US 6,578,918 B1Granted

Chair

OwnerTommi Rinne, Kari Rinne +1inventors

InventorsTommi Rinne, Kari Rinne, Yrjö Rinne

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Abstract

A chair includes a seat (4) and a backrest (5). The seat (4) includes a front seat part (41) which is carried by a chair base structure (1, 2, 7, 71), and a rear seat part (42) which borders on the front seat part (41) along a join line that extends generally perpendicular to a symmetry plane of the chair (3). The chair includes a member (7) for selectively adjusting the distance between the seat join line (43) and the backrest (5) so as to enable a chair user sitting on the seat (4) with his back in contact with the backrest (5) to take a sitting position in which his hip joints lie generally in a vertical plane that includes the join line (43). Moving members (8, 9, 14, 15, 16) are provided for moving the rear seat part (42) vertically relative to the front seat part (41). The moving member includes a lever (9) and a support point (15) which is stationary relative to the front seat part (41). The blocking device (14) has a variable length and, in one end position, functions to cause the lever (9) to hold the rear seat part (42) flush with the front seat part (41). The chair also includes a triggering device (16) which upon manual activation functions to reduce the length of the blocking device (14) and thereby lower the rear seat part (42) relative to the front seat part.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A chair having a seat and a backrest, the seat includes a front seat part carried by a seat base structure, and a rear seat part which borders on the front seat part along a join line which extends generally perpendicularly to a chair symmetry plane, the chair includes means for selectively adjusting a distance between the seat join line and the backrest so that a chair user sitting on the seat with his back in contact with the backrest can take a sitting position in which his hip joints lie generally in a vertical plane that includes the join line, and vertical movement means for moving the rear seat part vertically in relation to the front seat part, wherein the improvement comprising:

said vertical movement means including
a lever pivotally mounted on the front seat part for supporting the rear seat part for vertical movement independently of the backrest;
a blocking device adapted to operate between the lever and a support point which is stationary relative to the front seat part, the blocking device having a variable length and in one terminal position functions to cause the lever to hold the rear seat part flush with the front seat part;
a trigger mechanism which when actuated manually causes the length of the blocking device to be reduced and thereby lower the rear seat part in relation to the front seat part;
said blocking device being a gas spring having a latching device and a mechanical spring acting in a direction to return the rear seat part to a same level as that occupied by the front seat part;
and
the gas spring includes a cylinder that includes a piston having a valve, said piston being connected to a piston rod, and said lever being a bell-crank lever which includes a lever arm extending downwardly from a pivot point of said vertical movement means, the cylinder of the gas spring is pivotally mounted on a pivot point at a free end of the lever arm, and the piston rod of the gas spring is fixedly connected to the support point;
said latching device includes a rod extending coaxially through the piston rod and projects out from a free end of said piston rod;
and
said trigger mechanism being pivotally mounted on the front seat part to permit the rear seat part to be lowered when activated.

7 more elements

A chair seat comprising:

a base structure;
a front seat part moveably mounted to said base structure;
a backrest moveably mounted to said base structure;
a rear seat part positioned behind said front seat part and moveably mounted to said base structure;
an adjusting member attached to said base structure for selectively adjusting a distance between said front seat part and said backrest;
a lever pivotally mounted on said front seat part for supporting independent vertical movement of said rear seat part;
a blocking device adapted to operate between said lever and a supporting point which is stationary relative to said front seat part, said blocking device is a gas spring having a latching device and a mechanical spring for acting in a direction to return the rear seat part to a same level as that occupied by the front seat part;
said gas spring includes a cylinder with a piston having a valve, said piston connected to a piston rod, and said lever is a bell-crank lever which includes a lever arm extending downwardly from a pivot point of a vertical movement member, and said cylinder is pivotally mounted on a pivot point at a free end of said lever arm;
and
said piston rod is fixedly connected to a support point, said latching device includes a rod extending coaxially through said piston rod and projects out from a free end of said piston rod, and a trigger mechanism being pivotally mounted on said front seat part to permit said rear seat part to be lowered when activated.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.