Chair having a seat with adjustable front edge

• US 6,890,030 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2002
• Issued: 05/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Haworth Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Haworth Incorporated
• Inventors: Wilkerson, Larry, Tomandl, Mark, Klassen, Gardner
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, STEPHEN A
• Application Number:
  US10/314,767
• Publication Number:
  US 20030080595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 297/284.11, 297/300.2, 297/301.1, 297/316, 297/452.15, 297/452.13
• US Class Current: 297/284.11
• 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 31/02 Upholstery attaching means quilting, quilting means, fastening, fixing or finishing upholstery B68G7/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/126 for chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/14 of adjustable shape; elastically mounted ; adaptable to a user contour or ergonomic seating positions movably-coupled seat and backrests with elastic adjustment means A47C1/03261; elastically-mounted back-rests or backrest-seat units in the base frame A47C7/44
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/282 with mesh-like supports, e.g. elastomeric membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/46 with special, e.g. adjustable , lumbar region support profile; "Ackerblom" profile chairs

Abstract

A chair is provided having a seat with a resiliently deflectable shell defining a front portion thereof. The front shell is deflectable downwardly in response to the user. An adjustment mechanism is provided which controls the deflected position of the front shell section to provide for controlled deflection of the seat which adjusts the effected length of the seat while also providing for user responsive deflection of the seat.

Claims

1. In a chair comprising:

a base having a support frame;

a seat supported on said support frame, said seat comprising a horizontally enlarged chair shell having an upward facing support surface for supporting the seat and thighs of a chair occupant, said shell having a rear shell section which is disposed over said support frame and a front shell section which extends from said rear shell section so as to extend forwardly of said support frame in cantilevered relation therewith, said seat defining an effective seat length of said support surface which extends from a rear portion of the occupant'"'"'s seat to a contact location on said front shell section wherein said support surface separates from the thighs of an occupant, said support surface having a contour defined by said front and rear shell sections; and

an adjustment mechanism having a manually actuatable handle and a connector member engaged with said front shell section forwardly of said support frame and operated by said handle wherein said connector member maintains said front shell section in a first position and manual movement of said handle deflects said front shell section vertically relative to said rear shell section away from said first position to an adjusted second position which varies the contour of the support surface to adjust the contact location between said support shell and the thighs of the occupant and adjust the effective seat length, said connector member being moveable in a downward direction in response to the weight and/or movements of an occupant to permit deflection of said front shell section away from said adjusted second position to a user-responsive third position.

2. The chair according to claim 1, wherein said front shell section is resiliently deflectable, and the resiliency of said front shell section generates a restoring force in a first vertical direction and said adjustment mechanism generates an adjustment force through said connector member which acts in a second direction opposite to said first direction to deflect said front shell section.

3. The chair according to claim 2, wherein said adjustment mechanism generates said adjustment force in a downward direction and the resiliency of said front shell section generates said restoring force in an upward direction.

4. The chair according to claim 1, wherein said connector member permits movement of said front shell section from said second position to said third position and the resiliency of said front shell section generates a restoring force which biases said front shell section away from said third position toward said second position.

5. The chair according to claim 4, wherein the connector member is a cable which pulls said front shell section downwardly and is flexible to permit said front shell section to deflect away from said adjusted second position defined by said adjustment mechanism.

6. The chair according to claim 4, wherein said connector member is a lever which deflects said front shell section to said adjusted second position, said lever being resiliently deflectable to permit deflection of said front shell section away from said adjusted second position while said shell generates said restoring force which biases said front shell section towards said adjusted second position.

7. A chair comprising:

a base;

a seat supported on said base which defines a support surface for supporting the seat and thighs of an occupant, said seat comprising a rear seat section supported on said base and a flexible front seat section which extends forwardly from said rear seat section, said front seat section being resiliently flexible in a vertical direction so as to generate a resilient restoring force which resists deflection of said front seat section away from an initial position while permitting downward deflection of said front seat section away from said initial position to a user response position, said support surface having a contour defined by said front and rear seat sections which varies by the deflection of said front seat section relative to said rear seat section between said initial position and said user response position; and

an adjustment mechanism having a manual actuator and a connector member which is connected to said front seat section and is movable by manual operation of said actuator to adjust the deflection of said front seat section relative to said rear seat section, said actuator being manually moveable to effect movement of said connector member to move said front seat section from said initial position to an adjusted position and maintain said front seat section in said adjusted position while permitting downward movement of said front seat section from said adjusted position to said user response position, said restoring force of said front seat section biasing said front seat section away from said user response position back to said adjusted position.

