EP1146804B1

EP1146804B1 - A chair arrangement

Info

Publication number: EP1146804B1
Application number: EP00900971A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Peter Opsvik
Original assignee: Peter Opsvik AS
Current assignee: Peter Opsvik AS
Priority date: 1999-01-06
Filing date: 2000-01-03
Publication date: 2004-01-02
Anticipated expiration: 2020-01-03
Also published as: WO2000040121A1; EP1146804A1; AU3083700A; NO990041D0; ATE256985T1; DE60007510D1; DE60007510T2

Abstract

The present invention relates to a chair arrangement comprising a seat (1) and a back rest (2) which together form a chair body (3), and one or more supporting means, e.g. a stand (4), supporting the seat (1) and back rest (2), and for the purpose of providing a chair which provides movement and variation in a new manner it is, according to the invention, suggested that the seat (1) and back rest (2) of the chair body be attached flexibly with respect to each other by means of ropes or similar members (7, 8), and that the seat (1) and back rest (2) also be attached flexibly with respect to the supporting means or stand (4).

Description

Field of the invention and prior art.

The present invention relates to a chair arrangement corresponding to the preamble of claim 1, see US-A- 743 546.

Background of the invention

The human being is not made for sitting still in static furniture. Using the muscles and moving is a fundamental need of the human being, and movement is both healthy and pleasant also when using a chair.
The main purpose of the invention is to provide a chair which inspires movement and variation of the sitting position, and which furthermore can give the user a feeling of floating as compensation for the usually static environment.

Purpose of the invention

A main purpose of the present invention is to provide a new chair which, with respect to the prior art, not only can be used as a tilting chair, but which also can perform rocking and/or swinging movements.
Another purpose of the present invention is to provide directions for a chair arrangement where the chair in a simple manner may be adjusted as regards the tilting and swinging movement depending on the weight and/or size of the user.
A further purpose of the present invention is to provide directions for a chair arrangement where the chair body may be suspended in one or more stationary supporting means, or in a stand which may be moved on a surface, optionally with the aid of rolling means.

Brief description of the invention

These purposes are obtained in a chair arrangement as defined in appended claim 1.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 is a perspective rear view of a first exemplifying embodiment of a chair arrangement according to the invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective side view of the embodiment according to Figure 1, where the user has assumed a backwards leaning sitting position.
Figure 3 is a side view of the embodiment according to Figure 1 where the user has assumed a "neutral" sitting position.
Figure 4 is a perspective side view of the embodiment according to Figure 1 where the user has assumed a forward inclined sitting position.
Figure 5 is a perspective rear view of a further exemplifying embodiment of a chair arrangement according to the invention.

