Chair

• US 8,544,957 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2010
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Peter Lin
• Original Assignee: Peter Lin
• Inventors: Lin, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abraham, Tania
• Application Number:
  US12/899,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20120025575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 297/301.1, 297/301.5, 297/301.7, 297/354.11, 297/354.12, 297/365
• US Class Current: 297/365
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/026 by means of peg-and-notch or pawl-and-ratchet mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 3/34 with pins coacting with holes or bolt-and-nut adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/462 adjustable by mechanical means

Abstract

A chair includes a supporting structure, a seat moveably mounted on the supporting structure and moveable with respect to the supporting structure in a vertical direction, and a backrest including a first frame pivotally connected to the seat and a second frame separate from and pivotally mounted on the first frame to connect to the seat. Further, a first control device is mounted and concealed between the first and second frames in order to prevent the user from inadvertently colliding with it. The first control device is adjusted for various relative pivotal positions of the first and second frames.

Claims

1. A chair comprising:

a supporting structure;

a seat moveably mounted on the supporting structure, wherein the seat is moveable with respect to the supporting structure in a vertical direction, wherein the seat includes a seat frame, a sitting element and a connecting member, with the seat frame including a base and a lateral wall extending upwardly from the base, with the sitting element including a top surface, a bottom surface opposite to the top surface and a peripheral edge extending laterally along circumferential edges of the top and bottom surfaces, with the connecting member mounted to the bottom surface of the sitting element, with the sitting element fixed to and disposed on the seat frame by mounting the bottom surface of the sitting element on the seat frame;

a backrest including a first frame pivotally connected to the seat and a second frame separate from and pivotally mounted on the first frame to connect to the seat; and

a first control device mounted and concealed between the first and second frames in order to prevent a user from inadvertently colliding with the first control device, wherein the first control device is adjusted for various relative pivotal positions of the first and second frames;

wherein the lateral wall of the seat frame defines a first lateral wall section and a second lateral wall section, with the first lateral wall section including a first recessed area formed thereof and the second lateral wall section including a second recessed area formed thereof, respectively, with the first recessed area including a first depth extending in a direction transverse to a direction that directs from a proximal end to a distal end of the first lateral wall section, with the second recessed area including a second depth extending in a direction transverse to a direction that directs from a proximal end to a distal end of the second lateral wall section.

2. The chair as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a second control device adjusted for various tilting positions of the backrest with respect to the seat.

3. The chair as claimed in claim 2, wherein the connecting member includes a first connection, a hooking member, a pivot, and a restoring member, wherein the first frame includes a fixing end including a base side, a lateral side, and a hooking member, with the pivot inserted through the first connection, the lateral side to fix the first frame to the seat pivotally, and wherein the restoring member has one hooking end anchored to the hooking member and another hooking end anchored to the hooking member, with the restoring member gradually tensioned as the first frame is gradually tilted away from the seat.

4. The chair as claimed in claim 3, wherein the second control device includes a control member, a locking member, and a restoring member, with the control member moveably connected to the seat and including an operation portion and a strut, with the operation portion received in the first recessed area and disposed outside the lateral wall of the seat frame of the seat and not extended outside an opening of the first recessed area when the backrest is fixed at a tilting position with respect to the seat, with the locking member moveably fixed to the connecting member by an engaging member, with the engaging member inserted through and moveably retained in a first slot defined in the connecting member and engaging with the locking member, with the locking member connected to the strut and including a detent selectively engaged with a position section defined in the lateral side in the fixing end of the first frame to fix the backrest at a tilting position with respect to the seat, with the restoring member connected to the strut.

5. The chair as claimed in claim 4, wherein the position section is defined from a plurality of bores each extending in the lateral side and radially disposed equally with respect to the pivot.

6. The chair as claimed in claim 5, wherein the detent is engaged in one of the plurality of bores defining the positioning section when the backrest is fixed at a tilting position with respect to the seat.

7. The chair as claimed in claim 1 further comprising another control device adjusted for various vertical positions of the seat with respect to the supporting structure.

8. The chair as claimed in claim 7, wherein the connecting member includes a first connection, a hooking member, a pivot, and a restoring member, wherein the first frame includes a fixing end including a base side, a lateral side, and a hooking member, with the pivot inserted through the first connection, the lateral side to fix the first frame to the seat pivotally, and wherein the restoring member has one hooking end anchored to the hooking member and another hooking end anchored to the hooking member, with the restoring member gradually tensioned as the first frame is gradually tilted away from the seat.

9. The chair as claimed in claim 8, wherein the other control device includes a control member, a locking member, and a restoring member, with the control member moveably connected to the seat and including an operation portion and a strut, with the operation portion received in the second recessed area and disposed outside the lateral wall of the seat frame of the seat and not extended outside an opening of the second recessed area when the seat is fixed at a vertical position with respect to the supporting structure, with the locking member moveably fixed to the connecting member by an engaging member, with the engaging member inserted through and moveably retained in a second slot defined in the connecting member and engaging with the locking member, with the locking member connected to the strut and selectively engaged with a position section defined in the supporting structure to fix the seat at a vertical position with respect to the supporting structure, with the restoring member connected to the strut.

10. The chair as claimed in claim 9, wherein the position section is defined from a plurality of recesses extending into an outer periphery of the supporting structure individually.

