GB2524961A

GB2524961A - eLift400-movement lock with chair seat rotation

Info

Publication number: GB2524961A
Application number: GB1406196.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan Edmond Glaser
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-04-07
Filing date: 2014-04-07
Publication date: 2015-10-14
Also published as: GB201406196D0

Abstract

A locking mechanism to prevent chair movement and rotation suitable for use with office chairs comprises a moveable base plate 1 that travels up/down via a slide system attached to the chair base 11 the motion may be made by battery powered electric motors 5, rubber feet 2 contact the floor to prevent translational movement of the chair, each rubber foot has a spring above it to bias the foot in contact with the floor should the floor be uneven. A wired or wireless handset (not shown) may be used to actuate the motors lowering the base plate 1 when in contact with a support surface castors 12 are correspondingly raised and thus the seat assembly cannot rotate nor move in a translational manner.

Description

Chair movement lock suitable for use with an office chair This invention relates to a chair control arrangement for use, particularly, but not exclusively, by disabled people.

The type of chair to which this invention relates is a pedestal type chair movable on castors located at the base of the pedestal, the chair itself being swiveable in a horizontal plane about the pedestal.

Such is a typical construction of office chair which maybe of the typ type" with or without arms.

A further feature of such chairs is the provision of means for preventing movement of the chair, and rotation of the chair, once it has been placed in its desired position. Such a feature is particularly useful for disabled people.

The problem with these arrangements is that, while it is common to provide control arrangements controlling the height, inclination of the chair seat and the chair back by controls within reach of the user, with the usual construction of the swivel mechanism and the braking arrangements, it is not possible to provide controls for these mechanisms in suitable positions for control by a person sitting in the chair; these mechanisms must have controls elsewhere so that, in order to operate them, the user has to get out of the chair. This is a serious disadvantage for the disaNed, who then require assistance in setting up the chair in accordance with their needs.

The present invention seeks to provide a chair control mechanism in which control of the brak-ing mechanism, and the seat rotation (chair swivel) can be controlled by the user when sitting in the chair by either a hand control or electronic motors operated with a wired handset or a remote control hand set.

According to the invention, there is provided a chair control arrangement for a chair moveable on castors and having means for locking translational movement of a chair on its castors and chair rotation situated in a position usable by the user of the chair when sitting therein.

The control means may comprise two electric motors operated by a lever, button, or remote control handset situated on the part of the chair carrying the seat, back or the arms, and a chair rotation operated by a lever, button or situated on the part of the chair carrying the seat, back or the arms.

Page 1 Where the locking means locks the translational movement of the chair, it may comprise a plurality of feet raiseable and lowereable into and out of engagemeit with the floor oil which the chair is standing. The feet may be biased in the direction of the floor, suitably by means of a spring.

Where the rotation means locks the rotational movement of the chair, it may comprise a swivel plate arrangement on which the chair upholstery is mounted.

Where a remote handsct or mounted buttons are used when a button is depressed the electric motors may act to raise the feet, while a different button may act to lower the feet.

The feet may be niountcd on a framework moveable upwards or downwards ü relation to a fixed member on the base part of the chair. The framework maybe moved upwards by means of a nylon, or siniilar material guide travelling in a vertical slot in a channel.

The framework may comprise a plate that passes vertically through the chair central column.

The invcntion will now be described in grcater dctail, by way of example, with refercncc to the drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a view of the lower part of the chair mechanism in an unlocked position, and Figure 2 is a view of the chair locking mechanism as shown in figure Land Figure 3 is view of thc swivel mechanism attached to a scat depth adjustment arrangemcnt in a locked position Referring to the drawings, there is shown a chair braking control mechanism. Ihe chair Figure 1 comprises a moving plate 1 carrying up to eight spring loaded rubber feet 2, carried by electric motors S attached to plate I and the chair frame 11 and 8 by a tag 6 and vertical tube 7. Plastic and steel guides 32 attached to moving plate 1 are held in a vertical chairnel 4 which is attached to vertical tube 7. Chair legs 11 are attached to two mounting plates 8 positioned together via location tube 9 and motor tag 10. A battery 14 mounted with a battery control box 16 provides electrical powcr to the motor S and 16. Adjustment of scat height of the chair is controlled by motor 16.

The movement of the locking plate 1 will be described in more detail hereafter.

For the sake of clarity neither the seat itself, the usual backrest nor the arms, if any are shown.

Page 2 The mechanism and it's operation will now be described.

This locking arrangement comprises a mounting plate 1, a plastic and steel guides 32, guide hold- ers 4, round steel rings 31, motor mount tags 27 attached to mounting plates 1, springs 29, wash-ers 28, rubber feet 2, held by screws 3 and round screw guides 30 to case vertical movement of the screw 3 through mounting plate 1.

Plastic and steel guides are held to mounting plates 1 by screws 33. The guide holder is attached to the vertical tube 7 by screws.

Movement up/down of mounting plate 1 allows the rubber feet 2 to make contact with the floor.

The screw 3 holds a rubber foot 2 to mounting plate I with a spring in between the rubber foot and plate I to allow for uneven contact with the floor adjustment. The rubber foot 2 moves up! down within the round tube 31.

The rotational arrangement comprises a base plate 34, a bearing plate37, a top rotational plate 26 held by a pin 35. Chair framework 17 attaches to top rotational plate 26 and a seat slide base plate 18. Seat slide top plate 19 is held to seat slide base plate via screws 21 and nylon spacer 19.

Lever 23 is held to seat slide top plate 19 via a screw or pin 24 and a spring 25 connected to lever 23 and seat slide top plate 25 allows the lever to engage in slots in seat slide base plate to stop horizontal movement of seat slide top plate. Screws 36 attach base plate 34 to the top of a motorised seat height column. A lever arrangement ( not shown) attached to plate 26 and 34 locks and unlocks rotation of top rotation plate 34.

Page 3

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A chair control arrangement for a chair movable on castors comprising locking means for locking translational movement and rotational movement of a chair on its castors and a wired or wireless handset control means fir controlling the locking means situated in a position usable by the user of the chair when sitting therein or out of the chair.
2. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control means comprises a wired or remote handset that operates one or more motors to control locking of translational movement of the chair.
3. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the locking means lock translational movement of the chair and comprises a plurality of feet raisable and lowerable into and out of engagement with the floor on which the chair is standing.
4. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein rotation of the chair seat and back is mounted on to a lock translational movement as described in claim 1, 2 and 3.
5. An arrangement as claimed in 4, wherein the feet are biased in the direction of the floor.
6. An arrangement as claimed in claimS, wherein the feet are biased by means of a spring.
7. An arrangement as claimed in claim I, wherein the feet are mounted on a framework nioveable upwards and downwards in relation to a fixed member of the base part of the chair by means of glides inside a vertical channel on the chair framework.Page 4