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AssigneeHerman Miller, Inc.
InventorsJohann Burkhard Schmitz, Claudia Plikat, Nicolai Neubert, Carola E. M. Zwick, Roland R. O. Zwick, Chad D. Aerts, John F. Aldrich, Christopher C. Hill, Shane M. Ramsdell, James D. Slagh, Douglas M. VanDeRiet
Estimating the term…
A tiltable chair including a housing, a back support pivotally attached to the housing about a first horizontal axis and a seat support pivotally attached to the back support about a second horizontal axis and moveably supported by a curved track formed on the housing. A leaf spring includes a first end supported by the housing and a second end biasing the back support and seat support in an upward direction. Preferably, a fulcrum member, which includes a support surface having a curvilinear contour, is moveably supported in the housing and engages a bottom surface of the spring intermediate the first and second ends of the spring. Preferably, a linkage mechanism including a first and second link is adapted to adjust the position of the fulcrum. In another preferred embodiment, a gear housing is removably disposed in said housing and coupled to the fulcrum. In one preferred embodiment, rearward and forward tilt limiters are provided. In various preferred embodiments, the chair further includes a backrest having a plurality of openings, and armrests that are vertically, laterally and pivotally adjustable. In a preferred embodiment, a kit for assembling a seating structure includes a tilt housing having a plurality of connector arrangements comprising at least a first and second connector arrangement, a first seating arrangement having a first mounting arrangement configured to be connected to the first connector arrangement, and a second seating arrangement having a second mounting arrangement configured to be connected to the second connector arrangement.
A backrest for a seat structure, the backrest comprising:
A backrest for a seat structure, the backrest comprising:
A backrest for a seating structure, the backrest comprising:
A backrest for a seat structure, the backrest comprising:
A backrest for a seat structure, the backrest comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
For the back: with special, e.g. adjustable , lumbar region support profile; "Ackerblom" profile chairs
Having independently-adjustable supporting parts: the parts being arm-rests
The parts being movably-coupled seat and back-rest: with a central column, e.g. rocking office chairs
Characterised by elastic means: with adjustable elasticity
Term ended 21 Apr 2024 (estimated)
The present invention relates generally to tiltable chairs, and in particular, to a tilt chair having a flexible back, adjustable armrests, and an adjustable seat depth, and methods for using and/or adjusting the chair, including one or more of the seat, backrest and armrests.
Chairs of the type typically used in offices and the like are usually configured to allow tilting of the seat and backrest as a unit, or to permit tilting of the backrest relative to the seat. In chairs having a backrest pivotally attached to a seat in a conventional manner, the movement of the backrest relative to the seat can create shear forces which act on the legs and back of the user, and which can also create an uncomfortable pulling of the user's shirt, commonly called “shirt-pull.”
To enhance the user's comfort and to promote ergonomically healthy seating, synchro-tilt chairs provide for the seat and backrest to tilt simultaneously, but at different rates, preferably with the back tilting at a greater rate than the seat. In general, synchro-tilt chairs are usually configured as a four-bar linkage or as a three-bar, slide linkage. In a three-bar, slide configuration, the sliding path is typically linear. Such chairs often have a multiplicity of components and parts that can be difficult and time consuming to assemble and which require multiple fasteners or joints to connect the components.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an armrest assembly.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of an armrest assembly.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a lever and index member engaging a rack.
General:
The terms “longitudinal” and “lateral” as used herein are intended to indicate the direction of the chair from front to back and from side to side, respectively. Similarly, the terms “front”, “side”, “back”, “forwardly”, “rearwardly”, “upwardly” and “downwardly” as used herein are intended to indicate the various directions and portions of the chair as normally understood when viewed from the perspective of a user sitting in the chair.
Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 11 and 12 show a preferred embodiment of the chair having tilt control housing 10, seat 200, back support 304 and back 302. It should be understood that the term “housing” generally refers to any support member that supports another member, and includes, but is not limited to a structure that provides an enclosure. A pair of armrests 400 extend from, move with and define a portion of the back support 304. Preferably, the back support 304 is pivotally mounted to the control housing 10, and the seat 200 is pivotally mounted to the back support 304 via a pivot axis located on the armrests 400 at the approximate hip joint of the user above the seating surface. The seat 200 is further slideably and pivotally supported by the tilt control housing.