FR3096565A1 - ADJUSTABLE SCHOOL CHAIR - Google Patents

Abstract

An adjustable school chair comprising an adjustable backrest (1), one or more adjustable feet (3), an adjustable seat (2) and one or more adjustable footrests (4). Figure for the abstract: Fig. 1

Description

ADJUSTABLE SCHOOL CHAIR

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an adjustable school chair, in particular a chair which is adjustable for users with physical disabilities; more particularly but not exclusively for users having to remain in a seated position for a long period in front of a desk or the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The concepts of integration and education for all, combined with improvements in medical care in many societies, have enabled an increasing number of children with physical disabilities or special needs to be educated in schools.

Some of these children will find it difficult to sit still for an entire school day, especially if they have disabilities or special needs.

PRIOR ART

CN 2333262 (WANG) discloses a student healthcare chair, which is composed of a chair surface on a chair with an adjustable height. The front part of the healthcare chair has a footboard, the height of which corresponds to the surface of the chair. The device can adjust the distance of the chair surface from a desk, and the footboard can be adjusted according to the height changes of students, so as to make desks and chairs suitable for the requirements of statures and postures of students such as those with abnormal curvature of the spine and myopia.

JP 09327350 (SETO et al) discloses a seat with a surface height according to the growth of a schoolchild and an adjustable foot surface, so that a user can easily adjust a gap between the front edge of a learning desk and the upper half of the body in a seated posture, even for a schoolboy whose leg height is shorter. A height adjustment auxiliary leg part has a foot surface which can be mounted and dismounted freely. Guide means for moving and guiding the seat and back portion and foot surface height changing means selectively attach the foot surface to the leg portions in multiple vertical directional positions.

Document JP 08 308 669 (KAJI) describes a chair which allows a short pupil such as a schoolboy to sit on a seat even if the seat is higher than his hip, by keeping a space between the chair and a suitable desk for a comfortable sitting position.

The need to overcome the problems encountered on existing devices led to the present invention.

According to the present invention there is provided an adjustable school chair comprising an adjustable backrest, one or more adjustable legs, an adjustable seat and one or more adjustable footrests.

The seat may include a tilt adjustment mechanism. The tilt adjustment mechanism may include a swivel and a threaded bracket for progressive tilt.

Some embodiments of the chair include more than one back adjustment mechanism, including, for example, a vertical back adjustment mechanism and a hinged joint adjustment mechanism or other mechanism for multiaxial adjustment.

In some embodiments, the chair may include leg tilt supports to prevent or limit rearward tipping of the chair.

In this way, the chair can be configured to provide support to a user for a plurality of body parts, so as to provide support relieving the entire body during prolonged periods of sitting, such as, but not limit, school education.

In this way, an adjustable school chair is offered for children with disabilities or with special needs, which is configured to be fully adjustable to meet their needs and allow them to be in a comfortable sitting position, facing a desk, while resembling existing standard school chairs.

The chair may have manual adjustment mechanisms and easy to use buttons, wheels or controls that can change the height and angle of the backrest, seat, footrest and overall seat height.

For example, the chair can be adjusted so that the child sits at desk level, then the footrest can be adjusted to suit the height of the user.

In some embodiments, the chair may include a chair frame, comprising a fixed structure relative to which all other parts, and adjustment occur.

The seat adjustment mechanism may include more than one adjustment axis. For example, the seat can be raised relative to the chair frame, and/or angled relative to the chair frame, and/or curved relative to the chair frame.

For example, it may be contemplated that seat adjustment may include curvature or deformation of the seat, such as adjustment of the center of the seat relative to the sides of the seat. For example in some embodiments, the seat or chair may include a pneumatic or hydraulic mechanism configured to move the center of the seat, such as by inflating and deflating a pocket.

The chair can include several feet, preferably three or four. The legs can be configured to be individually or collectively height-adjustable. For example, in some embodiments, the legs may include spring pins and holes to allow for step-wise height adjustment. In other embodiments the adjustment can be progressive in order to obtain a precise adjustment.

In some embodiments, the footrest may comprise a single footrest, configured to be located at the front of the chair in use at an appropriate height. In some embodiments, the height of the footrest can be fixed, for example by using spring pins and hole arrangements relative to the feet. In some embodiments, the ends of the footrest can thus be adjusted to different heights. This may provide a more comfortable setup for some users.

In some embodiments, the footrest can be configured to be located at any height on the feet, for example such that the footrest has an attachment mechanism for attachment to the feet as needed. This can allow greater freedom of use.

In some embodiments, the chair includes two armrests configured to be adjusted relative to the chair frame. This adjustment mechanism can be individual or collective, and can include adjustment with respect to more than one axis. For example, the armrest can be raised or lowered and can be tilted, and can pivot laterally on the front or rear edge of the armrest.

The armrest may include padding, and/or may include a cover, which cover may be movable for cleaning purposes.

In some embodiments, the backrest may include an adjustment mechanism including a back plate and a support member, which support member may allow the plate to be moved up and down relative to the chair frame .

