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US 8,459,741 B2Granted
Chair having legs that are adjustable independently and in a coordinated manner
OwnerPaul John Mazzola, Fred Heysinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A chair is provided that permits a chair user to configure the chair to accommodate uneven terrain. The chair user manually grasps a strap, additionally grasps the chair at another location, and moves the strap toward the top of the chair. The strap movement releases in a coordinated manner a group of telescoping leg posts from their fixed securement, whereupon the telescoping leg posts individually adjust to respective heights such that a seating portion of the chair is supported at a level disposition.
Claims6
A chair comprising:
- a person support structure on which a person can be supported, the person support structure including a seating portion on which a person can assume a seated disposition, the seating portion delimiting a seating plane;
- a first adjustment system including a first telescoping post and a first inter-stop element and including a first nesting portion, the first nesting portion and the first telescoping post together forming a first leg whose length is lengthened or shortened via movement of the first telescoping post relative to the first nesting portion;
- a second adjustment system including a second telescoping post and a second inter-stop element and including a second nesting portion, the second nesting portion and the second telescoping post together forming a second leg whose length is lengthened or shortened via movement of the second telescoping post relative to the second nesting portion, each of the first adjustment system and the second adjustment system being connected to the person support structure, the first adjustment system being disposable between a telescoping movement disposition and a stop set disposition with the first telescoping post and the first inter-stop element being movable relative to one another in the telescoping movement disposition and relative movement between the first telescoping post and the first inter-stop element being resisted when the first telescoping post and the first inter-stop element are in the stop set disposition, and the second adjustment system being disposable between a telescoping movement disposition and a stop set disposition with the second telescoping post and the second inter-stop element being movable relative to one another in the telescoping movement disposition and relative movement between the second telescoping post and the second inter-stop element being resisted when the second telescoping post and the second inter-stop element are in the stop set disposition;
- and
- a switch over element, the switch over element being disposable between a staging disposition and a down select disposition, the switch over element being operatively connected to the first adjustment system and the second adjustment system such that disposing the switch over element in its staging disposition effects a respective movement of the first adjustment system from its stop set disposition to its telescoping movement disposition and a respective movement of the second adjustment system from its stop set disposition to its telescoping movement disposition and disposing the switch over element in its down select disposition effects a respective movement of the first adjustment system out of its telescoping movement disposition into readiness to assume its stop set disposition and a respective movement of the second adjustment system out of its telescoping movement disposition into readiness to assume its stop set disposition and the switch over element being configured such that a predetermined actuation of the switch over element disposes the switch over element in its staging disposition and this predetermined actuation of the switch over element is operable to effect both the respective movement of the first adjustment system from its stop set disposition to its telescoping movement disposition and the respective movement of the second adjustment system from its stop set disposition to its telescoping movement disposition, the first adjustment structure and the second adjustment structure contributing in supporting the seating portion at a spacing above a surface, the first telescoping post being movable relative to the first nesting portion to lengthen the first leg or to shorten the first leg and the first telescoping post being engageable by the first inter-stop element at a respective engagement location along its extent that comes into registry with the first inter-stop element after the first telescoping post has moved telescopically outwardly relative to the first nesting portion to lengthen the first leg or has moved telescopically inwardly relative to the first nesting portion to shorten the first leg, whereupon the telescoping movements of the first telescoping post relative to the first nesting portion and the engagement of the first telescoping post at the various engagement locations by the first inter-stop element operate to vary a height at which the first adjustment structure supports the seating portion above a surface, and the second telescoping post being movable relative to the second nesting portion to lengthen the second leg or to shorten the second leg and the second telescoping post being engageable by the second inter-stop element at a respective engagement location along its extent that comes into registry with the second inter-stop element after the second telescoping post has moved telescopically outwardly relative to the second nesting portion to lengthen the second leg or has moved telescopically inwardly relative to the second nesting portion to shorten the second leg. whereupon the telescoping movements of the second telescoping post relative to the second nesting portion and the engagement of the second telescoping post at the various engagement locations by the second inter-stop element operate to vary a height at which the second adjustment structure supports the seating portion above a surface and the chair being disposable between an unfolded position in which the first adjustment system and the second adjustment system are at a lateral spacing from one another, as viewed parallel to the seating plane, and a folded position in which the first adjustment system and the second adjustment system are at a different lateral spacing from one another, as viewed parallel to the seating plane, that is less than the lateral spacing of the first adjustment system and the second adjustment system from one another in the unfolded position of the chair.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.