-headed arrow oriented to indicate a direction of change between said first of two positions and said second of two positions.

12. The control mechanism of claim 11 wherein each said actuator further comprises a recessed area, said surface relief extending within said recessed area.

13. The control mechanism of claim 12 wherein said each actuator has a paddle-shaped end bearing said surface relief.

14. The control mechanism of claim 13 wherein a top surface of said paddle-shaped end bears said surface relief.

15. The control mechanism of claim 14 wherein a bottom surface of said paddle has a lip with a pair of finger receiving notches.