Patent Grant
10893753
This invention relates to apparatus upon which variable weight is applied during normal use and, more particularly, to an apparatus having at least one part with different adjusting characteristics during normal use depending upon the particular applied weight.
A very significant percentage of furniture sold commercially has an ability to be adjusted/reconfigured to accommodate users with different body types and demands. As one example, task chairs are routinely engineered so that a single design can be offered with a substantial amount of versatility in terms of how it can be adapted to size and weight of different individuals so as to optimize function and comfort level.
In a typical task chair construction, a wheeled frame supports a vertically adjustable seat. A back rest is integrated into the frame and/or seat so that it can be tilted or reclined to accommodate a user's normal movements and/or to allow inclined back positions to be comfortably maintained by the user's upper torso weight as he/she is sitting. The task chairs may be made with or without armrests. When utilized, armrests are commonly made to be at least vertically adjustable to allow comfortable support for a user that may be different depending upon the particular user's build and/or the task(s) to be performed using the chair.
Reconfigurable designs are also commonly incorporated into seating used for leisure activities. Reading chairs and sectional pieces on modular furniture commonly have such an adjusting capability.
With a single design, performance of a particular seating apparatus will be different depending upon the weight of a user. For example, a heavier individual may be able to comfortably urge a back rest towards an inclined position and comfortably maintain potentially a number of different, desired, inclined positions within a range. On the other hand, a lighter individual with the same design may have to engage in a more unnatural movement and constantly exert a pressure on the seat back to prevent it from returning to its normal upright position, generally maintained through some sort of biasing mechanism.
Similar tilt features may be integrated into the seat itself with a user's weight affecting how the mechanisms will operate.
One industry solution to the above problem is to provide manual adjusting capabilities whereby biasing forces on movable components can be changed. For example, a mechanism has been incorporated that allows a user to change a spring force on a back rest to be more compatible with that user's weight.
Tilt and tension adjustment is typically achieved by rotating a knob or pulling a lever, which loads a spring. Once the chair is optimally adjusted, the user can recline to a comfortable backward distance. However, to optimize balance, the user must iteratively lean back and adjust. This process of adjusting tension and tilt by pulling a lever or turning a knob may require many rotations or pulls depending on the weight of the previous user, resulting in potentially wasted time and imperfect adjustments.
With the multitude of different manual adjusting capabilities currently in existing furniture designs, user operation is becoming more complicated. Even a basic task chair often has multiple actuators which a user is required to manually operate to customize a chair for his/her purposes. Oftentimes, such mechanisms are confusing to users who may default to simply using a chair in its current configuration, even if not optimally configured. This problem is aggravated when persons routinely move from chair to chair during a typical work day in certain office environments in which there are group meetings, training, collaboration at different locations, sharing of resources such as at computer stations, etc. This same sharing of chairs occurs in classrooms, libraries, open plan offices, etc.
The current demand for versatility may demand integration of adjusting mechanisms on even base line furniture. To control manufacturing costs, the quality of many of these mechanisms, and potentially the overall chair, may be compromised.
The challenges of providing customizable adjusting systems, while demonstrated in the chair environment above, is not so limited. Many different apparatus use adjusting components that rely on a certain balance that may be affected by a variable weight application encountered in normal use. As but one example, desktop mechanisms are now evolving which allow a user to elevate a work surface so that he/she has the option of either sitting or standing while working on a computer or performing other routine work day tasks. Ideally, a user has the ability to raise and lower the work surface in a range, and to maintain a desired position, without having to operate any locking or adjusting mechanisms. Given that different jobs require placement of different items on the work surface, the applied weight on the work surface may vary considerably, which makes a generic design difficult to practically construct.
These problems are contended with also in different environments and with different types of equipment outside of the furniture arena. In any environment wherein components are adjustable, designers strive to design systems so that they are affordable, reliable, and user friendly. Balancing these often competing objectives remains an ongoing challenge.
