Chair and chair control assemblies, systems, and methods

• US 9,980,568 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2017
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HNI Technologies Inc. (HNI Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HNI Technologies Inc. (HNI Corporation)
• Inventors: Machael, Jay R., Lindorfer, Matthew R., Heitman, Brandt M., Hahn, Jesse
• Primary Examiner(s): Brindley, Timothy J
• Application Number:
  US15/722,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20180064250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 239 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/03233 by means of a rack-and-pinion or like gearing mechanism
• 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 1/03294 slidingly movable in the base frame, e.g. by rollers
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 3/20 Chairs or stools with vertically-adjustable seats tables with variable height A47B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/004 for chairs or stools with central column, e.g. office chairs

Abstract

Chairs, seating systems, chair sub-assemblies and sub-systems, and associated methods of assembly and use. Aspects relate to chairs and methods of assembling chairs including chair controls of a relatively compact and effective design with desirable synchronous raising and tilting motions. Aspects also relate to tilt lock assemblies for achieving secure and effective tilt securement. Additional aspects relate to forward and rearward adjustment, or extension and retraction, of a seating assembly of the chair.

Claims

1. A seating system comprising:

a base assembly configured to support the chair on a floor surface;

a seat assembly configured to receive a posterior of a user;

a back assembly configured to receive a back of the user; and

a chair control assembly comprising;

a plurality of riders coupled to the base assembly, the plurality of riders including a first rider and a second rider,

a link arm including a body and a pivot link, the body being pivotably coupled to the base assembly and pivotably coupled to the pivot link,

a seat support to which the pivot link is pivotably coupled, the seat support having a first channel extending between a front portion and a rear portion, the first channel extending at an angle between the front portion and the rear portion such that the front portion of the first channel is higher than the rear portion of the first channel, the seat support further having a second channel extending between a front portion and a rear portion, the second channel extending at an angle such that the front portion of the second channel is higher than the rear portion of the second channel, the angle of the first channel being different than the angle of the second channel, the first channel slidably receiving the first rider and the second channel slidably receiving the second rider, such that upon activation of the body of the link arm the first and second riders slide along the first and second channels, respectively to raise and lower the seat support such that a front portion of the seat assembly raises and lowers to a greater extent than a rear portion of the seat assembly raises and lowers.

2. The seating system of claim 1, wherein the seat support defines a front and a back, and further wherein the first channel is positioned nearer to the front of the seat support than the second channel.

3. The seating system of claim 1, wherein the seat support further includes a third channel and a fourth channel, the chair control assembly further includes a third rider coupled to the base assembly and a fourth rider coupled to the base assembly, and the third channel receives the third rider and the fourth channel receives the fourth rider.

4. The seating system of claim 3, wherein the seat support defines a front and a back, and further wherein the first and third channels are nearer to the front of the seat support than the second and fourth channels.

5. The seating system of claim 3, wherein the first and third channels extend at substantially the same angle, and the second and third channels extend at substantially the same angle, and further wherein the first and third channels are angularly offset from the second and fourth channels.

6. The seating system of claim 1, wherein the third channel extends at an angle that is substantially the same as the angle of the first channel and the fourth channel extends at an angle that is substantially the same as the angle of second channel.

7. The seating system of claim 1, wherein the angle of the first channel extends is steeper than the angle of the second channel.

8. The seating system of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second riders comprises a post portion and a sleeve portion received by the post portion.

9. The seating system of claim 7, wherein the sleeve portion is rotatably coupled to the post portion.

10. The seating system of claim 7, wherein the sleeve portion is configured to be non-rotatably coupled to the post portion.

11. The seating system of claim 7, wherein the post portion has a round transverse cross-section.

12. The seating system of claim 7, wherein the sleeve portion has a square transverse cross-section.

13. The seating system of claim 3, wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth riders comprises a post portion and a sleeve portion.

14. The seating system of claim 13, wherein the sleeve portion is configured to be rotatably coupled to the post portion.

15. The seating system of claim 14, wherein the sleeve portion configured to be non-rotatably coupled to the post portion.

16. The seating system of claim 14, wherein the post portion has a round transverse cross-section.

17. The seating system of claim 14, wherein the sleeve portion has a square transverse cross-section.

18. A chair control assembly comprising:

a plurality of riders including a first rider and a second rider;

a link arm including an arm body and a pivot link, the arm body pivotably coupled to the pivot link; and

a seat support to which the pivot link of the link arm is pivotably coupled to the seat support, the seat support having a plurality of channels each of which extends at angle, upwardly and rearwardly, such that a front portion of each of the plurality of channels is higher than a rear portion of each of the plurality of channels, the plurality of channels including a first channel and a second channel, the first channel receiving the first rider and the second channel receiving the second rider, such that upon activation of the arm body of the link arm the first and second riders traverse the first and second channels, respectively to raise and lower the seat support such that a front of the seat support is raised more so than a rear of the seat support.