EP1596690B1 - Locking device for office chairs and the like - Google Patents

Locking device for office chairs and the like Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1596690B1
EP1596690B1 EP04711436A EP04711436A EP1596690B1 EP 1596690 B1 EP1596690 B1 EP 1596690B1 EP 04711436 A EP04711436 A EP 04711436A EP 04711436 A EP04711436 A EP 04711436A EP 1596690 B1 EP1596690 B1 EP 1596690B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
locking
base unit
engaging portion
previous
locking element
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
EP04711436A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1596690A1 (en
Inventor
Sergio Moreschi
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Cofemo SpA
Original Assignee
Cofemo SpA
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Cofemo SpA filed Critical Cofemo SpA
Publication of EP1596690A1 publication Critical patent/EP1596690A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1596690B1 publication Critical patent/EP1596690B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • 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
    • A47C1/031—Reclining or easy chairs having coupled concurrently adjustable supporting parts
    • A47C1/032—Reclining or easy chairs having coupled concurrently adjustable supporting parts the parts being movably-coupled seat and back-rest
    • A47C1/03255—Reclining or easy chairs having coupled concurrently adjustable supporting parts the parts being movably-coupled seat and back-rest with a central column, e.g. rocking office chairs
    • 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 present invention relates to a locking device for office chairs and the like.
  • office chairs generally present adjustable parts in height and tilt. These chairs might present the back; and sometimes also the seat or the frame, adjustable in tilt in respect to a base unit, for example of a box form, which is connected at the top end of an upright which defines the vertical support of the chair.
  • the connection between the base unit and the upright is realized substantially through a frustum of cone element united to a base' unit and fit to receive the top end of the upright.
  • the locking element is mobile at least between a front resting position which cooperates with the slots and a back resting position in which the swing is permitted.
  • Such locking element is usually operatively associated to the back, but can be also associated to the seat, and in particular, in the asynchronous mechanism, a locking element for the back and one for the seat could be envisaged.
  • the known technique, briefly described above, presents some drawbacks.
  • the known locking devices in fact generally allow the association for each tilt position, of a single locking element in a corresponding seat. This makes it necessary to realize the locking element and the unit which includes the slots in sufficiently resistant material, in order to avoid the risk of a structural failure of the same.
  • Such locking devices can often also become rather cumbersome, and to guarantee the reciprocal receding and advancing of the locking elements and of the slots it is sometimes necessary to opportunely modify the structure of the swinging mechanism with a consequent bigger complication. It has also to be noted that, as in the mechanisms there is a frontal advancing and receding of the locking elements, the force resulting from the contact between such elements has a tangential component which can show a tendency to pull back the locking elements, and can therefore cause the accidental unlocking of the device. Such problematic issues require the necessity of very accurate designing of the locking device, with consequent higher costs of designing and realization of the said device.
  • a locking device for office chairs and the like is globally shown with reference No 1.
  • the locking device 1 is advantageously applicable to a mechanism 2 for an office chair, which includes essentially a base unit 3 fit to engage, through a connecting element 4, to the top end of an upright 5 which defines the vertical support of the chair.
  • On the base unit 3 at least a revolving portion 6 of the chair is hinged in a known way, for example an supporting element 7 of the back.
  • the mechanism 2 includes also an supporting element 8 of a seat of a chair, mounted above the base unit 3.
  • the device 1 is applicable in a manner similar to all the types of known mechanisms, and therefore to mechanisms at "permanent contact", in which the supporting element of the seat is joined to the base unit and the only reclining part is the back, to mechanisms of "synchronous" type, in which the supporting element of the seat is associated in a revolving way to the base unit and to the supporting element of the back to swing proportionally to the swinging of the supporting element of the back and to mechanisms of "swinging" type, in which the element of support of the seat is fixed to the supporting element of the back to swing jointly with the same.
