Chairs and seats – Movable bottom – Bottom and back movable as a unit
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-28
2003-03-25
Nelson, Jr., Milton (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
Movable bottom
Bottom and back movable as a unit
C248S418000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06536842
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This application relates to an adjustment device for adjusting the rotational position of a seat and more particularly to a novel and simple rotational adjustment device for adjusting the position of a seat relative to a pedestal.
2. Background of the Invention
Persons with partial and total walking disabilities have traditionally relied upon wheelchairs for locomotion. Wheelchairs generally have relatively widely spaced wheels for lateral stability and to comfortably accommodate the occupant. Persons in wheelchairs can move with relative ease in places such as hospitals which are usually provided with extra wide doors and halls and inclined ramps between vertically displaced levels. However, private homes and work places are generally not planned specifically to accommodate wheelchairs. While wheelchairs are generally resistant to lateral tipping, wheelchairs are often designed for tipping backwards so that an attendant pushing a patient in a wheelchair can tip the front wheels up to negotiate such obstacles as steps, thresholds, and the like. While such a configuration is useful when the wheelchair is pushed by an attendant, the design presents some hazards when the wheelchair occupant attempts to wheel himself up a ramp.
In order to overcome some of the problems associated with wheelchairs, the medical equipment industry has developed small personal mobility vehicles as an alternative. Such vehicles generally have a pair of powered rear wheels and a steerable front wheel and in general have the appearance of a downsized golf cart. The track of the rear wheels is generally narrower than a wheelchair, the wheel base is generally longer than a wheelchair, and the vehicles are usually designed for tight turning radii such that the vehicles are more maneuverable than a wheelchair and, therefore, more useful in places which are not specifically designed for wheelchair use.
Many personal mobility vehicles have a conventional seat mounted upon a pedestal extending from a frame of the personal mobility vehicles. The conventional seat is similar to a conventional chair having a back portion and a seat portion. Typically, the seat is rotational relative to the frame.
Various types of devices have been provided by the prior art for adjusting the rotational position of the seat relative to the frame. Many of these devices incorporated complex lever assembly for adjusting the rotational position of the seat relative to the frame. Others in the prior art have attempted to use other devices to adjust the rotational position of the seat relative to the frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 809,444 to Hanger discloses a chair, the combination of a base, a support revolvable mounted on the base, a back hinged to the support, the support extending underneath the seat and being hinged to the back at or near a line passing through the vertical center thereof, means for adjusting the seat and back relatively to each other, and means for securing the back and seat against movement after the desired adjustment has been made, substantially as described.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,674,686 to Masury discloses a combination with the back and arm frames of a hammock, of a member secured to the back and having a cam face extending toward the forward side of the back and a stud, the cam face being eccentric with relation to the stud, a co-acting socket member secured to the arm frame and having an opening to receive the stud, the cam face being arranged to engage with a part carried by the arm frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,845,990 to Hubert discloses a vehicle seat construction comprising: a longitudinally extending platform member adapted for affixment to a vehicle; a base-plate member positioned over the platform member; means adjustably attaching the base-plate to the platform and operative to permit relative fore-and-aft movement between the base-plate and the platform; releasable pin means interlocking the base-plate to the platform in any one of a plurality of fore-and-aft displaced positions of the base-plate relative to the platform; a seat; mounting means pivotally mounting the seat above the base-plate to permit rotation of the seat about a vertical axis; the pivotal mounting means being disposed so that the vertical axis about with the seat rotates falls within the perimeter of the seat and additionally is transversely displaced a substantial distance from a vertically and longitudinally extending plane that passes through the fore-and-aft axis of symmetry of the seat; and releasable means operative to interlock the seat with the mounting means in any one of a plurality of relative rotated positions therebetween.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,975,050 to McKee discloses a unit of hardware for reclinably adjustable seating of vehicle driver and/or passenger and adapted to be swiveled into selected position, and comprising a pedestal rotatably receiving a socket positionally locked thereto, and a stop plate positionably locked in reclined positions by a toggle pin carried into tight engagement therewith by a manually releasable lever operated shackle, the tilt being positively restricted.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,539 to Sandham discloses an improved seat base for a swivel type seat in which the base's seat support and pedestal are connected together in swivel relation by a thrust bearing of inverted conical configuration. In preferred form, a latch dog is movable between a latch position defined by a latch seat in the outer bearing collar for preventing swivel type rotation of the seat, and a release position where the latch dog is withdrawn from the latch seat into the interior of the thrust bearing for allowing swivel type rotation of the seat. The latch dog is pivotable on a horizontal axis oriented above the thrust bearing between those two positions through a latch post in the inner bearing collar by use of a lift arm connected thereto, the lift arm having a handle located adjacent to the seat's front edge.
U.S. Pat. NO. 4,518,139 to Barfell discloses an improved pedestal for a rotatable seat which includes a shiftable pivot arm and associated latch part. The arm and latch cooperate with a flange of the pedestal support member to secure the plate against detachable lifting during normal seat rotation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,006 to Woods discloses a seat swivel assembly which allows a seat to swivel between stationary positions or to freely swivel about an axis, having an upper swivel plate and a lower swivel plate, a swivel member rotatably mounted to one of the plates, a swivel actuator lever in communication with the swivel member, a free-swivel latch facilitating unencumbered free swivel of the swivel plate, and a release lever in communication with the free swivel latch to release the swivel member to prevent free swivel.
Unfortunately, many of these devices have the distinct disadvantage of being overly complex, heavy and expensive. In addition, these devices did not have the ability for accommodating for a right-handed or a left-handed operator sitting in the chair.
One important application for an adjustment device for adjusting the rotational position of a seat relative to a frame is in the application of personal mobility vehicles. A personal mobility vehicle presents special concerns in the design of an adjustment device for adjusting the rotational position of a seat relative to a frame. Firstly, a personal mobility vehicle must be light weight to provide utmost convenience for the user. Secondly, the operation of the adjustment device must be simple to allow adjustment with the minimum number of tools. Thirdly, the adjustment device must provide a positive support in the remote event of any slippage of the adjustment device. Fourthly, the adjustment device must have the ability for accommodating for a right-handed or a left-handed operator sitting in the seat.
Therefore it is an object of the present invention to provide an adjustment device for adjusting the rotational position of a seat wherein the adjustment device comprises a flange having a plurality of notches cooper
Bowers Daniel P.
Dwyer, Jr. Edward Joseph
Guise Russell
Hanker, Jr. Edward J.
Hoskin Mark J.
Electric Molorlity Corporation
Frijouf Rust & Pyle P.A.
Jr. Milton Nelson
LandOfFree
Rotational adjustment device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Rotational adjustment device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Rotational adjustment device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3003770