EP2983561B1

EP2983561B1 - Mechanical subassembly for a chair and chair having such a mechanical subassembly

Info

Publication number: EP2983561B1
Application number: EP14714739.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Johann Burkhard Schmitz; Carola Zwick; Roland Zwick
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-04-08
Filing date: 2014-04-03
Publication date: 2017-05-31
Anticipated expiration: 2034-04-03
Also published as: WO2014166808A1; EP2983561A1; DE102013005861A1

Description

The invention relates to a mechanical subassembly for a chair and a chair having such a mechanical subassembly. DE 33 35 463 A1 discloses a mechanical subassembly for a chair to which a base element, a back element and a seat element can be articulated, and the mechanical subassembly comprising a housing lower portion which can be connected to the base element. WO 2007/110732 A1 discloses a further mechanical subassembly for a chair. An object of the invention is to propose a mechanical subassembly for a chair and a chair having such a mechanical subassembly, a simple and time-saving assembly of the mechanical subassembly being enabled by means of the construction of the mechanical subassembly.
This object is achieved based on the features of the preamble of Claim 1 or 13 by the characterizing features of Claim 1 or 13, respectively. Advantageous and expedient developments are set out in the dependent claims.
The mechanical subassembly according to the invention comprises a pivot arm which can be connected to the seat element and a back connection which can be connected to the back element, the pivot arm and the back connection being pivotably articulated to the housing lower portion, the pivot arm being able to be coupled to the back connection by means of the seat element, the mechanical subassembly further comprising a cartridge which can be inserted into the housing lower portion and at least one leaf spring, the mechanical subassembly further having as integral components which are connected to the cartridge at least one adjustable support and an adjustment mechanism for the support, the cartridge comprising at least one travel path, the support being guided on at least one of the travel paths formed on the cartridge and the adjustment mechanism which moves the support being supported on the cartridge and the leaf spring being fixed with a first end region in a receiving member in the housing lower portion, resting with a central region on the support and supporting the back connection with a second end region in such a manner that the leaf spring is bent over the support. Owing to the use of a cartridge which carries the integral components, a step-by-step assembly of the mechanical subassembly is facilitated since the cartridge can be inserted together with the integral components in the housing lower portion. The central notion of the invention is the use of a carrier component which is referred to as a cartridge and which in a state released from the housing lower portion and released from the pivot arm and the back connection enables the preassembly of a plurality of components of the mechanical subassembly and consequently also structurally simplifies the housing lower portion since only a few attachments have to be secured thereto.
There is further provision for the cartridge to be connected to the housing lower portion by means of at least one connection means. A reliable retention between the housing lower portion and the integral components secured to the cartridge is also thereby ensured. The cartridge is preferably constructed as a plastics member. A plastics member enables screwing of integral components at any locations. As connection means for securing the cartridge to the housing lower portion, a pin or a screw is in particular provided, there also being provision for the pin to additionally act as a stop or a path delimiter for the back connection.
There is further provision for the housing lower portion to be constructed as a trough, this trough comprising at least three side walls and the cartridge being arranged in a recess formed by the trough. Owing to such an adaptation of the housing lower portion to the trough, a reliable support of the cartridge in the trough is ensured so that the connection means which connect(s) the cartridge and the housing lower portion have to absorb fewer loads.
There is also provision for the mechanical subassembly to be provided with a housing upper portion, the housing upper portion forming with the housing lower portion a receiving space in which the cartridge, the at least one leaf spring and the integral components are received. The integral components which are located in the receiving space are thereby arranged in a protected manner.
There is further provision for the travel path to be formed on a surface of the cartridge. It is thereby possible to dispense with an additional component which forms the travel path. When the cartridge is constructed as a plastics component, the travel path which is constructed on the cartridge has a low friction resistance for the support which is guided on the travel path.
When a plurality of travel paths are constructed, there is provision either for the support to be adapted to one of the travel paths or to a plurality of identical travel paths. When the support is adapted to only one of the travel paths, it is possible to arrange different travel paths on one and the same cartridge and, depending on the type of chair to be produced, to use a support which is adapted to the suitable travel path. Alternatively, it is also possible to use a support which is constructed in such a manner that it can be positioned on different travel paths by means of lateral displacement or by being turned. The association of a support with a plurality of identical travel paths leads to a particularly reliable guiding of the support in the displacement directions.
According to the invention, different travel paths are intended to be understood to be travel paths which have different pitches on comparable travel path portions. That is to say, different travel paths are travel paths which have different height profiles when viewed laterally.
According to a construction variant, there is provision for the individual travel path to be constructed as a channel which extends in the movement direction of the support. In this instance, a base of the channel forms the height profile, which controls the support. Alternatively, there is also provision for the height profile to be formed by means of an edge region which surrounds the channel.
The support is constructed in such a manner that it comprises at least one contact means which, in the various positions which the support can take up, is in contact with the travel path. In this instance, the contact means is constructed in particular as a sliding block which is adapted to a channel which forms the travel path. Owing to such a positive-locking cooperation between the support and travel path, a particularly reliable linear guiding of the support is achieved.
As already mentioned above, owing to the guiding of the support on travel paths which are constructed differently, different resilient characteristics of the mechanical subassembly can be produced so that the mechanical subassembly can be adapted in accordance with the height profile of the travel path used to various requirements. Such an adaptation is provided in particular when the mechanical subassembly is used for various chair types or is intended to be adapted to a group of people having particularly light or particularly heavy people.
In order to produce various travel paths on the mechanical subassembly, there is also provision for the individual travel path to be constructed as a travel path insert, the cartridge, for receiving such a travel path insert, having an assembly portion. The assembly portion is constructed in this instance in particular as a channel, in which the travel path insert can be inserted. Such a structural type affords the advantage that the cartridge can be provided with an extremely wide variety of travel path inserts in unchanged form.
The invention also relates to a system for adapting the resilient characteristic of a mechanical subassembly, which is characterized in that the mechanical subassembly comprises at least one support and a plurality of travel paths having different height profiles for the support, the support being able to be combined with different travel paths by being transposed or turned, or which is characterized in that a travel path having a first height profile can be replaced with a travel path having a second height profile which is different from the first height profile.
Other details of the invention are described in the drawing with reference to schematically illustrated embodiments.
In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side view of a mechanical subassembly according to the invention which is completed by a base element, a seat element and a backrest to form a complete chair;
Figure 2 is a plan view of the housing lower portion of the mechanical subassembly shown in Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a plan view of the housing lower portion shown in Figure 2 with the cartridge inserted;
Figures 4 and 5 are schematic illustrations of various positions of a support which is guided on cartridges with various travel paths;
Figure 6 is a side view of the mechanical subassembly shown in Figure 1, a housing upper portion of the mechanical subassembly also being shown;
Figure 7 is a plan view of an alternative construction variant of a mechanical subassembly;
Figure 8 is a sectioned side view of a travel path insert for the cartridge shown in Figure 7;
Figure 9 is another plan view of the mechanical subassembly shown in Figure 7 with travel path inserts inserted and the support turned.

