EP1454566B1 - Chair, particularly office chair - Google Patents

Abstract

The chair is equipped with a seat carrying construction assembled of a swivel mounted front (6) and rear part. The seat can be adjusted regarding its level of inclination with a spring (27, 28), adjustable in length and swivel mounted between front (6) and rear part. The distance between the spring (27, 28) and the swivel axle is controlled with a rotating handle (42). The handle (42) is joined with a coupling element (39,40) designed as a bevel gear unit to the control device (36) resulting of the axles of the handle (42) and the control device (36) forming an angle.

Description

The invention relates to a chair, in particular an office chair, according to the preamble of claim 1.

Such a chair is known by public prior use see US 2002/0190555 A. An adjustment of the seat angle is carried out by a guided out of the seat support down handwheel. To make a seat tilt adjustment, the user has to get off the chair, which is awkward.

The invention has the object of developing a chair of the generic type such that an adjustment of the seat angle of the chair is possible in a simpler manner.

This object is achieved by the features in the characterizing part of claim 1.

The gist of the invention is to provide, between the actuator and the tilt actuator handle, a clutch member which permits the transmission of torque from the actuator handle to the actuator without the need for the axis of rotation of the adjusting element is aligned with that of the actuating rotary handle. This leads to a greater freedom in the design of the tilt-actuated rotary handle, so that it can be made more accessible to the user, especially when sitting accessible. The coupling element can be designed in particular so that adjusting element arrangements of existing chair structures can be completed in a structurally simple manner.

Coupling elements according to claim 2 or 3 also allow the secure transmission of relatively large transmission forces.

In one embodiment of the coupling element according to claim 4, mechanical components of already known chair designs can be adopted virtually without modification.

A coupling element with a flexible shaft according to claim 5 is particularly simple.

An actuating rotary handle according to claim 6 is also accessible while sitting.

A control element according to claim 7 is structurally inexpensive.

Fig. 1

einen Stuhl in perspektivischer Gesamtdarstellung,

Fig. 2

eine teilweise geschnittene Draufsicht auf einen Sitzträger des Stuhles nach Fig. 1,

Fig. 3

eine zur Fig. 2 ähnliche, unterbrochene und nicht geschnittene Draufsicht auf den Sitzträger,

Fig. 4

einen Schnitt gemäß Linie IV-IV in Fig. 2,

Fig. 5

einen Schnitt gemäß Linie V-V in Fig. 2 in einer im Vergleich zu Fig. 4 weiter herausgedrehten Position einer Stellschraube,

Fig. 6

eine zu Fig. 3 ähnliche Draufsicht auf den Sitzträger, welche einen anderen Abschnitt von diesem zeigt,

Fig. 7

einen Schnitt gemäß Linie VII-VII in Fig. 6,

Fig. 8

einen zur Fig. 7 ähnlichen Schnitt in einer anderen Relativstellung zweier Sitzträgerteile des Stuhls,

Fig. 9

eine zur Fig. 2 ähnliche Draufsicht auf einen Sitzträger eines alternativen Stuhls,

Fig. 10

einen Schnitt gemäß Linie X-X in Fig. 9 und

Fig. 11

einen Schnitt gemäß Linie XI-XI in Fig. 10.

An embodiment of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing. It shows

Fig. 1

a chair in perspective overall view,

Fig. 2

1 is a partially sectioned plan view of a seat support of the chair of FIG. 1,

Fig. 3

a similar to FIG. 2, broken and not cut plan view of the seat support,

Fig. 4

a section along line IV-IV in Fig. 2,

Fig. 5

3 shows a section according to line VV in FIG. 2 in a position of a set screw that is further rotated in comparison to FIG. 4,

Fig. 6

3 is a plan view similar to FIG. 3 of the seat support, showing another portion thereof,

Fig. 7

a section along the line VII-VII in Fig. 6,

Fig. 8

7 similar section in another relative position of two seat support parts of the chair,

Fig. 9

2 similar to a plan view of a seat support of an alternative chair,

Fig. 10

a section along line XX in Fig. 9 and

Fig. 11

a section along line XI-XI in Fig. 10.

