Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
  • A47C9/00—Stools for specified purposes
  • A47C9/02—Office stools not provided for in main groups A47C1/00, A47C3/00 or A47C7/00; Workshop stools
• • 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
  • A47C1/03—Reclining or easy chairs having independently-adjustable supporting parts the parts being arm-rests
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
  • A47C15/00—Other seating furniture
  • A47C15/004—Seating furniture for specified purposes not covered by main groups A47C1/00 or A47C9/00
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
  • A47C9/00—Stools for specified purposes

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a load-relieving arrangement for use in connection with seated or standing work of a kind which comprises a support element intended to act upon the forearm ares of the user, which support element is capable on the one hand of movement in essentially horizontal directions, and on the other hand of movement downwards against the effect of a spring which fully or partly relieves the weight of the user's arm.
• a previously disclosed arrangement of the aforementioned kind consists of a sling suspended by means of a line in a so-called balance block, in which sling at least a part of the forearm, possibly including an adjacent part of the wrist or elbow, is supported to a degree which can be determined by adjustment of the balance block.
• One object of the present invention is to propose a novel and improved load—rel ev ng arrangement of the kind described by way of introduction, which takes up little space and can be executed very discreetly, so that it can be readily accepted by everybody, and which provides a supporting effect which is essentially unaffected by the arm movements of the user.
• the arrangement in accordance with the invention is characterized essentially in that the spring is a pneumatic spring of a kind already familiar from the prior art, in that the pneumatic spring has a piston, the maximum stroke volume of which is negligible in relation to the space containing the gas providing the spring action, which means that the pneumatic spring will exert essentially the same spring force irrespective of the vertical position of the support element, and in that the pressure of the gas providing the spring action is adjustable by means of an adjustment device capable of operation by the user.
• Fig. 1 is a partial front view of a chair fitted with a load—
• Fig. 2 is a side view on an enlarged scale of the load—relieving arrangement in accordance with Fig. 1.
• Fig. 3 is a view from the rear of the load-relieving arrangement in accordance with Fig. 1.
• Fig. 4 is an axial sectional view on an enlarged scale through a lower part of the load—rel eving arrangement in accordance with Figs. 1—3.
• Fig. 5 is an axial sectional view on an enlarged scale through an upper part of the load—relieving arrangement in accordance with Figs. 1—3.
• Fig. 1 shows a chair with a seat 1, illustrated here in part only, a leg structure 2 and a backrest 3.
• a load—relieving arrangement indicated generally by the designation 4, comprising a support element 5 carried by an upright assembly consisting of the parts 6 and 7.
• the upright assembly 6, 7 is connected at a considerable distance beneath the support element 5 via a universally articulated device 8 to a bracket 9 mounted on the chair at the side of the seat.
• the bracket 9 can thus be executed in such a way that the universally articulated device 8 is capable of being attached to it in different positions, viewed in the sense of the depth of the seat 1 of the chair.
• the universally articulated device 8 permits pivoting of the upright assembly 6, 7 both about a horizontal axis 10, that is to say forwards and backwards in Fig. 1, and about axes running essentially perpendicularly to it, that is to say to one side and the other, as shown by the arrows 11 in Fig. 1.
• the universally articulated device 8 is preferably spring—loaded towards a neutral position indicated in Fig. 1.
• FIG. 2 An upright assembly 6, 7 with its associated support element 5 is shown in more detail in Figs. 2—5.
• the parts 6 and 7 of the upright assembly are supported in such a way as to be capable of longitudinal displacement or of telescoping relative to one another, in conjunction with which one part 6 exhibits a fastening lug 12 via which it is secured in a detachable fashion to the universally articulated device 8 by means of a screw 13.
• This screw 13 passes through an essentially vertical slot 14 arrranged in the fastening lug 12, which slot permits the part 6 to be secured to the universally articulated device 8 at different positions of height and inclination relative to the chair seat 1.
