Patent Grant
6913316
This invention-relates to a chair that can contribute to improvement in comfort to sit and that is mainly used preferably in a field of office automation such as an office.
Conventionally varieties of devices are contrived for chairs used in an office or the like in order to improve comfort to sit. As an example, a rear portion of a face to be seated is inclined a little so as to make the rear portion thereof lifted or a bottom portion of the back support is partially projected forward.
This arrangement makes it possible to coincide an angle of inclination of the rear portion of the face to be seated with an angle of a pelvis of a person who sits on the chair and to make the lower portion of the back support in a shape that supports a lumbar portion of the person who sits on the chair, which brings comfortable and stable feeling to sit.
However, if a shape of the rear portion of the face to be seated or of the bottom portion of the back support is standardized, the pelvis or lumbar portion of the person who sits on the chair might not be supported stably due to difference of a body proportion or of a way to sit, which might cause for the person uncomfortable feeling to sit.
In order to solve the above problems the present claimed invention intends to provide a chair in which a boundary between a seat and a back can be adjusted to a most comfortable position for a person who sits on the chair so as to obtain comfortable feeling to sit in spite of difference of a body proportion or of a way to sit.
A chair in accordance with claim 1 of the present claimed invention is characterized by that a rear portion of a face to be seated can be transformed or moved and that an angle of inclination of the rear portion of the face to be seated to a front portion of the face to be seated can be changed steplessly or stepwisely by an operation from outside.
With the arrangement, it is possible to adjust a shape of the face to be seated so as to coincide an angle of a pelvis of a person who sits on the chair with an angle of inclination of the rear portion of the face to be seated, thereby to provide an extremely comfortable feeling to sit.
Supporting a lumbar portion of a person who sits on the chair from rearward with pushed against it contributes to improvement in a stable feeling or a fitting feeling for the person when he or she is seated. In order to meet this demand with a simple arrangement it is preferable that a lower portion of a back support is transformed or moved with the interlock to transformation or movement of the rear portion of the face to be seated.
As a preferable form of transformation or movement of a lower portion of the back support it is represented that a lower portion of a back support projects forward in accordance with forward inclination of the rear portion of the face to be seated. For example, if a person sits in a good posture, an angle of a pelvis of the person becomes near vertical and a lumbar portion of the person inclines forward. Then the above arrangement can cooperate with this posture.
As a concrete embodiment to make it possible to transform or move a rear portion of a face to be seated with a simple arrangement, it is preferable that a rear portion of a face to be seated is supported by an inclining body in which a rear end of the inclining body makes an up and down movement by a rotation of the inclining body with a front end thereof as a rotational axis and that an angle of inclination of the rear portion of the face to be seated to a front portion of the face to be seated can be varied steplessly or stepwisely by operating the inclining body from outside so as to incline.
As a concrete embodiment in order to make it possible to transform or move a lower portion of the back support, it is preferable that the rear end of the inclining body is provided with a lumbar support portion that supports a lower portion of a back support in a transformable or movable manner and the lumbar support portion projects forward in accordance with forward inclination of the inclining body and then the lower portion of the back support projects forward.
From a point of improving comfort feeling to sit on the chair in case that the lower portion of the back support projects forward, it is preferable to give tension to the lower portion of the back support. In order to meet this demand with a simple arrangement it is preferable that a covering member that constitutes the lower portion of the back support is supported at right and left thereof by the lumbar support portion and that tension of the covering member increases in accordance with forward projection of the lumbar support portion.
As a preferable embodiment for changing an angle of inclination of the inclining body or for fixing the inclining body it is represented by that one end of a stretching member whose length can be changed freely is rotatably connected with a supporting member such as a back support rod that supports the inclining body and the other end of the stretching member is rotatably connected with a position which is displaced from a rotational axis of the inclining body and the stretching member can be switched with an operation of an operating portion from a free condition in which the stretching member can be stretched or contracted freely to a locked condition in which a length of the stretching member is fixed. With this arrangement, since it is possible to integrally form a mechanism for driving the inclining body to incline with a mechanism for fixing the inclining body, a number of components can be reduced and usage can be convenient as well. The supporting member may be a component that supports the inclining body directly or indirectly, for example, and may be represented by a back support rod, a seat board, a leg body or the like.
