US20020041118A1 - Chair tilting mechanism and a chair incorporating such a mechanism - Google Patents

Chair tilting mechanism and a chair incorporating such a mechanism Download PDF

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Publication number
US20020041118A1
US20020041118A1 US09/973,452 US97345201A US2002041118A1 US 20020041118 A1 US20020041118 A1 US 20020041118A1 US 97345201 A US97345201 A US 97345201A US 2002041118 A1 US2002041118 A1 US 2002041118A1
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
chair
support
mechanism support
pivot
resilient
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.)
Abandoned
Application number
US09/973,452
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English (en)
Inventor
Ian Howell
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.)
RODD ENGINEERING Ltd
Original Assignee
RODD ENGINEERING Ltd
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by RODD ENGINEERING Ltd filed Critical RODD ENGINEERING Ltd
Assigned to RODD ENGINEERING LIMITED reassignment RODD ENGINEERING LIMITED ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: HOWELL, IAN
Publication of US20020041118A1 publication Critical patent/US20020041118A1/en
Abandoned 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
    • A47C1/031—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
    • A47C1/03261—Reclining or easy chairs having coupled concurrently adjustable supporting parts the parts being movably-coupled seat and back-rest characterised by elastic means
    • A47C1/03266—Reclining or easy chairs having coupled concurrently adjustable supporting parts the parts being movably-coupled seat and back-rest characterised by elastic means with adjustable elasticity
    • 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
    • A47C1/03261—Reclining or easy chairs having coupled concurrently adjustable supporting parts the parts being movably-coupled seat and back-rest characterised by elastic means
    • A47C1/03288—Reclining or easy chairs having coupled concurrently adjustable supporting parts the parts being movably-coupled seat and back-rest characterised by elastic means with resilient blocks