Figure 1 illustrates a schematic side view of a chair 1, which comprises a mechanical subassembly 2. The chair 1 comprises a base element 3, a back element 4 and a seat element 5. The mechanical subassembly 2 comprises a housing lower portion 6, a pivot arm 7 and a back connection 8. In this instance, the base element 3 is connected to the housing lower portion 6 and carries it. Furthermore, the back element 4 is articulated to the housing lower portion 6 by means of the back connection 8 and the seat element 5 is further articulated to the housing lower portion 6 by means of the pivot arm 7. The pivot arm 7 is connected to the housing lower portion 6 so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis S7 and the back connection 8 is connected to the housing lower portion 6 so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis S8. The seat element 5 is connected to the pivot arm 7 so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis S57. Furthermore, the seat element 5 is connected to the back connection 8 so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis S58. The mechanical subassembly 2 further comprises a cartridge 9 which can be inserted into the housing lower portion 6 and two leaf springs 10, 11, the leaf spring 11 being completely covered by the leaf spring 10 in the illustration shown in Figure 1. As integral components 12 which are connected to the cartridge 9, the mechanical subassembly 2 further comprises two supports 13, 14 and an adjustment mechanism 15 which acts on both supports 13, 14. In this instance, the second support 14 is completely covered by the first support 13 in the side view shown in Figure 1. The cartridge 9 further comprises as integral components 12 four travel paths 16 to 19, for the two supports 13, 14. With respect to the travel paths 16 to 19, reference is also made to Figure 3, in which the mechanical subassembly 2 is illustrated as a plan view. The two leaf springs 10, 11 are retained with first end regions 10a, 11a in receiving members 20, 21, which are formed on the housing lower portion 6. In a central region 10b, 11b, the two leaf springs 10, 11 rest on the associated supports 13 or 14, respectively. With a second end region 10c, 11c, the two leaf springs 10, 11 support the back connection 8. The back connection 8 rests with stops 22, 23 on upper sides 10d, 11d of the leaf springs 10, 11 and is consequently supported on the leaf springs 10, 11. The supports 13, 14 can be moved together under the leaf springs 10, 11 in movement directions x or x' so that a force F with which the leaf springs 10, 11 counteract a load transmitted by the back connection 8 can be changed. In order to displace the supports 13, 14, the adjustment mechanism 15 is driven by a drive device 24. To this end, the drive device 24 comprises a hand wheel 25 and a shaft 26 which is connected to the hand wheel 25 and which is connected to a spindle 27 of the adjustment mechanism 15. In addition to the spindle 27, the adjustment mechanism 15 comprises two bearing blocks 28, 29 which are connected to the cartridge 9 and a carrier 30. In this instance, the carrier 30 is secured to the cartridge 9 against rotation and, dependent on the rotation direction of the spindle 27 which is actuated by the hand wheel 25 by means of the shaft 26, is consequently transported in the movement direction x or in the movement direction x'. The two supports 13, 14 are connected to the carrier 30 and accordingly move together therewith on their travel paths 16 to 19 in the movement direction x or in the movement direction x'. The mechanical subassembly 2 further shows a through-hole 31, which extends through the housing lower portion 6 and the cartridge 9. As schematically illustrated in Figure 3, the through-hole 31 serves to receive a connection means 32 which is constructed as a pin 33.
The cartridge 9 is secured to the housing lower portion 6 by means of the pin 33, the cartridge 9 having a projection 34 by means of which it engages below the housing lower portion 6. As can be seen from the plan view of Figure 3, the housing lower portion 6 extends around the cartridge 9 with three adjacent side walls 35, 36, 37, the projection 34 engaging below the side wall 36. Owing to the three side walls 35 to 37, the housing lower portion 6 forms a trough 38 in the recess 39 of which the cartridge 9 is located in the assembled state and is fixed.
In Figure 6, the chair 1 known from Figure 1 is again shown as a side view. In contrast to the illustration of Figure 1, a housing upper portion 40 is also formed in this instance, which covers the cartridge 9, the leaf springs 10, 11 and the integral components 12 and receives them in a receiving space 41 which is surrounded by the housing lower portion 6 and the housing upper portion 40.
For better understanding, the housing lower portion 6 is shown in Figure 2 as a plan view and alone. The housing lower portion 6 is constructed as an aluminium cast component and comprises at the side walls 35 and 37 thereof flange means 42 and 43 for pivotable articulation of the pivot arm 7 illustrated in Figure 1. Furthermore, the housing lower portion 6 comprises at the side walls 35, 37 thereof flange means 44, 45 for articulation of the back connection 8 illustrated in Figure 1. The flange means 42 to 45 are constructed integrally with the side walls 35, 37. According to one construction variant of the invention, there is also provision for the flange means to be screwed and/or pinned and/or welded to the side walls.