  • the locking device can also be used in mechanisms of "asynchronous" type, in which the supporting element of the seat is associated in a revolving way to the base unit, to swing in an independent way in respect to the base unit.
  • the mechanism includes a second locking device operatively placed between the supporting element of the seat and the base unit.
  • Means of elastic support are usually also foreseen (not shown on the figures), such as a spring, placed between each turning portion in an independent way and the base unit, and therefore at least between the supporting element and base unit.
  • the locking device 1 includes a first locking element 9 having a first portion of engagement 9a mounted on the base unit 3, and a second locking element 10 having a second portion of engagement 10a and mounted on the rotating portion 6.
  • the first engagement portion 9a and the second engagement portion 10a are selectively associable in an active position to lock the rotation of the revolving portion 6 in respect to the base unit 3 and can dissociate in a passive position to unlock such rotation.
  • a contrasting force develops between the two engaging portions 9a , 10a and therefore between the two locking elements 9,10, due to the action created on the mobile portion by the means of elastic support, when the chair is not in use, and by the weight of the user when the chair is used.
  • Such force which has a tangential component to the contact's surfaces of the engaging portions 9a, 10a and a perpendicular component to such surfaces, is due to the rotary action acting in direction 12, on the second element 10, and is inclined to push back the first locking element 9 away from the second locking element 10.
  • the contrasting force therefore lies in the plane in which has been executed the section of figure 2.
  • the displacement between the active and the passive positions occurs along a displacement's direction substantially perpendicular to the contrasting force.
  • such displacement besides is substantially perpendicular also to the tangential components and perpendicular to the contact surfaces between the engaging portions 9a, 10a.
  • the displacement happens perpendicularly to the force which tends to distance the two locking elements 9, 10 and therefore such force cannot separate such elements 9, 10.
  • the direction.of the displacement is shown in figure 1 with the reference number 11.
  • the displacement could be a lateral displacement relative to the first 9a and to the second 10a portion of engagement.
  • lateral displacement it is understood a displacement in a transversal direction and preferably perpendicular to a vertical plane passing centrally on both the first 9 and on the second locking element 10, when these are in active position.
  • the displacement substantially happens perpendicularly to the direction of the frontal distancing between the engaging portions 9a, 10a.
  • the first 9a and second 10a engaging portions are reciprocally faced in correspondence to a contact surface.
  • the displacement between the active position and the passive position takes place along a direction of displacement and shift parallel to the surface of contact.
  • the displacement between the active position and passive position takes place along a direction of movement substantially parallel to the rotating axis 13 of the revolving portion 6.
  • the first locking element 9 is translational in a lateral and parallel way to the surface of the engaging portion 9a to lock selectively the rotation of the revolving portion 6, while the second locking element 10 is fixed to the revolving portion 6.
  • the first locking element 9 consists preferably of a portion of a circular crown entirely toothed and cooperating with the second engaging portion 10a.
  • the teeth are all cooperating contemporarily with the second engaging portion 10a in the operative active position.
  • the second locking element 10 is a wheel, at least partially toothed (figure 1) and therefore provided with a number of resting positions, in which the teeth can be inserted.
  • the wheel is fixed to the revolving portion 6 to rotate jointly with it, according to the direction shown of figures 1 and 2 with number 12, around the axis 13.
  • the first 9 and second 10 locking elements could be provided with corresponding set of teeth having an involute, square and other type profile.
  • FIG 5 is shown an example of a profile for an undercut toothed gear placed on the second element 10 but applicable in an analogue way and counter-shaped on the first element 9, which offers a further advantage to impede a frontal detachment of the locking elements, not requiring the presence of a containing element 21 for the first locking element.
  • the first locking element 9 is provided with stopping elements, for example studs, on a lateral face, extending therefore in the shifting direction 11 of the same first element.
  • the second element 10 is provided with proper stopping seats, such as shaped holes or the like, also these extending in the shifting direction 11 of the first locking element 9 to cooperate with the stopping elements of the first locking element 9.
