EP1100358B1 - Synchronous locking mechanism of back-rest and seat angular position with respect to foot column, particularly for chairs - Google Patents

Synchronous locking mechanism of back-rest and seat angular position with respect to foot column, particularly for chairs Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1100358B1
EP1100358B1 EP98960124A EP98960124A EP1100358B1 EP 1100358 B1 EP1100358 B1 EP 1100358B1 EP 98960124 A EP98960124 A EP 98960124A EP 98960124 A EP98960124 A EP 98960124A EP 1100358 B1 EP1100358 B1 EP 1100358B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
detent
seat
rest
lever
spring
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP98960124A
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German (de)
French (fr)
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EP1100358A1 (en
Inventor
Slawomir Wronski
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Individual
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Individual
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    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
    • A47C1/00—Chairs adapted for special purposes
    • A47C1/02—Reclining or easy chairs
    • A47C1/022—Reclining or easy chairs having independently-adjustable supporting parts
    • A47C1/024—Reclining or easy chairs having independently-adjustable supporting parts the parts, being the back-rest, or the back-rest and seat unit, having adjustable and lockable inclination
    • A47C1/026—Reclining or easy chairs having independently-adjustable supporting parts the parts, being the back-rest, or the back-rest and seat unit, having adjustable and lockable inclination by means of peg-and-notch or pawl-and-ratchet mechanism