Figure 2 further shows the recess 39 which has already been mentioned and in which, during assembly, the cartridge which is not illustrated in Figure 2 is inserted.
In Figure 3 which has already been mentioned, there is then illustrated as a plan view a completely preassembled module 46 which is inserted into the housing lower portion 6. In this instance, the completely preassembled module 46 comprises the cartridge 9, the leaf springs 10, 11 and the integral components 12. The integral components 12 are individually the supports 13, 14 and the adjustment mechanism 15, which comprises the spindle 27, the bearing blocks 28, 29 and the carrier 30, and the travel paths 16 to 19.
In the plan view of the mechanical subassembly 2 which is shown in Figure 3 with the housing lid removed, the travel paths 16 to 19 can also be seen, the support 13 being guided on the travel paths 16, 17 and the support 14 on the travel paths 18, 19. In order to be able to better identify the details, the leaf springs 10, 11 are illustrated in a partially broken away state. It can further be seen in Figure 3 that the supports 13, 14 are guided on the carrier 30 so as to be able to be displaced perpendicularly relative to the displacement direction x or x' in raising or lowering directions y or y' (see Figure 1). Dovetail guides 49, 50 are used in this instance as sliding guides 47, 48. It is thereby possible for the supports 13, 14 to follow a path of the travel paths 16, 17 or 18, 19 without tilting and/or jamming.
Figure 4 shows an exemplary schematic side view of the travel path 16, the other travel paths 17 to 19 (see Figure 3) being constructed in a comparable manner. The travel path 16 is constructed as a channel 51, whose base 52 has a height profile 53. The support 13, which is guided in the travel path 16, is shown in the schematic illustration of Figure 4 in three different positions P13a, P13b and P13c. When comparing these three positions P13a to P13c, it can be seen how the support 13 is influenced by the height profile 53 of the travel path 16. In this instance, the support 13 comprises a contact means 54 which is constructed as a sliding block 55 and with which the support 13 slides in the channel 51.
For further explanation, another travel path 56 is schematically illustrated in Figure 5 and has a height profile 57 which has, on individual travel path portions 58a to 58e, differences from the height profile shown in Figure 4. If a resilient characteristic is required by the mechanical subassembly shown in Figure 3 and is fulfilled by the travel path 56 illustrated in Figure 5, the cartridge illustrated in Figure 3 is provided with travel paths having a corresponding height profile.
Figures 7 and 9, in a similar manner to Figure 3, show an alternative embodiment of a mechanical subassembly 102. In the subassembly 102, for explanation with regard to leaf springs 110 and 111, various construction variants for a support 113 and travel paths 116, 117 or for a support 114 and travel paths 118, 119 are illustrated.
In Figure 7, it can be seen that the support 113 has only one contact block 113a and consequently, in the installation position shown in Figure 7, is guided only in the travel path 116. If the mechanical subassembly 102 with a different resilient characteristic is required, it is possible to separate the support 113 on a sliding guide 147 from a carrier 130. Subsequently, the support 113 is rotated through 180° so that a second groove N113b, which is opposite a first groove N113a, can be coupled to the carrier 130. After the coupling, the situation shown in Figure 9 then occurs, in which the support 113 now cooperates by means of the sliding block 113a thereof with the second travel path 117. The travel paths 116 and 117 have different height profiles. The resilient characteristic consequently changes depending on with which of the two travel paths 116, 117 the support 113 cooperates with the sliding block 113a thereof. Of course, a leaf spring 110 may be separated from a housing lower portion 106 of the mechanical subassembly 102 prior to the described inversion of the support 113. There is provision for second supports to be constructed in a similar manner to the first support.
For the purposes of explanation, the second support 114 has in contrast to the first support 113 two sliding blocks 114a and 114b and cooperates by means of these with the travel paths 118 and 119 (see Figure 7). In this instance, Figure 7 only shows assembly portions 118a and 119a of a cartridge 109. These are constructed as channels 118b and 119b, in which the travel path inserts 118c and 119c shown in Figure 9 are received.
In this instance, the travel path insert 118c is shown as a sectioned side view in Figure 8. The travel path insert 119c is constructed in a comparable manner. The last construction variant described consequently affords the advantage that the mechanical subassembly 102 can be provided with any travel paths for the support. In order to exchange the travel paths, there is provision for a leaf spring 111 and the support 114 to be disassembled and then the desired travel paths to be inserted in the assembly portions or replaced.
The invention is not limited to exemplary embodiments illustrated or described. Instead, it includes developments of the invention in the context of the patent claims.

