Chair

• US 8,096,615 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2008
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Formway Furniture Limited
• Original Assignee: Formway Furniture Limited
• Inventors: Parker, Kent Wallace, Wilkinson, Paul Michael, Stewart, Lyall Douglas, Neal, Daryl Owen, McNeill, Noah Juniper Rainbow, Baum, Gregory W
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): GABLER, PHILIP F
• Application Number:
  US12/057,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20080290712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• Field of Search: 297/354.11, 297/452.15, 297/452.31, 297/284.3, 297/411.2
• US Class Current: 297/284.3
• 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 1/03 the parts being arm-rests conversion into a bed A47C17/12
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/0305 by 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 1/03277 with bar or leaf springs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/036 the parts including a head-rest
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/004 for chairs or stools with central column, e.g. office chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/027 with elastomeric springs A47C7/282 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/14 of adjustable shape; elastically mounted ; adaptable to a user contour or ergonomic seating positions movably-coupled seat and backrests with elastic adjustment means A47C1/03261; elastically-mounted back-rests or backrest-seat units in the base frame A47C7/44
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/40 for the back
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/405 with double backrests
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/445 with bar or leaf springs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/46 with special, e.g. adjustable , lumbar region support profile; "Ackerblom" profile chairs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49869 by flexing

Abstract

A chair has a supporting frame, a seat portion, a back portion, and a recline mechanism. The mechanism moves the seat portion upon a reclining action of the back portion. The mechanism has a rear deformable member and a front deformable member operatively connecting the seat portion and the supporting frame. The recline mechanism also has a lower deformable member operatively connecting a lower part of the back portion and the supporting frame, and a puller member above the lower deformable member. The recline mechanism is configured such that as the back portion is reclined, the lower deformable member deforms and the puller member applies a rearward pulling action which causes the seat portion to move and the front and rear deformable members to deform.

Claims

1. A back portion for a chair comprising:

a lower portion arranged to extend across at least a major part of a lower region of an adult occupant'"'"'s back and extending in a generally forward and upward direction;

an intermediate portion above the lower portion and arranged to be positioned in a middle region of an adult occupant'"'"'s back, and extending in a generally rearward and upward direction from the lower portion such that the intermediate portion and the lower portion together have a generally forwardly convex arrangement in side view; and

an upper portion above the intermediate portion and extending generally vertically upward from the intermediate portion such that the intermediate portion and the upper portion together have a generally forwardly concave arrangement in side view, the upper portion arranged to extend across and support at least a major part of an upper region of an adult occupant'"'"'s back including at least part of the occupant'"'"'s shoulder region;

wherein the upper portion of the back portion comprises an upper section and a remainder below the upper section, and wherein the relationship between the upper section and the remainder of the upper portion is such that the upper section folds rearwardly relative to the remainder of the upper portion from an upstanding position to a substantially horizontal position upon application of a suitable force to the upper section to reduce the overall vertical height of the back portion and to provide a substantially horizontal platform for resting the occupant'"'"'s arm and wherein the upper section and the remainder of the upper portion have a resilient relationship such that the upper section resiliently returns from the substantially horizontal position to the upstanding position when the suitable force is removed from the upper section.

2. A back portion for a chair as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper section folds rearwardly upon a rearward force being applied to the upper section.

3. A back portion for a chair as claimed in claim 1, wherein said upper section is defined by a plurality of slots extending into the upper portion from a rear face thereof.

4. A back portion for a chair as claimed in claim 3, wherein the upper portion comprises an elastomeric block with the plurality of slots.

5. A back portion for a chair as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper portion is provided with a limit mechanism that defines a forward and rearward limit of movement of the upper section.

6. A back portion for a chair as claimed in claim 5, wherein the limit mechanism comprises a resilient strap connected to the upper section or to the remainder of the upper portion, and which operatively slidably engages with the other of the remainder of the upper portion and the upper section.

7. A back portion for a chair as claimed in claim 6, wherein the strap comprises a member that defines the forward and rearward limit of the upper section movement.

8. A back portion for a chair as claimed in claim 7, wherein the member comprises a block that is fixed relative to the strap and is slidably received in a recess such that engagement of the block with a wall of the recess defines a rearward limit of the upper section movement, and engagement of the block with another wall of the recess defines the forward limit of the upper section movement.

