DK2420161T3

DK2420161T3 - Floor-guard to a chair

Info

Publication number: DK2420161T3
Application number: DK11177465T
Authority: DK
Inventors: Stefan Schneider; Emel Gerstner
Original assignee: Ass Einrichtungssysteme Gmbh
Priority date: 2010-08-12
Filing date: 2011-08-12
Publication date: 2014-02-24
Also published as: DE102010039292B4; EP2420161A1; EP2420161B1; DE102010039292A1; ES2447833T3

Description

Subject Matter of the Invention

The invention relates to a floor protector for a chair according to the preamble of the independent claim.

Prior Art

Such floor protectors for chairs which comprise a seat support with a substantially tubular formed floor assembly, mostly configured as a cantilever chair, are known in prior art.

Thus, floor protectors are known which are fixed to a lower part of the tubular frame of the floor assembly of a seat support. Also, configurations are known according to which the floor protectors have an opening in the center such that after assembly they enclose the tubular floor element. Thereby, usually the fixing is effected by means of a fixing means, for example, a screw, which is covered from below such that the fixating means is not visible. These floor protectors, amongst others, have the disadvantage that they do not offer any elasticity and resilience.

Further, floor protectors are known which have an elastic material and thus also a certain flexibility of the protector. These partly comprise two components wherein the lower component usually is a soft component. Also, the soft part of such a known floor protector, however, has to have a certain rigidity, because on the one hand, a too soft part takes up too much dirt, on the other hand, causes substantial wear, and, therefore, has only very poor durability. Moreover, the lower part of the floor protector should not adhere too well to the surface, because the chair, for example, during getting up of a sitting person, should be displaceable by means of the calf. The soft portion of such known floor protectors has a so-called shore hardness of far above 50 such that the elasticity imparted thereby is limited.

From US 2008/0100120 A1 a floor protector is known which is configured substantially in three parts and has an upper part, a lower part, and a middle part connecting the upper part to the lower part. The upper part has an opening in axial direction which encloses the end of the chair leg in radial direction completely.

From US 2010/0187399 A1 a floor protector for a chair is known which has a head portion and a pin extending the head portion in axial direction. The floor protector is fixed by means of the pin at an end of a tubular chair leg in that the pin is inserted into the open end of the chair leg. At the lower side of the head portion, a slider pad made from felt is arranged. A problem not solved up to now is the so-called forward and backward rocking of such chairs. Specifically with chairs used in schools, it is to be expected that pupils using the chair will rock the chair forwards and backwards more or less frequently. Because this nowadays is accepted in schools, problems with damage of the usually relatively soft floor which in schools often consists of plastics, linoleum or wood, become more frequent by frequent rocking forwards and backwards.

Object of the invention

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a floor protector for chairs which overcomes the disadvantages mentioned above, and which provides a higher elastic effect while at the same time providing high wear and high adherence and is suitable to avoid possible damages of the floor from rocking the chair forwards and backwards or at least to reduce them.

Solution according to the invention

This object is solved by a floor protector having the features of the independent claim. Moreover, the invention provides a chair with a steel tube frame which is equipped with corresponding floor protectors.

Specifically, the floor protector for a chair having a seat support, preferably for a chair having a resiliently configured chair support, is provided. The chair support, thereby, preferably is configured as a cantilever chair, ideally in z-shape, whereby also other configurations are possible. The seat support has a floor assembly with a substantially tubular configuration that extends substantially parallel to the ground at least at the edges of the base surface formed by the floor assembly. The floor protector provided has an opening in axial direction with which a floor assembly may be enclosed radially at one of the ends wherein a surface of the floor protector facing the ground is substantially flat. The floor protector has at least a first - upper - component and a second - lower - component with a different hardness wherein the opening extending in axial direction is formed at the side facing away from the ground by the first - upper - component and at the side facing the ground by the second - lower - component wherein a first component is fixedly connected to the second component in the area of the opening, and wherein the first component extends in axial direction at least over half of the area of the floor protector that encloses the floor assembly. Moreover, the floor protector has at its side facing the ground a preferably rectangular recess for receiving a slider pad, preferably, made from felt material or plastics. Such a slider pad made from the materials mentioned above preferably is fixedly connected to the floor protector, for example, by bonding.