11. The chair as claimed in claim 10, wherein the locking member is engaged in one of the plurality of recesses defining the positioning section when the seat is fixed at a vertical position with respect to the supporting structure.

12. A chair comprising:

a supporting structure;

a seat moveably mounted on the supporting structure, wherein the seat is moveable with respect to the supporting structure in a vertical direction, wherein the seat includes a seat frame, a sitting element and a connecting member, with the seat frame including a base and a lateral wall extending upwardly from the base, with the sitting element including a top surface, a bottom surface opposite to the top surface and a peripheral edge extending laterally along circumferential edges of the top and bottom surfaces, with the connecting member mounted to the bottom surface of the sitting element, with the sitting element fixed to and disposed on the seat frame by mounting the bottom surface of the sitting element on the seat frame;

a backrest including a first frame pivotally connected to the seat and a second frame separate from and pivotally mounted on the first frame so as to connect to the seat;

a first control device mounted and concealed between the first and second frames in order to prevent a user from inadvertently colliding with the first control device, wherein the first control device is adjusted for various relative pivotal positions of the first and second frames; and

a resilient member including a first end abutted against the connecting member and a second end abutted against the supporting structure, with the resilient member gradually compressed as well as the supporting structure gradually moved towards the connecting member as the seat is lowered from a position with respect to the supporting structure.

13. A chair comprising:

a supporting structure;

a seat moveably mounted on the supporting structure, wherein the seat is moveable with respect to the supporting structure in a vertical direction, wherein the seat includes a seat frame, a sitting element and a connecting member, with the seat frame including a base and a lateral wall extending upwardly from the base, with the sitting element including a top surface, a bottom surface opposite to the top surface and a peripheral edge extending laterally along circumferential edges of the top and bottom surfaces, with the connecting member mounted to the bottom surface of the sitting element, with the sitting element fixed to and disposed on the seat frame by mounting the bottom surface of the sitting element on the seat frame;

a backrest including a first frame pivotally connected to the seat and a second frame separate from and pivotally mounted on the first frame so as to connect to the seat; and

a first control device mounted and concealed between the first and second frames in order to prevent a user from inadvertently colliding with the first control device, wherein the first control device is adjusted for various relative pivotal positions of the first and second frames;

wherein the connecting member includes a first connection, a hooking member, a pivot, and a restoring member, wherein the first frame includes a fixing end including a base side, a lateral side, and a hooking member, with the pivot inserted through the first connection, the lateral side to fix the first frame to the seat pivotally, and wherein the restoring member has one hooking end anchored to the hooking member of the connecting member and another hooking end anchored to the hooking member of the first frame, with the restoring member gradually tensioned as the first frame is gradually tilted away from the seat.

14. A chair comprising:

a supporting structure;

a seat moveably mounted on the supporting structure, wherein the seat is moveable with respect to the supporting structure in a vertical direction;

a backrest including a first frame pivotally connected to the seat and a second frame separate from and pivotally mounted on the first frame so as to connect to the seat; and

a first control device mounted and concealed between the first and second frames in order to prevent a user from inadvertently colliding with the first control device, and wherein the first control device is adjusted for various relative pivotal positions of the first and second frames;

wherein the first control device includes a first control member, a support bracket, a locking member, a resilient member, retaining members, and an extending member, with the first control member hooked to the first frame, with the supporting bracket including a fixing base mounted on the first frame, a receiving section extending from the fixing base, with the locking member connected to the first control member and including a locking end, with the resilient member utilized between the first control member and the locking member, with the first control member moved upwardly to cause the locking member to go upwardly together depressing the restoring member, with the retaining members mounted to the second frame, with the extending member including a first distal end moveably engaged with supporting bracket and a second distal end engaged with the retaining member and including a positioning section selectively engaged with the locking end of the locking member, with the position section providing a plurality of positions that the locking end engages to enable the second frame to stop at a pivotal position relative to the first frame.

15. The chair as claimed in claim 14, wherein the seat includes a seat frame, a sitting element and a connecting member, with the seat frame including a base and a lateral wall extending upwardly from the base, with the sitting element including a top surface, a bottom surface opposite to the top surface and a peripheral edge extending laterally along circumferential edges of the top and bottom surfaces, with the connecting member mounted to the bottom surface of the sitting element, with the sitting element fixed to and disposed on the seat frame by mounting the bottom surface of the sitting element on the seat frame.

16. The chair as claimed in claim 14, wherein the second frame is disposed in front of the first frame, wherein when the user sitting on the chair abuts against the backrest, the user has his/her back in contact with and rested upon the second frame, with the first frame including a first connecting end and a second connecting end, with the second frame including a first connecting end and a second connecting end, with the first connecting end of the first frame pivotally connecting with the first connecting end of the second frame to enable a relative pivotal movement of the first and second frames, with the first control device connecting to the second connecting end of the first frame and the second connecting end of the second frame to mount between the first and second frames.

17. The chair as claimed in claim 14, wherein the receiving section of the supporting bracket includes a channel defined therein and a slit extending through a peripheral edge thereof and communicating with the channel, with the locking end of the locking member inserted into the slit of the receiving section.

18. The chair as claimed in claim 14, wherein the locking end of the locking member includes two protrusions and a space disposed between the two protrusions.

19. The chair as claimed in claim 14, wherein the positioning section of the extending member is defined from a plurality of protuberances, with two adjacent protuberances spaced by an interval.