Definitions

  • the object of the invention is a locking mechanism for synchronous locking back-rest and seat position with respect to foot column, particularly for chairs.
  • Chairs especially those intended for the office work are usually equipped with a mechanism for changing and locking an angle between seat and back-rest and an angle between seat and chair base (which, in office chairs, is usually a foot column).
  • These mechanisms are divided into two categories, depending on the manner of locking: asynchronous mechanisms which enable changing and locking the position of back-rest only or seat only or there are two of those mechanisms in one chair acting independently and synchronous mechanisms which enable simultaneous changing and locking positions of both back-rest and seat of a chair but about different angles of inclination.
  • the mechanism according to the present invention may be applied as an asynchronous mechanisms for locking either a seat or a back-rest of a chair or as an synchronous mechanisms for simultaneous locking both seat and back-rest of a chair.
  • French Patent FR-A-2 365 316 discloses a detent mechanism consisting of a fixed part and a movable part pivotally mounted on the fixed part.
  • the movable part In the movable part there are a plurality of detent elements with cavities constituting a kind of toothed racks, situated in two different surfaces, perpendicular to the pivot axis of movable part and parallel to the longitudinal seat axis and spaced apart symmetrically on either side of this axis.
  • the number of detent elements, which are to be introduced into said cavities is at least equal to the number of surfaces in which the said toothed racks are situated. Pivoting of the adjustment lever causes displacement of the plates connected to the lever and then locking action by introducing a detent element of a plate into a cavity of a toothed rack under pressure of a spring.
  • the mechanism in question contains at least two elements working as toothed racks, and as many detent elements connected to the adjustment lever as toothed racks.
  • the synchronous locking mechanism of back-rest and seat angular position with respect to the foot column consists of a toothed rack, secured to the seat carrier and a detent mechanism, operatively connected with a beam body into which a footing column is placed,
  • the detent mechanism has at least two detent plates.
  • the displacement of the detent plates is forced by a spring system, where position change of this system occurs in stepwise manner, after changing the position of lever actuating the locking system.
  • the change of position of spring system forcing the displacement of detent plates occurs upon displacement of the spring end onto the other side of protrusion limiting the spring position.
  • FIG. 9 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the dented mechanism in the course of locking operation, where fig. I shows the mechanism unlocked; fig. II shows the detent plates ready for actuating the locking operation; fig. III shows meshing the upper detent plate; and fig. 10 is the top plan view of a single detent plate.
  • the locking mechanism determines the relative position of seat carrier 1 with respect to beam body 2 , within whose bush 3 a chair foot column 4 is mounted.
  • seat carrier 1 a trough 5 is formed, in which, by means of fastening plate 6 , a toothed rack 7 is secured in an integral manner.
  • a detent mechanism 8 is situated, comprising two detent plates 9 formed in the shape of rectangle, provided with three rectangular indentations 10 , 11 and 12 identical in both plates.
  • the detent plates 9 are placed in guide-way 13 , formed in beam body 2 .
  • the detent plates 9 are arranged one upon another in such a manner that longer indentation 11 of the upper plate is superimposed upon shorter indentation 12 of the lower plate.
  • the plates 9 are mounted to slide along the beam body axis but their upward movement is prevented by a blocking element 14 .
  • Two springs 19 formed in the shape of not closed, isosceles triangles, are mounted over the detent plates 9 , in a basket 15 , attached by means of fasteners 16 to the gas pressure spring lever 17 .
  • the ends 20 of springs 19 are bent at the angle of 90° with respect to the plane of the triangles, and these ends are mounted into indentations 11 and 12 , respectively, of detent plates 9 .
  • the detent plates 9 are restricted in their movement along the beam body 2 axes by a V-shaped spring 21 , installed transversally to the beam body 2 axes in the trough 5 near foot column 4 .
  • the bending of the spring 21 is placed in a hole 22 , made in the vertical wall of the beam body 2 , and the endings of the spring 21 are placed, respectively: lower ending 23 locked in an aperture 24 made in the bottom part of the beam body 2 , and upper ending 25 is blocked in an indentation 26 of plate 27 , connected integrally to gas pressure spring thrust lever 17 , and the extension of this ending 25 further passes through a hole 28 in the wall of beam body 2 , admitting positions A or B in relation to protrusion 29 limiting the positions of the spring 21 .
  • a lever 31 in the shape of a rod In a wall of the trough 5 of the seat carrier 1 there is a hole 30 in which a lever 31 in the shape of a rod, is mounted, passing through port 32 in plate 27 of gas pressure spring thrust lever 17 and further passing through port 36 in the wall of beam body 2 in which port 36 the lever 31 is locked.
  • a compression spring is installed, for fixing the position of beam body 2 with respect to seat carrier 1 .
  • the beam body 2 other end 34 opposite to spring 33 , is rested upon end of the chair back-rest carrier 35 .
  • the detent mechanism 8 In unlocked state the detent mechanism 8 is situated in position I. Shifting the lever 31 toward the forward portion of the seat causes, through pressure of the lever 31 exerted upon the plate 27 , shifting the gas pressure spring thrust lever 17 and through the pressure of springs 19 exerted upon the detent plates 9 , their shift toward rack 7 .
  • the upper end 25 of the spring 21 located in the aperture 28 changes its position, from position A into position B .
  • the detent mechanism 9 takes position II.
  • any pressure exerted upon the chair back-rest causes a slight pivot movement of the back-rest-carrier 35 about pivot 38 , and a slight lifting of its lower end, and as a consequence, a slight lifting of the end 34 of the beam body 2 with the detent mechanism 8 , in relation to seat carrier 1 and toothed rack 7 .
  • One of the detent plates 9 meets the nearest tooth space of the toothed rack 7 and engages it.
  • the detent mechanism is in position Ill or IV, depending on which detent plate 9 is meshed with the teeth of the rack 7 . Shifting the lever 31 in opposite direction, i.e.
  • a pressure exerted upon the chair back-rest by a sitting person causes a slight lifting of the back-rest carrier end 35 as well as end 34 of the beam body 2 and in consequence, reduction of frictional force created between detent plate 9 and tooth flank of the rack 7 and thus sliding the detent plate 9 out of the engagement with the rack 7 and return the detent mechanism 8 to its initial position I.
  • the locking mechanism according to the invention displays features of stepless regulation, because of the increased number of possible meshing engagements, and in consequence, the increased number of possible positions of the chair seat in respect to foot column as those positions are function not only of quantity of tooth spaces in the rack, but also of quantity of detent plates.
  • a further advantageous feature of the mechanism according to the invention consists of obtaining of so called "anti-shock effect", where a change of position of chair seat and back-rest does not occur directly after shifting the respective lever but after subsequent pressure upon the chair back-rest, for instance, by the back of the sitting person. This avoids any sudden back - rest inclination change which could provoke the unpleasant effect on a sitting person.

