EP0014001B1 - Chair - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a sit-stand chair 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.

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-A-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 patent allows use as a so-called standing support or standing aid, on which a person can support himself when he is working standing up.

The invention has for its object to design a chair of the type mentioned in such a way that the footrest and the backrest can be pivoted synchronously with 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 coherent linkage which is pivotable about at least one horizontal transverse axis with respect to the column and with the upper end of the backrest is pivotally connected and the lower end is designed as a footrest.

The seat plate is preferably also connected to the central region of the linkage. 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 linkage via adjustment devices that allow an additional separate adjustment movement of these parts. Such separate adjustment movements can also be made possible in that the linkage connection is not made as a continuous bracket, but in two or more parts and has adjustment devices in the connection areas of the individual sections, which enable mutual adjustment of the linkage 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 that allows displacement with respect to the seat plate and / or the linkage connection to the linkage connection , so that the seat plate does not participate in the full pivoting movement when pivoting the linkage.

The mentioned, in relation to the seat plate and / or the linkage 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, which is arranged below the seat plate and the extendable piston rod points to the rear and is connected at its free end to a hinge fixed to the linkage. With such an adjustment mechanism, the movements of the seat plate, footrest and linkage can be locked and unlocked with one hand.

This solution offers the advantage that the locking mechanism or energy storage device can be arranged flat below the seat plate and therefore does not hinder the cladding of the seat from below, and moreover, as will be explained in more detail, it enables the locking mechanism to be relieved of bending forces completely.

The linkage can extend, for example, from the footrest up and then along the seat and up the back of the seat to the backrest, but can 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 schematischee 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 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 initially 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. Corresponds in essential parts to that of FIG. 1, so that the same reference numerals 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 extension 42, at the free end of which 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. 1, 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 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 returns 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 sitting 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 partially bear the same reference numbers.

The bracket 22 is in turn pivotally mounted in the horizontal transverse axis 20 at the upper end of the column 12. Deviating from Fig. 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.

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 slightly pushed into the hydraulic cylinder 76.

With a further pivoting of the bracket 22 in the clockwise direction 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 illustration 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 slide 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. When the bracket section 88 is pivoted about the horizontal transverse axis 90, for example by stepping down on a support (not shown), the slide 84 shifts to the left in FIG. 7 in the rail 78, and the piston rod 82 is pushed into the hydraulic cylinder 80. This movement will raise 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 is only an example in the manner shown can. 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 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 accumulator 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 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 of FIGS. 4 to 6.

The merely indicated front bracket section 132 (FIG. 9), which starts from the area of the footrest, not shown, continues over a horizontal transverse axis 134 at the upper end of the column 12 into lateral shell parts 136, 138, with which the bracket Section 132 is welded from the inside, for example. Such shell parts have already been indicated in FIG. 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 has a certain relative adjustment between the rear bracket section 130 and the shell parts 136, 138 and thus the front bracket. Section 132 allows. 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 simultaneously pivoting the footrest, the seat plate and the backrest results.

Can be leads _- to lock the latching tongue 124, a pin 142 is indicated, which is located at the bottom of the fold-up or removable seat plate 114 and inserted through the bore 122 in one of the bores 126 of the locking tongues 124th 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 can be converted from a chair suitable for elevated sitting into a standing support by coupled folding down the footrest and the seat plate and possibly the backrest. 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 Transmission facilities can be.

A particular advantage of accommodating all the adjustment functions of the chair, with the exception of the hydraulic cylinders, locking tongues, energy accumulators, etc., which control the height adjustment, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 10, is first of all that this covers the seat from below do not hinder, as is the case with gas springs or the like arranged freely between the column and the seat plate or the back. If necessary and as shown in FIG. 7, however, 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 linkage in the previously described embodiments runs upward from the footrest and then below the seat to the rear and from there upward to the backrest, FIG. 11 shows an embodiment in which the shape of the linkage is considerably modified. On a five-armed foot 144 there is a height-adjustable column 146, of which A boom 148 protrudes obliquely upward and forward at the upper end. 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 region of the seat plate is supported on a bracket section 156, which supports the backrest 158, via a slide piece 154. 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 linkage in this case thus consists of the footrest 162 with the arm 166, the lifting rod 168 and the rear bracket section 156.