As a more preferable embodiment in an arrangement that the seat board moves backward in accordance with backward inclination of the back support rod, it is represented that the inclining body is rotatably connected with the back support rod.
Light-weight or low-price is required for chairs used in an office or the like. Then a chair of a slide type is not preferable since a sliding mechanism becomes complicated, which will lead to increment of weight and a price as well. In addition, the slide-type chair has a defect that the sliding mechanism easily produces looseness.
A chair in accordance with claim 8 of the present claimed invention is, wherein a principle of the chair is shown in
The above-mentioned “a back and forth movement” means a movement that at least includes a movement of a back and forth direction.
In accordance with the arrangement, since the lumbar support portion ALS is supported rotatably, the mechanism is simpler in comparison with that of a slide-type chair, thereby to lighten weight of a chair as a whole and to reduce cost and to make a movement of the mechanism smooth as well. Further, since the lumbar support portion ALS is supported rotatably, the body contact face A5b makes a back and forth movement with a track thereof forming an arc. As a result, it is possible for the chair of the above arrangement to fit the lumbar support portion ALS into a sigmoid curve formed between a lumbar portion and a back of a person who sits on the chair more tightly in comparison with, for example, the slide-type chair wherein a body contact face moves back and forth in a straight line.
In order to increase degrees of freedom in arranging a position of a rotational axis AX of the lumbar support portion ALS so as to make it easy to improve comfort to sit on the chair, it is preferable that the lumbar support portion ALS is rotatably supported through a support arm A7.
More concretely, as shown in
If the lumbar support portion ALS is rotatably supported by the seat A4, as shown in
The position of the rotational axis AX of the lumber support portion ALS may be variously modified. For example, as shown in
If comfort to sit is pursued, it is preferable that a position of the boundary AK that corresponds to a portion between a lumbar portion and buttocks of a person who sits on the chair can be adjusted integrally. As a concrete embodiment of this arrangement it is represented that the inclining body A7 that supports the rear portion of the face to be seated A4b is integrally formed with the lumbar support portion ALS, the inclining body A7 inclines with a positive reverse turn movement of the lumbar support portion ALS so as to change an angle of inclination of the rear portion of the face to be seated A4b to the front portion of the face to be seated A4a. In this example shown in
As another embodiment it is represented, as shown in
As a preferable driving mechanism for adjusting the position of the above lumbar support portion ALS it is represented that, although not shown in drawings, one end of an stretching member such as a gas spring whose length can be changed freely is rotatably fixed to a supporting member such as a seat board that supports the lumbar support portion ALS and that the other end of the stretching member is rotatably fixed to a position which is displaced from a rotational axis AX of the lumbar support portion ALS and that the stretching member can be switched with an operation of an operating portion from a free condition in which the stretching member is stretched or contracted freely to a locked condition in which a length of the stretching member is fixed. With this arrangement, it is possible to integrally form a mechanism for driving the inclining body to incline with a mechanism for fixing the inclining body, thereby to reduce a number of components.
Embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to drawings.
<First Embodiment>
A first embodiment of the invention will be described in detail with reference to an embodiment thereof shown in FIG. 1 through FIG. 4.
The support base 3 is lengthy and so arranged that a bottom end of the support base 3 is fittingly fixed over a top end of a support post 21 that constitutes the base leg 2 and that a top end of the support base 3 extends at an angle to a forward direction.
The seat 4 is so arranged that a cushion or the like is mounted on a seat board 41, wherein the seat board 41 comprises a seat frame 42.