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a chair tilting mechanism and to a chair incorporating such a mechanism.
  • Chairs of this type provide for tilting of the seat of the chair and for tilting of the back and are frequently employed in office chairs.
  • UK Patent GB 2 264 862 shows such a mechanism which employs a fixed support, a seat support pivotally connected to the fixed support by a pivot, a back rest support and a bias means connected between at least two of the supports to provide bias during tilting.
  • the back rest support is pivotally connected to the fixed support of the pivot and to a seat support by a connector which allows both rotation and translational movement, the connector being located rearwardly of the pivot between the back rest and the fixed supports.
  • the pivot between the seat and the fixed supports is located forwardly of the pivot between the back rest and the fixed supports and the bias means act between the seat and fixed supports forwardly of the pivot between the seat and the fixed supports.
  • the bias means are in the form of a compression spring mounted at the front of the seat and locking means are provided.
  • the present invention is intended to provide a chair tilt mechanism which is easier to construct and is less expensive to manufacture. It is also intended to provide a neater construction which is visually more attractive.
  • a chair tilt mechanism comprises a mechanism support adapted for connection to the seat of a chair and including first means for connection to a chair base and which are pivoted to said mechanism support, second means for connection to a chair back support pivoted to said first means and resilient biasing means which extend between the pivot between the first and second means and the mechanism support, movement of the mechanism support against the biasing causing relative angular movement between the first and second means and relative angular movement of the mechanism support about the pivot between the first means and the mechanism support.
  • first and second means are provided respectively by the arms of a toggle joint, said resilient biasing means acting on the joint pivot.
  • the resilient biasing means can be provided by a block or blocks of resilient material, for example rubber or a synthetic polymeric material.
  • a block or blocks of resilient material for example rubber or a synthetic polymeric material.
  • the block or blocks of resilient material are preferably deformed from an initial shape during installation so that they are pre-stressed when in position ready for use.
  • means for locking the mechanism support to the first means can be provided.
  • the invention also includes a chair incorporating the tilt mechanism set forth above.
  • FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side elevation of a chair tilt mechanism according to the invention taken on line I-I of FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 2 is a plan view from above of the mechanism shown in FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 3 is a isometric view of a retainer which is used with the biasing mechanism
  • FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a block of resilient material which provides part of the biasing mechanism and which is used in conjunction with the retainer shown in FIG. 3;
  • FIG. 5 is a part cross-sectional side elevation of locking means
  • FIG. 6 is a side elevation of an office chair incorporating the invention.
  • FIG. 7 is a side elevation of an alternative construction
  • FIG. 8 is a plan view from above of the construction shown in FIG. 7;
  • FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side elevation on the line IX-IX of FIG. 10 of part of the construction shown in FIGS. 7 and 8; and,
  • FIG. 10 is a plan view from above of the construction shown in FIG. 9.
  • Located in the mechanism support 1 are first means in the form of a fabricated arm 5 which is carried on a pivot pin 6 which extends between the spaced apart sides 7 of the channel shaped mechanism support 1 .
  • This arm 5 is fabricated from an upper channel shaped member 8 which is located within a lower channel shaped member 9 to which it is secured by welding or the like.
  • Extending between the two members 8 and 9 is a tube 10 which is dimensioned to accept the column 11 of a chair base 12 which is provided with castors 13 .
  • the upper channel shaped member 8 has an extension 15 which can engage a pin 16 which also extends between the sides 7 of the mechanism support 1 and which acts as a stop against downward angular movement of the mechanism support about the pivot 6 .
  • Second means for connection to a chair back support are provided by a channel shaped arm 20 which is pivoted to the lower member 9 by a pivot pin 21 .
  • the arm 20 is dimensioned to fit within the walls 22 of the lower member 9 and the pivot pin 21 extends between these walls and through suitable openings in the arm 20 .
  • the mechanism support 1 carries upper and lower guides provided by pins 23 , 24 which extend between the walls 7 and which are spaced apart to allow the arm 20 to move longitudinally and rotationally between them.
  • the chair back support 25 is connected to the arm 20 , for example by suitable nuts and bolts.
  • Resilient biasing means are provided which extend between the pivot 21 between the first and second means and the mechanism support 1 .
  • These biasing means are provided by a block 29 of resilient material, for example rubber or a synthetic polymeric material.
  • the lower end of the block is shaped to engage a W-shaped stiffener 30 which rests against the pivot pin 21 and the upper end of the block 29 is held in place by a retainer 31 , the shape of which is most clearly shown in FIG. 3.
  • the retainer comprises a pair of side channels 32 and a domed central portion 33 .
  • the domed central portion acts on the block 29 and the retainer 31 is held in place in the mechanism support 1 by a pair of spaced apart pins 34 which act against the channels 32 and restrain the retainer from upward movement, at the same time acting to compress the block 29 .
  • FIG. 4 The shape of the block 29 prior to location in the mechanism support is shown in FIG. 4. It has been found that a block of this shape deforms approximately to the shape shown in FIG. 1 when it is placed in position in the mechanism support 1 under compression.
  • the resilient biasing means provided by the block 29 extend between the pivot pin 21 between the first and second means and the mechanism support 1 through the pins 34 . Movement of the mechanism support against the biasing causes relative angular movement between the first and second means provided by the arms 5 and 20 and relative angular movement about the pivot 6 between the first means, in the form of the arm 5 , and the mechanism support 1 .
  • the first means in the form of the arm 5 and the second means in the form of the arm 20 provide respectively the arms of a toggle joint and the resilient biasing means 28 act on the joint pivot 21 .
  • Tilting of the seat against the resilient biasing means can be achieved by the user as required.
  • FIG. 5 shows means for locking the mechanism in a desired position and comprises a bracket 38 carried by a pair of pins 39 which extend between the side walls 7 of the mechanism support 1 , the bracket is thus rigidly held in position.
  • Extending from the bracket is a screw threaded column 40 which passes through an opening 41 in the extension 15 to a screw threaded adjustment knob 42 . Axial adjustment of the knob 42 on the column 40 fixes the position of the extension 15 and thus the first arm 5 thus locking the mechanism in position.
  • knob 42 In order to allow free movement of the mechanism the knob 42 is moved to an axially displaced position which allows the free movement.
  • Means can be included for adjusting the height of the chair stem and these means can be of well-known type, for example FIG. 2 shows a cranked adjustment spindle 50 which passes through an opening 51 which passes through the upper part of the lower member 9 and locates in an opening 52 on the other side. Rotation of the adjusting rod 50 causes the stem 11 to rise and fall in the tube 10 .
  • Such adjustment mechanisms are well-known and it will not therefore be described further.
  • the resilient block or blocks could be replaced by some other form of biasing, for example a compression spring, but the use of a resilient block provides a simple and reliable construction.
  • FIGS. 7, 8, 9 and 10 show an alternative construction in which similar reference numerals to those used in FIGS. 1 to 6 are employed to indicate similar parts.
  • the fabricated arm 5 is replaced by a fabricated arm 55 which has a lower channel member 9 similar to that of the previous construction but with an upper channel member 56 which extends transversely across the lower channel member 9 .
  • This channel member 56 is secured to the lower channel member 9 by welding indicated by reference numeral 57 .
  • the tube 10 extends between the members 56 and 9 in a similar manner to the tube shown in the previous construction.
  • the front bracing pin 16 between the sides 7 is a tube which is riveted over at its ends and the riveted pin 34 as shown in the earlier construction is replaced by a stepped pin 58 which retains one end of the spring plate 31 . This allows for easier assembly.
  • the W-shaped stiffener 30 is not employed in this construction and the resilient biasing means 28 provided by the block 29 of resilient material has its lower angled faces 59 elongated, or moved further out from the main body portion, to allow the material (when loading) to bear on the channel shaped arm 20 indicated by reference numeral 60 in FIG. 7. This spreads the load and prevents any tendency for the rubber block which forms the resilient means 28 splitting at its apex on the pivot pin 21 after an extended period of wear.
  • FIGS. 7, 8, 9 and 10 operates in a similar manner to that described with regard to FIGS. 1 to 6 apart from the locking device which is omitted.