The plate may be adjustable relative to the support member, for example to allow tilting or swiveling or tilting.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the figures in which:

shows an isometric view of an embodiment of the chair according to the present invention;

shows an inverted isometric view of the embodiment shown in Figure 1;

shows an isometric view of an embodiment of the chair according to the present invention, with inclined backrest;

shows an inverted isometric view of the embodiment as shown in Figure 3;

shows an isometric view of an embodiment of the chair according to the present invention, with an inclined seat;

shows an inverted isometric view of the embodiment shown in Figure 5;

shows a detailed cross-sectional view of the seat as shown in the embodiment shown in Figure 5;

shows detailed views of the footrest in a closed and open position respectively;

shows isometric and cross-sectional views of the back adjustment;

shows an isometric view of the seat adjustment in use in the embodiment shown in Figure 1; And

shows an exploded isometric view of the chair embodiment shown in Figure 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

With general reference to the embodiment shown in the Figures, there is generally shown an adjustable school chair comprising a backrest 1, an adjustable seat 2, adjustable legs 3 and a footrest 4.

With particular reference to the embodiment shown, the embodiment comprises a four-legged non-folding chair, which has a subordinate seat frame 18 formed of a U-shaped structure supporting two parallel U-shaped leg frames 5 and a vertical backrest frame formed by two multipart backrest frame support elements 11.

This frame is made from powder coated aluminum or plastic or steel tubing.

The chair further comprises a seat plate 2 and a back plate 12, which comprise molded thermoplastics such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS). The back plate 12 is curved away from the user, and the seat plate 2 includes a rounded front edge for added comfort.

The chair includes a footrest 4 which is formed from molded thermoplastics such as ABS.

With particular reference to the Figures, there is therefore shown an embodiment comprising a chair comprising multiple adjustment zones, more particularly adjustment mechanisms with reference to the seat, the feet, the footrest and the backrest.

The adjustment mechanism for the legs includes concentric tubes with spring pins and a plurality of holes on the outer leg tubes and pins projecting through the inner leg tubes.

The legs have 6 chair leg end caps, comprising thermoplastic or elastomeric discs. Such discs can provide a flexible ground interface, so as to conform to ground imperfections.

In addition, the illustrated embodiment includes reclining supports 7 for the rear legs, which comprise tubes having a vertical section and a diagonal section whose diagonal sections extend diagonally behind the rear legs of the chair in order to support the reclining chair and/or prevent the chair from tipping.

The tilt brackets 7 are able to move vertically on the lower sections of the foot tubes, sliding collars 8 providing a means of clips arranged vertically so that the bracket can move vertically in a sliding manner but the tilt movement locks the support clips against the foot tube.

The footrest 4 comprises a substantially flat surface with substantially square corners having holes 13 at the rear corners, and arched front corners, and has a descending edge.

The holes 13 constitute a vertical adjustment mechanism as well as a means of attachment to the front legs, or more particularly to the lower sections of the front leg tubes.

The mechanism includes holes 13 with walls as deep as the rim, having an elastic inner liner 31, wherein tilting the footrest under the weight of a user's foot will tilt the footrest and engage the liner of the hole with the foot, so the mechanism allows the height of the footrest to be simply adjusted by tilting the footrest into a horizontal configuration.

As shown in Figure 8, the mechanism holes 13 are hinged and can be opened to release the footrest.

The back plate is molded with sleeves 14 having several perforations 15 for the engagement of the support elements, in which spring pins extend through the sleeves so as to allow a multiple vertical position adjustment mechanism for the back plate.

The backrest support members 11 have adjustment mechanisms comprising two hinged connectors 9 vertically spaced at each support member.

Such fittings include threaded pivot pins each having a knurl 10 at the end, engaging by friction. In this way, the back support elements can be tilted at each of the connections, so as to move and position the back plate 12 comfortably according to the user. The wheels 10 include rounded triangular portions, to allow better grip when turning to apply friction and release it.

The seat plate 2 has a pivot 22 connecting to the seat frame, adjacent to its rounded front edge.

The seat tilt mechanism is located near the rear edge of the plate and includes two mechanisms spaced apart on either side of the seat. The mechanisms include adjustment wheels 16 rotating a threaded bar 20 which provides a worm which engages a gear at the base of a vertical support 21. The top of the vertical support 21 provides a pivot connection 19 with the underside of plate 2.

The knobs for adjusting the inclination of the plate are located at the back of the chair.

The invention has been described by way of example only and the embodiments mentioned above may vary without being excluded from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims, in particular, but not exclusively, a combination of characteristics of the described embodiments.

Claims (8)

Adjustable school chair comprising an adjustable backrest (1), one or more adjustable legs (3), an adjustable seat (2), and one or more adjustable footrests (4). A chair according to claim 1, wherein the seat includes a tilt adjustment mechanism (16). A chair according to claim 2 wherein the tilt adjustment mechanism comprises a pivot (22) and a threaded bracket (21). A chair according to any preceding claim comprising more than one back adjustment mechanism. Chair according to claim 4 comprising a mechanism for vertical adjustment of the backrest (15). Chair according to claim 4 or 5 comprising a hinged joint adjustment mechanism (9). A chair according to any preceding claim including leg tilt supports 7 to limit the rearward tilt of the chair. A chair according to claim 7, wherein the leg tilt supports comprise tubes having a vertical section and a diagonal section which diagonal sections extend diagonally.