The back 5 is so arranged that a covering member 52 is mounted on a back support rod 51 of a frame shape and has an appearance of upstanding continuously from a rear end of the seat 4. The back support rod 51 mainly comprises an upper frame 511 that is a part corresponding to a back support and a lower frame 512 that locates below the seat board 41. The upper frame 511 and the lower frame 512 are rotatably connected each other through a supporting axis S1 that extends right and left horizontally and a stopping mechanism, not shown in drawings, that can prohibit rotation of the upper frame 511 and the lower frame 512 is provided. The stopping mechanism is to fix the upper frame 511 and the lower frame 512 so as to prevent rotation, for example, by inserting a pin therein. The stopping mechanism is so arranged that the pin can be inserted or removed and then a user of the chair can switch the stopping mechanism from an able-to-rotate state wherein both of the upper frame 511 and the lower frame 512 are able to rotate and the upper frame 511 alone can be inclined to an unable-to-rotate state wherein the upper frame 511 and the lower frame 512 are fixedly connected each other and whole of the back support rod 511 can make a rocking movement.
The four-side link mechanism 6 is, as shown in
In this embodiment, as shown in
More specifically, the inclining body 7 is a pair of right and left frames extending back and forth and is supported by the back support rod 51 through a supporting mechanism 9 in a condition where a position of the inclining body 7 can be changed. The supporting mechanism 9 connects the inclining body 7 with the lower frame 512 rotatably through the supporting axis S1 at an inclining fulcrum X provided at the front end of the inclining body 7. And the rear portion of the face to be seated 4b is supported by the inclining body 7 so as to incline between a lower position P (shown by an imaginary line in
The driving mechanism 11 that drives the inclining body 7 is so made that one end of a gas spring 111 as an stretching member whose length can be changed freely is rotatably fixed to the back support rod 51 as a supporting member (more specifically, to the lower frame 512) and that the other end of the gas spring 111 is rotatably fixed to a position which is displaced from the inclining fulcrum X of the inclining body 7. The operating lever 8 arranged under the seat 5 and an operating portion 111a of the gas spring 111 are connected with a link wire LW and the gas spring 111 can be switched with an operation of the operating lever 8 from a free condition in which the gas spring 111 is stretched or contracted freely to a locked condition in which a length of the gas spring 111 is fixed. In the free condition force is always applied to the inclining body 7 to incline forward due to stretching force of the gas spring 111.
The lumbar support portion 10 is in a frame shape which extends integrally from the rear end of the inclining body 7 to be bent generally at a right angle in a side view and supports right and left side edges of the covering member 52 that forms the lower portion of the back support 5b. The lumbar support portion 10 projects forward when the inclining body 7 moves from the lower position P to the upper position O and then makes the lower portion of the back support 5b project forward by increasing tension of the covering member 52. At a top end of the lumbar support portion 10 provided is a bent portion 101 that is bent backward with forming an arc, which improves a feeling to touch a hipbone of a person who sits on the chair 1. In the unable-to-rotate state where the upper frame 511 and the lower frame 512 are fixedly connected each other the inclining body 7 is arranged to locate at a position where the back support is usually formed when the inclining body 7 is set at the lower position 2 and to project forward by the same amount as the inclining body 7 moves from the lower position P to a direction of the upper position O.
With the chair 1 in accordance with an arrangement of the embodiment, in order to adjust a position of the inclining body 7 and the lumbar support portion 10, first operate the operating lever 8 to make the gas spring 111 in a free condition. Then operate the inclining body 7 and the lumbar support portion 10 toward a direction of inclining backward until the inclining body 7 and the lumbar support portion 10 incline by a desired angle against stretching force of the gas spring 111, operate the operating lever 8 in an opposite manner to make the gas spring 111 in a locked condition and then fix the inclining body 7 and the lumbar support portion 10 so as not to change the angle of inclination. More concretely, the person who sits on the chair 1 adjusts a position of the inclining body 7 and the lumbar support portion 10 while he or she leans against the back 5.
In accordance with the embodiment, since it is possible to transform the boundary portion E between the seat and the back so as to be suited along a pelvis angle or a lumbar portion of the person who sits on the chair 1 irrespective of difference in a body proportion of the person or in a way to sit, thereby to provide the extremely comfortable chair 1.
