EP0014001A1 - Chair - Google Patents

Abstract

In a chair with a raised seat and footrest, a seat plate (30, 114), a footrest (38, 162) and a backrest (24) are connected to one another in such a way that they move together from a position suitable for sitting with a substantially horizontal seat plate into one Position with the seat plate tilted strongly forward, in which the chair can be used as a standing support. The joint pivoting takes place with the aid of a bracket (22; 88, 94; 130, 132, 136, 138) running from the footrest to the backrest, which bracket consists of one piece or can also be divided into at least two bracket sections. The seat plate, the footrest and / or the backrest can be adjusted with respect to the bracket by means of separate adjusting devices (46, 50, 60), and when using several divided bracket sections, adjusting devices (98, 140) can also be provided in the connecting areas of the sections. be provided.

Description

The invention relates to a chair with increased Sitzfläö.he, with a seat plate mounted on a height-adjustable column and a backrest, which are adjustable about horizontal transverse axes, and with an adjustable footrest.

Such chairs can be used in particular as work chairs in elevated workplaces. They usually have a customary adjustment mechanism which allows a limited pivoting movement of the seat plate and / or backrest about horizontal transverse axes. For example, the seat plate is at most adjustable between an essentially horizontal and a slightly backward inclined position.

In addition, a chair is known from US Pat. No. 2,858,876 in which the footrest is attached directly to the seat plate and can be pivoted with it. The chair of this US-PS permits use as a so-called standing support or standing aid, on which a person can support himself while working standing up.

The invention has for its object to design a chair of the type mentioned in such a way that the seat plate, the footrest and the backrest can be pivoted synchronously to one another and in an ergonomically advantageous manner between different positions suitable for sitting and a standing support position.

This object is achieved in a chair of the type mentioned by a pivotable about a horizontal transverse axis bracket, with the upper end pivotally connected to the backrest and the lower end is designed as a footrest. The seat plate is preferably also connected to the central region of the bracket. Such a chair allows simultaneous adjustment of the seat plate, backrest and footrest with one hand.

The seat plate, the backrest and / or the footrest can be connected to the bracket via adjustment that an additional separate Verstellbewe _- supply of these parts allow. Such separate adjustment movements can also be made possible in that the bracket is made in two or more parts and has adjustment devices in the connection areas of the individual sections, which enable mutual adjustment of the bracket sections.

For ergonomic reasons, it may be advantageous to give the seat plate a smaller pivoting movement than the backrest and the footrest when the chair is switched from a sitting position to the standing support position. For this purpose, the seat plate can be pivotally mounted, for example, in the front area in a horizontal transverse axis on a forward-facing arm of the column and in the rear area in a horizontal joint allowing a parallel displacement with respect to the seat plate and / or the bracket with the bracket , so that the seat plate does not participate in the full pivoting movement when the bracket is pivoted.

The mentioned, with respect to the seat plate and / or the hinge movable joint on the rear underside of the seat plate can preferably be formed by a hydraulic cylinder, energy accumulator, locking mechanism or the like is connected at its free end to a hinge firmly attached to the bracket. By such an adjustment mechanism, the movements of the seat plate, footrest and bracket can be locked and unlocked with one hand. This solution can also be used for common chair mechanisms, i.e. for chairs without a footrest. It has the advantage that the locking mechanism or energy store can be arranged flat below the seat plate and therefore does not hinder the cladding of the seat from below, and it also allows, as will be explained in more detail, a complete relief of the locking mechanism from bending forces .

For example, the bracket may extend upward from the footrest and then under the seat and up the back of the seat to the backrest, but may also have a different shape.

• Fig. 1 bis 3 zeigen schematische Seitenansichten verschiedener Ausführungsformen des Stuhls;
• Fig. 4 bis 6 zeigen eine weitere Ausführungsform des Stuhls in drei unterschiedlichen Stellungen;
• Fig. 7 ist eine teilweise schematische Seitenansicht einer anderen Ausführungsform des Stuhls;
• Fig. 8 ist eine Teildraufsicht auf einen weiteren Stuhl mit weggelassener Sitzplatte;
• Fig. 9 ist eine Seitenansicht zu Fig. 8;
• Fig. 10 ist ein senkrechter Schnitt zu Fig. 8;
• Fig. 11 zeigt eine weitere Abwandlung des Stuhls.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are subsequently explained in more detail with reference to the attached drawing.

