Seat, in particular an office chair

• US 9,504,325 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2012
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haworth Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Haworth Incorporated
• Inventors: Sander, Armin, Potrykus, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Allred, David E
• Application Number:
  US14/123,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20140110983A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,635 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/02 Reclining or easy chairs supports for parts of body A47C7/36, A47C7/50, A47C7/54
• 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 1/03255 with a central column, e.g. rocking office chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/004 for chairs or stools with central column, e.g. office chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/006 with castors
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/02 Seat parts adaptation of seats to mounting in tubular chairs A47C5/06; such parts not restricted to chairs A47C23/00; removable upholstered units or cushions A47C27/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/40 for the back
• 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: A47C 7/54 Supports for the arms

Abstract

The invention relates to a seat (1), in particular an office chair, comprising a seat support (3) for a seating surface (6) and comprising a backrest support (4) of a backrest (5), which is held on the seat support (3) so as to be able to move in a tiltable manner to the side, wherein the backrest support (4) comprises two support arms (4a, 4b) which are configured to be flexible and/or articulated laterally and spaced apart from one another. Preferably, the seating surface (6) and/or the backrest (5) comprises a curved seat shell and/or backrest shell (6a, 5a) provided with a cover (6b, 5b) with a number of flexible curved ribs (15, 16) on the edge of the shell, wherein the cover is stretched by the seat shell and/or backrest shell (6a, 5a) such that when the cover (6b, 5b) is loaded, the bending of the curved ribs (15, 16) is altered.

Claims

1. A seat (1), in particular an office chair, comprising a seat support (3) for a seating surface (6) and comprising a backrest support (4) of a backrest (5) which is held on the seat support (3) so as to be able to move relative to the seat support (3), the backrest (5) comprising a curved shell (5a) having a plurality of flexible curved ribs (16) on a peripheral side of the curved shell (5a) formed by a plurality of slots (18) incorporated on said peripheral side, the flexible curved ribs (16) extending convexly forward relative to a regular sitting direction, toward the seating surface (6), and a backrest opening (19) formed by a central recess in the curved shell (5a), wherein the backrest support (4) comprises two support arms (4a, 4b) which extend along and adjacent to at least two respective vertical, opposing sides of the backrest opening (19).

2. The seat (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support arms (4a, 4b) in a vertical direction (z) extend in a V-shape with a spacing (a1, a2) increasing toward a connection (9) thereof to the backrest (5).

3. The seat (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support arms (4a, 4b) extend in a direction (x) in this case in a V-shape.

4. The seat (1) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the support arms (4a, 4b) extend toward one another relative to a mean perpendicular (S) to a normal (N) of the seating surface (6) extending between said support arms.

5. The seat (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein a support arm depth (d1, d2) of the support arms (4a, 4b) in a region of a connection (9) to the backrest (5) is smaller than in a region of a connection thereof (10) to the seat support (3).

6. The seat (1) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the support arm depth (d1, d2) continuously reduces from the seat support (3) in a vertical direction.

7. The seat (1) as claimed in claim 5, wherein a support arm width (b) is greater than the support arm depth (d1, d2) of the support arms (4a, 4b).

8. The seat (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seating surface (6) is configured as a curved support shell (6a) provided with a cover (6b) with a number of flexible curved ribs (15) on an edge of the support shell, wherein the cover (6b) is stretched by the support shell (6a) such that when the cover (6b) is loaded, the bending of the curved ribs (15) and/or the support shell (6a) is altered.

9. The seat (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the backrest (5) is provided with a cover (5b), wherein the cover is stretched by the curved shell (5a) such that when the cover (5b) is loaded, the bending of the curved ribs (16) and/or the curved shell (5a) is altered.

10. The seat (1) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the support shell (6a) of the seating surface (6) comprises a central recess which forms a seat opening (17) on a side of the support shell (6a) which is covered by means of the cover (6b).

11. The seat (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the backrest support (4) further comprises a connecting element (9) that flanks the backrest opening (19) at a top thereof substantially horizontally.

12. The seat (1) as claimed in claim 10, wherein supporting webs (17a, 17b) are connected to the support shell (6a) along a side of the seat opening (17).

13. The seat (1) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the backrest support (4) is of L-shaped configuration with a substantially vertical L-shaped limb forming the support arms (4a, 4b) and with a substantially horizontal L-shaped limb (4c) which extends below the seating surface (6).

14. The seat (1) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the supporting webs (17a, 17b) are connected in an articulated manner in the front region of the seat opening (17) remote from the backrest (5) to the horizontal L-shaped limb (4c).

15. The seat (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the curved shell (5a) is integrally formed with at least a portion of the backrest support (4).

16. The seat (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the curved ribs (16) are flexible with respect to the curved shell (5a).

17. The seat (1) as claimed in claim 1 wherein a length of the two support arms (4a, 4b) is greater than a spacing between the two support arms.

18. An office chair comprising:

a seat support (3) for a seating surface (6);

a backrest support (4) coupled with the seat support (3) so as to be able to move relative to the seat support (3), the backrest support (4) comprising two support arms (4a, 4b) defining an opening;

a backrest cover (5b); and

a plurality of flexible curved ribs (16) separated by a plurality of slots (18), the plurality of slots (18) extending at least partially between each of the two support arms (4a, 4b) and the cover (5b), the flexible curved ribs (16) extending convexly forward relative to a regular sitting direction, toward the seating surface (6),

wherein the backrest cover (5b) is attached to the flexible curved ribs (16) to support the backrest cover (5b) relative to the backrest support (4) and wherein a bending of at least some of the plurality of flexible curved ribs (16) is altered when the cover (5b) is loaded.

19. The office chair as claimed in claim 18, wherein the seating surface (6) is configured as a curved support shell (6a) provided with a cover (6b) with a number of flexible curved ribs (15) on an edge of the support shell, wherein the cover (6b) is stretched by the support shell (6a) such that when the cover (6b) is loaded, the bending of the curved ribs (15) and/or the support shell (6a) is altered.

20. The office chair as claimed in claim 19, wherein the support shell (6a) of the seating surface (6) comprises a central recess which forms a seat opening (17) on a side of the support shell (6a) which is covered by means of the cover (6b).

21. The office chair as claimed in claim 18, wherein the backrest support (4) further comprises a connecting element (9) extending between upper ends of the two support arms (4a, 4b) and flanks the opening at a top thereof substantially horizontally.