Further, with the embodiment, since tension of the covering member 52 constituting the lower portion of the back support 5b increases according to forward projection of the lumbar support portion 10, tension is given to the lower portion of the back support 5b when the lower portion of the back support 5b projects forward, resulting in contribution to improvement in a feeling to sit.
This invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.
For example, as shown in
In addition to the above arrangement in which the inclining body 7 can be fixed steplessly between the upper position O and the lower position P, the inclining body may be fixed to one of several stepwisely predetermined positions by the use of a ratchet mechanism.
Further, the inclining body may be supported by the seat board.
The same effect can be produced if the present claimed invention is applied to not only the above-mentioned rocking chair but also a chair which is a type where a back is fixed to a seat and does not make a rocking movement or a chair without a back where a rear portion of a face to be seated is inclined.
<Second Embodiment>
A second embodiment of the invention will be described in detail with reference to an embodiment thereof shown in FIG. 5 through FIG. 8. The numerals given to each component in the first embodiment are not related to numerals given to components in the second embodiment. Same numerals are given to components corresponding to the components shown in FIG. 9 through FIG. 14.
The support base A3 is lengthy and so arranged that a bottom end of the support base A3 is fittingly fixed over a top end of a support post A21 that constitutes the base leg A2 and that a top end of the support base A3 extends at an angle to a forward direction.
The seat A4 is so arranged that a face to be seated can make a back and forth movement slidably to a seat board A41. More concretely, a cushion or the like is mounted on the seat board A41 through a sliding mechanism, not shown in drawings, in a condition of making a back and forth movement slidably.
The back A5 is so arranged that a covering member A52 is mounted on a back support rod A51 and produces a property of a cushion without a cushion by making use of tension of the covering member A52. The back support rod A51 mainly comprises an upper frame A511 that is a part corresponding to a back support and a lower frame A512 that locates below the seat board A41. The upper frame A511 and the lower frame A512 are rotatably connected each other through a supporting axis AS1 that extends right and left horizontally and a stopping mechanism, not shown in drawings, that can prohibit rotation of the upper frame A511 and the lower frame A512 is provided. The stopping mechanism is to fix the upper frame A511 and the lower frame A512 so as to prevent rotation, for example, by inserting a pin therein. The stopping mechanism is so arranged that the pin can be inserted or removed and then a user of the chair can switch the stopping mechanism from an able-to-rotate state wherein both of the upper frame A511 and the lower frame A512 are able to rotate and the upper frame A511 alone can be inclined to an unable-to-rotate state wherein the upper frame A511 and the lower frame A512 are fixedly connected each other and whole of the back support rod A511 can make a rocking movement.
The four-side link mechanism A6 is, as shown in
In this embodiment, as shown in
More specifically, the inclining body A7 is a pair of right and left frames extending back and forth and serves as a supporting arm. The inclining body A7 is supported by the back support rod A51 through a supporting mechanism A9 in a condition where a position of the inclining body A7 can be changed. The supporting mechanism A9 connects the inclining body A7 with the lower frame A512 rotatably through the supporting axis AS1 at an inclining fulcrum AX provided at the front end of the inclining body A7. And the rear portion of the face to be seated A4b is supported by the inclining body A7 so as to incline between a lower position AE (shown by an imaginary line in
The driving mechanism All that drives the inclining body A7 is so made that one end of a gas spring A111 as an stretching member whose length can be changed freely is rotatably fixed to the back support rod A51 as a supporting member (more specifically, to the lower frame A512) and that the other end of the gas spring A111 is rotatably fixed to a position which is displaced from the inclining fulcrum AX of the inclining body A7. The operating lever A8 arranged under the seat A5 and an operating portion A111a of the gas spring A111 are connected with a link wire ALW and the gas spring A111 can be switched with an operation of the operating lever A8 from a free condition in which the gas spring A111 is stretched or contracted freely to a locked condition in which a length of the gas spring A111 is fixed. In the free condition force is always applied to the inclining body A7 to incline forward due to stretching force of the gas spring A111.