• 1 to 3 show schematic side views of different embodiments of the chair;
• 4 to 6 show a further embodiment of the chair in three different positions;
• Fig. 7 is a partially schematic side view of another embodiment of the chair;
• Fig. 8 is a partial plan view of another chair with the seat plate omitted;
• Fig. 9 is a side view of Fig. 8;
• Fig. 10 is a vertical section to Fig. 8;
• 11 shows a further modification of the chair.

1 comprises a five-armed foot 10 and a vertical column 12 projecting therefrom, which consists of an outer tube 14 extending from the foot 10 and an inner tube 16 telescopically displaceable therein as well as a height adjustment 18 indicated only schematically, which can contain a gas pressure spring in connection with a triggering and locking mechanism or the like. At the upper end of the column 12 there is a horizontal transverse axis 20, in which a bracket designated overall by 22 is pivotably mounted. The bracket 22 begins in the region of a backrest 24, with the rear of which the upper end of the bracket is pivotally connected via a horizontal joint 26. The bracket then runs in a section 28 in an arc under the back of a seat plate 30 and in a further, essentially horizontal section 32 under the seat plate 30, to which the section 32 is firmly connected. The section 32 of the bracket also carries in its central region a fitting 34, not shown, which receives the horizontal transverse axis 20.

Below the front area of the seat plate 30, the bracket 22 extends in a further section 36 down to a horizontally running section 38. which forms a footrest. For example, the bracket 22 is formed in its rear section 28 as a simple rod and in the front sections 36 and 38 in two layers and is closed at the free end of section 28 by a crossbar, not shown, which forms the actual footrest.

The bracket 22 and with this the backrest 24, the seat plate 30 and the section 38 forming the footrest can be pivoted overall about the horizontal transverse axis 20 between two end positions which correspond to the positions of FIGS. 4 and 6 of the embodiment described below. 4 serves for relaxed sitting, in the position of FIG. 6 the seat plate is strongly inclined forward, the backrest is pushed forward and the footrest is pushed back against the column, so that the chair can be used as a standing or standing aid can. The bracket 22 can be locked with respect to the column in a manner not shown in any angular position of its pivoting range.

The embodiment of FIG. 2 essentially corresponds to that of FIG. 1, so that the same reference numbers have been used for corresponding parts. Instead of the five-armed foot 10 of FIG. 1, a circular foot plate 40 is provided in the embodiment of FIG. 2. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the backrest 24, the seat plate 30 and the footrest section 38, as in the embodiment of FIG. 1, can be pivoted synchronously with one another and with the bracket 22 about the horizontal transverse axis 20. In addition, the embodiment of FIG. 2, however, permits a relative pivoting of the seat plate 30 with respect to the bracket 22 and thus the backrest and the footrest. For this purpose, the bracket 22 has in the front region of the seat plate 30 a forward-facing attachment 42, on the free

End of the seat plate 30 is pivotally mounted in a horizontal transverse axis 44 by means of a fitting (not shown). Furthermore, below the rear area of the seat plate 30 there is a schematically indicated adjusting device 46 with a handwheel 48 connected to a screw and located below the bracket, which changes the distance between the seat plate 30 and the bracket 22 and thus an inclination adjustment of the seat plate in relation allowed on the hanger.

Fig. 3 shows a corresponding separate adjustment for the backrest 24, but otherwise essentially corresponds to the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, the reference numerals of which have been used again in part. In the embodiment according to FIG. 3, the seat plate 30 is firmly attached to the central bracket section 32 and can be pivoted with the bracket about the horizontal transverse axis. In contrast to Fig. 1, however, the rear bracket section and thus the backrest 24 is separately adjustable forwards and backwards with respect to the central bracket section 32. At the rear end of the middle bracket section 32 there is a box-shaped adjustment device 50 which is open from above and into which the bracket section 28, which is separated from the section 32, enters from above. The rear section 28 of the bracket can be pivoted forwards and backwards about a merely indicated transverse axis 52. A screw 54 enters from the rear through the wall of the adjusting device 50 and is in threaded engagement therewith. At the free end of the screw 54 there is a handwheel 56 for turning the screw. The bracket section 28 and thus the backrest can be pivoted forward by the screw. A schematically indicated compression spring 58 or the like leads back the bracket section 28.

Finally, an only indicated adjustment device 60 can be provided, which enables a separate adjustment of the footrest section 36, 38 with respect to the seat plate and backrest.

While in principle the seat plate, backrest and footrest can be pivoted synchronously with one another about the horizontal transverse axis 20 from a seat position into a standing support position, the separate adjusting devices 46, 50, 60 described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 serve primarily to achieve one to create the appropriate setting of the chair according to the needs of a particular user. The three adjustment devices can be used in any combination.