In one form, the invention is directed to a reconfigurable apparatus for seating a user. The reconfigurable apparatus has a frame, a seat, a back rest, and an adjusting assembly. The seat is mounted on the frame and movable relative to the frame between: a) a first position in which the seat resides with no user sitting on the seat; and b) a loaded position into which the seat moves from the first position as an incident of a user sitting on the seat. A user sitting on the seat can bear against the back rest with his/her back to produce a leaning force that changes an angular orientation of the back rest relative to the frame. The apparatus is configured so that a first leaning force is required to be applied to the back rest to change the angular orientation of the back rest from a starting angular position relative to the frame with no user sitting in the seat. The adjusting assembly has a plurality of gears that cooperate and move relative to each other as an incident of the seat moving from the first position into the loaded position to thereby increase a resistance to changing of the angular orientation of the back rest from the starting angular position. As an incident of a user sitting on the seat, a leaning force greater than the first leaning force is required to change the angular position of the back rest from the starting angular position.
In one form, the plurality of gears includes a first rack gear and first pinion gear. The first rack gear and first pinion gear cooperate with, and are movable relative to, each other as an incident of the seat moving from the first position into the loaded position.
In one form, the plurality of gears includes a second rack gear and a second pinion gear. The second rack gear and second pinion gear cooperate with, and are movable relative to, each other as an incident of the seat moving from the first position into the loaded position.
In one form, the reconfigurable apparatus has an elongate spring bar with a length. The elongate spring bar resists changing of the angular orientation of the back rest from the starting position by bending against a fulcrum part.
In one form, as an incident of the seat being changed from the first position into the loaded position, the fulcrum part is caused to move along the length of the elongate spring bar so as to thereby increase a force required to bend the elongate spring bar about the fulcrum part and as an incident thereof increase the leaning force required to change the angular orientation of the back rest.
In one form, the plurality of gears are configured so that the seat moves a first distance between the first and loaded positions. The fulcrum part moves greater than the first distance along the length of the fulcrum bar in response to the same movement of the seat relative to the frame.
In one form, the back rest is mounted directly to the frame.
In one form, the back rest is mounted directly to the seat.
In one form, the back rest follows movement of the seat as the seat is changed from the first position into the loaded position.
In one form, the back rest is attached to and movable relative to the seat.
In one form, the sitting apparatus is a chair.
In one form, the frame has wheels that support the chair on a subjacent surface.
In one form, the chair has a pair of armrests.
In one form, the chair is a task chair.
In one form, the plurality of gears includes first and second gears that each turns around an axis. The first and second gears have different diameters.
In one form, the first and second gears turn around different axes.
In one form, the first and second gears turn around the same axis.
In one form, the reconfigurable apparatus has at least one spring bar that is bent under forces applied by a user to the reconfigurable apparatus to resist reconfiguration of a part of the reconfigurable apparatus.
In one form, the at least one spring bar includes a plurality of spring bars.
In one form, at least one of the spring bars is an elongate spring bar with a length. The elongate spring bar resists reconfiguration of the reconfigurable apparatus by being bent transversely to the length of the elongate spring bar.
In one form, the reconfigurable apparatus has an elongate spring bar having a length and that resists changing of the angular orientation of the back rest from the starting position by bending against a fulcrum part. The seat moves a first distance between the first and loaded positions. The first and second rack and pinion gears are configured so that as an incident of the seat moving from the first position into the loaded position there is relative movement of the elongate spring bar and fulcrum along the length of the elongate spring bar a distance different than the first distance.
In one form, the seat moves a first distance between the first and loaded positions. The plurality of gears includes first and second gear pairs configured so that as an incident of the seat moving from the first position into the loaded position there is relative movement of the elongate spring bar and fulcrum along the length of the elongate spring bar a distance different than the first distance.