Claims (17)

1. A chair designed for giving the user support when he is in a seated or in an upright position, having a seat board (30, 114, 152) fixed to an upright (12,146), adjustable in height, and a back rest (24. 158), which are able to be turned about cross-running horizontal axes, and furthermore an adjustable foot rest (38, 162), characterized by a connection system (22; 88, 94; 130, 231, 136, 138; 166, 168, 156) joined together, which is able to be turned about at least one horizontal cross-running axis (20, 90, 134, 160, 164) in relation to the upright and has its top end turningly joined with the back rest (24, 158), the lower end of the connection system being the foot rest (38, 162).

2. A chair as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the middle part (32; 86, 92; 156) of the connection system (22; 88, 94; 130, 132, 136, 138; 166,168,156) is joined up with the seat board (30, 114,152).

3. A chair as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the seat board (30, 114, 152) in a limited range may undergo separate adjustment in relation to the foot rest (38, 162) and the back rest (24,158).

4. A chair as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the seat board (30) may be turned about a horizontal cross-running axis (44) in relation to the connection system (22; 88, 94; 130, 132, 136, 138; 166, 168, 156) and in that there is an adjustment unit (46, 48) for adjustment of the seat board in relation to the connection system by turning about this crossrunning axis.

5. A chair as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the seat board (30,114,152) may be turned in relation to the connection system (22; 88, 94; 130, 132, 136, 138; 166, 168, 156) and in relation to the upright (12, 146) at one separate cross-running axis (62, 72; 62, 86; 106, 128; 105,154) in each case and in that at least one of these cross-running axes at the same time makes possible translation of the seat board and the connection system or the seat board and the upright in relation to the rest of the system.

6. A chair as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the seat board (30, 114, 152) in a front part is turningly supported at a horizontal cross-running axis (62, 106, 150) at a forwardly running arm (64; 102, 104; 148) of the upright (12, 146) and in the back part joined up at a horizontal joint (72, 74; 86, 126; 154) making possible translation motion in relation to the seat board and/or the connection system, with the same.

7. A chair as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that under the seat board (30) there is an axial adjustment unit (74, 76; 80, 82; 126) with a rod as for example a piston rod, which may be pulled outwards, the free end of the rod being turningly joined with the joint (72, 86, 128) fixed to the connection system (22; 88,94,96; 130).

8. A chair as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the adjustment unit is a hydraulic cylinder (76), an air spring, a lock system (124) or the like.

9. A chair as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the adjustment unit has, under the seat board, a rod-like locking tongue (124) which is movingly guided in a support (108) taking up the seat board (114) and in that the seat board may be lifted from the support and has a downwardly pointing pin (142), which may be locked in anyone of a line of holes (126) in the locking tongue.

10. A chair as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the connection system takes the form of an U-Iike part (22), running in a curved form from the foot rest (38) under the seat board (30) along the back rest (24).

11. A chair as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the connection system (88, 94; 130, 132, 136; 166, 168,156) is made up of at least two lever system parts joined with each other.

12. A chair as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the lever system parts (88, 94; 130, 132,136; 166,168,156) are joined with each other by way of an adjustment unit (98, 160) and may undergo adjustment in relation to each other over a limited range thereby.

13. A chair as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12, characterized in that the first connection part (88; 132, 136, 138) is designed running from the foot rest under the seat board along as far as the joint (86,128) in the back part of the seat board, a second part of connection system (94; 130) running from this part as far as the back rest (24).

14. A chair as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the two parts of the connection system (88; 132,136,138; 94,130) are overlapping and are turningly supported in the joint (86, 128) and may undergo adjustment in relation to each other by an adjustment unit (140) as for example an adjustment screw or the like.

15. A chair as claimed in claim 13 or claim 14, characterized in that the part, coming from the foot rest, of the connection system is joined up at a position near the seat board with two shell parts (136,138) covering the seat board from the side.

16. A chair as claimed in claim 14 or claim 15, characterized in that the adjustment unit has a gas pressure spring (98) between the two parts of the connection system.

17. A chair as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12, characterized in that the connection parts have a lever (166) turningly supported at the lower end of the upright (146) in a horizontal cross-running axis (164) and a U-Iike part (156) turningly supported at the top end of the column in a horizontal crossrunning axis (160) and in that the lever and the U-Iike part (166, 156) turningly joined with the two ends of a driving rod (168).

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