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Dentistry (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Chairs Characterized By Structure (AREA)
  • Chair Legs, Seat Parts, And Backrests (AREA)
  • Chairs For Special Purposes, Such As Reclining Chairs (AREA)

Abstract

A synchronous locking mechanism of back-rest and seat angular position with respect to footing column, particularly for chairs, consists of a toothed rack (7) secured integrally to a seat carrier (1) in a trough (5) formed in the seat carrier (1), and of a detent mechanism (8) having at least two detent plates (9) and installed in a beam body (2) in which body a foot column (4) of the chair is mounted. Displacement of the detent plates (9) is actuated by means of a spring system (19) mounted in a basket (15) fastened to the gas pressure spring thrust lever (17). The lever (17) is movable along the beam body (2) axis upon change of position of lever (31). The mechanism features a multiplied number of meshing positions and in consequence, a multiplied locking position with relation to the quantity of tooth spaces of the rack (7). Owing to use of the spring system (19), actuating the displacement of the detent plates (9), the mechanism features anti-shock operation.

Description

The object of the invention is a locking mechanism for synchronous locking back-rest and seat position with respect to foot column, particularly for chairs.
Chairs, especially those intended for the office work are usually equipped with a mechanism for changing and locking an angle between seat and back-rest and an angle between seat and chair base (which, in office chairs, is usually a foot column). These mechanisms are divided into two categories, depending on the manner of locking: asynchronous mechanisms which enable changing and locking the position of back-rest only or seat only or there are two of those mechanisms in one chair acting independently and synchronous mechanisms which enable simultaneous changing and locking positions of both back-rest and seat of a chair but about different angles of inclination. The mechanism according to the present invention may be applied as an asynchronous mechanisms for locking either a seat or a back-rest of a chair or as an synchronous mechanisms for simultaneous locking both seat and back-rest of a chair.
There are many locking mechanisms, known and described in patent documents, and then applied in production practice, serving for locking the angular position of back-rest and/or seat in relation to chair footing. The invention disclosed in US patent No 4.372.611,concerns locking mechanism of back-rest inclination angle with respect to chair seat. In this realisation, a rack is fastened to the chair seat in such a way that the rack can pivot about a fulcrum point, situated on the seat, and the detent element is firmly fastened to the back-rest frame.
The solution known from French Patent FR-A-2 365 316 discloses a detent mechanism consisting of a fixed part and a movable part pivotally mounted on the fixed part. In the movable part there are a plurality of detent elements with cavities constituting a kind of toothed racks, situated in two different surfaces, perpendicular to the pivot axis of movable part and parallel to the longitudinal seat axis and spaced apart symmetrically on either side of this axis. There is an adjustment lever pivotally mounted In the-fixed part at one end of this lever a plate or a plurality of plates are operatively connected, the plates having at their ends detent elements which are to be introduced into cavities of said toothed racks. The number of detent elements, which are to be introduced into said cavities, is at least equal to the number of surfaces in which the said toothed racks are situated. Pivoting of the adjustment lever causes displacement of the plates connected to the lever and then locking action by introducing a detent element of a plate into a cavity of a toothed rack under pressure of a spring.
The mechanism in question contains at least two elements working as toothed racks, and as many detent elements connected to the adjustment lever as toothed racks.
The synchronous locking mechanism of back-rest and seat angular position with respect to the foot column according to this invention consists of a toothed rack, secured to the seat carrier and a detent mechanism, operatively connected with a beam body into which a footing column is placed, The detent mechanism has at least two detent plates. According to one of advantageous embodiment of the invention, the displacement of the detent plates is forced by a spring system, where position change of this system occurs in stepwise manner, after changing the position of lever actuating the locking system. According to yet another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the change of position of spring system forcing the displacement of detent plates occurs upon displacement of the spring end onto the other side of protrusion limiting the spring position.
The object of this invention was shown in the preferred embodiment on the accompanying drawing of which fig. 1 is a top plan view of seat carrier; fig. 2 is an elevation view of seat carrier; fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the seat carrier; fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of the detent mechanism; fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the gas pressure spring thrust lever; fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of beam body; fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken along line A - A on fig. 3; fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken along line B - B on fig. 3; fig. 9 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the dented mechanism in the course of locking operation, where fig. I shows the mechanism unlocked; fig. II shows the detent plates ready for actuating the locking operation; fig. III shows meshing the upper detent plate; and fig. 10 is the top plan view of a single detent plate.
