CN113243693A

CN113243693A - Armrest, chair and method for adjusting armrest

Info

Publication number: CN113243693A
Application number: CN202110183908.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: H·博克
Original assignee: Bock Precision Components Guangdong Co ltd; Boke 1 LLC
Current assignee: Bock Precision Components Guangdong Co ltd; Boke 1 LLC; Bock 1 GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2020-02-12
Filing date: 2021-02-10
Publication date: 2021-08-13
Also published as: EP3865007A1; DE102020103680A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to an armrest, in particular for an office chair. In order to be able to adjust the armrest of the chair in a wider range by means of a simple mechanism, an armrest support (9) with a single degree of freedom is proposed, which is connected to a preferably height-adjustable armrest column (2) and which can be moved relative to the armrest column (2) by means of a rotation about a rotation axis (6) in a longitudinal direction (15) and in a transverse direction (16). The invention also relates to a chair and a method for adjusting the armrest.

Description

Armrest, chair and method for adjusting armrest

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an armrest, in particular for an office chair.

Background

Armrests with various adjustability are known from the prior art. Typically, the armrest has a rotational, longitudinal, and/or lateral adjustment mechanism. Handrails with a particularly large number of individual adjustment possibilities are mostly of complex construction here and have a very large number of construction elements which interact with one another.

Disclosure of Invention

The aim of the invention is to enable a wider range of adjustability of the armrest of the chair with a simple mechanism.

This object is achieved by an armrest according to claim 1 or a chair according to claim 11 or a method according to claim 12. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are given in the dependent claims.

The armrest according to the invention comprises an armrest column, preferably height-adjustable, and an armrest support, which is mounted on the armrest column, can be moved longitudinally and transversely and can be rotated about a rotational axis, characterized in that the armrest support has only one single degree of freedom. In other words, the basic idea of the invention is to provide an armrest support with only one single degree of freedom, which armrest support, however, is able to move both longitudinally and transversely and also to rotate about a rotational axis. In other words, the armrest support requires only one single degree of freedom in order to achieve all movement. In this way, an armrest is provided which is particularly simple in construction and yet is adjustable over a wider range.

With regard to a simple structural design, it is particularly advantageous if the only degree of freedom is a rotational degree of freedom. Preferably, an already existing rotational connection of the armrest support to the armrest column is used for this purpose. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the rotational, longitudinal and transverse movements of the armrest support are only effected by the rotatability of the armrest support about an axis of rotation about which the armrest support can be rotated relative to the armrest column. In other words, the armrest support has only one single degree of freedom, i.e., a rotational degree of freedom, i.e., for performing a rotation about the axis of rotation.

The rotational, longitudinal and transverse mobility of the armrest support or the rotational, longitudinal and transverse movement of the armrest support is not to be understood in the narrow sense as a mobility or movement of the armrest support itself, but rather as a mobility or movement of the surface area of the support surface of the armrest support that is provided for use. In other words, this is not only dependent on the handrail support as a whole moving in the desired manner. Instead, the movement of such a defined region of use of the support surface of the armrest support is of significance. Only when such a defined support surface of the armrest support can be moved into the desired position can the armrest support be fully used as an armrest support by the user of the chair. Such handrail supports use a face sample that is characterized by a defined shape, size and/or orientation. The shape and size of such a minimal use surface may vary from chair to chair or from application to application. In a preferred embodiment, the defined usable surface area of the support surface of the armrest support is a rectangle parallel to the central longitudinal plane of the chair, the rectangle having a length of at least 150mm and a width of at least 50 mm.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the axis of rotation of the connection of the armrest support and the armrest column is the only axis of rotation of the armrest support, preferably the only axis of rotation of the armrest. Thus, a structurally particularly simple, durable, maintenance-free and reliable adjusting mechanism is provided.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the axis of rotation extends vertically. In the connection with a horizontally or substantially horizontally extending support surface of the support body of the armrest support, an armrest support position is thereby obtained which is advantageous for the use of the armrest support.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the handrail support can be turned 360 °. In this way, the maximum possible adjustment range can be achieved.