The embodiment according to FIGS. 4 to 6 is based on that of FIGS. 1 to 3, so that FIGS. 4 to 6 bear the same reference numbers in some cases.

The bracket 22 is in turn pivotally mounted in the horizontal transverse axis 20 at the upper end of the column 12. 1 to 3, the seat plate 30 is pivotally mounted below its front region in a transverse axis 62 at the front end of a bracket 64 which extends obliquely forward and upward from the upper end of the column 12.

Under the rear edge of the seat plate 30 is a joint 72 which connects the bracket 22 to the seat plate 30, but is slidably connected to at least one of these parts. In the example shown, the joint 72 is rigidly attached to the bracket 22, while it is connected to the seat plate 30 via a piston rod 74 of a lockable hydraulic cylinder 76 which is fastened to the underside of the seat plate 30.

Figures 4 to 6 show the work chair in different positions. 4, the work chair is in a position for relaxed sitting, in which the seat plate 30 is inclined slightly backwards. To switch to the upright sitting position of FIG. 5, the user of the chair, without leaving it, only has to release a locking mechanism, not shown, of the hydraulic cylinder 76 and exert a slight pressure with the feet on the footrest. As a result, the footrest is lowered, the seat plate 30 is raised at the rear and the backrest 24 is pushed forward. The work chair can then be locked again. When the bracket 22 pivots from the position in FIG. 4 to the position in FIG. 5, the piston rod 74 is pushed slightly into the hydraulic cylinder 76.

When the bracket 22 is pivoted further clockwise according to FIGS. 4 and 5, the position of FIG. 6 results, in which the work chair is suitable as a standing support. In this position, the lower sections 36 and 38 of the bracket 22, which support the footrest, are pushed back against the column 12, so that they allow a free standing in front of the chair. The seat plate 30 is inclined towards the front at an angle of, for example, 25 ° to the horizontal. The backrest 24 is advanced.

The locking by the hydraulic cylinder 76 engages the entire bracket 22 and thus the footrest, the seat plate and the backrest. The hydraulic cylinder 76 also has a certain damping effect. Any other locking mechanism can be used instead of the hydraulic cylinder, as will be explained in more detail later.

FIG. 7 shows a partial representation of an embodiment which is based on the embodiments according to FIGS. 4 to 6, but which does not contain a coherent but a divided bracket. Those parts in FIG. 7 which correspond to corresponding parts of the previously described embodiment have the same reference numbers. At the upper end of the column 12 there is in turn an arm 64 directed obliquely upwards and forwards, at the free end of which the horizontal transverse axis 62 is provided. The arm 64 is fork-shaped in a manner not shown and supports the transverse axis 62 at both ends. The transverse axis runs through a rail 78 which is U-shaped in cross section and open at the bottom, to the bottom of which a hydraulic cylinder 80 is fastened, the rearward-facing piston rod 82 of which is connected to a slide 84 running in the rail, which can, however, be omitted if the piston rod 82 is dimensioned accordingly. The hydraulic cylinder 80 corresponds to the hydraulic cylinder 76 according to FIGS. 4 to 6. At the end of the piston rod 82 or in the slider 84 there is a horizontal, transversely directed joint 86, which will be discussed in more detail later.

FIG. 7 shows in particular a bracket section 88 which corresponds to the section of the bracket 22 according to FIGS. 4 to 6 between the joint 72 and the area of the footrest. The area of the footrest is, however, omitted in FIG. 7. The bracket section 88 is pivotally mounted in a horizontal transverse axis 90 at the upper end of the column 12, which corresponds to the transverse axis 20 according to FIGS. 4 to 6. In the further course, the bracket section 88 is pivotally mounted in the joint 86. If the bracket-Ab cut 88, for example by stepping down a support, not shown, about the horizontal transverse axis 90, the slide 84 moves to the left in FIG. 7 in the rail 78, and the piston rod 82 is inserted into the hydraulic cylinder 80. This movement raises the right end of the rail. The rail represents the support for a seat plate, not shown, so that the rear region of the seat plate is raised.

In the horizontal joint 86, a substantially triangular intermediate piece 92 is pivotally mounted, with which a further bracket section 94 is rigidly connected, which forms the continuation of the bracket section 88 and supports the backrest, not shown. In a further transverse joint 96 located below the joint 86, the intermediate piece 92 is connected in an articulated manner to a force accumulator 98, for example a gas pressure spring, the other end of which is pivotably mounted on the column 14 in the horizontal transverse axis 90. If this energy accumulator 98 remains permanently blocked, there is no functional difference to the embodiment according to FIGS. 4 to 6. The bracket section 94, which supports the backrest, is pivoted about the horizontal transverse axis 90 in synchronism with the bracket section 88. However, this synchronous adjustability can be changed by extending or retracting the energy accumulator 98, so that the backrest can be moved further forward, for example, without the footrest being depressed and the seat plate being folded up at the rear end.

