Office chair

• US 7,029,071 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2003
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: JSJ Seating Company Texas, L.P.
• Original Assignee: JSJ Seating Company Texas, L.P.
• Inventors: Watson, Ronnie K., Bach, James W., Coffield, Timothy P., Chrostowski, Matthew E., Chapman, Anthony K., Lewis, Randall C., Bach, David F., Ebenstein, Scott M., Inman, Christopher G.
• Primary Examiner(s): BARFIELD, ANTHONY DERRELL
• Application Number:
  US10/657,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20040046436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 297/411.36, 297/411.35, 297/411.37, 297/411.38
• US Class Current: 297/411.35
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03 the parts being arm-rests conversion into a bed A47C17/12
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03255 with a central column, e.g. rocking office chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/282 with mesh-like supports, e.g. elastomeric membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/462 adjustable by mechanical means

Abstract

A chair having an adjustable resilient back recliner mechanism, a pair of adjustable armrests, modular upper back portions and an adjustable lumbar support. The chair includes a tension control that adjusts the tension in the recliner mechanism. The tension control is cam-operated to permit adjustment throughout the entire range of adjustability with only limited rotational movement of a control knob. The chair includes a recline limit control that adjusts the limit of rearward movement in the recliner mechanism. The limit control includes a cable operated stop that interact with a stepped trackway on the seat. The chair further includes a height control for adjusting the seat height including a push-button located in the tension control knob. The armrests include height and angle adjustment mechanisms. The lumbar support includes a lumbar cam that is rotatably mounted to a lumbar pad. The lumbar cam includes a plurality of lobes that vary in radius so that rotation of the cam causes variation in the contour of the lumbar region. The chair back includes a fabric carrier with an upper back portion mounting platform that permits attachment of any of a variety of modular upper back portions.

Claims

1. A chair comprising:

a seat; and

an armrest assembly mounted adjacent said seat, said armrest assembly including a tube movably secured to an upright and an armpad secured to said tube, said armrest assembly further including a ratchet assembly for adjusting a height of said tube with respect to said upright, said ratchet assembly including a plunger reciprocally carried by said tube and a plurality of notches defined by said upright, said ratchet assembly further including a biasing means for biasing said plunger into engagement with said notches,

wherein one of said plunger and said plurality of notches includes an engagement surface shaped so that the plunger automatically reciprocates into and out from the notches when a user moves the armpad away from the upright, whereby a height of the armpad is adjusted.

2. The chair of claim 1 wherein said ratchet assembly includes a reset means for retaining said plunger in a retracted position out of engagement with said notches to permit said tube to be lowered with respect to said upright.

3. The chair of claim 2 wherein said reset means includes a catch means for releasably retaining said plunger in a retracted position upon alignment of said plunger with said catch means, said reset means further including a surface retracting said plunger into alignment with said catch means when said tube is moved to its upper extreme with respect to said upright.

4. The chair of claim 3 wherein said reset means further includes a second surface disengaging said plunger from said catch means when said tube is moved to its lower extreme with respect to said upright.

5. The chair of claim 4 wherein said armrest assembly includes a pivot mechanism providing adjustment of an angle of said armpad by rotation of said tube with respect to said upright, said pivot mechanism including an upper member mounted to said tube and a lower member rotatably mounted to said upper member, said lower member engaging said upright to prevent rotation of said lower member with respect to said upright, said plunger being mounted within said lower member.

6. The chair of claim 5 wherein said pivot mechanism further includes a means for defining a range of pivotal movement of said tube.

7. A chair comprising:

a seat;

an armrest assembly mounted adjacent said seat, said armrest assembly including a tube movably secured to an upright and an armpad secured to said tube, said armrest assembly further including a ratchet assembly for adjusting a height of said tube with respect to said upright, said ratchet assembly includes a plunger reciprocally carried by said tube and a plurality of notches defined by said upright, said ratchet assembly further including a biasing means for biasing said plunger into engagement with said notches said ratchet assembly in communication with a reset surface that automatically resets the plunger so that the armrest assembly can be lowered; and

wherein said armrest assembly includes an upper member mounted to said tube and a lower member rotatably mounted to said upper member and means for defining a range of pivotal movement of said tube, said range defining means including a pin mounted to one of said upper member and said lower member, said pin extending into an arcuate slot defined in the other of said upper member and said lower member, said pin moving through said slot upon rotation of said tube.

8. The chair of claim 7 wherein said means for defining a range of pivotal movement of said tube includes at least one protrusions extending into said arcuate slot to interference with but not prevent movement of said pin through said slot.

9. A chair comprising:

a seat; and

an armrest assembly positioned adjacent said seat, said armrest assembly including an upright and a tube, said upright and said tube adapted to extend and retract relative to one another, said upright defining a plurality of notches, said tube joined with a plunger reciprocally engaging said plurality of notches as the upright and tube extend relative to one another to incrementally set the upright and the tube at a plurality of extended positions, at least one of said upright and said tube including a first reset surface that engages said plunger and locks said plunger in a locked position so that said tube and said upright freely retract relative to one another;

wherein said first reset surface automatically locks said plunger in said locked position when said upright and said tube are extended to an extreme extended position.

10. The chair of claim 9 wherein the armrest assembly includes a first member joined with the tube, said plunger reciprocating within said first member.

11. The chair of claim 10 wherein said first member rotates relative to said tube.

12. The chair of claim 9 comprising a separate second member joined with said first member with a pivot pin so that said first member and said second member rotate relative to one another.

13. The chair of claim 12 wherein one of the first member and the second member define an arcuate slot and wherein the other of said first member and said second member include a guide pin that moves in the arcuate slot to limit the rotation of the tube and upright relative to one another.

14. The chair of claim 9 wherein at least one of the tube and the upright includes a second reset surface, said second reset surface disengaging said plunger from said locked position so that the tube and the upright freely extend relative to one another.

15. The chair of claim 14 wherein said second reset surface disengages said plunger from said lock position when said upright and said tube are in an extreme retracted position so that said plunger is ready to re-engage said plurality of notches when said tube and said upright are extended relative to one another.

16. A chair comprising:

a seat; and

an armrest assembly positioned adjacent said seat including an upright and a tube extendable relative to one another to a plurality of extended positions and retractable relative to one another to at least one reset position, said tube including a reciprocating plunger, said upright defining a plurality of notches, said plunger adapted to engage at least one of said plurality of notches to hold the tube and the upright in at least one of the plurality of extended positions, at least one of said notches and the plunger including a reset surface that automatically engages and resets the plunger to a default position, wherein the tube and the upright are retractable to the reset position when the plunger is in the default position.

17. The chair of claim 16 wherein at least one of said plurality of notches includes a secondary reset surface that engages said plunger to unlock the plunger from the default position and ready the plunger for engagement with the remainder of the plurality of notches.

18. The chair of claim 16 wherein the armrest assembly includes an upper member and a lower member, the upper member joined with the tube, the lower member rotatably joined with the upper member, the lower member defining a raceway for the plunger in which the plunger reciprocates.

19. The chair of claim 18 wherein the tube rotates relative to the upright without misaligning the plunger and the notches.

20. The chair of claim 16 wherein the armrest assembly includes a member within which the plunger reciprocates the member defining a recess, the plunger including a catch, the catch seating within the recess to hold the plunger in the default position.