The terms "front/rear" or "up/down" or "vertical/horizontal" etc. always refer herein to the normal use condition of the chair, in which the chair is located on a level ground. The terms "longitudinal" and "transverse" correspond to the orientation of a chair occupant, also with reference to a chair, on which the armrest is mountable or mounted, generally oriented in the longitudinal direction of the chair, wherein longitudinal movement means movement in the longitudinal direction of the chair and transverse movement means movement transverse to the longitudinal direction of the chair. The starting point here is that the chair is of mirror-symmetrical construction about its central longitudinal plane. In this connection, in this description, it always starts from the armrests present on both sides of the chair in the sense of an armrest pair.

The armrest support according to the present invention may be mounted on each arbitrary armrest post. In other words, each chair may be equipped with an armrest according to the invention. It is also generally possible without problems to replace an already existing handrail support, since the rotary support already present on the handrail column can be used in order to provide the axis of rotation used according to the invention.

However, the chair according to the invention, in particular an office chair, has at least two, typically two, said armrests. Already equipped with an armrest according to the invention, the adjustability of the armrest of the chair is improved. However, if the chair has two armrests according to the invention, the advantages resulting from the particular configuration of the armrests are fully utilized.

In accordance with the basic idea of the invention, which has been described above, the method according to the invention for adjusting an armrest is characterized in that an armrest support, which is connected to a preferably height-adjustable armrest column and has a single degree of freedom, is moved in a longitudinal direction and in a transverse direction relative to the armrest column by a rotation about a rotation axis. In other words, the armrest support connected to the armrest column only performs a rotational movement, a longitudinal movement and a lateral movement due to its rotation about the rotational axis.

The desired structural simplification is achieved primarily by the fact that a plurality of movement mechanisms which are structurally independent of one another are no longer required to achieve the desired movement pattern (linear transverse movement, linear longitudinal movement, rotational movement). Instead, these desired movements can be achieved solely by a rotation of the armrest support itself about a single axis of rotation.

The functionality of the armrest support according to the invention is preferably achieved in that the axis of rotation is eccentric to the center of the armrest support. Since the longitudinal and transverse movements of the intended support surface of the armrest support always take place simultaneously during the rotation of the armrest support about the eccentrically arranged vertical axis of rotation, the armrest support can be pivoted in this way into a position which results in both the smallest possible distance from the second armrest of the chair and the largest possible distance from the second armrest. Meanwhile, the distance between the armrest of the chair and the front edge of the seat can be adjusted in a wider range. The same applies to the spacing of the armrests from the front side of the backrest of the chair. The embodiment with an eccentric axis of rotation therefore contributes more particularly to the particularly variable adjustability associated with the compact design of the armrest support.

The invention makes it possible to achieve a particularly versatile armrest adjustability and armrest positioning within a particularly large range. For example, a large rotation of the armrest support inwardly (i.e., towards the body of the chair occupant) is as easy to achieve as a large rotation of the armrest support outwardly (i.e., away from the body of the chair occupant) (e.g., to enable standing unimpeded by the armrest support). When the armrest support is pivoted outward, even such a large distance between the armrest supports can be achieved that no further adjustment of the armrest support, i.e. no adjustment in the transverse direction by means of an adjusting mechanism provided for this purpose, is necessary, thereby resulting in a further structural simplification of the chair structure.

The armrest support may be embodied as a single component or may also comprise a plurality of components. For example, the armrest support can have a support body which is supported by the base body and which provides a generally horizontal or substantially horizontal support surface of the armrest support, wherein it is at the same time assumed that the base body serving as the support element is always smaller than the support body lying thereon, so that the support body, viewed from above, completely covers the base body. If the armrest support is embodied as an integrated component, the arrangement of the axis of rotation eccentrically to the center of the armrest support means that the armrest support as a whole is symmetrical or rotationally symmetrical and has a center point or axis of symmetry, and the axis of rotation is arranged eccentrically with respect to the center point or axis of symmetry of the armrest support, the axis of rotation not being mounted in the center of the armrest support. If the armrest support comprises a plurality of components, the arrangement of the axis of rotation eccentrically to the center of the armrest support means that a symmetrical or rotationally symmetrical support body ("mat") of the armrest support, which is supported by the base body, has a center point or axis of symmetry and the axis of rotation is arranged eccentrically to the center point or axis of symmetry of the support body, the axis of rotation not being mounted in the center of the support body. The starting point here is that the shape and the dimensions of the stent surface and the stent body correspond. The eccentricity also relates to a symmetrical or rotationally symmetrical support surface of the support body of the armrest support, if the shape and size of the support surface do not correspond or at least do not substantially correspond to the shape and size of the support body.

