US3588013A - Chair - Google Patents

Abstract

THERE IS DISCLOSED A CHAIR, ESPECIALLY AN OFFICE CHAIR, INCORPORATING A FORMED LEG MEANS HAVING A LOWER LEG EDGE FROM WHICH SAID LEG MEANS IS INWARDLY RETRACTED, SAID LEG MEANS PROVIDING AN ESSENTIALLY CIRCULAR-SHAPED SUPPORT SURFACE. A PLURALITY OF INSET-DISPOSED TRAVELLING MEMBERS IN THE FORM OF ROLLER OR BALL MEMBERS IS PROVIDED FOR SAID LEG MEANS TO IMPART MOBILITY TO THE CHAIR. A PLATE OR RING-SHAPED SUPPORT MEMBER IS INSERTED IN SAID LEG MEANS, THE TRAVELLING MEMBERS BEING INSERTED IN SAID SUPPORT MEMBER AT APPROXIMATELY THE REGION OF SAID LOWER LEG EDGE AND BEING SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED WITH RESPECT TO SAID LOWER LEG EDGE, WHEREBY DURING SLIGHT TILTING OF THE CHAIR THE CONTACT SURFACES OF NEIGHBORING TRAVELLING MEMBERS TOGETHER WITH THE REGION OF THE LOWER LEG EDGE DISPOSED INTERMEDIATE THERETO PROVIDES A THREE-POINT-LIKE STANDING SURFACE WHICH LIMITS TILTING OF THE CHAIR.

Description

1 United States Patent [72] inventor Laszlo Mazak Tennmoosstrase l5, Zurich-Gockhausen,

Switzerland [211 App]. No. 760,028 [22] Filed Sept. 16,1968 [45] Patented June 28, 1971 [32] Priority Oct. 3, 1967 [33] Switzerland [31] 13769/67 [54] CHAIR 1 Claim, 1 Drawing Fig. 2

[52] 11.8. C1 248/158, 248/188.1, 248/425 [51] Int. Cl. ..F16m 11/22 [50] Fieldofsnreh 248/158, 188.1.128, l29,349,4 16.425 158: 16/24,47; 297/310, 270; 108/150 [56] Referencs Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 244,163 7/1881 Arndt 16/47 1,060,076 4/1913 Glowacki 16/47 Primary Examiner- Edward C. Allen Attorneys-Jacobi and Davidson and Werner W. Kleeman ABSTRACT: There is disclosed a chair, especially an office chair, incorporating a formed leg means having a lower leg edge from which said leg means is inwardly retracted, said leg means providing an essentially circular-shaped support surface. A plurality of inset-disposed travelling members in the form of roller or ball members is provided for said leg means to impart mobility to the chair. A plate or ring-shaped support member is inserted in said leg means, the travelling members being inserted in said support member at approximately the region of said lower leg edge and being substantially uniformly distributed with respect to said lower leg edge, whereby during slight tilting of the chair the contact surfaces of neighboring travelling members together with the region of the lower leg edge disposed intermediate thereto provides a three-point-like standing surface which limits tilting of the chair.

VPATENTEDJUNZMQ?! 3588.013

INVENT OR 4112,40 M/ZAK ATTORNEYJ,

CHAIR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improved chair, especially an office chair, possessing a formed leg or pedestal portion which is inwardly retracted from its lower edge or marginal region and possesses an essentially circular-shaped standing surface.

Chairs of the aforementioned type, in contrast with those having a leg formed of a star-shaped arranged strut means, the so-called cross arrangement, are increasingly becoming more widely accepted'because of their stability and for reasons of their aesthetic appearance. If for instance chairs with a crossleg arrangement are used in offices then such are equipped with pivotable rollers in order to impart mobility to the chair, these rollers being mounted at the struts of the crossleg arrangement. As a result, the crossleg arrangement is raised a considerable distance from the floor. This not only limits the leg room of the user, rather also neither improves the stability of the chair nor its aesthetic affect.

However, the stability of such chairs equipped with a crossleg arrangement represents a considerable problem in that, particularly with crosslegs having rollers the danger of tipping the chair is considerably increased if the lever action occurs centrally between two neighboring crosslegs, unless the crosslegs extend considerably past the seat or seating surface. However, such an arrangement increases the danger of passersby tripping over these extended crosslegs, apart from the disadvantageous economical and aesthetic factors.

Most people who have worked in an ofiice have already experienced how unfortunate the conception of office chairs having crosslegs equipped with rollers has turned out to be. More precisely, most of these persons have already experienced how easily a chair of this type which is loaded at the outer edge of the seat tends to shoot away, particularly then if the outer seat edge extends between two struts of the crossleg arrangement.

On the other hand, chairs with a formed leg which is retracted inwardly from its lower edge have proven themselves to be considerably more appealing, cheaper, and practical. Apart from the same leg room which is equally available completely about the entire chair the surface expansion or extent of the leg is reduced in comparison to that of a crossleg arrangement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to render a chair of the aforementioned type mobile without having to worry about the danger of the chair tilting as would be the case with a chair having a crossleg arrangement and rollers.