• the upright component 7 and with it the support element 5 are capable of being displaced downwards against the effect of a pneumatic spring consisting of a piston 15, which is mounted in a guide 16 in such a way as to be capable of pivoting and of axial displacement, so as to permit movement into a space 17 filled with the gas providing the spring action, for example air, under positive pressure.
• the maximum stroke volume of the piston 15 is selected for this purpose so as to be so insignificant in relation to the space 17 containing the gas providing the spring action that the pneumatic spring exerts essentially the same spring force irrespective of the vertical position of the support element 5.
• the pneumatic spring piston 15 consists of a cylindrical, essentially vertical rod, the lower end of which is rigidly connected via a socket 18 to the lower end of the upright component 6 executed as a straight tube.
• the piston 15 projects upwards through the upright component 6 and is mounted in a gas—tight fashion in the guide 16, which is rigidly attached inside a lower, straight part of the similarly tubular upright component 7.
• the guide 16 and the lower part of the upright component 7 surrounding it thus slide downwards on the piston 15 and into the upright component 6.
• the piston 15 is fitted at a point close to the socket 18 with a radially projecting pin 19, in conjunction with which the downward movement of the support element 5 is restricted through the engagement between that pin 19 and the lower end of the guide 16.
• Also executed in the lower end of the guide 16 is an angled groove 20, in which the pin 19 can be accommodated by pushing down and turning the guide 16, so that it retains the guide 16, and with it the upright component 7 and the support element 5, in a detachable fashion in a lower ineffective position.
• the upright component 7 exhibits, as may be appreciated from Fig. 2, an essentially 'C 1 —shaped rearward—curved part 23 in the area immediately beneath the support element 5.
• the support element 5 in the embodiment illustrated here is essentially of 'U'—shaped cross—section and is pivotal ly mounted about a shaft 24 passing across same.
• the support element 5 benefits from its small thickness measured in the vertical sense. It is situated on the side of the 'C—shaped part 23 of the upright component 7 facing towards the user, and its underside is situated level with or below the top part of the part 23.
• the element 5 exhibits at its rear end an upward—inclined base 25 (Fig. 2), such that, by engaging with the user's elbow, unintentional sliding of the forearm towards the rear is prevented.
• an adjuster device is provided in the form of a pump built into the upper end of the 'C—shaped part 23 and a valve 26, 27 (Fig. 5).
• the valve comprises a screw 26 capable of being operated by the user, which screw is installed in a valve pipe 27 running between the space 17 and the surrounding atmosphere, with a valve orifice capable of being opened and closed by means of the screw 26.
• the pump comprises a pump piston 28 with a handle 29 capable of operation by the user.
• the pump piston 28 is mounted in such a way as to be capable of axial displacement inside a pump cylinder 20, which communicates with the space 17 via a non—return valve 31.
• the scope of the invention nevertheless permits the alternative arrangement of a pressurized gas cartridge, for example, in place of the pump 28—31.
• the universally articulated device heed not necessarily spring back into position, but may exhibit a small amount of inherent friction, so that the upright component 6 will, in the absence of lateral forces acting on same, maintain its direction relative to the chair 1—3, whilst the support element 5 and the upright component 7 will change their position relative to the upright component 6.
• the load—relieving arrangement can also be applied to a work table or a work bench.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Dentistry (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Chairs Characterized By Structure (AREA)
• Orthopedics, Nursing, And Contraception (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=20371988

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Cited By (2)

Citations (3)

• 1988
  • 1988-04-12 SE SE8801349A patent/SE466040B/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1989
  • 1989-04-06 AU AU34210/89A patent/AU3421089A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1989-04-06 WO PCT/SE1989/000180 patent/WO1989009558A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1989-04-06 DE DE68911139T patent/DE68911139T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1989-04-06 EP EP89904649A patent/EP0414717B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1989-04-12 CA CA000596395A patent/CA1299084C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime

Patent Citations (3)

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