Fig. 1 shows an office chair with a chair frame 1. This is provided with a pedestal 2, which is supported by rollers 3 with respect to the ground. On the pedestal 2, a height-adjustable chair column 4 is attached, at whose upper end a seat support 5 is attached. The latter is designed in two parts; it has a front seat support part 6, which is mounted on the chair column 4, and a rear seat support part 7, which is articulated above the chair column 4 by means of a pivotable about a pivot axis 8 pivot joint on the front seat support part 6. In the front region of the front seat support part 6, a support tube 9 is fixed, which extends parallel to the pivot axis 8. On this support tube 9 is based Seat 10 shortly behind its leading edge 11 from. The support tube 9 therefore represents a front support section for the seat 10. The seat 10 is supported in its rear region on a support shaft 12, which is mounted in the rear seat support part 7. The support shaft 12 therefore constitutes a rear support portion for the seat 10. At the rear seat support portion 7, a seat tilt adjustment device 13 is further arranged.

Integral with the rear seat support member 7 is a towering from this backrest support 14 is formed on which a backrest 15 is mounted. In order to adjust their height relative to the seat 10, a backrest height adjustment device 16 is provided.

The described embodiment of the seat support 5 with the arrangement of the seat 10 and the backrest 15 forms a so-called synchronous mechanism. In order to be able to change the forces to be overcome during adjustment or when rocking by a user, a force varying device, generally designated 17, is provided, which will be explained in more detail below. Part of the force-changing device 17 is an over the front seat support member 6 downwardly projecting adjusting nut 18, of which in Fig. 1, a freely rotatable cap 19 is visible.

Adjacent to the front edge 11 of the seat 10 on the outer ends of the support tube 9 armrests 20 are attached. Of these, only one can be seen in the side view of FIG. 1.

The chair column 4 has for adjusting the height of the seat support 5 with the seat 10 and the backrest 15 a known length-adjustable gas spring 21, which is shown in Fig. 3 in plan. The gas spring 21 is in a clamping device 22 formed as a cone of the front seat support part. 6 held clamped. From the gas spring 21 protrudes upwards a valve actuating pin 23, at its insertion into the gas spring 21 there existing valve is opened, whereby length adjustments of the gas spring 21 are possible. Such gas springs are shown and described, for example, in DE 18 12 282 C2 (corresponding to US Pat. No. 3,656,593). For actuating the valve actuating pin 23, a two-armed valve actuating lever 24 is provided, which is pivotally supported against the pivot axis 8, as described for example in DE 43 24 545 A1. A first lever arm 25 of the valve actuating lever 24 bears against the valve actuating pin 23, while the second lever arm 26 can be actuated via a lever mechanism known from DE 43 24 545 A1.

A pivoting of the rear seat support part 7 relative to the front seat support part 6 of the synchronous mechanism counteracts an energy storage 27, which in the illustrated embodiment is a prestressed helical compression spring 28. This is based on a shown in particular in FIGS. 2 and 5 pivotable abutment 29 against the front seat support member 6 in one of the leading edge 11 of the seat 10 adjacent area from this. For this purpose, the energy accumulator 27 on a helical compression spring 28 passing through guide rod 30. With its other end, the helical compression spring 28 is supported against a sliding block 31 of the force variation device 17. The sliding shoe 31 in turn abuts against a sliding surface 32 which is formed on a first, short lever arm 33 of the rear seat support part 7. The lever arm 33 is formed integrally with the rear seat support part 7 and extends from the pivot axis 8 from substantially downwards. Geometrically, the rear seat support part 7 is formed as an angle lever. On the guide rod 30 of the slide shoe 31 along the helical compression spring 28 movable. At a the abutment 29 opposite adjusting portion 34 of the guide rod 30 engages the force changing device 17 at. An adjoining the adjusting portion 34 connecting portion 35 of the guide rod 30 passes through the first lever arm 33 of the rear seat support member 7. Compared to the screw compression spring 28 passing portion of the guide rod 30, the connecting portion 35 is angled towards the rear seat support member 7. The adjusting portion 34 of the guide rod 30 is therefore bent to the rear seat support member 7 and adjacent to the seat support 5.

Part of the force variation device 17 is an adjusting screw 36, which is pivotally connected to the adjusting section 34 of the guide rod 30 via a pivot joint with a pivot axis 37.