List of reference numerals:

1: Chair
2: Mechanical subassembly
3: Base element
4: Back element
5: Seat element
6: Housing lower portion
7: Pivot arm
8: Back connection
9: Cartridge
10: Leaf spring
10a: First end region
10b: Central region
10c: Second end region
10d: Upper side of 10
11: Leaf spring
11a: First end region
11b: Central region
11c: Second end region
11d: Upper side of 11
12: Integral component
13: Support
14: Support
15: Adjustment mechanism
16: Travel path
17: Travel path
18: Travel path
19: Travel path
20: Receiving member
21: Receiving member
22: Stop of 8
23: Stop of 8
24: Drive device
25: Hand wheel
26: Shaft
27: Spindle
28: Bearing block
29: Bearing block
30: Carrier
31: Through-hole
32: Connection means
33: Pin
34: Projection of 9
35: Side wall of 6
36: Side wall of 6
37: Side wall of 6
38: Trough
39: Recess
40: Housing upper portion
41: Receiving space between 6 and 40
42: Flange means for 7
43: Flange means for 7
44: Flange means for 8
45: Flange means for 8
46: Module
47: Sliding guide of 13 on 30
48: Sliding guide of 14 on 30
49: Dovetail guide
50: Dovetail guide
51: Channel
52: Base of 51
53: Height profile of 52
54: Contact means of 13 or 14
55: Sliding block
56: Additional travel path
57: Height profile of 56
58a-58e: Travel path portion