Description of exemplifying embodiments

In Figure 1 a perspective view is shown of an exemplifying embodiment of a chair arrangement according to the invention, comprising a seat 1 and a back rest 2 which together form a chair body 3. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the chair body 3 is supported by a stand 4, here comprising a lower cross-frame 5 which at each of its four end portions 5a, 5b, 5c and 5d carries a supporting column 6a, 6b, 6c and 6d, respectively.
As apparent from Figure 1, the seat 1 and back rest 2 of the chair body are flexibly connected to each other by means of ropes or similar members 7 and 8, while the seat 1 and back rest 2 also are flexibly attached with respect to the stand 4, here with the aid of ropes or similar members 7c and 8c, and 7a and 8a, respectively.
In other words, the seat 1 at its rear portion is flexibly attached to the substantially lower portion of the back rest 2, while the seat 1 at its forward portion is flexibly attached to the stand 4, and while the back rest at its substantially upper portion is flexibly attached to the same stand 4.
As will be appreciated, the seat 1 and back rest 2 may be attached to each other and the stand by means of divided or continuous ropes or similar members.
In the embodiment shown in Figure 1 the seat 1 and the back rest 2 are threaded onto two parallel ropes or similar members, here denoted 7 and 8, respectively, these members extending from their respective forward, alternatively lower portion on the stand 4 to respective rear, alternatively higher portion of the stand 4.
More specifically, in the embodiment of Figure 1, the seat 1 and back rest 2 have been threaded so that the ropes, 7 and 8, respectively, extend partly under or behind a side edge, partly through and over or in front of the side edge, and then through and under or behind the side edge, it all being arranged for subsequent adjustment.
In the embodiment shown in Figure 1 there may be two threadings on either side of the seat 1, while for the back rest there is one threading, here in suitable side portions 2a, 2b extending along the side edges of said back rest 2.
The structure shown in the figure thus comprises a stand or framework 5 resting on a supporting surface, supporting columns 6a-6d which may be removably attached to said stand extending upwards from the four corners 5a-5d of the cross frame 5.
Cords are suspended from the top of said supporting columns 6a-6d and are threaded through plates which connect the seat and back rest to the chair or chair body.
The two rearmost cords are threaded through the back rest 2 in such a manner that it becomes tiltable about its own axis or a suitable transverse axis.
The cords are threaded through holes in the back rest and the seat so that these may both tilt and adapt to the various angles of the back, as apparent from Figures 2-4.
The threading is also done in such a way that the parts constituting the chair body can be adjusted with respect to each other, and particularly, the threading allows a simple adjustment of the back rest in the height direction.
The stand or cross frame 5 has a suitable form providing space for the legs of the user. The chair may be erected from a flat package to finished furniture by mounting the four supporting columns in the four corners of the cross frame 5, the carrying pieces 5a-5d on the foot cross 5 optionally having a conical internal shape adapted to a conical shape of the lower portion of the supporting columns 6a-6d, in order for the supporting columns to be wedged in place by the weight of the person using the chair body.
In Figure 2 a side view of the chair according to Figure 1 is shown where a user 10 has assumed a backwards leaning position with the seat 1 in a substantial horizontal position and with the back rest 2 in a backward inclined position.
Figure 3 shows the user 10 where he assumes a "neutral" position, with the seat 1 still in an approximately horizontal position, but with the back rest 2 in a position which gives the user a normal sitting position.
Figure 4 shows the user 10 in a forward leaning position, where the seat 1 has assumed a pronounced downward sloping position, while the back rest 2 in this case is not used because its flexible connection to the seat 1 no longer hampers the tilting movement of the seat.
Figure 5 shows a variant of the embodiment of Figure 1, where the chair body 103 is suspended in four supporting columns, the rear supporting columns 106a and 106b having longer length than the forward supporting columns 106c and 106d.
It will be understood that other embodiments may be envisioned for the stand than shown herein, for instance an arrangement where the columns are attached in the floor.
Alternatively, the stand carrying the columns may be made stationary or mobile, for instance so light that it may be carried or provided with rolling means.

Claims

A chair arrangement comprising a seat (1) and a back rest (2) which together form a chair body (3), and a supporting means (4), which support the seat (1) and back rest (2), the seat (1) and back rest (2) of the chair body being attached flexibly with respect to each other by means of ropes or similar members (7,8), and the seat (1) and back rest (2) also being attached flexibly to the supporting means (4), characterized in that the supporting means takes the form of a stand (4) that comprises two forward (6c, 6d) and two rear (6a,6b) supporting columns extending upwards, and that the forward portion of the seat (1) and the back rest (2) are suspended in respective pairs of the forward and rear supporting columns.
An arrangement according to claim 1,
characterized in that two or more of the supporting columns (6a-d) at their upper ends are provided with attachment or hooking means for said ropes or similar members (7,8), and that said ropes or similar members may be attached or suspended adjustably therein.
An arrangement according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized in that the upwardly extending supporting columns can be of different length, for instance two higher rear supporting columns (106a,106b) and two lower forward supporting columns (106c,106d).
An arrangement according to one of claims 1-3,
characterized in that the attachment or suspension of said ropes or similar members (7,8) in the stand (4) is such that the chair body may move in all substantially horizontal directions, and that the seat (1) and back rest (2) also may move individually in such directions.
An arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the distance between the forward and rear columns (6c,6d;6a,6b) is larger than the distance between the forward and rear attachment points of the ropes or similar members (7,8) on the seat (1).
An arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the back rest (2) is provided with side portions (2a,2b) which extend outward with respect to the remaining back rest surface and are attached to the ropes or similar members (7,8) in order to permit a tilting movement of the back rest (2) about a suitable transverse axis.
An arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the seat (1) and back rest (2) are threaded onto two parallel ropes or similar members (7,8) which extend from respective forward, optionally lower portion of the stand (4) to respective, rear, optionally higher portion of the stand (4), the threading of the seat (1) and back rest (2) preferably being obtained by each of the ropes (7,8) extending partly under or behind a side edge, partly through and over or in front of the side edge and then through and under or behind the side edge, it all being arranged for subsequent adjustment.
An arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ropes or similar members (7,8) comprise rope, wire, chain etc. made from a suitable material, optionally covered or coated with a further soft material.
An arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the supporting columns (6a-6d) are detachably attached to a base part (5) of the stand (4) in order to permit simple assembly and disassembly of the stand (4) and chair body (3).
An arrangement according to one of claims 1-8,
characterized in that the stand comprises columns fixed in the floor.