The distance between the pivot axis 8 between the seat support parts 6, 7 on the one hand and the central axis of the helical compression spring 28 on the other hand is designated in Fig. 5 with a.

The adjusting screw 36 engages in the adjusting nut 18, which is rotatably mounted in a lower wall 38 of the front seat support member 6, but immovably in the direction of the screw 36. At the end opposite the cap 19, the adjusting nut 18 has a straight-toothed conical section 39. In the sprocket of this engages a likewise straight toothed conical portion 40 of an end portion 41 of an actuating rotary handle 42 a. The two cone sections 39, 40 thus form a straight-toothed bevel gear. A rotation axis 43 of the adjusting screw 36 and a rotation axis 44 of the actuating rotary handle 42 are not aligned with each other, but intersect and close together a right Angle. The end portion 41 is rotatable in a side wall 45 of the front seat support member 6, but axially mounted to the rotational axis 44 of the actuating rotary handle 42 immovably.

The free end of the actuating rotary handle 42 is formed as an oval handle 46 with recessed grips 47. The handle 46 has a central bore 48 which is closed at the free end of the handle 46 by a depressed cap 49. Inserted into the bore is a connecting screw 50 which supports the handle 46 at the end portion 41 of the actuating knob 42.

Upon rotation of the actuating rotary handle 42, this rotation is transferred via the intermeshing cone sections 39, 40 into an axial adjusting movement of the adjusting screw 36 along the axis of rotation 43. The cone sections 39, 40 therefore represent a coupling element, via which the actuating rotary handle 42 is connected to the adjusting screw 36 as a control element. Upon rotation of the actuating rotary handle 42, the guide rod 30 is therefore pivoted about the pivot joint with the pivot axis 37 about the pivot joint of the abutment 29. The sliding shoe 31 is thereby displaced on the sliding surface 32 of the first lever arm 33, whereby the distance a of the axis of the energy accumulator 27 from the pivot axis 8 changes. Since the sliding surface 32 is at least approximately on a circular arc portion whose center is formed above the axis of the pivot joint of the abutment 29, a distance b between the pivot axis of the abutment 29 and the penetration of the axis of the energy storage device changes with a rotation of the actuating rotary handle 42 27 by the sliding surface 32 only slightly. Therefore, in such adjustments, the bias of the coil compression spring 28 practically does not change. By the above-described slight decentering of Sliding surface 32 for the pivot joint formed by the abutment 29 is achieved that at the set screw 36 always mediated by the helical compression spring 28 traction. As a result, the adjusting screw 36 in the adjusting nut 18 is always guided in such a manner that the thread flanks of the thread of the adjusting screw 36 resting on top in FIG. 5 bear against the corresponding thread flanks of the internal thread of the adjusting nut 18.

The force acting on the first lever arm 33 of the rear seat support part 7 by the helical compression spring 28 is thus not changed; it is only by changing the distance a between the axis of the energy storage 27 and the pivot axis 8 of the effective lever arm, that is, the total acting of the helical compression spring 28 on the rear seat support member 7 and thus on the seat 10 and the backrest 15 torque changed. This torque is the smaller, the smaller the distance a and vice versa. The adjusting forces to be applied to the actuating rotary handle 42 over the entire adjustment path of the sliding block 31 can be kept constant since frictional forces between the sliding block 31 and the sliding surface 32 and also the actuating forces of the mechanical coupling between the guide rod 30 and the actuating rotary handle 42 are virtually non-existent to change.

In order to turn off the joint pivoting of the seat 10 and the backrest 15 in the synchronous mechanism against the force of the coil compression spring 28, a locking device 50 shown in Figs. 6 to 8 is provided. The locking device 50 comprises a bolt 51, which is articulated on the front seat support part 6 about a pivot joint with a pivot axis 52 pivotally. The pivot axis 52 substantially coincides with that of the abutment 29 together. At its free end facing away from the pivot axis 52, the bolt 51 has a horizontally arranged locking bolt 53, which is secured to the bolt 51 and passes through it in such a way that it protrudes on both sides beyond the bolt 51 in the horizontal direction.