9. A back portion for a chair as claimed in claim 1, wherein the back portion comprises a back frame and an operatively connected resiliently flexible cover that provides a support surface for a seated occupant.

10. A back portion for a chair as claimed in claim 9, wherein the cover comprises a polymeric material.

11. A back portion for a chair as claimed in claim 10, wherein the polymeric material is an elastomeric material.

12. A back portion for a chair as claimed in claim 11, wherein the polymeric material is a thermoplastic polyester elastomer.

13. A back portion for a chair as claimed in claim 1, wherein the intermediate portion comprises a relatively narrow interconnecting region between the upper portion and the lower portion.

14. A back portion for a chair as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a lumbar support to provide additional support to a lumbar region of an occupant'"'"'s back when sitting in a normal forward orientation in the chair, the lumbar support comprising two spaced apart occupant supporting portions to push against the rear of the occupant'"'"'s back to provide substantially independent support for the two sides of the occupant'"'"'s lower back to resist rearward movement of the occupant'"'"'s lower back when the occupant applies rearward force to the back portion.

15. A back portion for a chair as claimed in claim 1, comprising a forwardly projecting lumbar support region comprising a lower forwardly angled section and an upper rearwardly angled section, with the upper portion of the back portion positioned above the upper rearwardly angled section of the lumbar support region.

16. A back portion for a chair as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper portion of the back portion is twistable about a substantially vertical axis with a torsional action relative to the lower portion of the back portion, as a seated occupant turns their shoulder region.

17. A back portion for a chair as claimed in claim 16, wherein the lower portion of the back portion is substantially unable to twist about the axis.

18. A back portion for a chair comprising:

a lower portion arranged to extend across at least a major part of a lower region of an adult occupant'"'"'s back;

an intermediate portion above the lower portion and arranged to be positioned in a middle region of an adult occupant'"'"'s back; and

an upper portion above the intermediate portion and arranged to extend across and support at least a major part of an upper region of an adult occupant'"'"'s back;

wherein the upper portion of the back portion comprises an upper section and a remainder below the upper section, wherein the relationship between the upper section and the remainder of the upper portion is such that the upper section folds rearwardly relative to the remainder of the upper portion from an upstanding position to a substantially horizontal position upon application of a suitable force to the upper section to reduce the overall vertical height of the back portion and to provide a substantially horizontal platform for resting the occupant'"'"'s arm and wherein the upper section and the remainder of the upper portion have a resilient relationship such that the upper section resiliently returns from the substantially horizontal position to the upstanding position when the suitable force is removed from the upper section.

23. A back portion as claimed in claim 18, wherein the upper portion comprises a pair of spaced apart side frame members, each of the side frame members comprising a resilient block comprised of an elastomeric material that provides the resilient relationship between the upper section and the remainder of the upper portion.

24. A back portion as claimed in claim 23, wherein the pair of resilient blocks operate as flexible joints by bending and are the only joints that bend as the upper section folds rearwardly from the upstanding position to the substantially horizontal position.

25. A back portion as claimed in claim 18, wherein the back portion comprises a back frame and an operatively connected resiliently flexible cover that provides a support surface for a seated occupant, and wherein an upper frame portion that corresponds to the upper portion of the back portion comprises a pair of spaced apart side frame members, and wherein the back frame further comprises an upper cross member, a lower cross member, and a further cross member positioned between the upper cross member and the lower cross member, and wherein at least a major part of the further cross member is positioned further rearwardly than at least a major part of the upper portion when the upper section of the upper portion is upstanding.

26. A back portion as claimed in claim 25, wherein a lower and most reward part of the further cross member is connected to a generally centrally positioned upstanding frame member that extends downwardly therefrom.

27. A back portion as claimed in claim 26, wherein the upper cross member comprises a plurality of projections and the cover comprises a plurality of apertures, the cover being attached to the upper cross member with the projections extending through the apertures.