It is obvious that the energy accumulator 98 can only be an example in the manner shown. Another example of the adjustment of the backrest position will be discussed later.

The bracket section 88 does not have to be rod-shaped in the region below the seat, as is shown schematically is shown in Fig. 7. It can be replaced, for example, by lateral shell parts 100 which are rigidly connected to the area of the footrest and are shown in dash-dotted lines and are pivotably mounted in the transverse axis 90 and the joint 86 and at the same time cover the energy store 98 laterally and from below. Such a solution is discussed in more detail below.

The embodiment according to FIGS. 8 to 10 essentially corresponds to that according to FIG. 7, but will be explained in more detail with regard to some existing differences. An overall fork-shaped boom at the upper end of the column 12 comprises two legs 102, 104 which receive a horizontal transverse axis 106 which pivotally support a seat plate carrier 108. In contrast to the schematically indicated embodiment of FIG. 7, the boom and the carrier are designed as shell-shaped parts, for example made of sheet metal or the like. Bores 110, 112 serve to receive a seat plate 114, which is only partially indicated in FIG. 10. An insert 116 is inserted into the carrier 108 with the aid of indicated screws 118, which form a guide 120 running from the front to the rear on the bottom of the carrier. The insert 116 has a bore 122 in the front central region, which will be discussed in more detail later. The guide 120 serves to receive a longitudinally displaceable latching tongue 124, which has a number of successive bores 126. The latching tongue 124 is attached at its rear end to a joint 128 which is attached to a rear bracket section 130 which supports the backrest in a manner not shown. The joint 128 corresponds to the joint 72 and the latching tongue 124 corresponds to the hydraulic cylinder 74 in FIGS. 4 to 6.

The merely indicated front bracket section 130 (FIG. 9), which starts from the area of the footrest (not shown), sits down over a horizontal transverse axis 134 at the upper end of the column 12 away into side shell parts 136, 138 with which the bracket section 132 is welded, for example, from the inside. Such shell parts have already been indicated in FIG. 7. The shell parts 136, 138 are moreover pivotally connected to the joint 128 at their rear ends. 10, however, the rear bracket section is not rigidly connected to the shell parts 136, 138, but via an adjusting screw 140, which enables a certain relative adjustment between the rear bracket section 130 and the shell parts 136, 138 and thus the front bracket section 132. Instead of the set screw, the energy accumulator 98 is provided in FIG. 7. The adjusting screw 140, which is only indicated schematically, can be replaced by other adjustment options. If these are not actuated, the basic function of the simultaneous pivoting of the footrest, the seat plate and the backrest again arises.

To lock the latching tongue 124, a pin 142 is indicated, which is located on the underside of the foldable or removable seat plate 114 and can be inserted through the bore 122 into one of the bores 126 of the latching tongues 124. If the user sits on the seat plate 114, this latching connection is reliably maintained by his body weight. Otherwise, this type of locking can be useful insofar as it is inevitable that it can only be adjusted after dismounting from the seat, as may be necessary for safety reasons, for example. In general, however, an adjustment of the work chair according to the invention is possible without having to get off the seat plate by simply shifting the body weight.

The invention thus relates to a chair, in particular a work chair, which by coupling the footrest and the seat plate and possibly the backrest of a chair suitable for elevated sitting can be converted into a standing support. The coupling of the movement of the footrest, seat plate and / or backrest takes place with the help of a bracket, which, however, does not have to be a continuous unit, but can also be composed of individual sections, in the connection area of which mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic etc. adjustment and can find _- transmission devices be.

A particular advantage of accommodating all the adjustment functions of the chair, with the exception of the hydraulic cylinders, latching tongues, energy stores, etc., which control the height adjustment, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 10, is first of all that this does not cover the seat from below hinder, as is the case with freely arranged between the column and the seat plate or the backrest gas pressure springs or the like. Possibly. and, as shown in FIG. 7, the adjusting device can also be completely relieved of bending forces and its dimensions can thus be reduced. This type of adjustment device below the seat plate can also be used on conventional chairs without a footrest.