Part of the locking device 50 is a cooperating with the bolt 51 counter-body 54. This is articulated on the front seat support member 6 about a pivot joint pivot axis 55 pivotally. The pivot axes 52, 55 are spaced apart and parallel. The counter body 54 has two mutually spaced, parallel, vertical and perpendicular to the pivot axis 55 arranged plates 56. These have a rough approximation of a triangular shape, wherein the pivot axis 55 opposite side as a bar peripheral portion 57 approximately located on a circular arc portion whose center is formed by the pivot axis 55.

In the bolt peripheral portion 57 of the plates 56 each have four substantially semicircular latch receptacles 58 are formed, wherein two bolt receptacles in each case one of the plates 56 are aligned in pairs with each other. The width of the bolt receptacles 58 is complementary to the locking bolt 53 of the bolt 51 dimensioned such that the locking bolt 53 can engage substantially without play in a pair of bolt receptacles 58. This engagement of the locking bolt 53 in the bolt receptacles 58 takes place such that in each case one of the two free ends of the locking bolt 53 engages in one of the two bolt receptacles 58 of the corresponding pair of bolt receptacles 58.

About a pivot joint with pivot axis 59, a connecting member 60 is articulated on the counter body 54 as a coupling element. The pivot axes 55 and 59 are spaced apart and parallel. About a further pivot joint with pivot axis 61, the connecting member 60 is articulated on the first, short lever arm 33 of the rear seat support part 7. The pivot axis 61 is in this case parallel to the pivot axes 8 and 59 and spaced therefrom.

Via a coupling pin 62, which is fastened by means of a support bracket on the front seat support part 6, the latch 51 can be actuated by means of a led out laterally from the support tube 9 operating handle 63, which is shown in Fig. 1.

FIG. 7 shows the locking device 50 in a position in which the locking bolt 53 is associated with the bolt receptacle 58 shown farthest left in the side view of FIGS. 7 and 8. In this position, the rear seat support member 7 is with the backrest support 14 in the most upright position.

8 shows the locking device 50 in a position in which the locking bolt 53 is associated with the locking receptacle 58 shown on the right-most side in FIGS. 7 and 8. In this position, the rear seat support member 7 is inclined with the backrest support 14 farthest back to a lying position.

Since the distance between the pivot axes 8 and 61 is greater than that between the pivot axes 55 and 59, a pivoting of the rear seat support part 7 about the pivot axis 8 results in a ratio of these distances greater pivoting of the counter body 54 about the pivot axis 55. The connecting member 60 therefore acts as a mechanical translation member, which is the pivoting of the counter body 54 translated in relation to the pivoting of the rear seat support part 7.

Normally, the locking device 50 is out of operation, so that a synchronous relative movement between the seat support parts 6, 7 is possible. If the user overrides the synchronous mechanism, ie, wants to lock the seat support parts 6, 7 against each other, he brings first by appropriate pressure on the backrest 15 and thus on the backrest support 14 on the rear seat support part 7 latter in a desired relative position Next, the user actuates the operating handle 63 and moves the latch bolt 53 toward the latch peripheral portion 57. The locking bolt 53 then comes either immediately with its adjacent bolt receptacle 58 into engagement or the user performs a fine adjustment of the seat support parts 6, 7 to each other by appropriate pressure on the backrest 15 until the locking bolt 53 engages in the corresponding pair of bolt receptacles 58. As soon as this is done, the synchronous mechanism is locked in the desired relative position of the seat support parts 6, 7 to each other. The connecting member 60 ensures by its translation function here that despite the not too small distance of the bolt receptacles 58 in the circumferential direction of the bolt peripheral portion 57 to each other a fine gradation discrete relative positions of the seat support parts 6, 7 is given.