In
At least a second component 16 is provided on the frame 12 and is movable relative to the at least first component and/or the frame 12. A force can be applied in a second manner upon the at least second component to reconfigure the apparatus 10 by moving the at least second component 16 relative to the at least first component and/or the frame 12.
An adjusting assembly 18 cooperates between the at least first component 14 and the at least second component 16 and is configured so that, as an incident of the force being applied in the first manner changing, the force applied in the second manner required to reconfigure the apparatus 10 changes.
The adjusting assembly 18 includes a spring assembly 19. The spring assembly 19 is configured to exert a force that resists movement of the at least second component 16 that varies as a magnitude of the force applied in the first manner varies.
The generic showing of the apparatus 10 is intended to encompass a wide range of different products and different applications. The inventive concepts can be used in virtually any system or apparatus wherein its normal intended use requires the application of a force on a first component and wherein that force on the first component impacts a force required to be applied to a second component to reconfigure the apparatus as contemplated during use.
While not intended to be limiting, the detailed description herein will be focused upon furniture and, more particularly, a chair construction. This application of the inventive concepts is intended to be exemplary in nature only and should not be viewed as limiting the inventive concepts to the specific type of apparatus described in detail herein. Further, the schematic showing in
For example, interlocking toothed components are described, in exemplary forms below. The invention contemplates not only different types of toothed components, such as gears, differential gears, epicyclic gears, rack and pinion arrangements, etc., but also virtually an unlimited number of different interengaging components, such as sprockets and chains, pulleys and cables, mechanisms using levers, pistons, different types of linkages, etc.
In
The chair 10 has a wheeled frame 12 with a vertically extending pedestal assembly 20. The first component 14 is in the form of a conventional-type seat with an upwardly facing user support surface 22. In this case, the aforementioned force applied in the first manner is the weight of the user exerted downwardly on the support surface 22 as he/she sits on the chair 10.
A corresponding second component 16 is in the form of a back rest against which a seated user leans to exert the aforementioned force in the second manner to reconfigure the chair 10. That is, the back rest moves relative to the frame 12 and first component 14, as the user leans back and forth while seated, generally in a manner as indicated by the double-headed arrow 23.
The adjusting assembly 18, as shown schematically in
The chair 10 may incorporate one or more adjusting features other than one that permits reconfiguration by changing the angle of the second component/back rest 16. The adjusting assembly 18 may be integrated into the mechanisms associated with these other features. Alternatively, the other features may operate without effect by the adjusting assembly 18.
For purposes of simplicity, the second component/back rest 16 will be shown as repositionable relative to the first component/seat 14 to reconfigure the chair 10 by movement of the second component/back rest 16 relative to the first component/seat 14 and frame 12 around a pivot axis 26. This particular connection should not be viewed as limiting.
Exemplary specific forms of the adjusting assembly 18 will now be described. As noted above, virtually an unlimited number of different variations of adjusting assembly are contemplated within the generic showing of
In
A generally U-shaped member 36 has one leg 38 of the “U” mounted on a frame part 40. The other leg 42 of the “U” has an offset bracing end 44.
For purposes of simplicity, the support 28 and member 36 can be considered to be part of the frame 12 and/or the adjusting assembly 18. Similarly, the component 58 can be considered to be part of the back rest 16 and/or the adjusting assembly 18.
The spring assembly 19 in this embodiment is in the form of a leaf spring. The leaf spring 19 has an elongate body 46 with a length L between spaced ends 48, 50, a width W, and a thickness T.
The leaf spring end 19 is anchored in the member 36 to project in cantilever fashion vertically upwardly therefrom. In this embodiment, the body 46 of the leaf spring 19 is preloaded so that it naturally assumes the dotted line shape and position.
