Inflatable lumbar support
AssigneeHaworth, Inc.
InventorsLarry A. Wilkerson, Thomas M. Perrin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inflatable lumbar support arrangement includes a pump unit for selectively inflating a bladder whereby the bladder is located in the lumbar region of the backrest. The pump unit is connected to the bladder and includes a pump and a release valve. The pump unit further includes a single actuator handle which projects sidewardly from below the seat and is movable vertically in opposite directions. The actuator handle operatively cooperates with both the pump and the release valve which are thereby operated by movement of the actuator handle in the opposite directions. As such, the pump is operated to inflate the bladder by repetitive movement of the actuator handle in one direction, while the release valve is opened by movement of the actuator handle in the opposite direction.
Claims23
An office chair having an inflatable bladder arrangement, comprising:
- a chair base;
- an inflatable chair pad supported on said base which is disposed on one of a seat assembly and a back assembly and;
- said inflatable bladder arrangement including a bladder which is positioned in said chair pad, and a pump unit connected to said bladder, said pump unit having a bellows pump which pumps fluid into said bladder to inflate said bladder and having a release valve which releases said fluid to deflate said bladder, said inflatable bladder arrangement further including a manually movable actuator member which is supported on said chair and is connected to said pump and said release valve, said actuator member being movable in a first direction from a neutral position to actuate said pump and inflate said bladder and being movable in a second direction to actuate said release valve and deflate said bladder, said actuator member being accessible from an exterior of said chair for manual movement thereof in said first and second directions, said bellows pump comprising an outer bellows material defining a hollow interior and a filler material in said hollow interior which is air-permeable and resilient to maintain and restore said bellows material to an uncompressed shape and return said actuator member to said neutral position.
An office chair having an inflatable bladder arrangement, comprising:
- a chair base;
- a chair pad supported on said base which is provided on one of a seat assembly and a back assembly and;
- said inflatable bladder arrangement including a bladder which is positioned in said chair pad and a pump unit connected to said bladder, said pump unit being removably mounted to an exterior of said seat assembly below a top surface of said seat assembly, said pump unit having a pump which is in fluid communication with said bladder and pumps fluid into said bladder for inflation thereof, and a normally closed release valve which is in fluid communication with said bladder to permit release of said fluid from said bladder, said inflatable bladder arrangement further including a manually movable actuator lever which is pivotally supported on said chair base by a pivot connection which defines a pivot axis about which said actuator lever pivots, said actuator lever having an inner section which cooperates with said pump and said release valve, and an outer section which is accessible from an exterior of said chair for pivoting movement thereof, said actuator lever normally being in a neutral position and being movable away from said neutral position in a first direction to actuate said pump and inflate said bladder and in a second direction to open said release valve and deflate said bladder.
An office chair having an inflatable bladder arrangement, comprising:
- a chair base which extends upwardly;
- an L-shaped seat-back arrangement comprising a horizontally enlarged seat assembly which is supported on an upper end of said chair base, and a vertically enlarged back assembly which projects upwardly from a rear edge of said seat assembly and is connected to said seat assembly by a rigid upright;
- said inflatable bladder arrangement including a bladder positioned in said seat-back arrangement, a pump unit supported on said seat assembly, and a fluid line connecting said bladder and said pump unit in fluid communication to permit pumping of a fluid from said pump unit to said bladder for inflation thereof, said pump unit comprising a pump supported on said seat assembly and an actuator handle pivotally supported on said seat assembly, said actuator handle having an inner end operatively connected to said pump and an outer end which is disposed below said seat assembly and projects sidewardly therefrom to permit an occupant seated in said chair to reach downwardly to the side of said chair and pivot said actuator handle, said actuator handle further including a hand grip on the outer end thereof which permits repeated pivoting movement of said actuator handle through a pump stroke to actuate said pump and pump fluid into said bladder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.