FIGS. 5 to 8 and FIGS. 10 and 11 show details of the seat reclining device 13. The height of the support shaft 12 on which the rear region of the seat is supported is adjustable for seat tilt adjustment. The support shaft 12 is for this purpose supported by a first lever arm 70 of a Neigungsverstellhebels 71, which is parallel to a pivot axis 8 Swivel axis 72 is pivotable. At a second lever arm 73, a tilting adjusting screw 75 is articulated via a pivot joint with also pivot axis 8, which is also parallel to the pivot axis 8. This is axially displaceable and rotatably mounted. The inclination adjusting screw 75 engages in a tilt adjusting nut 76, which is rotatably mounted in a lower wall 77 of the rear seat support member 7, but immovable in the direction of the inclination adjusting screw 75. At the opposite end of the pivot axis 74, the tilt adjusting nut 76 has a straight toothed conical section 78. In the ring gear of this engages a likewise straight-toothed conical portion 79 of an end portion 80 of a tilt-actuated rotary handle 81 a. The two conical sections 78, 79 thus form a straight-toothed bevel gear. An axis of rotation 82 of the adjusting screw 75 and an axis of rotation 83 of the tilt-actuating rotary handle 81 are not aligned with each other, but intersect and enclose a right angle with each other. The axes of rotation 44 and 83 of the operating knobs 42 and 81, which project beyond the seat support 5 on the same side, are parallel to each other. The end portion 80 is rotatably supported in a side wall 84 of a housing 85 which is fixed to the rear seat support member 7, but immovably axially to the rotation axis 83 of the tilt-actuating rotary handle 81.

The free end of the tilt-actuating rotary handle 81 is like that of the actuating rotary handle 42 configured as an oval handle 46 so that reference can be made to the relevant description of the actuating rotary handle 42.

Upon rotation of the tilt-actuating rotary handle 81, this rotation is transferred via the intermeshing cone sections 78, 79 into an axial adjusting movement of the adjusting screw 75 along the axis of rotation 82.

The conical sections 78, 79 therefore represent a coupling element, via which the inclination actuating rotary handle 81 is connected to the adjusting screw 75 as a setting element. Upon rotation of the tilt-actuating rotary handle 81, therefore, the tilt-adjusting lever 71 is pivoted about the pivot axis 72 via the pivot joint with the pivot axis 74. As a result, the height of the support shaft 12 is adjusted above the ground and thus the inclination of the seat 10. The higher the support axis 12 is set, the stronger the seat 10 is inclined in the direction of its front edge 11 downwards.

In a further embodiment, not shown, a mechanical coupling of the rotational movements of the actuating rotary handle 42 about the rotation axis 44 on the one hand and the adjusting screw 36 about the rotation axis 43 on the other hand not by a bevel gear, but by a flexible shaft, in particular a spring shaft. Such flexible shafts for power transmission are known. With such a flexible shaft can also be a mechanical coupling of the rotational movements of the tilt-actuating rotary handle 81 about the axis of rotation 83 on the one hand and the adjusting screw 75 about the axis of rotation 82 on the other hand.

Claims (7)

1. Chair, in particular office chair,

   - having a stand (2),

   - having a seat carrier (5) supported thereon by means of a chair upright (4),

   - having a seat (10) supported on the seat carrier (5) at at least two spaced-apart bearing sections (9, 12),

   - having a backrest (15) fastened on the seat carrier (5),

   - having an adjusting element (75) which can be rotated about an adjusting-element axis of rotation (82) and is intended for changing the height of at least one of the bearing sections (9, 12), and

   - having a rotary actuating handle (81) which is connected to the adjusting element (75), can be rotated about a rotary-handle axis of rotation (83) and is intended for actuating the adjusting element (75), it being the case that

   - the rotary actuating handle (81) is connected to the adjusting element (75) via a coupling element (76, 78, 79) in order for the rotary actuating movement to be transmitted into an adjusting movement,

   - the adjusting-element axis of rotation (82) and the rotary-handle axis of rotation (83) are not in alignment with one another.
2. Chair according to Claim 1, characterized in that the coupling element (76, 78, 79) comprises a deflecting gear mechanism (78, 79).
3. Chair according to Claim 2, characterized in that the deflecting gear mechanism (78, 79) is a bevel gear mechanism which, in particular, has straight teeth.
4. Chair according to Claim 3, characterized in that a bevel wheel (78) of the bevel gear mechanism (78, 79) has an internal thread, in which a complementary external thread of a further coupling component of the coupling element (76, 78, 79), in particular of the adjusting element (75), engages.
5. Chair according to Claim 1, characterized in that the coupling element is designed as a flexible shaft, in particular as a spring-mounted shaft.
6. Chair according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the rotary actuating handle (81) is guided laterally out of a seat-carrier part (7).
7. Chair according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the adjusting element (75) is designed as an adjusting screw.

Images