If the size of the eccentricity is given by the eccentricity quotient, the quotient q ═ D/e formed by the maximum size (D) of the armrest support and the eccentricity (e) is in the range from 4.0 to 6.4, preferably in the range from 4.2 to 5.9. A quotient q in the range of 4.4 to 4.6 has proven to be particularly suitable for office chairs with a large armrest adjustment range.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the shape of the armrest support, more precisely the shape of the support body, or the shape of the support surfaces when the shapes deviate from one another, is circular. According to another preferred embodiment, the stent body or stent surface is of a non-circular shape. In this case, the shape is preferably without corners. The shape is then preferably oval or egg-shaped. According to another embodiment, a rotationally symmetrical, angular armrest support may also be used.

If the dimensions of roundness or non-roundness of the support body are given by the respective quotient, the quotient q' ═ D/D of the handrail support maximum dimension D and the handrail support minimum dimension D is in the range from 1.00 to 1.30, preferably in the range from 1.00 to 1.20, particularly preferably in the range from 1.00 to 1.15. The quotient q' in the range from 1.00 to 1.10 has proven to be particularly suitable for office chairs with a large armrest adjustment range. When q' is 1, the stent body will have a circular shape, when the value is greater than 1, the non-circular dimension will increase, and the stent body will have a more or less oval or egg-shaped shape.

The maximum dimension D and the minimum dimension D both refer to the support surface of the support body, i.e. the surface of the upper side of the support body which is in contact with the arm of the user.

In this way, the desired minimum and maximum spacing between the armrest supports and each other or between the armrest supports and other chair components can be ensured. In particular, it is ensured that, when the armrest supports are at a maximum distance from one another, a minimum distance is then produced between the armrest supports, which allows a relatively fat user to sit down or stand up. Conversely, a thinner user can adjust the spacing between the armrest supports to be narrower in order to use the armrest supports. In this way, the distance of the armrests from one another can be adjusted in order to ensure a reliable support both when the hip width is at a maximum and when the elbow distance is at a minimum. As a result, comfortable support of the arms is achieved for all users regardless of their body configuration without having to move the arms too far away from the user's torso.

At the same time, it is ensured that, when the armrest support is adjusted to the extreme in the direction of the backrest of the chair, no undesired constriction or pinch-off points are formed.

In order to make an undesired adjustment of the armrest difficult or to hinder it, in a preferred embodiment of the invention means are provided for increasing the mechanical resistance to rotation. Preferably, a latching stop, in particular a push-latching stop with a frictional engagement, is provided, which is formed by a latching element that interacts with the armrest support on the one hand and the armrest support on the other hand, for example by a number of latching noses provided on the armrest support, which form the latching stop when they engage in latching recesses provided on the armrest support, wherein the latching noses serve as latching stops and the latching recesses serve as latching recesses, which define a plurality of latching positions. In the case of the resulting force-locking barrier on both sides, in the closed position only an increased resistance to movement is produced, which can be overcome by a correspondingly increased force. When the movement is carried out with a uniform force, the armrest support thus finds the initial or latched position in the relevant position.

In order to ensure a high operational reliability despite the particularly large number of possible positions of the armrest support, in a preferred embodiment of the invention means are provided for fixing the armrest support in the desired rotational position. These fastening means are embodied such that in the activated state no undesired adjustment of the armrest support is possible.

Drawings

Embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with the aid of the figures. Shown here are:

figure 1 shows a side view of a first handrail,

figure 2 shows a front view of the first handrail,

figure 3 shows a top view of the first handrail,

figure 4 shows a top view of a chair with a second armrest,

fig. 5 shows the chair of fig. 4, wherein the armrest supports have a minimum spacing from each other,

fig. 6 shows the chair of fig. 4, wherein the armrest supports have a maximum spacing from each other,

fig. 7 shows the chair of fig. 4, wherein the armrest support is in a position of maximum forward adjustment towards the front edge of the seat,

fig. 8 shows the chair of fig. 4, wherein the armrest support is in a position of maximum rearward adjustment towards the backrest.

