Chairs and seats – Armrest – Adjustable to multiple use positions relative to bottom or back
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-17
2004-10-12
Cuomo, Peter M. (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
Armrest
Adjustable to multiple use positions relative to bottom or back
C297S411360, C297S411270
Reexamination Certificate
active
06802566
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an arm assembly. In particular, although not exclusively, the invention relates to an arm assembly for an office chair where the armrest is adjustable for the comfort of the occupant. The invention also relates to a detachable arm assembly enabling the arm of a chair to be removed or substituted for another type e.g. a writing tablet. While the invention is described herein in terms of an office chair, it will be understood that the invention can be implemented in any type of chair including a wheelchair. Moreover, the invention might also have application beyond chairs. Arm assemblies of the invention may be attachable to a table or workstation, for example to be used as typists' aids.
2. The Relevant Technology
Human beings come in all different shapes and sizes. For this reason, office chairs generally allow for adjustment e.g. seat height, seat depth. It is also known to provide for adjustment of armrests. A known adjustment includes a twisting action about a vertical axis. Another known type permits a twisting action as well as sideways movement. Another known type permits motion of the armrest in a predetermined oval path within a horizontal plane. Seat depth adjustment is one of the major adjustments required by an occupant of a chair and is to be commonly found on commercial office chairs. As the occupant adjusts their seat depth, the positioning of the armrests relative to the seat will vary even to the extent that the positioning of the armrests may be totally inappropriate for the occupant. Known office chairs do not satisfactorily meet the requirement of being easily adjustable to accommodate the seat depth position.
Another shortcoming of known armrest adjustment mechanisms is that they are not easy to adjust. In some known types, the user must reach under the armrest to effect the adjustment or alternatively use the opposite hand to make the adjustment. Adjustment in this fashion is awkward and cumbersome.
Yet another shortcoming of some of the known adjustable armrests is that they rely on force for adjustment. Therefore, while the occupant is using the chair in the normal fashion, the armrest will function as intended in the position selected by the user. However, if the user unintentionally bears considerable force against the armrests they can move. This often occurs when the occupant uses the armrests to lift himself out of the chair. This can be destabilising to the occupant and moreover, requires the occupant to re-adjust the armrests when he resumes occupancy of the chair.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an armrest assembly which overcomes or at least addresses some of the foregoing disadvantages.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an arm assembly for a chair wherein the chair has a forward direction and a rearward direction, said arm assembly comprising: an armrest; a support structure; a mounting device movably mounting the armrest to the support structure, wherein the mounting device constrains the movement of the armrest relative to the support structure to movement in a substantially horizontal plane having two degrees of freedom defined by first and second transversely arranged axes lying within the substantially horizontal plane to move in a substantially planar fashion without changing the orientation of the armrest.
It will be understood that the invention need not be limited to travel along the two pre-determined axes. It will be understood that the invention includes within its scope that the armrest is moveable along paths parallel to the first axis and additionally along paths parallel to the second axis. Thus the armrest may be permitted to move in a grid pattern. Additionally, the armrest is moveable in any direction along the substantially horizontal plane incorporating both the first and second axes. Suitably, the movement along the plane is within predetermined limits.
It is also preferred that the mounting device enables the armrest to adopt any one of a plurality of adoptable positions defined by the intersection of coordinate locations along the first and second axes. The term adoptable positions is thereby defined.
In a most preferred form of the invention, the first axis is generally aligned with the forward direction of the chair. Furthermore, the armrest might also be elongate in form with its longitudinal axis aligned with the forward direction of the chair. If the first axis is aligned with the forward direction of the chair then movement of the armrest along the second axis (or paths parallel thereto) will be in the sideways direction of the chair.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an arm assembly for a chair having a forwards direction and a transverse direction, said arm assembly having a longitudinal axis such that the arm assembly is adapted to be assembled with the chair with the longitudinal axis of the arm assembly corresponding substantially to the forward direction of the chair, the arm assembly further having a transverse axis arranged such that with the arm assembly assembled with the chair, the transverse axis corresponds to the transverse direction of the chair; said arm assembly further comprising: an armrest; a support structure attachable to the chair, the armrest being mounted to the support structure by way of a mounting device such that the armrest is selectively moveable relative to the support structure forwards and backwards to adopt any one of a plurality of coordinate locations along the longitudinal axis and side to side to adopt any one of a plurality of coordinate locations along the transverse axis whereby the armrest is selectively positionable in any one of a plurality of adoptable positions defined by its respective coordinate locations along the longitudinal and transverse axes, the mounting device incorporating a locking device to releasably lock the armrest in any one of the adoptable positions.
The following discussion of optional features may be applicable to either of the first or second aspects of the invention set out above.
The invention may be further provided with guides to guide the movement along the first/longitudinal and second/transverse axes. The first guide may be provided on part of the mounting device, to guide movement of the armrest relative thereto with a corresponding first guided portion on the armrest. A second guide may be provided in fixed relationship to the support structure with a corresponding second guided portion provided on said part of the mounting device. In a preferred form of the invention, the first guide is provided on a carrier having the second guided portion for engagement with the second guide secured relative to the support structure to allow movement of the carrier relative to the support structure.
Preferably, the first guide is in the form of spaced tracks. Accordingly, there may be two corresponding first guided portions for engagement with the parallel spaced tracks. These may take the form of slots or channels provided on the armrest. Alternatively, the arrangement could be reversed with the first guide in the form of slots or channels with the first guided portions being in the form of one or more projections engageable in the slots or channels.
Similarly, the second guide may be in the form of a pair of parallel spaced opposed edges forming a part fixed relative to the support structure. The second guided portion may simply comprise the carrier being shaped for sliding engagement with the opposed edges.
Suitably, the length of the guides may determine the range of travel along the first and second axes. Stops may be provided to limit the range of travel along the first and second axes. As determined by the guides or by stops, the range of movement along the first axis may be larger than the range of movement along the second axis. For example, the range of movement in the forward/reverse direction may be
Prince Jonathan William
Wilkinson Paul Michael
Cuomo Peter M.
Formway Furniture Limited
Harris Stephanie
Workman Nydegger
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