Seating unit with variable back stop and seat bias

Details Seating unit with variable back stop and seat bias Seating unit with variable back stop and seat bias

2003-05-16

2004-11-16

Nelson, Jr., Milton (Department: 3636)

Chairs and seats

Back movement resiliently opposed in operating position

Back and seat adjust simultaneously

Reexamination Certificate

active

06817668

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND
The present invention concerns seating units having a reclineable back, and more particularly concerns seating units having a reclineable back with flexible lumbar region.
A synchrotilt chair is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,931 (to Knoblock) having a base assembly with a control, a reclineable back pivoted to the control, and a seat operably mounted to the back and control for synchronous motion as the back is reclined. This prior art chair incorporates a semi-rigid flexible shell that, in combination with the chair support structure, provides a highly-controlled postural support during the body movements associated with tasks/work (e.g., when the back is in an upright position) and during the body movements associated with recline/relaxation (e.g., when the chair is in a reclined position). This prior art chair moves a seated user's upper body away from the user's work surface as the user reclines, thus providing the user with more area to stretch. In fact, moving around in a chair and not staying in a single static position is important to good back health in workers whose jobs require a lot of sitting. However, users often want to remain close to their work surface and want to continue to work at the work surface, even while reclining and relaxing their body and while having continued good postural support. Further, workers often want to selectively choose the amount of maximum recline. In other words, workers often want to lean backward (i.e. recline) a small amount in an intermediate recline position, and yet simultaneously stay an appropriate distance from their work surface, also, workers prefer not to “fight” with the chair to stay in the intermediate partial-recline positions.
Modern customers and chair purchasers also demand a wide variety of chair options and features, and a number of options and features are often designed into chair seats. It is important that such options and features be incorporated into the chair construction in a way that minimizes the number of parts and maximizes the use of common parts among different options, maximizes efficiencies of manufacturing and assembling, maximizes ease of adjustment and the logicalness of adjustment control positioning, and yet that results in a visually pleasing design.
Accordingly, a chair construction solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
In one aspect of the present invention, a seating unit includes a base. A seat and a back are operably pivoted to the base for simultaneous movement upon recline of the back. A variable back stop adjustably engages the seat for limiting the rearward tilt of the back. A handle is supported on one of the base and the seat for adjusting the back stop, the handle and the back stop being independently supported relative to the base. A connecting mechanism operably interconnects the handle and the back stop so that a position of the back stop is adjusted upon movement of the handle.
In another aspect of the present invention, a chair includes a base assembly including a control housing. An energy source is located within the control housing. A seat is operably supported on the base assembly for generally horizontal movement between forward and rearward positions, with the seat operably interconnected to the energy source. The chair includes a back and a back frame, with the back frame being pivotally coupled to the base assembly for movement of the back support between upright and reclined positions, and with the back frame being pivotally coupled to the seat. The energy source biases the back support into an upright position by urging the seat to move horizontally. The horizontal movement of the seat induces the back support to rotate to a generally upright position. A variable back stop mechanism is supported on the base assembly and operably engages the seat, the variable back stop mechanism being configured to concurrently stop the seat and stop recline of the back support at a plurality of selectable positions between the upright and reclined position.
In another aspect of the present invention, a variable back stop apparatus for a seating unit having a base, a seat, and a back, the seat and back being operably pivoted to the base for simultaneous movement including recline of the back, includes an adjustable variable back stop adapted to adjustably engage the seat for adjustably limiting a rearward tilt of the back. A handle is adapted to be supported on one of the base and the seat for adjusting the back stop, the handle and the back stop being supported for independent movement. A connecting mechanism operably interconnects the handle and the back stop so that the back stop is adjusted upon movement of the handle.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.


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Exhibit A “The Aeron Chair”, Herman Miller flyer by Interior Services Incorporated, undated.
Exhibit B “Aeron Chairs” brochure, dated 1998 Herman Miller, Inc., Zeeland, MI, 4 pages.
Exhibit C Herman Miller Brochure on Aeron Chair (France); copyright date 1994.
Exhibit D Aeron Seat Cover Installation document, 2 pages, 1998 Herman Miller, Inc., Zeeland, MI.
Exhibit E “The Aeron Chair: User Adjustments and Ergonomic Guide”, 11 pages, 1994 Herman Miller

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