19. A back portion for a chair comprising:

a lower portion arranged to extend across at least a major part of a lower region of an adult occupant'"'"'s back;

an intermediate portion above the lower portion and arranged to be positioned in a middle region of an adult occupant'"'"'s back; and

an upper portion above the intermediate portion and arranged to extend across and support at least a major part of an upper region of an adult occupant'"'"'s back and comprising an upper section and a remainder below the upper section;

wherein the intermediate portion is resiliently flexible to enable the upper portion to be flexed rearwardly relative to the lower portion, and wherein the relationship between the upper section and the remainder of the upper portion is such that the upper section folds rearwardly relative to the remainder of the upper portion from an upstanding position to a substantially horizontal position upon application of a suitable force to the upper section, to reduce the overall vertical height of the back portion and to provide a substantially horizontal platform for resting the occupant'"'"'s arm, with a maximum angular change of the upper section relative to the remainder of the upper portion as the upper section is folded rearwardly being significantly greater than a maximum angular change of the upper portion relative to the lower portion as the upper portion is flexed rearwardly and wherein the upper section and the remainder of the upper portion have a resilient relationship such that the upper section resiliently returns from the substantially horizontal position to the upstanding position when the suitable force is removed from the upper section.

20. A back portion for a chair comprising:

a lower portion configured to extend across at least a major part of a lower region of an adult occupant'"'"'s back;

an intermediate portion disposed above the lower portion and configured to be positioned in a middle region of an adult occupant'"'"'s back; and

an upper portion disposed above the intermediate portion, the upper portion being configured to extend across and support at least a major part of an upper region of an adult occupant'"'"'s back;

a back frame having;

a relatively wide lower frame portion corresponding to the lower portion of the back portion;

a relatively wide upper frame portion that corresponds to the upper portion of the back portion; and

a relatively narrow intermediate frame portion corresponding to the intermediate portion of the back portion and that defines an interconnecting region between the lower frame portion and the upper frame portion; and

a resiliently flexible cover that is operatively connected to the back frame and that provides a support surface for a seated occupant;

wherein the upper portion of the back portion comprises an upper section and a remainder disposed below the upper section, and wherein the relationship between the upper section and the remainder of the upper portion is such that the upper section folds rearwardly relative to the remainder of the upper portion from an upstanding position to a substantially horizontal position upon application of a suitable force to the upper section to reduce the overall vertical height of the back portion and to provide a substantially horizontal platform for resting the occupant'"'"'s arm, wherein at least a major part of the lower frame portion and the upper frame portion are disposed more forward than the interconnecting region when the upper section is unfolded and wherein the upper section and the remainder of the upper portion have a resilient relationship such that the upper section resiliently returns from the substantially horizontal position to the upstanding position when the suitable force is removed from the upper section.

21. A back portion for a chair as claimed in claim 20, wherein a lower part of the upper frame portion is rigidly connected to the intermediate frame portion.

22. A back portion for a chair as claimed in claim 20, wherein the lower frame portion, the intermediate frame portion, and at least a lower part of the upper frame portion are integrally formed from the same piece of material.

28. A back portion for a chair comprising:

a lower portion arranged to extend across at least a major part of a lower region of an adult occupant'"'"'s back;

an intermediate portion above the lower portion and arranged to be positioned in a middle region of an adult occupant'"'"'s back; and

an upper portion above the intermediate portion and arranged to extend across and support at least a major part of an upper region of an adult occupant'"'"'s back;

wherein the upper portion of the back portion comprises an upper section and a remainder below the upper section, the upper section having a front face that faces toward an occupant'"'"'s back and an opposing back face, wherein the relationship between the upper section and the remainder of the upper portion is such that the upper section folds rearwardly relative to the remainder of the upper portion from an upstanding position to a substantially horizontal position upon application of a suitable force to the upper section to reduce the overall vertical height of the back portion and to provide a substantially horizontal platform for resting the occupant'"'"'s arm and wherein the back face of the upper section overlies at least a portion of the intermediate portion at a location vertically above the intermediate portion when the upper section is in the substantially horizontal position.

29. A back portion for a chair as claimed in claim 28, wherein an imaginary vertical axis can extend through the intermediate portion when the upper section is in the upstanding position and the vertical axis intersects with the back face of the upper section when the upper section is in the horizontal position.