In a preferred embodiment, the connection between the first and the second components is effected stepless in a transition area wherein the stepless fixed transition preferably is realizable by casting the two components. The second compo nent preferably has a shore hardness between 40 and 60, preferably, approximately 50, and comprises preferably thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) as material.

It is advantageous for fixing the floor protector if it comprises at the upper side a recess for receiving fixing means, preferably a screw, in order to connect the floor protector fixedly, but however, releasably to the floor assembly.

Moreover, it is advantageous, if at least one of the two components or the transition area of the floor protector projects from an opening such that the opening is substantially closed at the side facing away from the floor assembly. Moreover, it is advantageous, if the second component or the transition area between the first and second components of the floor protector encloses the floor assembly completely radially in the area of the connecting piece of the floor assembly. A further particular advantage is achieved, if the second component projects from the first component at the side facing away from the floor assembly in axial direction and/or at the side facing away from the floor assembly perpendicular to the axial direction and parallel to the ground in the manner of a bulge.

Also, it is favorable, if the first component projects over the second component at the side facing the floor assembly in axial direction, and forms a collar at the upper side in which preferably the recess for receiving the fixing device is placed.

Also, a chair with a steel tube frame as seat support and a floor assembly is disclosed, characterized in that the floor assembly of the chair has floor protectors according to one of the preceding claims.

Brief description of the figures

Suitable embodiments are described by means of the following figures in detail which show:

Fig. 1 a floor protector for a tube end piece, preferably, in the front region of a cantilever frame of a chair in a side view,

Fig. 2 a cross section through such a floor protector,

Fig. 3 a perspective view of such a floor protector,

Fig. 4 a floor protector for use in a rearward portion of a cantilever frame in side view, as well as

Fig. 5 a perspective view of such a floor protector.

Detailed description of the invention

Fig. 1 shows a floor protector 1 according to the invention in a side view. This variant of the floor protector according to the invention is suitable to be inserted into an outward tube and to be fixed there, wherein the tube forms a part of the floor assembly 2a of a seat support 2. For a classical cantilever chair, as it is used as a school chair, these are the two front ends of the steel tube frame. The floor protector has in its rear region an opening 3, which receives the tube end of the floor assembly 2a.

The floor protector consists of a first - upper - component 4 as well as second -lower - component 5 and a transition area 6.

The upper component is made from a hard material with high wear resistance. It protects the floor protector from the upper side and at the same time serves as support for the feet of a user, because experience shows that people sitting on such chairs like to place their feet in the region of the front floor protector on the floor frame.

The upper component 4 in the embodiment shown here projects backwards along the tube frame in the manner of a collar which additionally supports the function as support for the feet. At the same time, in the present embodiment, a recess 10 is cut in the transition area between front and rear part of the upper component 4, via which the fixing means, preferably, a screw, may be introduced from upwards in order to fixedly connect the floor protector to the tube element of the floor assembly 2a.

Because the screw connection results via the rigid part of the floor protector, this provides a high retention force and stability. Simultaneously, by screwing the screw from above, in contrast to prior art according to which the connection usually is provided from below, it is achieved that, on the one hand, the screw does not come loose so easily, and on the other hand, even a screw which comes loose not only may be reached easily but rather also does not project downwards. Thereby, a further source for damages of the floor may be excluded.

In the lower region of the floor protector 1, there is a second component 5 which has a very soft material, preferably, with a shore hardness of between 40 and 60, especially preferred approximately 50, so as to provide a substantially increased elasticity compared to the floor protectors known from prior art. To solve the problem known from prior art of strong wear and the excessive slip resistance, respectively, of a very soft material, the floor protector comprises a recess 8, into which a slider pad 9 is inserted and may be fixed therein such that it, finally, consists of three components altogether. In dependence of the floor, the slider pad may, for example, consist of rigid plastics, wherein on hard floor, slider pads from felt-like material have proven to be advantageous, because these slide well and at the same time offer a high protection to the floor by pushing, for example, dirt aside.