While the bracket in the previously described embodiments runs upwards from the footrest and then below the seat to the rear and from there up to the backrest, FIG. 11 shows an embodiment in which the shape of the bracket is considerably modified. On a five-armed foot 144 there is a height-adjustable column 146, from the upper end of which a bracket 148 projects obliquely upwards and forwards. At the front end of the boom 148 there is a horizontal transverse axis 150, in which the front area of the seat plate 152 is pivotably mounted. The rear area of the seat plate is supported by a slide 154 from a bracket portion 156 that supports the backrest 158. The rear bracket section 156 is pivotable in a horizontal transverse axis 160 at the upper end of the column 146.

A footrest 162 is pivotally attached to the column 146 in a horizontal transverse axis 164 and extends rearward with an arm 166 beyond the pivot axis 164. A lifting rod 168 is connected in an articulated manner to the free end of the arm 166, the other end of which is connected in an articulated manner to the bracket section 156.

As soon as a locking device, not shown, is released, the footrest 162 can be depressed into the position shown in dashed lines. The arm 166 and thus the lifting rod 168 are raised so that the rear bracket section 156 is pivoted forward into the position shown in dashed lines and thereby takes the seat plate 152 with it. The bracket thus consists in this case of the footrest 162 with the arm 166, the lifting rod 168 and the rear bracket section 156.

Claims (15)

1.Chair with a raised seat, with a seat plate mounted on a height-adjustable column and a backrest, which can be adjusted about horizontal transverse axes, and an adjustable footrest, characterized by a bracket (22; 88, 94; 130, 132, 136, 138), with the upper end of which the backrest (24) is pivotally connected and the lower end of which is designed as a footrest (38, 162). 2. Chair according to claim 1, characterized in that the central section (32) of the bracket (22 ...) is connected to the seat plate (30, 114). 3. Chair according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the seat plate (30,114) over a limited area with respect to the footrest (38) and the backrest (24) is separately adjustable. 4. Chair according to claim 2 and 3, characterized in that the bracket (22) runs arcuately from the footrest under the seat plate (30) to the backrest (24) that the seat plate about a horizontal transverse axis (44) with respect to the Bracket (22) is pivotable and that an adjusting device (46,48) is provided for adjusting the seat plate with respect to the bracket by pivoting about this transverse axis. 5. Chair according to claim 2 and 3, characterized in that the seat plate (30) with respect to the bracket (22 ...) and with respect to the column (12) in each case a transverse axis (62.72; 62.84 ; 106,128) is pivotable and that at least one of these transverse axes also allows a relative displacement of the seat plate and bracket or seat plate and column. 6. Chair according to claim 5, characterized in that the seat plate (30) in the front region in a horizontal transverse axis (62,106) on a forward arm (64; 102,104) of the column (12) is pivotally mounted and in the rear area in a horizontal joint (72, 72; 128) allowing a parallel displacement with respect to the seat plate and / or the bracket is connected to the bracket. 7. Chair according to claim 6, characterized in that below the seat plate (30) an axial adjusting device (74,76; 80,82; 126) is attached with an extendable piston rod, the free end of which on the bracket (22; 88, 94,96; 130) attached joint (72,128) is pivotally connected. 8. Chair according to claim 7, characterized in that the adjusting device is a hydraulic cylinder (76), a gas spring, a locking mechanism (124) or the like. 9. Chair according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bracket (88, 94; 130,132,136,138) consists of at least two separate, interconnected bracket sections. 10. Chair according to claim 9, characterized in that the bracket sections (88, 94; 130, 132, 136, 138) are connected to one another via an adjusting mechanism (98, 140) and can be adjusted relative to one another over a limited area. 11. Chair according to one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that a first bracket section (88; 136, 138) from the footrest under the seat along to the area of the joint (72, 128) in the rear area of the seat and a second bracket Section (94; 130, 132) runs from this area to the backrest (24). 12. Chair according to claim 11, characterized in that the two bracket sections (88; 136, 138; 94; 130, 132) overlap one another and are mounted in the joint (72, 128) and can be adjusted relative to one another by an adjusting screw (140) or the like. 13. Chair according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the outgoing from the footrest bracket portion (136,138) in the region of the seat plate merges into two lateral, the seat plate laterally covering shell parts. 14. Chair according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the adjustment mechanism between the bracket sections includes a gas pressure spring (98). 15. Chair according to one of claims 7 to 14, characterized in that the adjusting device below the seat plate comprises a rod-shaped latching tongue (124) which is displaceably guided in a support (108) receiving the seat plate (114), and that the seat plate by can be lifted off the carrier and has a downward-pointing pin (142) which can be snapped into successive bores (126) of the locking tongues.

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