8. The chair according to claim 7, wherein said front seat section is disposed in cantilevered relation relative to said base and is formed of a resiliently flexible elastomeric material.

9. The chair according to claim 8, wherein said connector member is flexible in a downward direction to permit said movement of said front seat section to said user response position either from said adjusted position or from said initial position.

10. The chair according to claim 9, wherein said connector member is a cable which pulls said front seat section downwardly in tension.

11. The chair according to claim 9, wherein said connector member is a flexible lever.

12. The chair according to claim 7, wherein said seat includes a cushion overlying said front seat section.

13. The chair according to claim 7, wherein rotation of said actuator effects linear displacement of said connector member.

14. The chair according to claim 7, wherein rotation of said actuator effects rotation of said connector member.

15. A chair comprising:

a base;

a horizontally enlarged seat shell having a rear shell section supported on said base and a front shell section extending forwardly of said base from said rear shell section, said front shell section being formed of a resiliently deflectable material; and

an adjustment mechanism having a manual actuator and a connector member which is connected to said front shell section forwardly of said rear shell section and is displaceable upwardly and downwardly relative to said rear shell section by movement of said actuator to deflect said front shell section relative to said rear seat section to an adjusted position, said connector member permitting downward deflection of said front shell section away from said adjusted position in response to downwardly directed forces applied thereto while maintaining said front shell section in said adjusted position in the absence of said downwardly directed forces.

16. The chair according to claim 15, wherein said seat shell generates a restoring force which biases said front shell section back to said adjusted position in the absence of said downwardly directed forces.

17. The chair according to claim 15, wherein said connector member generates a restoring force which biases said front shell section back to said adjusted position in the absence of said downwardly directed forces.

18. The chair according to claim 15, wherein said connector member is a resiliently deflectable lever which moves said front shell section vertically to said adjusted position and is resiliently deflectable to permit deflection of said front shell section away from said adjusted position.

19. The chair according to claim 18, wherein said lever is rotated by said actuator.

20. The chair according to claim 15, wherein said connector member is elongate and is displaceable longitudinally to pull said front shell section downwardly.

21. The chair according to claim 15, wherein said connector member permits said downward deflection of said front shell section away from said adjusted position without manual activation of said actuator.

22. The chair according to claim 21, wherein said connector is displaceable by manual activation of said actuator while being resiliently deflectable to permit said downward deflection of said front shell section.

23. A chair comprising:

a base;

a horizontally enlarged seat shell having a rear shell section and a front shell section which extends forwardly of said base from said rear shell section and is biased to an initial position but is movable downwardly relative to said rear shell section, said front shell section comprising a deflectable material, said seat having an upward facing support surface which supports the seat and thighs of a chair occupant and defines an effective seat length which extends from a rear portion of said seat to a contact location on a front area of said support surface wherein said front area separates downwardly from the thighs of the occupant; and

an adjustment mechanism having an actuator and a connector member which is connected to said front shell section forwardly of said rear shell section and is displaceable by movement of said actuator to move said front shell section from said initial position to an adjusted position, a contour of said support surface being varied by said movement of said front shell section to said adjusted position to adjust the contact location between said support surface and the thighs of the occupant and adjust the effective seat length, said adjustment mechanism maintaining said front shell section in said adjusted position while permitting downward movement of said front shell section away from said adjusted position in response to downwardly directed forces applied thereto by the thighs of the occupant to further vary the contour, said front shell section being biased upwardly to said adjusted position in the absence of said downwardly directed forces from said thighs.

24. The chair according to claim 23, wherein said connector member is resiliently deflectable to permit said downward deflection of said front shell section.

25. The chair according to claim 24, wherein said connector member is flexible and applies a pulling force on said front shell section.

26. The chair according to claim 24, wherein said connector member is flexible and applies an upward pushing force on said front shell section.