  • the device 1 includes also operating means 14 operatively connected to the first locking element 9 to execute the locking and unlocking of the device 1.
  • the operating means 14 include a push rod 15 assembled in a revolving way on the base unit 3 and manually actionable, for example through a lever (not illustrated), on which is assembled the first locking element 9 in a translational way.
  • the operating means 14 comprise also cam shaped means 16 operatively associated to the push rod 15 to convert the rotary movement of the push rod 15 in a translational movement of the first locking element 9 along the rod.
  • the cam shaped means 16 include a small pivot 17 integral with and transversal to the push rod 15 and an operating element 18 freely and glidingly associated to the rod and provided with a cam track 19 in which the small pivot 17 is inserted.
  • the cam track 19 is provided with a transferring central portion 19a and of two end portions 19b, 19c, corresponding to the active and passive positions, which are slanted in respect to the transferring central portion 19a in order to prevent the accidental slip of the operating element 18 when the locking is in an active and passive position.
  • the operating means 14 include also an elastic element 20 connecting operatively the first locking element 9 and the second command element 18, to guarantee the functions of pre-selection and anti-shock of the locking.
  • the device 1 includes two first locking elements 9, 9' and two second locking elements 10, 10' assembled on the push rod 15. Such elements are symmetrically positioned on opposite sides of the revolving portion 6 to avoid loss of balance of the revolving portion 6 in locking position and are respectively cooperating to block the rotation of the revolving portion 6.
  • the mechanism 2 includes a device to adjust the height of the chair, which is itself not described as it is a known type.
  • the locking device 1 described above could therefore be applied to any chair having reclining portions, which is usually provided with a back, fixed to the supporting element 7 of the back, of a seat, fixed to an supporting element 8 of the seat, of a vertical upright resting on a base, and eventually of arms for the support of the upper body of the user.
  • the functioning of a locking device, above described in a prevalently structural sense, is the following.
  • the revolving portion can oscillate constrained by the means of elastic support.
  • the push rod 15 is rotated in the direction 22, around the axis 23, to operate the locking, the small pivot 17 runs inside the cam track 19 of the operating element 18, making the same move along the push rod 15 towards the first locking element 9.
  • the elastic element 20 is therefore compressed and pushes the first locking element 9 towards the second locking element 10. If the second locking element 10 is situated with the resting seats in line with the teeth of the first locking element 9, the device 1 goes immediately into active position (figure 3). If that is not the case, the device finds itself in pre-selection, and as soon as the revolving portion 6 is rotated in a proper angular position, the first locking element 9 is pushed together with the second locking element 10 and activates the locking. When one wants to unlock the device 1, one proceeds in the opposite way, rotating the push rod 15 in the opposite direction. The small pivot 17 pushes therefore the operating element 18 in the opposite direction to the first locking element 9, putting in traction the elastic element 20.
  • the first locking element 9 cannot yet shift in respect to the second element 10 and unlock the rotation, but when the weight on the revolving portion 6 is lightened, the first locking element 9 is pulled by the elastic element 20 and the device moves in a passive position. Such functioning is known as anti-collision or anti-shock.
  • the locking device 1 is in an unlocking position, the tilting portion of the chair is free to recline under the weight of the user seated on the chair and the means of elastic support exercise a suitable contrast force.
  • the locking device 1 is in a locking position, the swinging is impeded.
  • the invention achieves important advantages.
  • a locking device according to the present invention offers a good deal of freedom in designing the locking device and of the relative positioning. Besides such device assures a secure locking of the swinging with the result of being particularly compact. Besides it has to be underlined that the locking device for office chairs results in a simple and fast realization.
  • a device according to the present invention presents reduced costs of production and allows also to use materials of relatively little resistance for the locking elements.
  • All the items are replaceable with other technically equivalent elements and in practice all the materials used, and also the dimensions, could be of any type according to the need.

