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US 4,981,326 AGranted
Ergonomic chair
AssigneeSteelcase Strafor
InventorCharles Heidmann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ergonomic chair having a movable, bendable chair back, which offers improved comfort and adjustability. The structure includes a series of rearward opening grooves in the chair back. This structure allows limited back flexibility. The chair also includes a mehcanism for adjusting the force needed to move the back, and another mechanism which limits the back's movement. Similar structure includes a seat which can slide forward and backward.
Claims15
An ergonomic chair comprising:
- a seat having a frontward and a rearward portion and a horizontal pivoting axis;
- a fixed support of a height which can be adjusted;
- a one-piece seat back unit having a structure at a definite height in relation to the seat's comfort, said structure allowing controlled rearward deformation of said seat back and having an overall flexibility due to both mechanical means and seat back material properties;
- said frontward portion of said seat being mounted on said support, said rearward portion of said seat and said seat back being molded in one piece and pivotally attached to said frontward portion;
- said mechanical means permitting said seat back to flexibly rock, said mechanical means including a plate pivotally affixed to said pivoting axis of said seat and a spring capable of exerting a force, said plate and spring being attached so that when said seat rocks backward, said plate pivots, and said spring is compressed by said plate, causing said chair to have a tenseness, thereby opposing said force exerted by said plate;
- an adjusting screw for the adjustment of said tenseness of said chair;
- a slider piece having a threaded hole, said slider piece being attached to said spring, said screw cooperating with said hole so that when said screw is rotated said slider moves, thereby varying where on said plate said spring applies said force.
4 more elements
An ergonomic chair comprising:
- a fixed base;
- a housing rotatably attached to said fixed base so that said housing can rotate about a vertical axis, and a horizontal axis;
- a front seat portion joined to said housing;
- a deformable and pivotable seat back unit having a seat region and a back region, said back region having both an upper part and a lower part, a structure having a predetermined flexibility in a primary direction connecting said upper part and lower part, said structure including;
- a solid plate of material having a plurality of slits in its rearward surface, said slits opening rearwardly, said slits extending only partways through said plate, said slits thereby defining a plurality of blocks in said rearward surface of said plate and a plurality of thin flexible regions of material at the frontward surface of said plate;
- said blocks being joined to one another by said thin regions of said plate material;
- said thin regions being dimensioned so that when a force is applied in a rearward direction said plate bends in a rearward direction as a result of said thin regions flexing;
- and
- a plurality of ribs corresponding in number to the number of slits, each said slit having at least one said rib lying within it,
- said lower part of said back region being fixedly attached to said seat region, said seat back unit being pivotally joined to said housing so that said seat back unit can pivot about said horizontal axis;
- means for limiting the movement of said back in response to an applied force;
- means for adjusting said means for limiting in response to said applied force so that a user can adjust how much force is needed to move said seat back.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.