Chair having a slide mechanism for the seat

• US 6,945,605 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2001
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kokuyo Company Limited, Takano Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Kokuyo Company Limited, Takano Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Nishimura, Hiroyuki, Itoh, Kazuyuki, Ueda, Nobuyuki, Kinoshita, Yojiro, Horiki, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US10/130,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20020180248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• Field of Search: 297/317, 297/322, 297/337, 297/341, 297/311, 297/318, 297/344.1, 297/344.13, 297/300.3, 297/300.2, 297/341.17, 297/362.11, 297/362.14, 297/362.12, 297/362, 297/284.1, 248/424, 248/429, 74/892.3, 74/893.2, 74/894.5
• US Class Current: 297/317
• 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 1/03255 with a central column, e.g. rocking office chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/405 with double backrests
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/46 with special, e.g. adjustable , lumbar region support profile; "Ackerblom" profile chairs

Abstract

A chair includes a seat portion 1(1B), a seat support 2(2B) supporting the seat portion 1, a rear seat support 3(3B) extending rearwardly upwardly relative to the seat support 2(2B), and a slide mechanism X1 (moving mechanism XB) for causing the seat portion 1(1B) to slide back and forth relative to the seat support 2 (2B). The chair is provided with a locking mechanism 100C for locking the seat portion 6C at a desired position in the fore-and-aft direction selectively, and a lever 110C for operating the locking mechanism 100C, the lever 110C being located at a position allowing the lever 110C to move together with the seat portion 6C in the fore-and-aft direction.

Claims

1. A chair comprising a seat portion, a seat support supporting the seat portion, a rear seat support extending rearwardly upwardly relative to the seat support on a rear end side of the seat support, a slide mechanism including members disposed in association with the seat portion and the seat support, wherein the members mesh with each other to cause the seat portion to slide back and forth relative to the seat support in a manner to cause a rear end portion of the seat portion to rise gradually when the seat portion slides rearward while deforming to cause the rear end portion to curve;

and a restraining section for releasably restraining the sliding movement of the seat portion caused by the slide mechanism.

2. The chair according to claim 1, wherein the slide mechanism comprises a rack gear and a pinion gear disposed in association with the seat portion and the seat support;

wherein the rack gear and pinion gear mesh with each other.

3. The chair according to claim 2, wherein the rack gear is secured to the seat support with a longitudinal direction of the rack gear being in line with a fore-and-aft direction, while the pinion gear is supported by the seat portion so as to be capable of rotating forwardly and backwardly.

4. The chair according to claim 3, wherein the seat portion is fitted with a manipulating section for selectively switching the restraining section into a condition allowing the seat portion to move or into a condition restraining the seat portion.

5. The chair according to claim 4, wherein the restraining section is provided with a stopper gear that is capable of disengageably meshing with the pinion gear to restrain the pinion gear from rotating through an operation of the manipulating section.

6. The chair according to claim 5, wherein:

the restraining section is provided with an elastic member elastically deformably pressing the stopper gear in a direction such as to bring the stopper gear into mesh with the pinion gear; and

the restraint of rotation of the pinion gear is released when the manipulating section is manipulated against the elastic force of the elastic member.

7. The chair according to claim 2, wherein the rack gear is secured to the seat portion with a longitudinal direction of the rack gear being in line with a fore-and-aft direction, while the pinion gear is supported by the seat support so as to be capable of rotating forwardly and backwardly.

8. The chair according to claim 7, wherein the seat support is fitted with a manipulating section for selectively switching the restraining section into a condition allowing the seat portion to move or into a condition restraining the seat portion.

9. The chair according to claim 8, wherein the restraining section comprises a dent portion formed at the seat support, and a stopper pin capable of retractably fitting into the dent portion to restrain the pinion gear from rotating through an operation of the manipulating section.

10. The chair according to claim 9, wherein:

the restraining section is provided with an elastic member elastically deformably pressing the stopper pin in a direction such as to allow the stopper pin to become fitted into the dent portion; and

the restraint of rotation of the pinion gear is released when the manipulating section is manipulated against the elastic force of the elastic member.

11. The chair according to claim 1, wherein a movable range restricting section for restricting the sliding movement of the seat portion within a predetermined range is formed in association with the seat portion and the seat support.

12. A chair comprising a seat portion having a seat body with a cushioning property, a seat support supporting at least a front end side of the seat portion, a rear seat support extending rearwardly upwardly relative to the seat support on a rear end side of the seat support, and a moving mechanism for sliding the whole of the seat portion back and forth along the seat support, wherein a rear end side of the seat portion rises gradually along the rear seat support when the seat portion slides backward, the seat body having a reverse side held by a rigid seat plate mounted to cover at least an extent from a front end side to a central portion of the reverse side and a flexibly deformable rear seat plate mounted at a rear end side of the reverse side, the rear seat plate being capable of smoothly curving to allow a rear end portion of the seat body to gradually rise along the rear seat support through the rear seat plate.