The locking mechanism according to the present invention determines the relative position of seat carrier 1 with respect to beam body 2, within whose bush 3 a chair foot column 4 is mounted. In seat carrier 1 a trough 5 is formed, in which, by means of fastening plate 6, a toothed rack 7 is secured in an integral manner. In the beam body 2, in front of teeth of the rack 7 a detent mechanism 8 is situated, comprising two detent plates 9 formed in the shape of rectangle, provided with three rectangular indentations 10, 11 and 12 identical in both plates. The detent plates 9 are placed in guide-way 13, formed in beam body 2. The detent plates 9 are arranged one upon another in such a manner that longer indentation 11 of the upper plate is superimposed upon shorter indentation 12 of the lower plate. The plates 9 are mounted to slide along the beam body axis but their upward movement is prevented by a blocking element 14. Two springs 19, formed in the shape of not closed, isosceles triangles, are mounted over the detent plates 9, in a basket 15, attached by means of fasteners 16 to the gas pressure spring lever 17. The ends 20 of springs 19 are bent at the angle of 90° with respect to the plane of the triangles, and these ends are mounted into indentations 11 and 12, respectively, of detent plates 9. The detent plates 9 are restricted in their movement along the beam body 2 axes by a V-shaped spring 21, installed transversally to the beam body 2 axes in the trough 5 near foot column 4. The bending of the spring 21 is placed in a hole 22, made in the vertical wall of the beam body 2, and the endings of the spring 21 are placed, respectively: lower ending 23 locked in an aperture 24 made in the bottom part of the beam body 2, and upper ending 25 is blocked in an indentation 26 of plate 27, connected integrally to gas pressure spring thrust lever 17, and the extension of this ending 25 further passes through a hole 28 in the wall of beam body 2, admitting positions A or B in relation to protrusion 29 limiting the positions of the spring 21. In a wall of the trough 5 of the seat carrier 1 there is a hole 30 in which a lever 31 in the shape of a rod, is mounted, passing through port 32 in plate 27 of gas pressure spring thrust lever 17 and further passing through port 36 in the wall of beam body 2 in which port 36 the lever 31 is locked. At the end part of beam body 2, behind the bush 3, opposite to blocking element 14, a compression spring is installed, for fixing the position of beam body 2 with respect to seat carrier 1. The beam body 2 other end 34, opposite to spring 33, is rested upon end of the chair back-rest carrier 35.
In unlocked state the detent mechanism 8 is situated in position I. Shifting the lever 31 toward the forward portion of the seat causes, through pressure of the lever 31 exerted upon the plate 27, shifting the gas pressure spring thrust lever 17 and through the pressure of springs 19 exerted upon the detent plates 9, their shift toward rack 7 .The upper end 25 of the spring 21, located in the aperture 28 changes its position, from position A into position B. The detent mechanism 9 takes position II. In this position, any pressure exerted upon the chair back-rest, for instance by the back of a sitting person, causes a slight pivot movement of the back-rest-carrier 35 about pivot 38, and a slight lifting of its lower end, and as a consequence, a slight lifting of the end 34 of the beam body 2 with the detent mechanism 8, in relation to seat carrier 1 and toothed rack 7. One of the detent plates 9 meets the nearest tooth space of the toothed rack 7 and engages it. The detent mechanism is in position Ill or IV, depending on which detent plate 9 is meshed with the teeth of the rack 7. Shifting the lever 31 in opposite direction, i.e. toward the backward portion of the seat, causes, through pressure exerted upon the plate 27, shifting the thrust lever 17 toward the foot column 4. The upper end 25 of the spring 21 changes its position from position B into position A. The ends 20 of springs 19 exert pressure upon the detent plates 9, but do not disengage them out of mesh with the toothed rack 7, because of frictional engagement between a tooth flank of the rack 7 and the locked detent plate 9. A pressure exerted upon the chair back-rest by a sitting person, causes a slight lifting of the back-rest carrier end 35 as well as end 34 of the beam body 2 and in consequence, reduction of frictional force created between detent plate 9 and tooth flank of the rack 7 and thus sliding the detent plate 9 out of the engagement with the rack 7 and return the detent mechanism 8 to its initial position I.
The locking mechanism according to the invention displays features of stepless regulation, because of the increased number of possible meshing engagements, and in consequence, the increased number of possible positions of the chair seat in respect to foot column as those positions are function not only of quantity of tooth spaces in the rack, but also of quantity of detent plates. A further advantageous feature of the mechanism according to the invention consists of obtaining of so called "anti-shock effect", where a change of position of chair seat and back-rest does not occur directly after shifting the respective lever but after subsequent pressure upon the chair back-rest, for instance, by the back of the sitting person. This avoids any sudden back - rest inclination change which could provoke the unpleasant effect on a sitting person.