In the part of the floor protector terminating the pipe, and thereby facing away from the floor frame, in the embodiment shown here, the front opening 3 is completely closed here. On the one hand, the hard upper cover which is formed by the first component 4, is drawn over the opening. The second component 5 in this area projects over the end of the hard first component 4 in axial direction, and thus forms in the end region of the floor protector a bulge made from especially soft material of the second component 5. This, at first, leads to damage of furniture or the like, against which the floor assembly with a floor protector 1 fixed thereon is hit, being substantially avoided, because the impact may be substantially reduced by the soft front cover, in particular, in comparison to a steel tube being open at the front, as is the case with floor protectors according to prior art.

The particular advantage of the bulge projecting to the front which is formed by the particularly soft second component 5, however, is that the floor is protected during rocking forwards and backwards of the user. During such a forward and backward rocking, the area of the floor protector in which the collar 7 is located, would be raised such that the front area of the floor protector virtually would roll over the floor, and would contact the latter. In a tilted state, thereby, no longer (exclusively) the slider pad 9 is in contact with the ground but rather the front bulge of the second component 5. Because the latter is configured particularly soft, this protects the floor in a very specific manner such that also during longer rocking forwards and backwards, a damage of a soft linoleum floor usually may be avoided. Moreover, the comparably high static friction of the particularly soft material provides for a particularly high static friction between floor protector and ground being generated in a tilted state, which also prevents a sliding of the chair in this state to a large extent. Thereby, at the same time the safety for the user is increased.

In the embodiment shown, the first component 4 is fixedly connected to the second component 5 such that here there is no common bonding but rather a real chemical connection, as it may, for example, be generated in the casting process.

This leads to a larger transition area 6 being formed which has material of the first component 4 as well as also material of the second component 5, and therefore, has a medium hardness. This area preferably is located in the region of the tube frame which not only improves the durability but rather also the stability of the floor protector at the frame.

Fig. 2 shows a cross section through the floor protector according to fig. 1. The opening 3 may be seen into which a tube piece of the floor assembly 2a is inserted, the upper component 4 with a recess 10 for the fixing screw, the transition area 6 as well as the lower component 5. Also, the recess 8, in which the slider pad 9 is introduced is shown.

In this cross section it may be easily recognized that the lower component 5 in the area of the support surface parallel to the ground and perpendicular to the axial direction is extended in a bulging manner.

This bulge-like extension leads to be effect described already for the forward rocking also occurring with a rocking of the chair in lateral direction, namely, that the chair virtually rolls to the side via the floor protectors, and the contact to the ground is effected from the slider pad to the laterally projecting bulge made from soft material of the second component 5. Thereby, also with lateral rocking, besides a high elasticity, a protection of the floor is possible with, at the same time, increased stability due to increasing friction.

Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the floor protector according to fig. 1 in which a principle arrangement may be recognized again. It may be seen clearly that the upper component 4 which projects beyond the lower component 5 as well as the geometric configuration of the protector with the bulge projecting to the front of the lower component 5 described above. Also, the collar-shaped extension 7 into which the recess 10 for receiving the fixing material is cut, is well recognizable.

Fig. 4 shows a second embodiment of the floor protector according to the invention which preferably is used in the area of the floor assembly 2a in which the tube of the seat support 2 is bent via a mostly bent connection 2b upwards towards a seat shell. In this area, the tube assembly does not terminate such that a floor protector closed at one side as shown in fig. 1 may not be used. For this implementation, the floor protector, therefore, has a through hole 3 such that the bent part of the support 2 may be received.

