Claims
- 1. An office furniture device comprising:a first and second support member, said first support member having a fluid passageway formed within at least a portion thereof; a first piston moveably disposed in said fluid passageway, said first piston having a first and second end, wherein said second support member is coupled to said first end of said first piston; a fluid supply disposed in said fluid passageway and communicating with said second end of said first piston; a second piston having a first end and a second end, wherein said second end communicates with said fluid supply; a force applying element biasing said first end of said second piston; and a fluid flow controller controlling a flow of said fluid supply at a location between said first and second pistons, wherein said controller is operable between at least an open and closed position, wherein said fluid supply is allowed to flow between said first and second pistons when said controller is in the open position and wherein said fluid supply is prevented from flowing between said first and second pistons when said controller is in the closed position.
- 2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said fluid supply comprises a magneto-rheological fluid.
- 3. The invention of claim 1 wherein said fluid supply comprises a hydraulic fluid.
- 4. The invention of claim 1 wherein said controller comprises a valve.
- 5. The invention of claim 1 wherein said fluid passageway is a first fluid passageway and wherein said first support member further comprises a second fluid passageway, wherein said second piston is movably disposed in said second fluid passageway.
- 6. The invention of claim 1 wherein said first support member comprises a one piece member having an interior surface defining said fluid passageway.
- 7. The invention of claim 1 wherein said force applying element comprises a mechanical spring.
- 8. The invention of claim 1 wherein said force applying element comprises a positive pressure.
- 9. The invention of claim 1 wherein substantially the same volume of supply fluid is maintained in said fluid passageway between said first and second pistons as said fluid supply is allowed to flow between said first and second pistons when said controller is in the open position, wherein said fluid supply, which is displaced by the movement of one of said first and second pistons, moves the other of said first and second pistons.
- 10. The invention of claim 1 wherein said second support member comprises a chair component.
- 11. The invention of claim 10 wherein said chair component is integrally formed with said second support member.
- 12. An office furniture device comprising:a first and second support member, said first support member having a fluid passageway formed within at least a portion thereof; a first piston moveably disposed in said fluid passageway, said first piston having a first and second end, wherein said second support member is coupled to said first end of said first piston; a fluid supply disposed in said fluid passageway and communicating with said second end of said first piston, said fluid supply comprising a magneto-rheological fluid; a second piston having a first end and a second end, wherein said second end communicates with said fluid supply; a force applying element biasing said first end of said second piston; and a fluid flow controller controlling a flow of said fluid supply at a location between said first and second pistons, wherein said controller is operable between at least an open and closed position, wherein said fluid supply is allowed to flow between said first and second pistons when said controller is in the open position and wherein said fluid supply is prevented from flowing between said first and second pistons when said controller is in the closed position, and wherein said controller comprises a magnet moveable between at least a first and second position corresponding to said open and closed positions respectively, wherein said magnet applies a magnetic field to said fluid supply when in said first position.
- 13. The invention of claim 12 further comprising an actuator connected to said magnet, wherein said actuator is operable between at least a first and second position, wherein said actuator moves said magnet to said first position when said actuator is in said first position and wherein said actuator moves said magnet to said second position when said actuator is in said second position.
- 14. The invention of claim 13 wherein said magnet is moveable along a linear path.
- 15. The invention of claim 14 wherein said magnet moves along a track between said first and second positions to said first support member.
- 16. An office furniture device comprising:a first and second support member, said first support member having first and second fluid passageways formed within at least a portion thereof, wherein said first and second fluid passageways are connected with a third fluid passageway; a first piston moveably disposed in said first fluid passageway, said first piston having a first and second end, wherein said second support member is coupled to said first end of said first piston; a fluid supply disposed in said first fluid passageway and communicating with said second end of said first piston, wherein said fluid supply flows through said third fluid passageway between said first and second fluid passageways; a second piston moveably disposed in said second fluid passageway and having a first end and a second end, wherein said second end communicates with said fluid supply; a force applying element biasing said first end of said second piston; and a fluid flow controller controlling a flow of said fluid supply at a location between said first and second pistons, wherein said controller is operable between at least an open and closed position, wherein said fluid supply is allowed to flow between said first and second pistons when said controller is in the open position and wherein said fluid supply is prevented from flowing between said first and second pistons when said controller is in the closed position.
