Office chair with adjustable backrest and adjustable seat

Details Office chair with adjustable backrest and adjustable seat Office chair with adjustable backrest and adjustable seat

1999-07-07

2001-02-27

Barfield, Anthony D. (Department: 3624)

Chairs and seats

Back movement resiliently opposed in operating position

Back adjusts independent of seat

C297S301100, C297S301500, C297S353000, C297S366000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06193314

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an office chair that allows the backrest to be adjustable in the vertical direction and in the inclination relative to the chair seat and that allows the chair seat to be adjustable in the vertical direction.
2. Description of the Related Art
An indoor worker may have to spend several hours sitting on a chair while working. A good office chair should allow adjustment in the backrest and in the chair seat to suit the user. Existing office chairs allow adjustment, yet the retaining effect is insufficient to keep the backrest at the required inclination angle. In addition, the device for adjusting the level of the chair seat is not compatible with other adjusting devices for office chairs.
The present invention is intended to provide an office chair that mitigates and/or obviate the above problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved office chair that allows the backrest to be adjustable in the vertical direction and in the inclination relative to the chair seat and that allows the chair seat to be adjustable in the vertical direction. The swaying extent of the backrest is also adjustable.
In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, a chair comprises:
a backrest including a plurality of pairs of vertically spaced positioning grooves defined therein,
a chair seat,
a connecting means including a first end for engaging with the backrest and a second end for securely engaging with the chair seat, the first end of the connecting means including a compartment, an inner wall defining the compartment including a slot with two spaced horizontal sections,
two slider members each including a locking member for releasably engaging with an associated said positioning groove of the backrest and a sliding rod slidably received in an associated said horizontal section of the slot in the connecting means,
an actuator mounted in the compartment of the connecting means and slidable in a vertical direction, the actuator including two inclined faces, said sliding rod of each said slider member abutting against an associated said inclined face such that vertical movement of the actuator causes horizontal movements of the slider members along the slot,
an elastic member attached between the sliding rods for biasing the locking members of the slider members to securely engage with an associated said pair of the positioning grooves, thereby retaining the backrest in a desired level relative to the chair seat, and
a manually operable adjusting button securely attached to the actuator for urging the actuator to move in the vertical direction, such that the sliding rods of the slider members move away from each other to disengage the locking members of the slider members from the associated said pair of the positioning groove, thereby allowing the backrest to be movable in the vertical direction relative to the chair seat.
The backrest includes a first backrest part and a second backrest part securely attached to the first backrest part, wherein the first backrest part includes a block in which the positioning grooves are defined.
The first end of the connecting means further includes an opening, and the actuating member includes a second slot and the adjusting button includes an engaging piece extended through the opening for securely engaging with the second slot of the connecting means.
The chair may further comprise:
a central seat secured to the chair seat,
a swaying seat including a first end securely connected to the second end of the connecting means and a second end pivotally engaged with the central seat,
an adjusting rod including a mediate portion pivotally connected to the central seat, a first end outside the central seat for manual operation and a second end, and
an adjusting member slidably mounted to the central seat, the adjusting member being operably connected to the second end of the adjusting rod for releasable engagement with the second end of the swaying seat, the adjusting member being normally engaged with the second end of the swaying seat,
wherein when the first end of the adjusting rod is moved in a first direction, the adjusting member is urged to disengage from the second end of the swaying seat, thereby allowing the swaying seat to be adjustable in an inclination angle relative to the chair seat, and when the first end of the adjusting rod is moved in an opposite second direction, the adjusting member is urged to engage with the second end of the swaying seat, thereby retaining the swaying seat in a desired inclination angle relative to the chair seat.
The adjusting member includes a first toothed section and the second end of the swaying seat includes a second toothed section to provide releasable engagement therebetween.
The chair may further comprise:
a second elastic member having a first end securely attached to the swaying seat and a second end,
an adjusting knob including a threaded stem,
an abutting plate including a first end engaged with the central seat and a second end resting on the second end of the second elastic member, and
a nut threadedly engaged on the threaded stem of the adjusting knob, a portion of the abutting plate being held in place relative to the second end of the second elastic member,
wherein rotational movement of the adjusting knob causes the second end of the second elastic member to be moved relative to the first end of the second elastic member, thereby adjusting swaying extent of the swaying seat relative to the chair seat in forward and rear directions of the chair.
The chair may further comprise:
a chair base,
a pneumatic supporting means telescopically extended between the chair seat and the chair and base of the chair,
an adjusting rod having a first end for manual operation and a second end operably connected to the pneumatic supporting means for adjusting a level of the chair seat relative to the chair base upon manual operation on the first end of the adjusting rod.
In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, a chair comprises:
a backrest,
a chair seat,
a connecting means including a first end for engaging with the backrest and a second end,
a central seat secured to the chair seat,
a swaying seat including a first end securely connected to the second end of the connecting means and a second end pivotally engaged with the central seat,
an adjusting rod including a mediate portion pivotally connected to the central seat, a first end outside the central seat for manual operation and a second end, and
an adjusting member slidably mounted to the central seat, the adjusting member being operably connected to the second end of the adjusting rod for releasable engagement with the second end of the swaying seat, the adjusting member being normally engaged with the second end of the swaying seat,
wherein when the first end of the adjusting rod is moved in a first direction, the adjusting member is urged to disengage from the second end of the swaying seat, thereby allowing the swaying seat to be adjustable in an inclination angle relative to the chair seat, and when the first end of the adjusting rod is moved in an opposite second direction, the adjusting member is urged to engage with the second end of the swaying seat, thereby retaining the swaying seat in a desired inclination angle relative to the chair seat.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3441311 (1969-04-01), Doerner
patent: 4123103 (1978-10-01), Doerner
patent: 4183581 (1980-01-01), Karrip et al.
patent: 4221430 (1980-09-01), Frobose
patent: 4836608 (1989-06-01), Sugiyama
patent: 5138744 (1992-08-01), Coggon
patent: 5918938 (1999-07-01), Miotto

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