Tilt control mechanism for a chair

• US 7,997,652 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2010
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haworth Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Haworth Incorporated
• Inventors: Roslund, Richard N., Gundarapu, VijayKrishna, Guntur, Naveen, Rutman, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US12/802,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20110012395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 297/300.2, 297/300.3, 297/300.4, 297/300.5, 297/300.6, 297/344.19
• US Class Current: 297/300.2
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03238 by means of peg-and-notch or pawl-and-ratchet mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03255 with a central column, e.g. rocking office chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03261 characterised by elastic means
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03266 with adjustable elasticity
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03272 with coil springs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03274 of torsion type
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03279 of torsion type
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03294 slidingly movable in the base frame, e.g. by rollers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20396 Hand operated

Abstract

A tilt control mechanism for an office chair includes a spring assembly therein which controls the tilt tension on the back assembly. The tilt control mechanism includes a control plate mounted to the control shaft on which the uprights are mounted, wherein the control plate rotates in combination with the uprights. This control plate is located within the control body and cooperates with a front stop assembly and a back stop assembly to vary the limits of forward and rearward tilting of the seat and back assemblies. Also, the tilt control mechanism includes a pneumatic actuator assembly having fixed and rotatable cam blocks. The rotatable cam block rotates relative to the fixed block such that the rotatable cam block is driven downwardly to depress the control valve of the pneumatic cylinder and thereby vary the height of the seat assembly.

Claims

1. A control mechanism for a chair comprising first and second chair components which are movably interconnected so as to be movable relative to each other, said control mechanism including a stop mechanism mounted on said first chair component and a stop part on said second chair component which is engagable with said stop mechanism to selectively confine movement of said second chair component relative to said first chair component and thereby limit movement of said first and second chair components, said stop mechanism including a slide member which is slidable along first chair component and includes a respective engagement section engaged with said stop part such that relative movement of said first and second chair components effects sliding movement of said slide member in a slide direction, said stop mechanism further including a lock mechanism which is releasably engagable with said slide member to releasably prevent movement of said slide member and releasably confine movement of said second chair component relative to said first chair component, said lock member including a lock member which is engagable with said slide member in a locking direction transverse to said slide direction wherein said slide member and said lock member are movable one relative to the other between a locked position which prevents said sliding movement of said slide member and an unlocked position wherein said sliding movement of said slide member is permitted, said lock member including a manual actuator effecting said movement between said locked and unlocked positions.

2. The control mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said lock member is immovable in said slide direction.

3. The control mechanism according to claim 2, wherein each of said lock member and said slide member include teeth which mesh together when in said locking position and prevent sliding movement of said slide member.

4. The control mechanism according to claim 3, wherein said first chair component is part of a seat assembly and said second chair component is movable relative thereto.

5. The control mechanism according to claim 4, wherein said second chair component is part of a back assembly which is rearwardly reclinable from a normal tilt position relative to said seat assembly, said slide member preventing rearward recline of said back assembly when said lock member and said slide member are engaged in said locked position.

6. The control mechanism according to claim 5, wherein said chair includes a tilt control mechanism which controls tilting of said seat and back assembly, said first chair component being defined by a control body of said seat assembly and said second chair component comprising a chair frame member which is pivotally connected to said control body so as to pivot about a horizontal pivot axis during reclining of said seat assembly and said back assembly.

7. The control mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said slide member confines movement of said second chair component in one direction of movement while permitting movement of said second chair component in a direction opposite thereto.

8. The control mechanism according to claim 7, wherein said lock member is stationary on said first chair component, and said slide member is movable in said slide direction and movable in said locking direction between said locked and unlocked positions.

9. The control mechanism according to claim 8, wherein each of said lock member and said slide member include teeth which mesh together when in said locking position and prevent sliding movement of said slide member.

10. The control mechanism according to claim 8, wherein said actuator comprises a rotatable drive member which displaces said slide member transversely to said locked position, said drive member being manually actuated.

11. The control mechanism according to claim 10, wherein said drive member is a rotatable cam, and said slide member is normally biased by a biasing member to said unlocked position.