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Dentistry (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Chairs Characterized By Structure (AREA)
US09/973,452 2000-10-10 2001-10-09 Chair tilting mechanism and a chair incorporating such a mechanism Abandoned US20020041118A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GBGB0024840.1A GB0024840D0 (en) 2000-10-10 2000-10-10 Chair tilting mechanism and a chair incorporating such a mechanism
GB0021810.1 2000-10-10

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20020041118A1 true US20020041118A1 (en) 2002-04-11

Family

ID=9901032

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US09/973,452 Abandoned US20020041118A1 (en) 2000-10-10 2001-10-09 Chair tilting mechanism and a chair incorporating such a mechanism

Country Status (7)

Country Link
US (1) US20020041118A1 (zh)
EP (1) EP1197167A3 (zh)
CN (1) CN1346615A (zh)
AU (1) AU7826101A (zh)
CA (1) CA2358358A1 (zh)
GB (1) GB0024840D0 (zh)
ZA (1) ZA200108143B (zh)

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20050146184A1 (en) * 2003-12-30 2005-07-07 Machael Jay R. Chair with backward and forward passive tilt capabilities
US20100084904A1 (en) * 2006-12-04 2010-04-08 Sato Office Gmbh Seat having a seat panel and a backrest
US9801471B2 (en) 2014-04-17 2017-10-31 Hni Technologies Inc. Chair and chair control assemblies, systems, and methods
US10021984B2 (en) 2015-04-13 2018-07-17 Steelcase Inc. Seating arrangement
US10194750B2 (en) 2015-04-13 2019-02-05 Steelcase Inc. Seating arrangement
US10966527B2 (en) 2017-06-09 2021-04-06 Steelcase Inc. Seating arrangement and method of construction
US11109683B2 (en) 2019-02-21 2021-09-07 Steelcase Inc. Body support assembly and method for the use and assembly thereof
US11259637B2 (en) 2015-04-13 2022-03-01 Steelcase Inc. Seating arrangement
US11357329B2 (en) 2019-12-13 2022-06-14 Steelcase Inc. Body support assembly and methods for the use and assembly thereof