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Dentistry (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Chairs For Special Purposes, Such As Reclining Chairs (AREA)
EP04711436A 2003-02-21 2004-02-16 Locking device for office chairs and the like Expired - Lifetime EP1596690B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ITBS20030016 2003-02-21
IT000016A ITBS20030016A1 (it) 2003-02-21 2003-02-21 Dispositivo di bloccaggio per sedie da ufficio e simili.
PCT/IT2004/000062 WO2004073455A1 (en) 2003-02-21 2004-02-16 Locking device for office chairs and the like

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1596690A1 EP1596690A1 (en) 2005-11-23
EP1596690B1 true EP1596690B1 (en) 2007-01-17

Family

ID=32894147

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP04711436A Expired - Lifetime EP1596690B1 (en) 2003-02-21 2004-02-16 Locking device for office chairs and the like

Country Status (7)

Country Link
US (1) US20060290185A1 (it)
EP (1) EP1596690B1 (it)
CN (1) CN1750776A (it)
CA (1) CA2516778A1 (it)
DE (1) DE602004004372T2 (it)
IT (1) ITBS20030016A1 (it)
WO (1) WO2004073455A1 (it)

Families Citing this family (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ITMI20070718A1 (it) * 2007-04-06 2008-10-07 L & P Property Management Co Dispositivo di regolazione per sedie regolabili e simili.
ITMI20070719A1 (it) * 2007-04-06 2008-10-07 L & P Property Management Co Dispositivo di inclinazione per un sedile reclinabile.
US8960600B2 (en) * 2010-02-08 2015-02-24 Raymond George Carreker Variable surface landing platform (VARSLAP)
CN105078049A (zh) * 2012-04-30 2015-11-25 茹朝贵 气撑锁定装置
CN106913098A (zh) * 2017-04-19 2017-07-04 苏州圣艺文体用品有限公司 一种便于调节高度的椅子
CN114344492B (zh) * 2022-01-08 2024-02-02 深圳市深鸿涛贸易有限公司 一种骨科医疗器材表层高温微生物处理设备

Family Cites Families (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2296212A (en) * 1940-07-24 1942-09-15 Kluglein Theobald Treatment chair
US2738829A (en) * 1951-11-17 1956-03-20 Lockheed Aircraft Corp Reversible and berthable seat
CH327215A (it) * 1954-09-14 1958-01-31 Borsani Osvaldo Sedile
US2777504A (en) * 1955-10-24 1957-01-15 Rockwell Spring & Axle Co Automatic latching means for back rests
GB1042181A (en) * 1963-03-01 1966-09-14 Carl Robert Hammerstein Hinge connection between seat and back rest, particularly for car seats
US3302970A (en) * 1965-04-05 1967-02-07 Rizzato Francesco Cesare Lockable joint device for a cycle saddle mounted on an orientable saddleholder
DE1902670C3 (de) * 1968-02-01 1975-11-27 Gerdi Kerstholt Geb. Spaeth Sitz mit einstellbarem Sitzteil und einstellbarer Rückenlehne
US4008920A (en) * 1976-02-23 1977-02-22 Uop Inc. Seat back adjuster
US4125288A (en) * 1977-09-14 1978-11-14 Hunter George T Reclining seat
US4231612A (en) * 1978-09-01 1980-11-04 Questor Corporation Baby carrier and car seat
JP3436501B2 (ja) * 1999-02-03 2003-08-11 向陽技研株式会社 角度調整具
US6598936B1 (en) * 2001-04-11 2003-07-29 Michael N. Klein Multi-task mid-pivot chair control mechanism

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ITBS20030016A1 (it) 2004-08-22
US20060290185A1 (en) 2006-12-28
CN1750776A (zh) 2006-03-22
DE602004004372T2 (de) 2007-08-23
DE602004004372D1 (de) 2007-03-08
CA2516778A1 (en) 2004-09-02
WO2004073455A1 (en) 2004-09-02
EP1596690A1 (en) 2005-11-23

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