Another, more specific object of the present invention relates to an improved chair which is equipped with a new and improved leg arrangement equipped with travelling members, such as rollers or balls for the chair, to render same mobile, while at the same time eliminating the danger of the chair tilting or shooting away.

Still a further significant object of the present invention relates to an improved construction of chair, especially an office chair, which is relatively simple in construction, economical to manufacture, does not provide the potential hazards of use as sociated with the aforementioned prior art type chairs, and at the same time is still appealing to the eye and extremely utilitarian.

Now, in order to implement these and still further objects of the invention, which will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, the chair of the invention incorporates a plurality of travelling members in the form of roller or spherical bodies which are disposed in inset or recessed fashion at the leg of the chair and'serve to impart mobility to the chair. More precisely, these roller or spherical bodies are arranged at a plate or ring-shaped support which is inserted in the chair leg, and further, such rollers or spherical bodies are located at the region of the lower edge of the leg and are uniformly distributed with respect thereto. In fact, the arrangement of the roller or spherical bodies is undertaken in such a fashion that during slight tipping or tilting of the chair the contact surfaces of neighboring roller or spherical bodies together with the region of the lower leg edge disposed intermediate thereto provide a three-point-like standing surfacewhich limits the tilting of the chair.

By virtue of these measures it is possible to provide a comparatively extremely safe office chair which, although it can slightly tilt, still cannot shoot away beneath the user since after tipping or tilting of the chair the three-point support becomes effective which then provides for the chair a standing surface which is satisfactory for the shifted or displaced center of gravity.

In the context of this disclosure, when speaking in terms of chairs having a formed leg there should also be understood those type chairs in which the leg is, for instance, connected by welding rigidly with the column between the leg and the seat.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention will be better understood, and objects other than those set forth above, will become apparent, when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawing wherein the single FIG. shows in fragmentary per-- spective view a chair designed according to the teachings of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Describing now the drawing, the exemplary embodiment of inventive chair encompasses a seat 1, a generally elevationally displaceable telescopic column having a pin or shaft 2 secured to the seat 1, and a cylindrical portion 3 as well as a leg portion 4 which is formed at the cylindrical portion 3 and is drawn inwardly or retracted from the lower edge 5.

Naturally, this chair together with the seat, the column, and leg can be formed of a single piece or the telescopic column arrangement can consist of more than two components. Furthermore, the chair can be equipped with any desired type of adjusting means for regulating the height of the seat and/or the inclination of the backrest. Additionally, the leg 4 which in the exemplary embodiment is of circular configuration can also have a different form, for example a polygonal shape, and further can also be provided with openings.

As will be best recognized by referring to the single FIG., a support plate 6 is arranged at the side of the leg 4 facing the floor and is disposed in recessed fashion in such leg. Furthermore, the central region of this support plate 6 is preferably drawn in or retracted. The support plate 6 is fixedly connected with the leg portion 4, for instance through the use of screws 7 or equivalent fastening expedients.

A number of travelling members 8, for instance in the form of rollers or spherical or ball elements, are rotatably imbedded in the support plate 6 at the region of its marginal edge and are uniformly distributed about the periphery of such support plate. More precisely, these roller or spherical bodies 8 are advantageously arranged in such a fashion that the contact or rolling surfaces of each spherical body 8 extends by several millimeters past the standing surface of the chair formed by the edge 5 of the leg portion 4. In this manner the chair is rendered mobile without raising the chair a considerable distance from the floor. Consequently, the aesthetic affect which has been attained due to the configuration of the chair is retained and the previously existing leg room is not impaired even though the chair has been constructed to be mobile.

Now, if the chair is tilted or tipped, then, the marginal edge 5 which is only slightly spaced from the floor immediately comes into contact with the floor and together with the contact or rolling surfaces of two neighboring spherical bodies 8 forms a three-point-like standing surface for the chair which prevents any further tilting thereof.

Finally, it should be mentioned that the support plate 6 can also be replaced by a ring-shaped support member or by a number of individual elements each of which carry a roller or ball or spherical body.

It should be apparent from the foregoing detailed description, that the objects set forth at the outset to the specification have been successfully achieved.

I claim:

1. A pedestal chair comprising the combination of:

a seat portion;

a single leg supporting said seat portion; and

a base at the lower end of said leg, said base comprising a substantially circular disclike body having a diameter significantly greater than the thickness of the leg and a floor-covering area approximately the same as the area of the seat portion, said body having a flat bottom surface;

a plurality of roller members greater than four, circularly disposed in the bottom surface of said body,

said roller members being mounted in a circle having a diameter smaller than the outer diameter of said body and significantly larger than the major transverse dimension of said leg,

said rollers further being mounted on radii which are separated by equal angles, the lowest portions of said roller members having floor contact positions lying in a plane spaced from and parallel to said bottom surface of said body;

an annular ring depending downwardly from the periphery of said base, the lowest extremity of said ring lying in a plane parallel with and between the planes containing said bottom surface of said body and the contact portions of said roller members,

the radius of said ring being sufficiently larger than the circle in which said roller members are mounted to provide a plurality of points of contact any one of which, with two adjacent roller members, form a triangular support when said leg is tilted in any direction from the vertical.

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