GB2309379A

GB2309379A - Tipping seat mechanism

Info

Publication number: GB2309379A
Application number: GB9601270A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert John Hooper
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-01-23
Filing date: 1996-01-23
Publication date: 1997-07-30
Also published as: GB9601270D0

Abstract

A tipping seat mechanism 10, for example for use in a cinema chair, comprises a seat support member 11, a support stand 6', 6'' and a biasing mechanism operative therebetween to bias the seat support member 11 to a selected disposition relative to the support stand; the support stand affording a cavity in which the biasing mechanism is housed within the interior of the support stand. The biasing mechanism comprises at least one spring 20 arranged to bias the seat support member 11 to a substantially vertical position of storage relative to the support stand and against which bias the seat support member 11 is pivotable for movement to a substantially horizontal position of use.

Description

TIPPING SEAT MECHANISM This invention relates to a tipping seat mechanism, that is a mechanism which may be associated with a seat of the type which may extend substantially horizontally in a position of use and be tipped therefrom to a substantially vertical position of storage.

The tipping seat mechanism to which the present invention relates is particularly, though not exclusively, intended for incorporation in a chair of the type known as a cinema chair which is commonly found in cinemas, theatres, and similar public auditoria. A cinema chair typically comprises a rigid support stand on which are mounted a seat, a backrest, and, optionally, one or more arm rests. Such cinema chairs are normally arranged in rows in the auditorium and, in order to facilitate access and passage along the rows by members of the public, the seat of each chair is required to be capable of tipping from its normal, substantially horizontal position of use, to a storage position in which its rests and is retained substantially vertically.

A cinema chair of this type is well known in the art and commonly involves a spring mechanism or mechanisms operative to bias the seat to its substantially vertical, storage position and against which bias a user is required to move the seat to its substantially horizontal position of use. By biasing the seat in this way, it is ensured that when the user is finished with the seat, it will automatically tip from its substantially horizontal position of use to its substantially vertical storage position.

The spring mechanism(s) used in these known cinema chairs are normally arranged on the underside of the seat in a relatively exposed position and, in order to provide an appropriately strong spring bias, may be quite complex to manufacture and install, having attendant cost penalties. Existing spring mechanisms may also be difficult and/or costly to repair or replace.

The present invention aims to provide a tipping seat mechanism incorporating a spring mechanism, which substantially reduces, or overcomes, at least some of the disadvantages known in prior art tipping seat mechanisms.

To this end, and according to the present invention, a tipping seat mechanism comprises a seat support member, a support stand and a biasing mechanism operative therebetween to bias the seat support member to a selected disposition relative to the support stand; wherein the support stand affords a cavity in which the biasing mechanism is housed within the interior of the support stand.

Preferably the biasing mechanism comprises at least one spring operative between an internal surface of the support stand and a part of the seat support member to bias the seat support member to said selected disposition.

The support stand is intended to be secured to a support surface and the seat support member is pivoted thereto for movement between a substantially horizontal position of use and a substantially vertical storage position. Preferably the biasing mechanism is operative to bias the seat support member to its storage position.

Preferably the seat support member includes a spindle by which the seat support member is mounted to the support stand for pivoting relative thereto, and the seat support member further preferably provides a guide projection spaced from the spindle. Preferably the support stand provides an arcuate surface along which the guide projection is guided during pivoting of the seat support member relative to the support stand. Preferably the arcuate surface is in the form of a groove or slot having a first end and a second end which define end stop positions for pivoting of the seat support member.

Preferably the support stand is hollow and comprises two separable parts, one of which is intended to be secured to a support surface and houses the biasing mechanism.

The tipping seat mechanism of the present invention will now be described in greater detail and with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings which show, by way only of example, a currently preferred embodiment of tipping seat mechanism as incorporated within a cinema chair. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of a cinema chair embodying the inventive tipping seat mechanism; Figures 2A and B are partly cutaway side views of the tipping seat mechanism in two different states thereof, and Figure 2C is a partly cutaway rear view of the tipping seat mechanism; Figures 3A and B are respective side and rear, exploded views of the tipping seat mechanism.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in Figure 1 there is shown a cinema chair, generally indicated at 1, and comprising a seat back 2, a pair (one only shown) of arm supports 3 including an optional drinks holder 4, a seat 5, a pair (only one shown) of chair support standards 6, each associated with a respective tipping seat mechanism, generally indicated at 10, operative between the seat 5 and associated support standard 6. In this embodiment the support standard and 6 is intended to be secured to a generally horizontal support surface so as to extend substantially vertically therefrom, as shown in Figure 1. The seat 5 is pivoted to the support standard 6 so as to be movable between a substantially horizontal position of use (as shown in the Figure) and a substantially vertical storage position relative to the support standard 6.

Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, the tipping seat mechanism 10 is seen to comprise a seat support member 11 providing a spindle 12 by which the seat 5 (Figure 1) attached to the seat support member 11 is pivoted to the support standard 6. The support standard 6, or at least that part of it encompassing the tipping seat mechanism, is generally hollow and comprises separable first and second parts 6', 6'' secured together by suitable fastening means such as the pair of screw bolts 7. The upper part 6'' of the support standard 6 is of slightly smaller external diameter than the lower part 6', so that it may be received therein as a telescopic fit.

The first part 6' of the support standard 6 is formed with an aligned pair of through bores 12' (as seen in Figure 3A) for receipt of a pair of nylon bushes 13 which act to retain an insert 14 on which is mounted a pair of coil springs, generally indicated at 20, and the spindle 12 projecting from the seat support member 11.