The bracing end 44 of the member 36 is bifurcated, as seen in
A part of the second component/back rest 16 (hereafter referred to only as the representative chair “back rest 16”) is connected to the support 28 for movement relative thereto around the axis 26 as seen in
The component 58 is configured so that an edge 61 on a cantilevered part 62 thereof bears against the leaf spring surface 54. In the depicted state, this produces a force upon the leaf spring body 46, at a location A along the length of the body 46, that tends to bend the body 46 in the direction of the arrow 64 around a fulcrum location at 66 where the body 46 projects away from the part of the member 36 in which it is anchored. The leaf spring 19 thus biasably resists movement of the component 58, and the back rest 16 of which the component 58 is a part, with a first force.
The configuration in
In the event that an individual of greater weight assumes a sitting position on the seat 14, the support 28 and component 58 will translate further downwardly against the force of the spring 33, which causes the edge 61 on the back rest component 58 to bear upon the leaf spring 19 at a location below the location A. As a result, a shorter moment arm is established between the location where the edge 61 on the part 62 contacts the surface 54 and the fulcrum location at 66. Thus, the leaf spring 19 has an effectively shorter length, whereby a greater force is required to be applied to the leaf spring 19 to effect bending thereof as would in turn allow movement of the back rest 16 to reconfigure the chair 10.
To stabilize the support 28, a depending arm 70 thereon connects to the frame part 40 through a link 72. One link end 74 moves about an axis 76 that is fixed relative to the frame part 40. The other link end 78 pivotally connects to the arm 70 for movement about an axis 80.
The bifurcated configuration of the leg 42 allows the part 62 on the component 58 to move in an opening 82 through the region at the offset bracing end 44 so that the member 36 does not interfere with the back rest component 58 as the back rest component 58 lowers under increasing user weight.
Accordingly, an increase in the weight of a user causes the leaf spring 19 to produce a greater resistance to movement of the back rest 16 relative to the frame 12. As a result, the chair is self-adjusting. The parts thereof can be engineered so that a desired relationship between the user's weight and the force required to move the back rest 16 are appropriately established.
In designing the chair 10 using a leaf spring component, the leaf spring body 46 may have a uniform cross-sectional shape as viewed orthogonally to its length. Alternatively, this shape may be non-uniform over at least a portion of its length. For example, as shown for a portion of the length of a modified form of body 46a, as shown in
Tapering the cross-sectional area of the leaf spring over its length may allow further tuning of performance. Thickened regions may be provided to produce larger resistance forces for users at the higher weight end of the functional range.
The leaf spring material may be metal, plastic, a composite, etc. The leaf spring may be straight, curved, with changing cross-sectional shapes, etc. Changing shapes, pre-loading, changing dimensions, etc., are just examples of options that might be practiced to design and tune the adjusting assemblies so that they adapt more appropriately to users throughout a workable user weight range.
In a still further modified form of the structure in
In
The chair 10′ has a back rest component 58′ that acts against a leaf spring 19′ that is anchored in a component 36′.
In this embodiment, the leaf spring body 46′ is mounted at a slight angle α to vertical. Accordingly, the part 62′ of the component 58′ tends to bind more with the leaf spring 19′ as it slides downwardly thereagainst under increasing user weight. This binding creates frictional forces that augment the upward balancing force produced by the spring 33′.
Additionally, the chair 10′ utilizes cooperating toothed elements 86, 88, 90 that interact to cause movement of the frame part 40′, arm 70′ and leg 38′ relative to each other and the frame part 40′ that replicates the relative movement that occurs with corresponding elements in the embodiment shown in
In
Further, the chair 10″ incorporates toothed elements 86″, 88″, 90″ which function essentially in the same manner as the corresponding components on the chair 10′ in
In a further modified form of chair, as shown at 10′″ in
In
In this embodiment, the post 3040′ has a toothed rack 1004′ that cooperates with a toothed, differential pinion element 884′, that cooperates in turn with a toothed rack 984′ making up part of a toothed element 864′ on a member 364′.
Downward movement of the post 304′ under the weight applied to the seat 14 causes the toothed rack 1004′ and toothed element 884′, and separately the toothed elements 884′, 864′, to interact to translate the member 364′ in the direction of the arrow 106.
