Chairs and seats – Movable bottom – Bottom and back movable as a unit
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-30
2001-12-04
Brown, Peter R. (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
Movable bottom
Bottom and back movable as a unit
C297S463100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325456
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to an adjustable mounting device for use with a post mounted item such as a chair. More specifically, the invention enables the operator to swivel the item 360-degrees in a rotational direction and to slide it backward and forward on rollers in a horizontal direction, by adjusting a single telescoping handle that may be retracted when it is not in use.
2. Description of the Related Art
Because of the high speeds and heavy shaking involved with vehicles such as pleasure boats, chairs for these vehicles are typically mounted on a support post fixed to the underlying deck. To permit the occupant to adjust the rotational and longitudinal position of the chair, a sliding and swiveling device is mounted between the chair and the stationary post. The cam locking type sliding and swiveling device, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,729, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, includes a slide plate and a holder. The holder has a lower cylindrical sleeve portion and an upper web portion. The sleeve is shaped to receive the post and it is rotatably coupled to the post in a manner that allows the holder to swivel 360-degrees in a rotational direction around the post. The top of the upper web portion terminates in a pair of parallel longitudinal skids. The slide plate has an upper surface and a lower surface. The upper surface supports an item such as a chair. The lower surface of the slide plate has a pair of parallel longitudinal tracks which receive the skids of the holder, and in this manner the slide plate is slidably coupled to the holder permitting the slide plate to slide longitudinally with respect to the holder. The device also features a first locking assembly for releasably locking the slide plate and holder against rotation with respect to the chair post. A second locking assembly is provided for releasably locking the slide plate and holder against longitudinal sliding. The device features a handle and an assembly for triggering a release of the first locking assembly upon rotation of the handle in a first direction (e.g., clockwise) and for triggering a release of the second locking assembly upon rotation of the same handle in a second direction (e.g., counter-clockwise). Biasing devices are provided to place the two locks or locking assemblies in a locking state when the handle is not rotated in one direction or the other.
The slide plate slides on a pair of parallel tracks. An item such as a chair is attached to the upper surface of the slide plate. When the overlying chair is stationary, static friction forces develop between the track and the skid. Thus, to move the chair forward or backward, the operator must shove the chair with enough force to overcome the static friction forces, and this can cause the chair to slide past or overshoot the desired position. To slide the chair back from the over-shot location to the desired position, sufficient force must be developed once again, and this may cause the chair again to slide past the desired location.
When an item such as a chair is mounted to a boat deck utilizing a conventional sliding and swiveling device, the chair obstructs precious deck space, whether or not it is in use. In addition, the handle must protrude laterally outward from the device to an outer edge of the chair so that the operator can reach it with ease. Thus, the handle of the sliding and swiveling device as well obstructs the boat deck space.
It can be understood from the above discussion that the prior sliding and swiveling device offers serviceable performance. However, longitudinal adjustment of the prior arrangement is inaccurate and inconvenient, because the operator must shove the chair hard enough to develop a large momentum to overcome static friction forces, and as a result the desired new location may be over-shot. Furthermore, the device and the item that the device supports obstruct space, whether or not they are in use. Finally, the rotational locking mechanism, or thrust plate, is composed from numerous components, and as a result it is relatively complicated to manufacture.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a sliding and swiveling device that develops a minimal amount of static friction when it is at rest, requires less force for horizontal movement, and does not obstruct lateral space when the device is not in use. A still further object is to provide such a device that utilizes a rotational locking mechanism having a minimal number of components.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a sliding and swiveling device, for adjustment of an item, such as a chair, mounted on a stationary post. It includes a slide plate having a support portion for supporting the item on an its upper surface, a lower surface of the support portion having a longitudinally extending roller channel. A holder, which is adapted to be mounted to swivel on a stationary post, has a plurality of rollers longitudinally spaced apart in the channel, to support the slide plate so that the slide plate is longitudinally slideable. A first lock releasably locks the holder against swiveling with respect to the post; and a second lock releasably locking the slide plate against longitudinal sliding with respect to the holder. A lock controller, including a handle, controls both locks, wherein rotating of the handle in a one direction from a neutral position, locks the holder against swiveling, and rotating of the handle from the neutral position in an opposite direction locks the slide plate against longitudinal sliding. The handle is extendible and retractable respectively toward and away from the post.
In a preferred embodiment, two opposing lateral sides of the slide plate form two C-shaped channels, and a plurality of rollers are confined within each channel.
According to another aspect of the invention, the supported item is a chair and forms, with the device, a chair system. The chair has a horizontal seat with a rear portion and a front portion, with the front portion being pivotable upward so as to occupy less deck space when the chair is not in use. The slide plate supports the rear portion of the chair seat on the upper surface of the plate's support portion, and the lower surface of the support portion has two longitudinally extending roller channels. The rollers of the holder are longitudinally spaced apart in both channels, so that the slide plate is longitudinally slideable with respect to said holder, on the rollers. The lock controller includes an elongated control member for use in coupling the handle at one end, to the two locks, so that by rotating the handle, and thus the control member, the control member is rotated to control the locks. The control member is extendible to bring the handle to a forward end of the forward seat portion, for convenient access by an occupant of the chair, and is retractable to bring the handle beneath the rear seat portion. Thus, when the chair is unoccupied, deck space is conserved by pivoting the front seat portion upward and retracting the control member. Moreover, according to another aspect of the invention, the coupling between the handle and the locks through the control member is the same in the when the control member is extended as when it is retracted, so that the controller operable to control the locks in both states.
The foregoing object to provide a device which develops a minimal amount of friction is accomplished by the above described device in that it provides rollers within the holder and the slide plate to reduce friction between the holder and the slide plate. In addition, the rotational locking mechanism has only two components, a thrust plate and a biasing device, thus it utilizes a minimum amount of parts. The foregoing object to provide a device having a handle that does not obstruct use of lateral space when the device is not in use, is achieved by the telescoping handle.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4168050 (1979-09-01), Nerem et al.
patent: 5702084 (1997-12-01),
Brown Peter R.
Rabin & Champagne, P.C.
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