Also, this floor protector 1 has a harder upper component 4, a softer lower component 5 and a transition area 6, wherein in the upper component, a recess 10 is present in the collar in order to fix the floor protector 1 to the floor assembly 2a securely. The lower area also has a recess 8 for receiving a slider pad 9. In a section not shown here, the lower component 5 also comprises a bulging extension projecting from the slider pad on the right and left hand sides. In the rearward region of the floor protector, in which the seat support 2 projects upwards, the lower component 5 again substantially projects beyond the upper component 4, and thereby provides the effect already described above that during rocking forwards and backwards, the contact face of the slider pad is not passed over to the steel tube assembly, but rather to the soft component of the floor protector 1. This serves for a protection of the floor with at the same time increased stability.

Different from the floor protector according to fig. 1, here the hard material of the upper component 4 is not extended up to the end of the floor protector, but rather the transition area 6 of medium hardness is extended in the end region up to the upper side around the opening 3. Alternatively, it is also possible to use the soft second component 5 up to this position as enclosure instead of the transition area 6 of medium hardness.

This leads to a further improvement of the elastic properties, because also the steel tube assembly itself will be elastic upon loading. Thereby, it does not move, as it is common in prior art, against one rigid component of the upper part of the floor protector 4, but rather has contact instead to a soft or at least substantially softer component either of the lower component 5 or of the transition area 6 of the floor protector 1.

Fig. 5 again shows a perspective view here of the floor protector according to fig. 4. Again, the upper component 4, the lower component 5, the through hole 3, as well as the recess 10 for receiving the fixing means in the rearward collar 7 are well recognizable.

Claims

A floor protector (1) for a chair with a seat holder, preferably for a chair with a resiliently shaped seat holder, preferably having a protruding shaped seat holder, has a substantially tubular shaped foot piece (2a) which is at least at the the edges of the base (2a) formed the base surface substantially extending parallel to the substrate, the floor protector (1) having an aperture (3) in the axial direction with which the base (2a) can be radially enclosed at one of the ends, the surface facing the substrate of the floor protector (1) is substantially planar, characterized in that the floor protector (1) has at least one first - upper - component (4) and a second - lower component (5) of varying hardness, the axial extending opening (3) at the away side of the floor is formed by the first - upper - component (4) and at the facing side of the second - lower - component (5), the first component (4) being firmly connected with the other compo close (5) in the region of the aperture (3), and the first component (4) extending axially over at least half of the area of the floor protector (1) enclosing the footer (2a) and the floor protector (1) in the side facing the floor has a preferably rectangular recess (8) for receiving a chair slider (9), preferably of felt material or plastic.

Floor protector (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the connection between the first and the second component (4, 5) proceeds steplessly in a transition area (6), the stepless solid transition can preferably be made by embedding the two components .

Floor protector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second component (5) is softer than the first component (4) and preferably contains thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) as material.

Floor protector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has on the upper side a recess (10) for receiving fasteners, preferably a screw with which the floor protector (1) can be fixedly fixed, but removably with the foot piece ( 2a).

Floor protector (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least one of the two components (4, 5) or the transition area (6) of the floor protector (1) extends beyond the opening (3), so that the opening ( 3) at the side facing away from the foot piece (2a) is substantially closed.

Floor protector (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the second component (5) of the floor protector (1) is designed so that the foot piece (2a) can be completely radially enclosed with that in the region of a connecting piece (2b). to the foot piece (2a) of the chair holder.

Floor protector (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the transition area (6) between the first and second components (4, 5) of the floor protector (4) is designed so that the foot piece (2a) can be completely radially enclosed with that in the region of a connector (2b) of the footpiece (2a) of the chair holder.

Floor protector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second component (5) extends beyond the first component (4) in the axial direction.

The floor protector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first component (4) projects in addition to the second component (5) in the axial direction and forms a collar on the upper side.

Floor protector (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second component (5) protrudes in a bending manner in addition to the first component (4) perpendicular to the axial direction and parallel to the support.

Chair with a steel pipe frame as chair holder and foot piece, characterized in that the foot piece of the chair has a floor protector (1) according to one of the preceding claims.