As the weight on the seat 14 is increased, the member 364′ will move continuously in the direction of the arrow 106 to successively engage free ends of angled extensions 108a, 108b, 108c at the ends of leaf springs 19a4′, 19b4′, 19c4′, successively. The extensions 108a, 108b, 108c and one surface 110 on the leaf spring 19d4′ reside in a reference plane P. As user applied weight increases, a surface 112 on the member 364′ moves along this plane P to successively engage the extensions 108a, 108b, 108c and eventually the surface 110, whereby the surface 112 defines separate fulcrum locations, corresponding to the fulcrum location 66, for the free ends of the leaf springs 19a4′, 19b4′, 19c4′, 19d4′. In other words, the leaf springs 19a4′, 19b4′, 19c4′, 19d4′ are successively operatively engaged under increasing user weight. As a result, the resistance force to the applied leaning force on the back rest 18 in the direction of the arrow 114 is generated by some or all of the leaf springs 19a4′, 19b4′, 19c4′, 19d4′ as they are borne against the surface 112 under the user leaning force.
It is important to point out that the rack and pinion components are not restricted to any specific orientation. The cooperating rack and pinion components may be oriented in virtually any orientation that can be adapted to cause movement of the associated parts in the same manner.
Further, one or all of the leaf springs 19a4′, 19b4′, 19c4′, 19d4′ could be pre-loaded or in curved tracks.
In an alternative form of the basic structure in
Under an increasing user weight on the seat 14, a surface 1125′ on the member 365′ engages successively against surfaces 116a5′, 116b5′, 116c5′. As shown in
The leaning force on the back rest 18 is applied on an actuator 118 in a direction into the page, as indicated by the “X” at 120. Resistance to the leaning force is generated in the same manner for the chair 105′ as for the chair 104′ but with the different arrangement of leaf springs.
In an alternative form, each of the leaf springs in
In
The leaning force on the back rest 16 is applied to an arm 126 on the component 586′ in the direction of the arrow 128.
The frame part 122 has a “U” shape with spaced legs 130, 132. The component 586′ is mounted on the leg 130.
The toothed element 886′ cooperates with a separate toothed element 134 that moves guidingly in a channel 136 on the component 586′. In this embodiment, the toothed element 134 and cooperating channel 136 have a curved shape so that the toothed element 134 is movable guidingly in an arcuate path. A row of teeth 138 on one side of the toothed element 134 engage teeth 140 on the toothed element 886′ so that the toothed element 134 moves back and forth within the channel 136 as the toothed element 886′ is rotated in opposite directions around its axis 124.
The adjusting assembly 186′ in this embodiment consists of an elongate spring assembly 196′, in this particular embodiment shown as a coil spring under tension. The spring 196′ is connected between an end location at 144 on the toothed element 134 and the leg 132 on the frame part 122.
As a user sits on the seat 14, without leaning against the back rest 16, the post 306′ moves against the force of the spring 336′ downwardly, thereby turning the toothed element 886′ in the direction of the arrow 146, which causes the toothed element 134 to move in the direction of the arrow 148 in the channel 136. The precise position of the toothed element 134 in the channel 136 is dictated by the weight of the user.
Once the user is seated and leans back against the back rest 16, separate teeth 150, 152, on the toothed element 134 and component 586′, within the channel 136, engage, thereby to fix the position of the toothed element 134 within the channel 136.
Under an applied leaning force in the direction of the arrow 128 on the arm 126, the component 586′, and the associated back rest 16, tend to pivot around the axis 124, which is resisted by the force in the spring 142. Because the distance between the axis 124 and end location 144 where the resistant spring force is applied is increased with increasing weight of a user, the resistant force generated by the coil spring 196′ is likewise increased.
The chair 107′ in
More particularly, a toothed element 1347′ moves in a channel 1367′ having an arcuate shape. A coil spring 197′ connects between the toothed element 1347′ and a leg 1327′ on a U-shaped frame part 1227′.