The invention is illustrated in non-true-scale in all figures, which are only schematic and only form an essential part of the invention. The same reference numbers here correspond to elements of the same or similar function.

Detailed Description

As shown in the figures, the armrest 1 comprises an armrest column 2 of height-adjustable, in particular telescopically, configuration, which terminates at its upper end with a support head 3. For adjusting the height of the armrest 1, an operating lever 4 is provided, which protrudes through an opening of the armrest column 2 that is open to the outside. The armrest column 2 can be fixed to a substructure (not shown) of the office chair 11 by means of an armrest carrier 5 extending horizontally at the lower foot end thereof.

The armrest 1 comprises an armrest support 9 which is arranged on the bearing head 3 of the armrest column 2 and is rotatable by 360 ° about the vertical axis of rotation 6 relative to the armrest column 2. This axis of rotation 6 is the only axis of rotation of the armrest 1. The armrest support 9 has a single rotational degree of freedom.

The armrest support 9 is rotatably fixed to the support head 3 by a base body not further described. A support body (likewise not further illustrated) connected to the base body in a rotationally fixed manner provides a support surface 10 for supporting the arm of a user of the chair 11. The intended support use face 12 of the armrest support 9, which must be present in every position of the armrest support 9, is shown in dashed lines in fig. 4. The intended holder use face 12 is a partial face of the holder face 10.

In the armrest 1 shown in fig. 1 to 3, the bracket body 9 is oval. The quotient q 'of the maximum dimension D of the armrest support and the minimum dimension D of the armrest support is suitably 1.00. ltoreq. q'. ltoreq.1.10.

In the armrest 1 shown in fig. 4 to 8, the bracket body 9 is circular. The quotient q' of the armrest support maximum dimension D and the armrest support minimum dimension D is equal to 1.00.

In both cases, the axis of rotation 6 is arranged eccentrically to the centre 13 of the bracket body 9. The eccentricity quotient q, which is determined from the maximum dimension D of the armrest support and the eccentricity e, is in the range from 4.4 to 4.6.

Due to the rotatability of the armrest support 9 about the eccentric axis of rotation 6, a plurality of positions of the armrest support 9 are possible. The totality of these positions defines an adjustment range 14, which is shown in dashed lines in fig. 4. The armrest support 9 can occupy all positions within a face 14, which face 14 is delimited in a defined manner by the size of the eccentricity on the one hand and the shape of the armrest support on the other hand.

In order to adjust the position of the armrest support 9, it is only necessary to grip the armrest support 9 and rotate it about the axis of rotation 6. According to the invention, the longitudinal and transverse adjustment of the armrest support 9 is carried out simultaneously by a rotation of the armrest support 9 about the axis of rotation 6. In other words, the armrest support 9 is moved relative to the armrest post 2 by rotation about the axis of rotation 6 in the longitudinal direction 15 and in the transverse direction 16. The selected position of the armrest support 9 is shown in fig. 5 to 8. Fig. 5 to 8 show an office chair 1 with a seat 17 and a backrest 18 and two armrests 1 in a top view. Figure 7 shows a central longitudinal plane 19 of the chair 11.

Showing in detail: fig. 5 shows two armrest supports, which are at a minimum distance 20 from one another; fig. 6 shows two armrest supports, which are at a maximum distance 21 from one another; fig. 7 shows two armrest supports in a position adjusted maximally forward in the direction of the front edge 22 of the seat 17, and fig. 8 shows two armrest supports in a position adjusted maximally rearward in the direction of the front side 23 of the backrest 18. The shape and dimensions of the armrest support 9 are selected such that in each position of the armrest support 9 there is a necessary support use face 12.

By means of the invention, it is possible to position the two armrest supports 1 of the chair 1 at various different distances 20, 21 relative to one another or relative to other parts of the chair 1 (in particular relative to the backrest 18, in particular relative to the backrest front side 23, the seat 17, in particular relative to the seat front edge 22) by rotating one or both armrest supports 1 about their vertical axis of rotation 6. In this way, the armrest support 9 can be positioned separately in a particularly simple manner.

