Height adjustment chair control

• US 6,692,077 B1
• Filed: 03/27/2003
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leggett & Platt Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leggett & Platt Incorporated
• Inventors: Beggs, Kenneth, Matern, Gerard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Jr., Milton
• Application Number:
  US10/400,603
• Time in Patent Office: 327 Days
• Field of Search: 297/344.19, 297/463.1, 248/404
• US Class Current: 297/344.19
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 3/30 with vertically-acting fluid cylinder

Abstract

A chair height adjustment mechanism includes a lever positioned to overlay a valve opening member of a height adjusting cylinder. The lever may be depressed by a cam on a control arm when the control arm is rotated. The depressed lever then depresses the valve opening member. Depression of the lever through the rotation of the control arm may give finer control to the depression of the valve opening member than is conventional.

Claims

1. A height adjustment mechanism for a chair comprising:

a second class lever pivotally attached to a main frame, said lever overlying an opening for reception of a valve opening member of a height adjusting cylinder;

a control arm supported by said main frame; and

a cam mounted on said control arm, said cam positioned to depress said lever, responsive to rotation of said control arm, such that said lever depresses said valve opening member when said valve opening member is received by said opening.

2. The height adjustment mechanism of claim 1 further comprising a pivot bar mounted to said main frame adapted to pivotally support said lever.

3. The height adjustment mechanism of claim 2 further comprising a biasing member to bias said lever against said cam and away from said opening.

4. The height adjustment mechanism of claim 3 wherein said biasing member is a coil spring wrapped around said pivot bar, where opposite ends of said coil spring are respectively biased against said lever and said main frame.

5. The height adjustment mechanism of claim 1 further comprising a paddle mounted to said control arm.

6. The height adjustment mechanism of claim 5 wherein said paddle extends radially from said control arm.

7. The height adjustment mechanism of claim 1 further comprising a bushing mounted to said main frame to support said control arm.

8. The height adjustment mechanism of claim 7 wherein said bushing includes stops to limit said rotation of said control arm.

9. The height adjustment mechanism of claim 8 wherein said stops limit said rotation to about 90 degrees.

10. A chair comprising:

a height adjusting cylinder having a control valve and a valve opening member adapted to open said control valve;

a seat;

a height adjustment mechanism adapted to secure said seat to said height adjusting cylinder, said height adjustment mechanism including;

a second class lever pivotally attached to a main frame, said lever overlying said valve opening member of said height adjusting cylinder;

a control arm supported by said main frame; and

a cam mounted on said control arm, said cam positioned to depress said lever, responsive to rotation of said control arm, such that said lever depresses said valve opening member.

11. A height adjustment mechanism for a chair comprising:

a pivot bar mounted to a main frame;

a lever pivotally attached to said pivot bar, said lever overlying an opening for reception of a valve opening member of a height adjusting cylinder;

a control arm supported by said main frame;

a cam mounted on said control arm, said cam positioned to depress said lever, responsive to rotation of said control arm, such that said lever depresses said valve opening member when said valve opening member is received by said opening; and

a biasing member to bias said lever against said cam and away from said opening.

12. A chair comprising:

a height adjusting cylinder having a control valve and a valve opening member adapted to open said control valve;

a seat;

a height adjustment mechanism adapted to secure said seat to said height adjusting cylinder, said height adjustment mechanism including;

a pivot bar mounted to a main frame;

a lever pivotally attached to said pivot bar, said lever overlying said valve opening member of said height adjusting cylinder;

a control arm supported by said main frame;

a cam mounted on said control arm, said cam positioned to depress said lever, responsive to rotation of said control arm, such that said lever depresses said valve opening member; and

a biasing member to bias said lever against said cam and away from said opening.