Piece of furniture

• US 8,025,334 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2010
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Millerknoll Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Herman Miller Incorporated
• Inventors: Zwick, Roland Rolf Otto, Schmitz, Johann Burkhard, Zwick, Carola Eva Marianne, Plikat, Claudia
• Primary Examiner(s): White; Rodney B.
• Application Number:
  US12/958,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20110067931A1
• Time in Patent Office: 299 Days
• Field of Search: 297/300.1, 297/303.1
• US Class Current: 297/300.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03255 with a central column, e.g. rocking office chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03272 with coil springs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03277 with bar or leaf springs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 3/026 with central column, e.g. rocking office chairs; Tilting chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/126 for chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/443 with coil springs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/445 with bar or leaf springs

Abstract

A body support structure, such as a piece of furniture, in particular a piece of furniture for sitting on or a piece of furniture for lying on, such as, for example, chair, armchair, stool, bed or sofa, a seat of the piece of furniture being supported by a spring mechanism, and the spring mechanism being capable of being set to a weight force with which a person acts on the seat.

Claims

1. A body support structure comprising:

a spring mechanism operable to support a body support member;

a weighing mechanism comprising a height adjustment device, an axial bearing coupled to the height adjustment device and a spring element supporting the axial bearing, wherein the height adjustment device is moveable against the biasing force of the spring element in response to an application of a body force to the body support member independent of a height adjustment of the height adjustment device; and

a movement converter coupled between the weighing mechanism and the spring mechanism, wherein a biasing force of the spring mechanism is adjustable in response to a movement of the height adjustment device against the biasing force of the spring element.

10. A body support structure according to claim 1 wherein the height adjustment device comprises a pneumatic spring having a pressure tube and a piston rod moveable in the pressure tube.

11. A body support structure according to claim 10 wherein the piston rod is coupled to the axial bearing.

2. A body support structure comprising:

a spring mechanism operable to support a body support member;

a weighing mechanism comprising a height adjustment device, an axial bearing coupled to the height adjustment device and a spring element supporting the axial bearing, wherein the height adjustment device is moveable against the biasing force of the spring element in response to an application of a body force to the body support member independent of a height adjustment of the height adjustment device; and

a movement converter coupled between the weighing mechanism and the spring mechanism, wherein a biasing force of the spring mechanism is adjustable in response to a movement of the height adjustment device against the biasing force of the spring element, wherein the movement converter comprises a cable coupled between the weighing mechanism and the spring mechanism.

3. A body support structure according to claim 2 wherein the movement converter further comprises a coupling arranged on the pressure tube, and wherein the cable comprises a first cable coupled between the weighing mechanism and the coupling, and a second cable coupled between the coupling and the spring mechanism.

4. A body support structure according to claim 3 wherein the coupling is adapted to permit relative rotation about a vertical axis between the weighing mechanism and the spring mechanism.

5. A body support structure according to claim 4 wherein the coupling comprises an upper ring vertically and non-rotatably moveable relative to a lower ring.

6. A body support structure according to claim 5 further comprising an inner ring rotatably moveable relative to the upper ring.

7. A body support structure according to claim 6 wherein the inner ring is rotatable with the spring mechanism relative to the upper and lower rings, which are non-rotatable relative to the weighing mechanism.

8. A body support structure according to claim 2 wherein at least a portion of the weighing mechanism is arranged in a housing.

9. A body support structure according to claim 8 wherein the housing comprises a counterbearing for a guide housing the cable.

12. A body support structure comprising:

a spring mechanism operable to support a body support member;

a weighing mechanism comprising a height adjustment device and a spring element supporting the height adjustment device, wherein the height adjustment device is moveable against the biasing force of the spring element in response to an application of a body force to the body support member independent of a height adjustment of the height adjustment device; and

a movement converter coupled between the weighing mechanism and the spring mechanism, wherein a biasing force of the spring mechanism is adjustable in response to a movement of the height adjustment device against the biasing force of the spring element, wherein the movement converter comprises a rotor system operable to permit relative rotation between the weighing mechanism and the spring mechanism about a vertical axis.

13. A body support structure according to claim 12 wherein the movement converter comprises at least one cable coupled between the weighing mechanism and the spring mechanism.

14. A body support structure according to claim 12 wherein at least a portion of the weighing mechanism is arranged in a housing.

15. A body support structure according to claim 12 wherein the height adjustment device comprises a pneumatic spring having a pressure tube and a piston rod moveable in the pressure tube.

16. A body support structure according to claim 12 wherein the rotor system comprises at least a first ring rotatable relative to a second ring, and wherein the movement converter further comprises a first cable coupled between the weighing mechanism and the first ring, and a second cable coupled between the second ring and the spring mechanism.

17. A body support structure according to claim 16 wherein the first ring comprises a first lower ring and a first upper ring.

18. A body support structure according to claim 17 wherein the first upper and lower rings are vertically and non-rotatably moveable relative to each other.

19. A body support structure according to claim 18 wherein the first cable is coupled to the first upper ring, and a cable guide is coupled to the first lower ring.

20. A body support structure according to claim 19 wherein the first cable is coupled to the height adjustment device.

21. A body support structure according to claim 20 wherein the first cable is coupled to an axial bearing supporting the height adjustment device.