The seat support member 11 further provides a guide projection 15 spaced along the support member 11 from the spindle 12, and cooperating with an arcuate slot or groove 16 in the first part 6' of the support standard 6 for the purpose of guiding pivotal movement of the seat support member 11 relative to the support standard 6. The arcuate groove or slot 16 forms part of the circumference of a circle centred on the centre point of the aligned bores 12' and supported spindle 12 and affords two end stop positions delimiting the pivotal movement of the seat support member 11 relative to the support standard 6.

Each of the coil springs 20 comprises a main body or coil portion 21, a first tail portion 22 having a bent end region 22', and a second tail portion 23. As seen in Figures 2A and B, the first tail portion 22 of the spring 20 rests against a region of the guide projection 15, while the second tail portion 23 of the spring 20 rests against an internal surface of the second part 6'' of the support standard 6.

Each coil spring 20, arranged in this way, exerts a biasing force, via the guide projection 15, on the seat support member 11 to bias it to a relatively vertical position relative to the support standard 6 and as shown in Figure 2A; in this position the seat 5 attached to the seat support member 11 will be in a substantially vertical storage position relative to the support standard 6. When required for use, the seat 5 attached to the seat support member 11 is pivoted by a user to a substantially horizontal position of use, as seen in Figure 2B. During pivoting to this position from the storage position of Figure 2A, the guide projection 15 moves along, and is guided by, the arcuate slot of groove 16 against the biasing force of the springs 20.When the substantially horizontal position of use is reached, the coil portions 21 of the springs 20 are substantially compressed so that when the force exerted by a user in moving and retaining the seat 5 to its horizontal position of use is removed, the seat 5 and seat support member 11 will automatically, under the biasing force of the biasing spring mechanism, be returned to their substantially vertical storage position.

The tipping seat mechanism of the present invention represents a considerable advance in the art in that the biasing spring mechanism is incorporated within the chair support standard, a feature which offers considerable cost advantages over tipping seat mechanisms known in the prior art. The tipping seat mechanism of the present invention is not only simpler and easier to manufacture and install, but also provides for a cinema chair which is more aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and in which the tipping seat mechanism is more readily and conveniently repaired and/or replaced if necessary.

Whilst the present invention has been described above in relation to its currently preferred embodiment, it is not to be limited to the precise details described above but is to extend to all such variants as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Thus, for example, whilst it will be appreciated that although the cinema chair 1 as described comprises two support standards 6, which between them support the seat 5 by a pair of tipping mechanisms described above, alternative arrangements involving a different number of support standards 6 are possible.

Also, the biasing mechanism may be constituted differently from that described above; the support standard need not be arranged and constructed for securement to a substantially horizontal surface; and, in a different context from the cinema chair, the seat support member may, if desired, be biased by the biasing mechanism to a substantially horizontal position of use rather than to its substantially vertical storage position.

Claims

1. A tipping seat mechanism comprising a seat support member, a support stand and a biasing mechanism operative therebetween to bias the seat support member to a selected disposition relative to the support stand; wherein the support stand affords a cavity in which the biasing mechanism is housed within the interior of the support stand.

2. A tipping seat mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the biasing mechanism comprises at least one spring operative between an internal surface of the support stand and apart of the seat support member to bias the seat support member to said selected disposition.

3. A tipping seat mechanism as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the support stand is adapted to be secured to a support surface, and the seat support member is pivoted thereto for movement between a substantially horizontal position of use and a substantially vertical position of storage.

4. A tipping seat mechanism as claimed in claim 3, wherein the selected disposition to which the seat support member is biased by the biasing mechanism is the position of storage.

5. A tipping seat mechanism as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the seat support member includes a projecting spindle by which the set support member is mounted to the support stand for pivoting relative thereto.

6. A tipping seat mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the seat support member further includes a guide projection spaced from the projecting spindle.

7. A tipping seat mechanism according to claim 6, wherein the support stand provides an arcuate guide surface along which the guide projection is guided during pivoting of the seat support member relative to the support stand.

8. A tipping seat mechanism according to claim 7, wherein the arcuate surface is afforded by a groove or slot having first and second ends which define respective end stop positions for pivoting of the seat support member.

9. A tipping seat mechanism according to any preceding claim, wherein the support stand is hollow and comprises two separable parts.

10. A tipping seat mechanism according to any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein the or each spring of the biasing mechanism is a coil spring having a coil portion and two tails, the coil portion being arranged on and around a projecting spindle by which the support member is mounted to the support stand for pivoting relative thereto, a first one of the two tails resting against an internal surface of the support stand, and a second one of the two tails resting a gainst a side projection of the seat support member whereby the seat support member is biased to its position of storage relative to the support stand.

11. A tipping seat mechanism according to any preceding claim, including a pair of coil springs mounted within the cavity of the support stand by an aligned pair of bushes inserted and retained in aligned through bores of the support stand.

12. A tipping seat mechanism according to claim 11, wherein a projecting spindle by which the seat support member is mounted to the support stand for pivoting relative thereto is received in one of said pair of bushes.

13. A cinema chair embodying a tipping seat mechanism according to any preceding claim, and including a seat mounted upon the seat support member.

14. A cinema chair including a pair of tipping seat mechanisms according to any one of claims 1 to 12 and a seat mounted upon the respective seat support members and for pivoting between a substantially horizontal position of use and a substantially vertical position of storage relative to the respective support stands.

15. A cinema chair according to claim 13 to claim 14, wherein the seat is biased towards its position of storage.

16. A tipping seat mechanism substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

17. A cinema chair including a tipping seat mechanism substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying drawings.