Chair with tilting backrest

• US 5,580,127 A
• Filed: 05/26/1994
• Issued: 12/03/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pro-Cord SpA
• Original Assignee: Pro-Cord SpA
• Inventors: Piretti, Giancarlo
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Peter R.
• Application Number:
  US08/249,193
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 297/291, 297/299, 297/301.1, 297/301.3, 297/301.5, 297/303.3
• US Class Current: 297/301.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 3/04 Stackable chairs; Nesting chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 3/045 with tipping-up seats
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/445 with bar or leaf springs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/4454 of torsion type

Abstract

In a chair having a backrest which can be reclined backwardly against the action of spring means, the latter comprises a leaf spring having its central portion operatively connected to the base structure of the chair and its ends connected to two side arms which support the backrest.

Claims

1. A chair comprising a base structure, a seat supported by the base structure and a backrest having a support structure which is pivotally mounted on the base structure around a transverse horizontal axis and movable between a relatively upright position and a backwardly reclined position, and spring means biasing the backrest towards its upright position,

wherein said spring means comprise a leaf spring arranged along said transverse horizontal axis of the backrest support structure and having a central portion operatively connected to said base structure and opposite ends connected to said backrest support structure, and

wherein said base structure includes a tubular cross member inside which said leaf spring is arranged, said tubular cross member extending the entire length of said leaf spring and having at its central portion at least an inner stop element adapted to cooperate with said leaf spring to limit rotation of the latter.

2. A chair comprising a base structure, a seat supported by the base structure and a backrest having a support structure which is pivotally mounted on the base structure around a transverse horizontal axis and movable between a relatively upright position and a backwardly reclined position, and spring means biasing the backrest towards its upright position,

wherein said spring means comprise a leaf spring arranged along said transverse horizontal axis of the backrest support structure and having a central portion operatively connected to said base structure and opposite ends connected to said backrest support structure,

wherein said backrest support structure includes two side arms comprising two coaxial pins which are rotatably mounted within opposite ends of said tubular cross member, each said pin and the respective end of said tubular cross member being provided with stop means cooperating with each other to limit angular tilting movement of said pins with respect to the tubular cross member between two end positions corresponding respectively to the upright position and the backwardly reclined position of said backrest, and

wherein said opposite ends of said leaf spring are operatively connected to said two coaxial pins, respectively, whereby when the backrest is in its upright position, each half portion of said leaf spring is subject to a torsion load which tends to hold said backrest in said upright position.

3. Chair according to claim 2, wherein said stop element of the tubular cross member comprises at least one inwardly radially deformed portion of the wall of the tubular cross member.

4. Chair according to claim 3, wherein said stop element of the tubular cross member has at its centre two inwardly radially deformed portions, which are diametrically opposite to each other.

5. Chair according to claim 2, wherein said stop means limiting rotation of said pins with respect to said tubular cross member comprises at least a transverse member mounted on each pin and having at feast one end engaged within a circumferential slot formed in said tubular cross member.

6. Chair according to claim 5, wherein each of said pins has an axial slot which extends from its end surface within which there is received the respective end of said leaf spring.