The primary difference between the structure in
Increased weight of a user on the seat 14 pivots the component 154 in the direction of the arrow 164 around the axis 156 to move the toothed element 1347′ in the direction of the arrow 166 in the channel 1367′. In so doing, the distance between the spring mount location at 1447′ on the toothed element 1347′ and the pivot axis 1247′ for the component 587′ increases, thereby to cause an increase in the resistance to tilting of the back rest 16 in the same manner as occurs with the chair 106′.
In
A leaning force on the back rest 16 is applied to the torsion component generally in the direction of the arrow 182, tending to turn the torsion component 168 around the axis 170. For the back rest 16 to reposition, the torsion component 168 must be twisted around the axis 170. This twisting action is resisted to a greater degree with the actuating component 172 closer to the base 180 under a heavier user weight.
On the other hand, with the actuating component 172 shifted towards its free end 184, as occurs with a lighter user, the torsion component 168 can be more readily twisted about its length and the axis 170.
In
An elongate, wedge-shaped actuating component 192 with a uniform width W1, slightly less than the width W, extends through the opening 190.
A toothed rack 194 is provided on the actuating component 192 and moves therewith. In response to a weight force being applied to the seat 14, and through an appropriate force transfer structure 196, the toothed rack 194 and actuating component 192 are shifted in the direction of the arrow 198.
By reason of the wedge shape, the actuating component 192 has oppositely facing actuating surfaces S1, S2, each with one dimension D1 at one end and a larger dimension D2 at its opposite end, that abut to, or reside adjacent to, facing surfaces S3, S4, respectively, on the bodies 469′. As the actuating component 192 shifts in the direction of the arrow 198, a progressively larger area of the surfaces S1, S2 confronts the leaf spring bodies 469′.
The back rest 16 imparts a force to the actuating component 192 through a suitable force transfer structure at 202 tending to turn the actuating component 192 around an axis 204.
Accordingly, a user leaning force generates a force on the actuating component 192 that bears the surfaces S1, S2 simultaneously against the surfaces S3, S4 of the leaf spring bodies 469′ between the spaced supported ends. The larger the area of the surfaces S1, S2 in contact with the bodies 469′, the more resistant the bodies 469′ are to deformation. This translates into a greater resistance to the repositioning of the back rest 16 for a larger weight application on the seat 14.
Further, as the actuating component 192 turns around the axis 204, the force transfer between the actuating component 192 and bodies 469′ occurs primarily at corners C1 C2, C3, C4 of the actuating component 192, which bear against reinforced and thus more rigid parts of the bodies 469′ adjacent to the blocks 186, 188 as more user weight is applied. Thus, greater resistance to back rest movement results.
In a still further alternative form, as shown in
Ideally, the apparatus/chair 10 will adapt to users weighing as much as 350 pounds, or more. While one spring assembly might be designed for a total desired weight range to be accommodated, two or more spring assemblies might be utilized and their function and operation coordinated.
Further, different spring assemblies might be utilized with coordinated operation. For example, one spring assembly may cover a range of 30-175 pounds with a second spring assembly operational for user weights in the range of 175-350 pounds. More springs/spring assemblies might be added to further split up the weight ranges.
The spring assemblies may be designed in relationship to seat movement. For example, one spring assembly may be operational for 0-0.5″ of seat movement with a separate spring assembly operational for seat movement of 0.5″-1″, where 1″ is the seat movement for the maximum weight for which the apparatus is designed.
The examples herein of spring assembly/spring construction should not be viewed as limiting. Different spring types and combinations are contemplated. For example, the springs may be curved, coiled with different turn diameter and rise, hybrid shapes, concentric arrangements, etc. Coil springs, or the like, may produce forces under either compression or tension.
The foregoing disclosure of specific embodiments is intended to be illustrative of the broad concepts comprehended by the invention.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| Child | 16408650 | US |