Claims (3)

  1. A synchronous locking mechanism of back-rest and seat angular position with respect to foot column, particularly for chairs, consisting of a toothed rack secured to the seat carrier and a detent mechanism connected to a beam body in which the foot column is mounted, characterised by fact, that the detent mechanism (8) comprises at least two detent plates (9).
  2. A mechanism according to claim 1, characterised by fact, that the displacement of the detent plates (9) is actuated by means of a spring system (19), where the change of position of the spring system (19) occurs in step-wise manner, after changing the position of lever (31) actuating the locking system.
  3. A mechanism according to claim 1, characterised by fact, that the position change of the spring system (19) ,actuating the displacement of detent plates (9) occurs upon the displacement of end (25) of spring (21) into opposite side of protrusion (29) limiting the spring (21) position.
EP98960124A 1998-07-25 1998-12-31 Synchronous locking mechanism of back-rest and seat angular position with respect to foot column, particularly for chairs Expired - Lifetime EP1100358B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PL32771498 1998-07-25
PL98327714A PL327714A1 (en) 1998-07-25 1998-07-25 Arresting mechanism for synchronously locking in position the backreast and the seat portion, in particular of a chair, in respect to their column-like support
PCT/PL1998/000053 WO2000005997A1 (en) 1998-07-25 1998-12-31 Synchronous locking mechanism of back-rest and seat angular position with respect to foot column, particularly for chairs

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1100358A1 EP1100358A1 (en) 2001-05-23
EP1100358B1 true EP1100358B1 (en) 2003-08-20

Family

ID=20072523

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP98960124A Expired - Lifetime EP1100358B1 (en) 1998-07-25 1998-12-31 Synchronous locking mechanism of back-rest and seat angular position with respect to foot column, particularly for chairs

Country Status (6)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1100358B1 (en)
AT (1) ATE247401T1 (en)
AU (1) AU1579699A (en)
DE (1) DE69817406D1 (en)
PL (1) PL327714A1 (en)
WO (1) WO2000005997A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
PL333709A1 (en) * 1999-06-11 2000-12-18 Wronski Slawomir Mechanism for adjusting inclination angle of a chair backrest
CN108741857B (en) * 2018-07-02 2023-09-19 佛山职业技术学院 Fully-adjustable backrest chair

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2642739C3 (en) * 1976-09-23 1983-12-22 Christof Stoll Gmbh & Co Kg, 7890 Waldshut Inclination device for seating furniture
US4372611A (en) 1980-11-28 1983-02-08 Coach And Car Equipment Corporation Seat with adjustable back

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69817406D1 (en) 2003-09-25
ATE247401T1 (en) 2003-09-15
PL327714A1 (en) 2000-01-31
WO2000005997A1 (en) 2000-02-10
AU1579699A (en) 2000-02-21
EP1100358A1 (en) 2001-05-23

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