13. The chair according to claim 12, wherein the rear seat plate is formed with a plurality of groove portions arranged parallel in a fore-and-aft direction and each extending in a direction substantially perpendicularly intersecting the moving direction of the seat portion.

14. The chair according to claim 13, wherein the rear seat plate is carved so as to dent partially thereby forming the groove portions.

15. The chair according to claim 12, wherein a lift-off inhibiting section is formed in association with the rear seat plate, the seat support and the rear seat support for inhibiting the rear seat plate to lift off the seat support and the rear seat support during the back and forth movement of the seat portion.

16. The chair according to claim 15, wherein the lift-off inhibiting section comprises a slot defined at the rear seat plate to extend in a fore-and-aft direction, and pins attached to the seat support and the rear seat support, respectively, each of the pins having a head portion sized larger than the width of opening of the slot and a shank portion inserted through the slot.

17. A chair comprising a seat portion mounted on a seat support so as to be capable of moving in a fore-and-aft direction relative to the seat support by means of a moving mechanism, the moving mechanism including elements which are capable of moving only in the fore-and-aft direction relative to one another,

the chair being provided with a locking mechanism for selectively locking the moving mechanism in a condition that the seat portion is located at a desired position in the fore-and-aft direction selectively, and a manipulating section for operating the locking mechanism, the manipulating section being directly manipulated by a user and located at a position allowing the manipulating section to move together with the seat portion in the fore-and-aft direction,

wherein the locking and releasing of the seat portion relative to the seat support is caused by a manipulating force input to the manipulating section.

18. The chair according to claim 17, wherein the elements of the moving mechanism are a rack and a pinion, wherein the seat portion is supported on the seat support through the moving mechanism, wherein the rack is located on a seat support side and the pinion is located on a seat portion side together with the locking mechanism and the manipulating section.

19. The chair according to claim 18, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a stopper piece for locking the pinion by selectively meshing with the same through movement toward and away from the pinion.

20. The chair according to claim 19, wherein the stopper piece is configured to move horizontally toward and away from the pinion.

21. A chair comprising a seat portion mounted on a seat support so as to be capable of moving in a fore-and-aft direction,

the chair being provided with a locking mechanism for locking the seat portion at a desired position in the fore-and-aft direction selectively, and a manipulating section for operating the locking mechanism, the manipulating section being directly manipulated by a user and located at a position allowing the manipulating section to move together with the seat portion in the fore-and-aft direction,

wherein locking and releasing of the seat portion relative to the seat support is caused by a manipulating force input to the manipulating section,

wherein the first manipulating section for operating the locking mechanism and other manipulating sections located on a seat support side for operating other mechanisms are arranged side-by-side in the fore-and-aft direction,

wherein each of the first and other manipulating sections is a flat plate-shaped lever and assumes a substantially horizontal posture when it is not manipulated.

22. A chair comprising a seat portion, a seat support supporting the seat portion, a rear seat support extending rearwardly upwardly relative to the seat support on a rear end side of the seat support, a slide mechanism including members disposed in association with the seat portion and the seat support, wherein the members mesh with each other to cause the seat portion to slide back and forth relative to the seat support in a manner to cause a rear end portion of the seat portion to rise gradually when the seat portion slides rearward while deforming to cause the rear end portion to curve;

and a restraining section for releasably restraining the sliding movement of the seat portion caused by the slide mechanism;

wherein the slide mechanism comprises a rack gear and a pinion gear disposed in association with the seat portion and the seat support;

wherein the rack gear and pinion gear mesh with each other.

23. A chair comprising a seat portion mounted on a seat support so as to be capable of moving in a fore-and-aft direction relative to the seat support by means of a moving mechanism, the moving mechanism including elements which are capable of moving only in the fore-and-aft direction relative to one another, the chair being provided with a locking mechanism for selectively locking the moving mechanism in a condition that the seat portion is located at a desired position in the fore-and-aft direction selectively, and a manipulating section for operating the locking mechanism, the manipulating section being directly manipulated by a user and located at a position allowing the manipulating section to move together with the seat portion in the fore-and-aft direction, wherein the locking and releasing of the seat portion relative to the seat support is caused by a manipulating force input to the manipulating section;

wherein the elements of the moving mechanism are a rack and a pinion, wherein the seat portion is supported on the seat support through the moving mechanism, wherein the rack is located on a seat support side and the pinion is located on a seat portion side together with the locking mechanism and the manipulating section.