For a 360 ° deflection of the armrest support 9 within the range of rotation, no trigger button or the like is required. Preferably, a 360 ° rotation of the armrest support 9 about the axis of rotation 6 takes place in a locking manner, i.e. with a defined locking position. For this purpose, cooperating locking elements (not shown) are provided both on the armrest support 9 and on the bearing head 3, which elements form a locking mechanism that can be operated without a trigger button. In order to achieve a pivoting movement of the blocking, a blocking step is preferably provided, which interacts with a blocking element (not shown), wherein the blocking element can be moved against a resistance force without actuating a trigger button or the like and, in the event of deformation, can be moved from one blocking step to the next. Preferably, the latching step is provided with identical starting ramps on both sides, so that the advancing and the reversing movement can be carried out with the same force consumption. Because of the use of such a latching mechanism, a trigger button is not required. The desired adjustment of the position of the armrest support is thus accomplished with a minimum expenditure of operating technology.

Additionally, a locking device (not shown) formed by a suitable mechanism may be provided for locking the rotation of the armrest support 9. In the locked state, the armrest support 9 is fixed in a defined rotational position on the armrest column 2.

The present invention relates to an armrest, in particular for an office chair. In order to be able to adjust the armrest of the chair in a wider range with a simple mechanism, an armrest support 9 is provided, which is connected to the preferably height-adjustable armrest column 2 and has a single degree of freedom and which can be moved relative to the armrest column 2 by rotation about the axis of rotation 6 in the longitudinal direction 15 and in the transverse direction 16.

All features shown in the description, the following claims and the drawings can be combined with one another individually and in any inventive manner.

List of reference numerals

1 Armrest

2 handrail column

3 support head

4 operating rod

5 Handrail carrier

6 axis of rotation

7 (none)

8 (none)

9 arm support

10 bracket surface

11 chair

12 set minimum stent utilization surface

13 center of armrest support

14 adjustment range

15 longitudinal direction

16 transverse direction

17 seats

18 back support

19 central longitudinal plane

20 minimum pitch

21 maximum pitch

22 front edge of seat

23 front side of backrest

Claims

1. An armrest (1), in particular for an office chair (11), having a preferably height-adjustable armrest column (2) and an armrest support (9) connected thereto, which is movable in rotation, longitudinally and transversely with respect to the armrest column (2), characterized in that the armrest support (9) has a single degree of freedom.

2. An armrest (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said degree of freedom is a rotational degree of freedom.

3. The armrest (1) as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the rotary, longitudinal and transverse movement of the armrest support (9) is enabled only as a result of the rotatability of the armrest support (9) about the axis of rotation (6).

4. The armrest (1) according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the axis of rotation (6) is eccentric to a center (13) of the armrest support (9).

5. The armrest (1) according to claim 4, wherein a quotient (q) of the armrest support maximum dimension (D) to the eccentricity (e) is in the range of 4.0 to 6.4, preferably in the range of 4.2 to 5.9, particularly preferably in the range of 4.4 to 4.6.

6. The armrest (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a quotient q' of the armrest support maximum dimension (D) and the armrest support minimum dimension (D) is in the range of 1.00 to 1.30, preferably in the range of 1.00 to 1.20, particularly preferably in the range of 1.00 to 1.15, and more particularly preferably in the range of 1.00 to 1.10.

7. The armrest (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the available surface area (12) of the rest face (10) of the armrest support (9) is a rectangle parallel to the central longitudinal plane (19) of the chair (1), the rectangle having a length of at least 150mm and a width of at least 50 mm.

8. The armrest (1) according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein said axis of rotation (6) extends vertically.

9. The armrest (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the axis of rotation (6) is the only axis of rotation of the armrest support (9), preferably the only axis of rotation of the armrest (1).

10. The armrest (1) according to any one of claims 1-9, wherein the armrest support (9) is rotatable through 360 °.

11. Chair (11), in particular an office chair, having at least one armrest (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. Method for adjusting a handrail (1), in which method a handrail support (9) which is connected to a preferably height-adjustable handrail column (2) and has a single degree of freedom is moved in a longitudinal direction (15) and in a transverse direction (16) relative to the handrail column (2) by means of a rotation about a rotation axis (6).