The support frame A10 is in a frame shape which extends integrally from the rear end of the inclining body A7 to be bent generally at a right angle in a side view and supports right and left side edges of the covering member A52 that forms the lower portion of the back support A5b. The support frame A10 projects forward when the inclining body A7 moves from the lower position AP to the upper position AO and then makes the lower portion of the back support A5b project forward by increasing tension of the covering member A52. The lumber support portion comprises a pair of support frames A10 and the covering member A52 covering with tension therebetween. At a top end of the support frame A10 provided is a bent portion A101 that is bent backward with forming an arc, which improves a feeling to touch a hipbone of a person who sits on the chair A1. In the unable-to-rotate state where the upper frame A511 and the lower frame A512 are fixedly connected each other the inclining body A7 is arranged to locate at a position where the back support is usually formed when the inclining body A7 is set at the lower position AP and to project forward by the same amount as the inclining body A7 moves from the lower position AP to a direction of the upper position O.
With the chair A1 in accordance with an arrangement of the embodiment, in order to adjust a position of the inclining body A7 and the support frame A10, first operate the operating lever A8 to make the gas spring A111 in a free condition. Then operate the inclining body A7 and the support frame A10 toward a direction of inclining backward until the inclining body A7 and the support frame A10 incline by a desired angle against stretching force of the gas spring A111, operate the operating lever A8 in an opposite manner to make the gas spring A111 in a locked condition and then fix the inclining body A7 and the support frame A10 so as not to change the angle of inclination. More concretely, the person who sits on the chair A1 adjusts a position of the inclining body A7 and the support frame A10 while he or she leans against the back A5.
In accordance with the embodiment, since it is possible to transform the boundary portion AK between the seat and the back so as to be suited along a pelvis angle or a lumbar portion of the person who sits on the chair A1 irrespective of difference in a body proportion of the person or in a way to sit, thereby to provide the extremely comfortable chair A1.
Further, with the embodiment, since tension of the covering member A52 constituting the lower portion of the back support A5b increases according to forward projection of the support frame A10, tension is given to the lower portion of the back support A5b when the lower portion of the back support A5b projects forward, resulting in contribution to improvement in a feeling to sit.
This invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.
For example, as shown in
In addition to the above arrangement in which the inclining body A7 can be fixed steplessly between the upper position AO and the lower position AP, the inclining body may be fixed to one of several stepwisely predetermined positions by the use of a ratchet mechanism.
Further, the inclining body may be supported by the seat board.
The same effect can be produced if the present claimed invention is applied to not only the above-mentioned rocking chair but also a chair which is a type where a back is fixed to a seat and does not make a rocking movement or a chair without a back where a rear portion of a face to be seated is inclined.
As mentioned above, in accordance with the present claimed invention, it is possible to make the chair extremely comfortable to sit since a shape of a face to be seated can be adjusted to coincide an angle of a pelvis of a person who sits on the chair with an angle of inclination of a rear portion of the face to be seated.
With an arrangement in which the lumbar support portion is rotatably supported, the arrangement becomes simple, thereby to lighten weight and to reduce cost of the chair as a whole. In addition, the lumbar support portion of the above arrangement moves smoother in comparison with that of a slide-type chair. Further, since the lumbar support portion is supported rotatably, the body contact face moves along an arc with making a back and forth movement. As a result, it is possible for the chair of the above arrangement to fit the lumbar support portion into a sigmoid curve formed between a lumbar portion and a back of a person who sits on the chair more tightly when compared with, for example, the slide-type chair wherein a body contact face moves back and forth in a straight line.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| P2000-314997 | Oct 2000 | JP | national |
| P2000-315781 | Oct 2000 | JP | national |
This is a U.S. National Phase Application under 35 U.S.C. §371 and applicant herewith claims the benefit of priority of PCT/JP01/08732 filed Oct. 3, 2001, which was published Under PCT Article 21(2) in Japanese, which claims priority to Japanese Application Nos. P2000-314997, filed Oct. 16, 2000 and P2000-315781, filed Oct. 16, 2000, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP01/08732 | 10/3/2001 | WO | 00 | 5/23/2002 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO02/32264 | 4/25/2002 | WO | A |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 20030137173 A1 | Jul 2003 | US |