12. A clustered handle assembly for a chair, said chair having a multi-function control mechanism comprising first, second and third mechanisms, said handle assembly comprising:

a mounting body having an elongate guide shaft which defines a rotation axis extending axially therethrough, and first and second rotatable handles rotatably supported on an exterior surface of said guide shaft, said first rotatable handle being connected to said first mechanism and said second rotatable handle connected to said second mechanism, said guide shaft further including a bore extending coaxially therethrough wherein a third rotatable handle is disposed with a shaft thereof extending interiorly through said bore for rotation about said rotation axis, said third handle being connected to said third mechanism;

said first and second handles respectively including circumferential first and second cam arrangements thereon which are each engaged by resiliently movable first and second biasing members, said first and second biasing members respectively cooperating with said first and second cam arrangements such that each of said first and second handles snap over center between first and second operative positions corresponding to plural operative conditions of said first and second mechanisms, said first cam arrangement being defined on said first rotatable handle, and said second cam arrangement being defined on said second rotatable handle.

13. The clustered handle assembly according to claim 12, wherein said first and second mechanisms control front and rear stop positions defined by said control mechanism for forward and rearward tiling of said chair.

14. The clustered handle assembly according to claim 13, wherein said third mechanism controls resistance to tilting defined by said control mechanism which resists rearward tiling of said chair.

15. The clustered handle assembly according to claim 12, wherein said first, second and third rotatable handles rotate coaxially about said rotation axis.

16. The clustered handle assembly according to claim 12, wherein said biasing members are defined by interconnected first and second biasing sections of a biasing spring.

17. The clustered handle assembly according to claim 16, wherein said first and second cam arrangements each include flat facets extending circumferentially one next to the other and said first biasing section cooperates with said facets of said first rotatable handle and said second biasing section cooperates with said facets of said second rotatable handle.

18. The clustered handle assembly according to claim 12, wherein said first and second cam arrangements each include flat facets extending circumferentially one next to the other and each of said cam arrangements includes a pair of said facets separated by an intermediate peak wherein the respective one of the first and second biasing members reversibly travels over center from one of said facets over said peak to the other of said facets of said respective pair.

19. The clustered handle assembly according to claim 12, wherein first and second cables are connected to said mounting body in parallel relation, said mounting body further including cable guides which route interior cable wires of said cables in opposite circumferential directions about said guide shaft.

20. A clustered handle assembly for a chair, said chair having a multi-function control mechanism comprising first, second and third mechanisms, said handle assembly comprising:

a mounting body having an elongate guide shaft which defines a rotation axis extending axially therethrough, and first and second rotatable handles rotatably supported on an exterior surface of said guide shaft, said first rotatable handle being connected to said first mechanism and said second rotatable handle connected to said second mechanism, said guide shaft further including a bore extending coaxially therethrough wherein a third rotatable handle is disposed with a shaft thereof extending interiorly through said bore for rotation about said rotation axis, said third handle being connected to said third mechanism;

said first rotatable handle being rotatably supported for rotation about said exterior of said guide shaft, and said second rotatable handle being rotatably supported for rotation about an exterior of said first rotatable handle, said third rotatable handle being provided for reversible driving rotation of said shaft through multiple turns of said shaft.

21. The clustered handle assembly according to claim 20, wherein said first and second handles are movable through a plurality of discrete operative positions.

22. The clustered handle assembly according to claim 21, wherein said first and second handles are movable through a pair of said plurality of discrete operative positions.

23. The clustered handle assembly according to claim 21, wherein said first and second handles respectively including circumferential first and second cam arrangements thereon which are each engaged by resiliently movable first and second biasing members, said first and second biasing members respectively cooperating with said first and second cam arrangements such that each of said first and second handles snap over center between said plurality of discrete operative positions corresponding to plural operative conditions of said first and second mechanisms, said first cam arrangement being defined on said first rotatable handle, and said second cam arrangement being defined on said second rotatable handle.

24. The clustered handle assembly according to claim 23, wherein said first and second cam arrangements each include flat facets extending circumferentially one next to the other wherein each said facet is separated from another said facet by an intermediate peak wherein the respective one of the first and second biasing members reversibly travels over center from one of said facets over said peak to another of said facets.

25. The clustered handle assembly according to claim 20, wherein said first and second mechanisms control front and rear stop positions defined by said control mechanism for forward and rearward tilting of said chair.

26. The clustered handle assembly according to claim 25, wherein said third mechanism controls resistance to tilting defined by said control mechanism which resists rearward tilting of said chair.

27. The clustered handle assembly according to claim 20, wherein said first, second and third rotatable handles rotate coaxially about said rotation axis.