Angle-adjusting structure for backrest of chair

• US 7,802,847 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2008
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kuo-Ching Chou
• Original Assignee: Kuo-Ching Chou
• Inventors: Chou, Kuo-Ching
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US12/335,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20100148556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 297/285, 297/289, 297/292, 297/293, 297/296, 297/297, 297/298, 297/299, 297/301.4, 297/354.12
• US Class Current: 297/296
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/026 by means of peg-and-notch or pawl-and-ratchet mechanism

Abstract

An angle-adjusting structure for a backrest of a chair is mounted at a rear side of a butterfly-shaped mounting member of the chair. The angle-adjusting structure includes a main body and a rotating member jointly passed through by a shaft having external teeth. A resilient element is mounted around an end of the shaft. A cover is secured to the main body by threaded fasteners. A pressing member is mounted on the other end of the shaft. By pressing the pressing member inward, the external teeth of the shaft are disengaged from internal teeth of the rotating member, and the rotating member is allowed to rotate freely. When the pressing member is released, the resilient element mounted around the end of the shaft extends outward to re-engage the external teeth of the shaft with the internal teeth of the rotating member, thereby securing the rotating member in place.

Claims

1. An angle-adjusting structure for a backrest of a chair, the angle-adjusting structure being mounted at a rear side of a butterfly-shaped mounting member of the chair and comprising:

a main body formed with an internal hole;

a rotating member having a connecting section formed with an internal hole provided with internal teeth;

a shaft having external teeth and passing through the internal holes of the main body and of the connecting section of the rotating member;

a resilient element mounted around an end of the shaft;

a cover secured to the main body by a threaded fastener; and

a pressing member mounted on an opposite end of the shaft adjacent to an outer wall of the main body;

wherein by pressing the pressing member inward, the external teeth of the shaft are disengaged from the internal teeth of the rotating member, allowing the rotating member to rotate freely, and when the pressing member is released, the resilient element mounted around the end of the shaft extends outward to re-engage the external teeth of the shaft with the internal teeth of the rotating member, thereby securing the rotating member in place; and

wherein the connecting section of the rotating member has an upper part and a lower part which are formed with restricting portions, respectively, to prevent the rotating member from being rotated to an excessively small or excessively large angle.

2. An angle-adjusting structure for a backrest of a chair, the angle-adjusting structure being mounted at a rear side of a butterfly-shaped mounting member of the chair and comprising:

a main body formed with an internal hole;

a rotating member having a connecting section formed with an internal hole provided with internal teeth;

a shaft having external teeth and passing through the internal holes of the main body and of the connecting section of the rotating member;

a resilient element mounted around an end of the shaft;

a cover secured to the main body by a threaded fastener; and

a pressing member mounted on an opposite end of the shaft adjacent to an outer wall of the main body;

wherein by pressing the pressing member inward, the external teeth of the shaft are disengaged from the internal teeth of the rotating member, allowing the rotating member to rotate freely, and when the pressing member is released, the resilient element mounted around the end of the shaft extends outward to re-engage the external teeth of the shaft with the internal teeth of the rotating member, thereby securing the rotating member in place; and

wherein the main body has a bottom formed with a slot in communication with a hole formed in the main body for receiving the threaded fastener, the slot receiving therein a metal fastener having a threaded hole so that the threaded fastener is fastened in the hole with enhanced tightness.

3. An angle-adjusting structure for a backrest of a chair, the angle-adjusting structure being mounted at a rear side of a butterfly-shaped mounting member of the chair and comprising:

a main body formed with an internal hole;

a rotating member having a connecting section formed with an internal hole provided with internal teeth;

a shaft having external teeth and passing through the internal holes of the main body and of the connecting section of the rotating member;

a resilient element mounted around an end of the shaft;

a cover secured to the main body by a threaded fastener; and

a pressing member mounted on an opposite end of the shaft adjacent to an outer wall of the main body;

wherein by pressing the pressing member inward, the external teeth of the shaft are disengaged from the internal teeth of the rotating member, allowing the rotating member to rotate freely, and when the pressing member is released, the resilient element mounted around the end of the shaft extends outward to re-engage the external teeth of the shaft with the internal teeth of the rotating member, thereby securing the rotating member in place; and

wherein the rotating member and the main body sandwich therebetween a washer made of a resilient material to enhance tightness between the rotating member and the main body.

4. An angle-adjusting structure for a backrest of a chair, the angle-adjusting structure being mounted at a rear side of a butterfly-shaped mounting member of the chair and comprising:

a main body formed with an internal hole;

a rotating member having a connecting section formed with an internal hole provided with internal teeth;

a shaft having external teeth and passing through the internal holes of the main body and of the connecting section of the rotating member;

a resilient element mounted around an end of the shaft;

a cover secured to the main body by a threaded fastener; and

a pressing member mounted on an opposite end of the shaft adjacent to an outer wall of the main body;

wherein by pressing the pressing member inward, the external teeth of the shaft are disengaged from the internal teeth of the rotating member, allowing the rotating member to rotate freely, and when the pressing member is released, the resilient element mounted around the end of the shaft extends outward to re-engage the external teeth of the shaft with the internal teeth of the rotating member, thereby securing the rotating member in place; and

wherein the shaft is bilaterally formed with inserting sections having non-circular cross-sectional shapes.