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7566099B2 (en) 2003-10-22 2009-07-28 Lord Corporation Furniture seatback tilt recline angle limiter and method
EP1855567B1 (en) * 2005-03-01 2015-09-23 Haworth, Inc. Tilt control mechanism for a chair
JP5220462B2 (ja) * 2008-04-01 2013-06-26 デルタ工業株式会社 シートのリクライニング装置

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
NO159335C (no) * 1984-05-08 1988-12-21 Haag A S Laasbar vippemekanisme for stolsete eller lignende.
GB8825077D0 (en) * 1988-10-26 1988-11-30 Phr Furniture Ltd Pedestal chair
AU3647393A (en) 1992-03-10 1993-10-05 Ashfield Engineering Company (Wexford) Limited A chair tilting mechanism
JP2596820Y2 (ja) * 1993-07-27 1999-06-21 株式会社内田洋行 椅 子

Cited By (21)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2005065487A1 (en) * 2003-12-30 2005-07-21 Hni Technologies Inc. Chair with backward and forward passive tilt capabilities
US6969116B2 (en) * 2003-12-30 2005-11-29 Hni Technologies Inc. Chair with backward and forward passive tilt capabilities
US20050146184A1 (en) * 2003-12-30 2005-07-07 Machael Jay R. Chair with backward and forward passive tilt capabilities
US20100084904A1 (en) * 2006-12-04 2010-04-08 Sato Office Gmbh Seat having a seat panel and a backrest
US8215710B2 (en) * 2006-12-04 2012-07-10 Sato Office Gmbh Seat having a seat panel and a backrest
US10455940B2 (en) 2014-04-17 2019-10-29 Hni Technologies Inc. Chair and chair control assemblies, systems, and methods
US9801471B2 (en) 2014-04-17 2017-10-31 Hni Technologies Inc. Chair and chair control assemblies, systems, and methods
US10021984B2 (en) 2015-04-13 2018-07-17 Steelcase Inc. Seating arrangement
US10194750B2 (en) 2015-04-13 2019-02-05 Steelcase Inc. Seating arrangement
US10575648B2 (en) 2015-04-13 2020-03-03 Steelcase Inc. Seating arrangement
US11553797B2 (en) 2015-04-13 2023-01-17 Steelcase Inc. Seating arrangement
US11096497B2 (en) 2015-04-13 2021-08-24 Steelcase Inc. Seating arrangement
US11963621B2 (en) 2015-04-13 2024-04-23 Steelcase Inc. Seating arrangement
US11259637B2 (en) 2015-04-13 2022-03-01 Steelcase Inc. Seating arrangement
US11324325B2 (en) 2015-04-13 2022-05-10 Steelcase Inc. Seating arrangement
US10966527B2 (en) 2017-06-09 2021-04-06 Steelcase Inc. Seating arrangement and method of construction
US11825955B2 (en) 2017-06-09 2023-11-28 Steelcase Inc. Seating arrangement and method of construction
US11109683B2 (en) 2019-02-21 2021-09-07 Steelcase Inc. Body support assembly and method for the use and assembly thereof
US11357329B2 (en) 2019-12-13 2022-06-14 Steelcase Inc. Body support assembly and methods for the use and assembly thereof
US11786039B2 (en) 2019-12-13 2023-10-17 Steelcase Inc. Body support assembly and methods for the use and assembly thereof
US11805913B2 (en) 2019-12-13 2023-11-07 Steelcase Inc. Body support assembly and methods for the use and assembly thereof

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ZA200108143B (en) 2002-06-26
EP1197167A2 (en) 2002-04-17
CN1346615A (zh) 2002-05-01
AU7826101A (en) 2002-04-11
CA2358358A1 (en) 2002-04-10
EP1197167A3 (en) 2003-07-30
GB0024840D0 (en) 2000-11-22

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: RODD ENGINEERING LIMITED, GREAT BRITAIN

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:HOWELL, IAN;REEL/FRAME:012249/0026

Effective date: 20011008

STCB Information on status: application discontinuation

Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION