US3858935A - Chair - Google Patents

Chair Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US3858935A
US3858935A US299904A US29990472A US3858935A US 3858935 A US3858935 A US 3858935A US 299904 A US299904 A US 299904A US 29990472 A US29990472 A US 29990472A US 3858935 A US3858935 A US 3858935A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
mouldings
chair
seat part
cavity
seat
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US299904A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Leonard J Pask
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.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
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 Individual filed Critical Individual
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3858935A publication Critical patent/US3858935A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

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
    • A47C1/022—Reclining or easy chairs having independently-adjustable supporting parts
    • A47C1/024—Reclining or easy chairs having independently-adjustable supporting parts the parts, being the back-rest, or the back-rest and seat unit, having adjustable and lockable inclination

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to chairs, and in particular to adjustable commercial, contract or industrial chairs, for example, typists chairs or the like.
  • Such chairs usually incorporate a seat part, a backrest part, and an adjustment mechanism by means of which the position of the backrest part may be adjusted and locked relative to the seat part.
  • the ad justment mechanism has been external and exposed, so that it is visible and detracts fromthe general appearance of the chair.
  • the present invention consists in a chair comprising a seat part, a backrest part, and an adjustment mechanism to permit relative adjustment between the parts, at least one of said parts defining a cavity within which at least a major proportion of the ad justment mechanism is located and concealed.
  • the invention consists in a chair including a seat part having a transversely extending support surface at least partly bounded by aperipheral rim formed therein with at least one laterally outwardly opening recess arranged to receive an anchor member associated with'a seat cover when the seat cover is assembled to the seat part, to retain the cover secured to the seat part.
  • the invention also consists in a chair or seat having a hollow seat part formed from two shell-like mouldings of synthetic plastics material, secured together and formed, internally of the seat part, with ribs.
  • FIG. 1 is a plan view of a seat part of a typists chair embodying the invention, prior to assembly of the top moulding of the seat part;
  • FIG. 2 is a vertical section through the typists chair, on the line A-A of FIG. 1, after assembly of the top moulding, and with the backrest part omitted;
  • FIG. 3 is a section on the line B-B of FIG. 1 after assembly of the top moulding
  • FIG. 4 is a vertical section through the backrest part of the chair shown inFIGS. l to 3.
  • the chair basically comprises a seat part 1 carried by a pedestal 2, a backrest part 3 (FIG. 4) attached by a double pillar arrangement 4 to the seat part 1, and armrest parts 5 (FIG. 2) secured to the seat part by pillars 6.
  • the seat, backrest, and the chair basically comprise a seat part 1 carried by a pedestal 2, a backrest part 3 (FIG. 4) attached by a double pillar arrangement 4 to the seat part 1, and armrest parts 5 (FIG. 2) secured to the seat part by pillars 6.
  • a syn-- thetic plastics material for example, from a high impact polystyrene such as acrylonitrile-butadienestyrene
  • the pillars 4 and 6 are formed from metal tubes, for example, circular section, chromiumplated, mild steel tubing, or stainless steel tubing.
  • the pillars 4 are both bent from a common length of tubing folded back onto itself, the U-fold joining the pillars being located within the backrest part 3.
  • the pillars 4 are mutually parallel and, intermediate their opposite ends which extend into the parts 1 and 3, are
  • Both the seat part 1 and the backrest part incorporate an adjustment mechanism, which will be described hereinafter, to permit sliding adjustment to be effected between the upper generally upright ends of the pillars 4 and the backrest part 3, and between the generally horizontally extending lower ends 4a of the pillars 4 and the seat part I.
  • the seat part 1 comprises a bottom shell or moulding 7 and a top shell or moulding 8, each comprising an expansive surface bounded by peripheral rim flanges 7a and 80 respectively.
  • the mouldings when secured together, define therebetween a cavity within which an adjustment mechanism, indicated generally at 9, is mounted.
  • the bottom moulding 7 is provided with a pair. of circular openings 7b (FIG. I) in the rear part of the rim flange 7a, spaced apart by a distance equal to the distance between the lower ends 4a of the pillars 4.
  • the expansive surfaces of the top and bottom mouldings are formed with pairs of parallel internal longitudinal ribs 10 and 11 respectively :in alignment with the openings 7b, the ribs of the top and bottom parts being spaced apart vertically, as shown in FIG. 3, so as to define two parallel guide channels 12 for slidably receiving the lower, horizontally extending, parallel ends 4a when inserted through the openings 7b.
  • the ends of the ribs 10 and '11 adjacent the openings 7b are relieved as shown at 100 and 11a to facilitate'insertion of the lower ends 4a into their respective channels 12.
  • the adjustment mechanism 9 includes a wedging element comprising a pair of substantially rigid, cranked strips 9a, formed for example from steel or spring steel plates.
  • the adjacent or inner ends of the strips 9a are provided with cutaway s or semi-circular recesses which engage in an annular channel 9b in acylindrical push button formed, for example, from a synthetic plastics material.
  • the opposite or outer ends of the strips are rockably located in slots 13a in ribs 13 integral with the bottom moulding 7.
  • each strip is provided with a raised shoulder 9e which is engageable with an adjacent inner rib ltlof the top moulding.
  • the push button 90 includes an outer manually depressible part which projects through an opening 7c in the rim flange of the bottom moulding 7.
  • the push button also includes an inner reduced diameter guide part 9f surrounded by a compression spring 14, one end of the spring being located against a shoulder of the push button adjacent the annular channel 9b, and the other end of the spring being located against a washer which abuts a transverse rib 15 formed integrally with the bottom moulding.
  • the reduced, diameter part of the push button extends through a guide aperture in the rib l5, and is fitted with a retainer, such. as a circlip 9g which serves to limit the extent of the sliding displacement of the push button under the action of the spring 14.
  • the spring 14 tends to urge the push button, and the inner ends of the strips 9a, rearwardly, thus increasing the inclination of the outer cranked ends of the strips relative to the transverse plane of the channels 12.
  • the adjustment mechanism just described possesses the advantage that the strips 9a are, to a certain extent, free to move toward and away from each other upon tively locate, but permit horizontal sliding movement of, the ends 4a of the pillars.
  • the inclination of the outer ends of the strips is increased by the action of the spring 14, causing the sides of the openings 9d in these ends to wedgingly engage the lower ends 4a of the pillars, thus preventing unintentional displacementof the pillars 4 relative to the seat part 1.
  • the button 9c is depressed to unlock the pillars.
  • top and bottom mouldings 7 and 8 are provided with numerous additional internal integral ribs to stiffen and strengthen the seat part and to enable its connection to the pedestalj2.
  • the backrest part 3 is of sim-
  • the tube portion 6a is additionally secured to the seat top moulding by screws 25c which extend downwardly through pillars 8b and are threaded into apertures 6b in the tube portion 6a rearwardly of stirrups 24b.
  • the rear zones of the seat top and bottom mouldings are thus interconnected via the tube portion 6a, whilst the mouldings are also secured together'at other zones by suitable means, such as further screws.
  • top and bottom mouldings When the top and bottom mouldings are thus secured together, they form a very strong and rigid box or monocoque structure, and by virtue of the previously described anchorage of the tube portion 6a any tendency for the tube portion 6a to distort or crack the seat mouldings, when loads are placed on the arm rest parts during normal use of the chair, is reduced or eliminated.
  • the backrest part comprises front and rear mouldings 17 and -18, provided with pairs of parallel ribs 19 and 20 forming guide channels for the pillars 4, and with an adjustment mechanism 21 equivalent to the mechanism 9. Since the pillars 4 are, as previously mentioned, joined by a U-fold located within the backrest part, the rib portions 20a and the opposed portions of the ribs 19 are reduced in height on the side of the transverse rib 22 remote from the adjustment mechanism to accommodate the said fold without inhibiting the sliding movement of the pillars 4 within the channels between the ribs 19 and 201.
  • the backrest part 3 also includes a peripheral outwardly opening and laterally extending recess23, similar to the recess 16 of the seat part.
  • the arm rest parts 5 are of similar 2-part construction to the backrest and seat parts, although they do not incorporate any adjustment mechanisms equivalent to the mechanisms 9 or 21.Each arm rest part receives and is secured to a flattened generally horizontal upper end of pillar 6 formed from a single length of tube.
  • the central lower V-shaped portion 6a (FIG. 1) of the tube is located in stirrups 24a and 24b, integral with the internal surface of the seat bottom moulding 7, prior to assembly of the seat top moulding, and is securely held in place by the latter and by screws 25a, 25b.
  • the tube portion 6a is inclined downwardly towards the front of the seat part, as clearly shown in HO.
  • this portion 6a will be disposed below the horizontally extending lower ends 4a of the pillar 4, whilst the depth of the slots 7d in the seat bottom moulding peripheral rim flange 7a, through which the tube portion 6a passes, will be minimised.
  • the slots 7d may be produced by breaking away weakened portions of the flange 7a, these portions being left in tact to eliminate the slots in the chair if the chair is, alternatively, not to be provided with armrests.
  • the seat part is provided with an upholstery cover 26 having a beading containing an elastic anchor member, such as a helical spring wire loop 26a which is stretched overthe flange 7a and snaps into the recess 16, thus holdingthe cover firmly anchored to the seat part.
  • a layer of padding 26b such as a layer of resilient foam or other upholstery material, may be located between the seat part and the cover, retained in place by the latter. Upholstery may thereby be rapidly and simply'attached to the seat part and removed and-replaced if necessary.
  • the backrest and arm rest parts may be upholstered in a similar manner.
  • adjustablechair embodying hollow rigid monocoque seat and backrest partswithin which are substantially entirely mounted, andconcealed, adjustment mechanisms by means of which the position of the backrest part, and the seat rest-part, relative to the pillars 4, may be easilyand efficiently slidably adjusted, and positively locked in any desired adjusted position.
  • the adjustment mechanisms incorporate the minimum of components, are reliable and simple, and may be readily assembled during manufacture of the seat.
  • the bulk of the chair may be substantially reduced by withdrawing these pillars from the seat part, inverting the pillars so that the backrest part extends downwardly, and reinserting the pillars so that the backrest part is nested adjacent the chair pedestal.
  • the strips forming part of the adjustment mechanism 9 in the seat part and/or the equivalent strips in the backrest part may be formed from synthetic plastics material or other rigid, resilient or flexible material, instead of from metal.
  • the strips may be straight instead of cranked, and may be joined together, and/or to the push button, for example by a hinge or hinges.
  • the strips may be moulded integrally with the push button when the button and strips are formed from a plastics material.
  • the or each adjustment mechanism may be replaced by other forms of mechanism located within a cavity or recess in the seat and/or backrest part, for example by a ratchet and pawl mechanism.
  • the arm rest and/or seat part may incorporate adjustment mechanisms to permit adjustment of the arm rest parts. Alternatively, some or all of the adjustment mechanisms may be omitted.
  • the locking or wedging force exerted by the inclined strips of the mechanisms will tend to increase upon application of a force tending to press the pillars further into the seat or backrest parts, but will tend to decrease upon application of a force tending to withdrawn the pillars from the seat or backrest parts.
  • the spring 14 should be as strong as possible, consistent with ease of operation of the adjustment mechanism.
  • the push button or its equivalent may be positioned internally of the seat part, and may be actuated indirectly by a system possessing improved mechanical advantage, such as a lever system, or rotary or sliding cams operable by a rotatable external knob or lever.
  • a rotatable knob may have an inwardly directed inclined cam surface cooperable with an oppositely inclined cam surface of the push button or equivalent.
  • the withdrawal of the pillars relative to the backrest part may be used to advantage, for example by employing in its adjustment mechanism a sufficiently weak spring (corresponding to the spring 14) to enable the backrest part to be drawn up the pillars for height adjustment purposes without depressing the associated push button.
  • a tension spring may be connected to the U-fold or equivalent member joining the pillars 4 within the backrest part, and to an internal part of the backrest part adjacent the top thereof, i.e. remote from the adjustment mechanism, which tension spring will tend to bias the backrest part downwardly on the pillars and supplement the weak locking action created by the adjustment mechanism spring.
  • the said additional tension spring may be connected between the U-fold or equivalent and a point within the backrest part adjacent the adjustment mechanism so as to assist upward adjustment of the backrest part on the pillars.
  • the seat and/or backrest and/or arm rest parts may be formed from plastics materials other than acrylonitrile butadiene-styrene, or may be cast from metal, for example a light metal as alloy such as aluminium alloy.
  • the adjustment means, and the method of attachment of the covers are not restricted to chairs or seats, such as contract, domestic, industrial or commercial chairs or seats, and may be applied to other furniture.
  • a chair including a seat part and a backrest part, both said seat part and said backrest part being formed from two shell-like mouldings of synthetic plastics material, each shell-like moulding comprising an expansive surface at least partly bounded by a peripheral rim portion, the mouldings being secured together with their rim portions directed towards each other to form a cavity therebetween, the chair further including a pillar arrangement supporting the backrest part fromthe seat part, and having a generally upright portion extending into the cavity within the backrest part and cooperating directly with the shell-like mouldings of said part to permit sliding adjustment of said backrest part relative to the upright'portion in the longitudinal direction of the upright portion, a first adjustment mechanism located and substantially entirely concealed within the cavity in the backrest part, enclosed by the expansive surfaces of the two-shell-like mouldings of said part, and carried directly by the shell-like mouldings of said part, said mechanism being releasably cooperable with said upright portion to lock the backrest part in selected adjusted positions relative to the upright portion, the pillar arrangement also having
  • each adjustment mechanism includes an element wedgingly coop erable with the pillar arrangement within the cavity in the'associated part, to normally lock the pillar arrange ment against sliding movement relative to said associated part, the mechanism further including a manually actuable member disposed externally of said associated part and being cooperable with the wedging element upon manual actuation ofsaid member to displace the wedging element to a position in which its wedging action on the pillar arrangement is released, said member being the sole component of the mechanism not concealed within the cavity.
  • the pillar arrangement comprises two transversely spaced, genen ally parallel, tube portions interconnected within the backrest part, the tube portions slidably extending through openings in the rim portion of one moulding of each of the seat and backrest parts and through aligned openings in the wedging element of the associated adjustment mechanism, said wedging element being dis placeable, upon manual actuation of said member, from a wedging position in which the plane of each opening in the element is inclined with respect to a transverse plane of the associated tube portion and the edge of the opening wedgingly cooperates with the said tube portion, to a non-wedging position in which the inclination of the plane of said opening with respect to the transverse plane of said tube portion is reduced.
  • each adjustment mechanism comprises a pair of rigid plate-like strips, the two strips having inner mutually adjacent ends cooperating with the manually actuable member, and outer ends spaced from said inner ends, each of said outer ends being provided with one of said openings, the strips being mounted within the cavity in the associated part for rocking movement about an axis disposed generally normal to the direction of relative sliding movement between the associated part and tube portions.
  • the manually actuable member comprises one end of a push button mounted in the associated part for sliding movement generally parallel to the direction of relative sliding movement between the pillar arrangement and said associated part, the head projecting through an opening in the rim portion of the moulding and disposed centrally between the openings therein which receive the tube portions of the pillar arrangement, and the push button being spring biased towards a position, corresponding to the wedging position of the wedging element, in which the head extends from its opening, and wherein the inner ends of the strips are cooperable within a recess in the push button, each strip being rockably mounted in a slot in a rib formed within the associatedcavity at a position spaced from the inner end of that strip by the opening therein.
  • each wedging element is formed from metal, and, when in its 8 wedging position, is operable to positively lock the pillar arrangement against sliding movement in a direction into the associated part whilst permitting sliding movement in the reverse direction.
  • a chair as claimed in claim 1 including armrest parts mounted on tubular pillars, the lower ends of which project generally horizontally into the cavity within the seat part mouldings through a rim portion thereof, each lower end being secured to the uppermost of the seat part mouldings at a position adjacent the rim portion thereof, and to the lowermost of the mouldings'at a position spaced along said lower end from the rim portion by the first mentioned position.

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Dentistry (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Chairs Characterized By Structure (AREA)
  • Special Chairs (AREA)
US299904A 1971-10-22 1972-10-24 Chair Expired - Lifetime US3858935A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB49289/71A GB1414965A (en) 1971-10-22 1971-10-22 Chairs

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3858935A true US3858935A (en) 1975-01-07

Family

ID=10451830

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US299904A Expired - Lifetime US3858935A (en) 1971-10-22 1972-10-24 Chair

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US3858935A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE2251818A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR2157655A5 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1414965A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4398766A (en) * 1981-04-27 1983-08-16 Tusco, Inc. Boat seat mounting structure
US4432582A (en) * 1981-12-17 1984-02-21 Wilkhahn-Wilkening & Hahne Gmbh & Company Chair with means for adjusting the inclination of the backrest
US5516197A (en) * 1992-06-15 1996-05-14 Condos; Jim Chair
EP0751879A4 (en) * 1995-01-20 2000-07-19 Hon Ind Inc DESK CHAIR
US6921135B2 (en) * 2002-09-04 2005-07-26 Craig Ellis Child's adjustable chair

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2281038A (en) * 1940-03-18 1942-04-28 Posture Res Corp Chair
US2662586A (en) * 1950-07-28 1953-12-15 Roy A Cramer Resilient mounting for chair backs
US2784769A (en) * 1955-06-06 1957-03-12 Sturgis Posture Chair Company Chair construction
US3115368A (en) * 1962-04-26 1963-12-24 Emil J Paidar Company Chair structure and support
US3173723A (en) * 1964-06-08 1965-03-16 American Seating Co Seat attachment
US3526430A (en) * 1968-11-18 1970-09-01 Art Metal Knoll Corp Back height adjustment mechanism
US3539142A (en) * 1968-10-02 1970-11-10 Estad Products Inc Positional adjustment device for casket beds
US3722954A (en) * 1970-07-13 1973-03-27 Sebel Ltd Upholstered furniture

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2281038A (en) * 1940-03-18 1942-04-28 Posture Res Corp Chair
US2662586A (en) * 1950-07-28 1953-12-15 Roy A Cramer Resilient mounting for chair backs
US2784769A (en) * 1955-06-06 1957-03-12 Sturgis Posture Chair Company Chair construction
US3115368A (en) * 1962-04-26 1963-12-24 Emil J Paidar Company Chair structure and support
US3173723A (en) * 1964-06-08 1965-03-16 American Seating Co Seat attachment
US3539142A (en) * 1968-10-02 1970-11-10 Estad Products Inc Positional adjustment device for casket beds
US3526430A (en) * 1968-11-18 1970-09-01 Art Metal Knoll Corp Back height adjustment mechanism
US3722954A (en) * 1970-07-13 1973-03-27 Sebel Ltd Upholstered furniture

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4398766A (en) * 1981-04-27 1983-08-16 Tusco, Inc. Boat seat mounting structure
US4432582A (en) * 1981-12-17 1984-02-21 Wilkhahn-Wilkening & Hahne Gmbh & Company Chair with means for adjusting the inclination of the backrest
US5516197A (en) * 1992-06-15 1996-05-14 Condos; Jim Chair
EP0751879A4 (en) * 1995-01-20 2000-07-19 Hon Ind Inc DESK CHAIR
US6921135B2 (en) * 2002-09-04 2005-07-26 Craig Ellis Child's adjustable chair

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE2251818A1 (de) 1973-04-26
GB1414965A (en) 1975-11-19
FR2157655A5 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1973-06-01

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US5035466A (en) Ergonomic chair
US4451084A (en) Backrest height adjustment for office chair
CA1127063A (en) Chair
US4642823A (en) Sofa bed recliner
EP0517206B1 (en) Chair control mechanism
US5582460A (en) Pivotable and height-adjustable chair back rest assembly and blow-molded back rest therefor
US3695693A (en) Seat construction
US3874726A (en) Moulded chairs
US3899207A (en) Chairs
US4384742A (en) Height adjusting mechanism for chair back
CA2090529A1 (en) Adjustable height chair arm
JPS5810010A (ja) いす
US20020140266A1 (en) Height-adjustment mechanism for a chair
US3246927A (en) Stack chair
US4046422A (en) Chair
US3319270A (en) Beds
US4466665A (en) Chair having adjsutable, cantilevered lumbar-supporting arm
US3858935A (en) Chair
US3116091A (en) Stadium seat
US6298504B1 (en) Lockable two frame convertible sofa bed
AU621324B2 (en) Folding watertight outside seat of the box-bench type
JP6204652B2 (ja) ロッキング椅子
US2615500A (en) Collapsible chair
KR102385591B1 (ko) 결합형 좌판모듈을 포함하는 의자
JP6117521B2 (ja) ネスティング可能なロッキング椅子