Chairs and seats – Movable back
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-21
2001-07-24
Nelson, Jr., Milton (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
Movable back
Reexamination Certificate
active
06264276
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an adjustable connecting device for interconnecting seat and backrest members of a chair, more particularly to a concealable height adjustable device adapted to adjust the height of the backrest member relative to the seat member.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1
shows a conventional backrest-height adjustable chair
1
. The chair
1
includes a seat member
11
, a backrest member
12
, an upright post
13
disposed at a bottom side of the seat member
11
, and a connecting device
2
for interconnecting the seat and backrest members
11
,
12
. The backrest member
12
includes front and rear backrest portions
121
,
122
. With reference to
FIG. 2
, the connecting device
2
includes a casing
21
and a generally L-shaped mounting frame
22
having an upper end portion inserted into the casing
21
. The casing
21
and the mounting frame
22
are capable of sliding displacement relative to each other. The casing
21
is provided with a retaining key
211
that can be manipulated to slide along a keyway
221
in the upper end portion of the mounting frame
22
to engage one of a plurality of notches
222
communicated with the keyway
221
so as to position the backrest member
12
at a desired level. During assembly, the casing
21
together with the upper end portion of the mounting frame
22
retained therein has to be first secured to the rear side of the front backrest portion
121
or the front side of the rear backrest portion
122
at four corner portions
223
thereof via screws
224
before the front and rear backrest portions
121
,
122
can be coupled. Then, a lower end portion of the mounting frame
22
is secured to the seat member
11
.
Since the casing
21
together with the upper end portion of the mounting frame
22
have to be secured firmly to the front or rear backrest portion
121
,
122
before the front and rear backrest portions
121
,
122
are coupled, the connecting device
2
is usually connected to the backrest member
2
in the factory before delivery to retailers, where the backrest member
12
is connected to the seat member
11
. As the L-shaped mounting frame
22
projects from the backrest member
12
to quite a distance, a large amount of packaging material is needed. Besides, if the height of the backrest member
12
relative to the seat member
11
has to be further adjusted, the front and rear backrest portions
121
,
122
have to be taken apart.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable connecting device for interconnecting seat and backrest members of a chair, which can overcome the above-mentioned problems.
Accordingly, the adjustable connecting device of the present invention is adapted to be mounted between a seat member and a backrest member of a chair. The back rest member extends in an upright direction. The connecting device includes a mounting frame, an elongated sliding member, and a slidable and unidirectionally retaining mechanism. The mounting frame includes a proximate end portion adapted to be secured to the seat member, and a distal end portion extending from the proximate end portion in the upright direction and adapted to be disposed rearwardly of the backrest member. The elongated sliding member is adapted to be secured to the backrest member. The retaining mechanism is disposed between the distal end portion and the elongated sliding member to position the distal end portion relative to the elongated sliding member, and includes a linear-movement actuated engaging member, a multilevel engaged member, an arrest member, and a barrier member. The linear-movement actuated engaging member includes: a mounting portion with first and second mounting walls opposite to each other in a first transverse direction relative to the upright direction; a pawl portion having a pivot end pivotally mounted to the first mounting wall about a pivot axis parallel to the first transverse direction, and an engaging end provided with an engaging key which extends in the first transverse direction; and a first biasing member disposed to bias the engaging key to turn clockwise about the pivot axis, and to displace in a second transverse direction which is transverse to both the upright direction and the first transverse direction. The multilevel engaged member includes first and second retaining walls opposite to each other in the first transverse direction and slidable relative to the first mounting wall of the mounting portion in the upright direction. The first retaining wall has first and second inner lateral edges spaced apart from each other in the second transverse direction to define a keyway extending in the upright direction between upper and lower limits to receive and permit the engaging key to move relative to the keyway between the upper and lower limits. The first inner lateral edge defines a plurality of notches spaced apart from one another in the upright direction, and between the upper and lower limits. The notches extend in the second transverse direction and are communicated with the keyway so as to form a plurality of ratchet teeth such that once the multilevel engaged member has been moved downward to a first position, where the upper limit is brought to abut against the engaging key, an initial upward movement of the multilevel engaged member from the first position will permit the engaging key to be biased by the first biasing member to move into and be engaged within one of the notches. A subsequent upward movement of the multilevel engaged member will cause the engaging key to slide over a corresponding one of the ratchet teeth against the biasing action of the first biasing member and to move into and be engaged within a next one of the notches until a second position is reached, where the engaging key abuts against the lower limit. The arrest member is disposed to be moved with the multilevel engaged member from the first or second position so as to release the engaging key or to grip the engaging key such that the engaging key is confined within the keyway when the multilevel engaged member is being moved downward from the second position to the first position. The barrier member is disposed to hinder the arrest member from being moved with the upward movement of the multilevel engaged member so as to set the arrest member ready for moving with the downward movement of the multilevel engaged member to grip the engaging key.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4012158 (1977-03-01), Harper
patent: 4036525 (1977-07-01), Howk
patent: 4639039 (1987-01-01), Donovan
patent: 4749230 (1988-06-01), Tornero
patent: 5649741 (1997-07-01), Beggs
patent: 5685609 (1997-11-01), Miotto
patent: 5695249 (1997-12-01), Loffi
patent: 5951107 (1999-09-01), Tornero
patent: 6209840 (2001-04-01), Chen
Jr. Milton Nelson
Merchant & Gould P.C.
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