102: Mechanical subassembly
106: Housing lower portion
109: Cartridge
110: Leaf spring
111: Leaf spring
113: Support
113a: Sliding block of 113
114: Support
114a: Sliding block of 114
114b: Sliding block of 114
116: Travel path
117: Travel path
118: Travel path
118a: Assembly portion
118b: Channel
118c: Travel path insert
119: Travel path
119a: Assembly portion
119b: Channel
119c: Travel path insert
130: Carrier
147: Sliding guide between 130 and 113

N113a: Groove of 113
N113b: Groove of 113
P13a-P13c: Position of 13
S7: Pivot axis
S8: Pivot axis
S57: Pivot axis
S58: Pivot axis
x: Movement direction
x': Movement direction
y: Raising direction
y': Lowering direction

Claims

Mechanical subassembly (2) for a chair, a base element, a back element and a seat element being able to be articulated to the mechanical subassembly and the mechanical subassembly (2) comprising a housing lower portion (6) which can be connected to the base element, wherein
- the mechanical subassembly (2) comprises a pivot arm (7) which can be connected to the seat element and a back connection (8) which can be connected to the back element,

- the pivot arm (7) being pivotably articulated to the housing lower portion (6),

- the back connection (8) being pivotably articulated to the housing lower portion (6),

- the pivot arm (7) being able to be coupled to the back connection (8) by means of the seat element,

- the mechanical subassembly (2) further comprising a cartridge (9) which can be inserted into the housing lower portion (6) and at least one leaf spring (10),

- the mechanical subassembly (2) further having as integral components which are connected to the cartridge (9) at least one adjustable support (13,14) and an adjustment mechanism (15) for the support,

- the cartridge (9) comprising at least one travel path (16,17,18,19),

- the support (13,14) being guided on at least one of the travel paths (16,17,18,19) formed on the cartridge (9) and the adjustment mechanism (15) which moves the support (13,14) being supported on the cartridge (9),

- the leaf spring (10) being fixed with a first end region (10a) in a receiving member (20,21) in the housing lower portion (6), resting with a central region (10b) on the support (13,14) and supporting the back connection with a second end region (10c) in such a manner that the leaf spring (10) is bent over the support.
Mechanical subassembly according to Claim 1, characterized in that the cartridge is formed in particular from plastics material and in that the cartridge is connected to the housing lower portion by means of at least one connection means, the connection means being constructed in particular as a pin and/or as a screw.
Mechanical subassembly according to either of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing lower portion is constructed as a trough which comprises at least three side walls, the cartridge being arranged in a recess formed by the trough.
Mechanical subassembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mechanical subassembly comprises a housing upper portion, the housing upper portion covering the cartridge, the at least one leaf spring and the integral components in such a manner that they are arranged between the housing lower portion and the housing upper portion.
Mechanical subassembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the travel path is formed on a surface of the cartridge.
Mechanical subassembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support is adapted to one of the travel paths or to a plurality of identical travel paths.
Mechanical subassembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the travel paths of the cartridge are constructed differently and have travel path portions which extend in a parallel manner, in particular different pitches.
Mechanical subassembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the individual travel path is formed in particular by a channel which extends in the movement direction of the support.
Mechanical subassembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support comprises at least one contact means which is in contact with one of the travel paths, the contact means being constructed in particular as a sliding block.
Mechanical subassembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support is either associated with a first travel path in a first position or associated with a second travel path in a second position, in such a manner that in comparable positions of the support different resilient characteristics of the mechanical subassembly are produced.
Mechanical subassembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cartridge can be combined with a first travel path and at least a second travel path, the travel paths being constructed as travel path inserts and the cartridge, for receiving the first travel path insert which forms the first travel path or for receiving an additional travel path insert which forms the additional travel path, having an assembly portion, to which one of the travel path inserts can be fixed, the assembly portion being constructed in particular as a channel, in which one of the travel path inserts can be inserted.
Mechanical subassembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support can be displaced with respect to a carrier of the displacement device in a spatial direction and in particular can be separated from the carrier.
Chair (1), wherein the chair (1) comprises a mechanical subassembly (2) according to at least one of the preceding claims, a base element (3), a back element (4) and a seat element (5).