- 17. An office furniture device comprising:a first and second support member, said first support member having a fluid passageway formed within at least a portion thereof, wherein said second support member comprises a chair component and wherein said second support member is slideably connected to said first support members; a first piston moveably disposed in said fluid passageway, said first piston having a first and second end, wherein said second support member is coupled to said first end of said first piston; a fluid supply disposed in said fluid passageway and communicating with said second end of said first piston; a second piston having a first end and a second end, wherein said second end communicates with said fluid supply; a force applying element biasing said first end of said second piston; and a fluid flow controller controlling a flow of said fluid supply at a location between said first and second pistons, wherein said controller is operable between at least an open and closed position, wherein said fluid supply is allowed to flow between said first and second pistons when said controller is in the open position and wherein said fluid supply is prevented from flowing between said first and second pistons when said controller is in the closed position.
- 18. A chair comprising:a first and second support member, said first support member having a fluid passageway formed within at least a portion thereof, wherein said second support member comprises an armrest member; a first piston moveably disposed in said fluid passageway, said first piston having a first and second end, wherein said second support member is coupled to said first end of said first piston; a fluid supply disposed in said fluid passageway and communicating with said second end of said first piston; a second piston having a first end and a second end, wherein said second end communicates with said fluid supply; a force applying element biasing said first end of said second piston; and a fluid flow controller controlling a flow of said fluid supply at a location between said first and second pistons, wherein said controller is operable between at least an open and closed position, wherein said fluid supply is allowed to flow between said first and second pistons when said controller is in the open position and wherein said fluid supply is prevented from flowing between said first and second pistons when said controller is in the closed position.
- 19. An office furniture device comprising:a first and second support member, said first support member having a fluid passageway formed within at least a portion thereof; a first piston moveably disposed in said fluid passageway, said first piston having a first and second end, wherein said second support member is coupled to said first end of said first piston; a fluid supply disposed in said fluid passageway and communicating with said second end of said first piston; a second piston having a first end and a second end, wherein said second end communicates with said fluid supply, wherein said second piston is slideably disposed in said fluid passageway, and wherein said fluid supply is disposed in said fluid passageway between said first and second pistons; a force applying element biasing said first end of said second piston; and a fluid flow controller controlling a flow of said fluid supply at a location between said first and second pistons, wherein said controller is operable between at least an open and closed position, wherein said fluid supply is allowed to flow between said first and second pistons when said controller is in the open position and wherein said fluid supply is prevented from flowing between said first and second pistons when said controller is in the closed position.
- 20. An office furniture device comprising:a support member having a first and second fluid passageway formed within at least a portion thereof; a first piston slideably disposed in said first fluid passageway, said first piston having a first and second end; a second piston slideably disposed in said second fluid passageway, said second piston having a first end and a second end; a fluid supply flowing between said first and second fluid passageways and communicating with said second ends of said first and second pistons, said fluid supply moving one of said first and second pistons in response to the movement of the other of said first and second pistons; a fluid flow controller controlling a flow of said fluid supply between said first and second pistons.
- 21. The invention of claim 20 wherein said first and second fluid passageways are parallel.
- 22. The invention of claim 20 wherein said fluid is a magneto-Rheological fluid.
- 23. The invention of claim 21 wherein said controller comprises a magnet moveable between at least a first and second position corresponding to said open and closed positions respectively, wherein said magnet applies a magnetic field to said fluid supply when in said first position.
- 24. The invention of claim 23 further comprising an actuator connected to said magnet, wherein said actuator is operable between at least a first and second position, wherein said actuator moves said magnet to said first position when said actuator is in said first position and wherein said actuator moves said magnet to said second position when said actuator is in said second position.
- 25. The invention of claim 23 wherein said magnet is moveably disposed in said support member.
- 26. The invention of claim 20 wherein said fluid is a hydraulic fluid.
- 27. The invention of claim 26 wherein said controller comprises a valve.
- 28. The invention of claim 20 further comprising a chair component connected to and moveable with one of said support member and said first piston.
- 29. The invention of claim 28 wherein said support member comprises a first support member and further comprising a second support member slideably connected to said first support member, and wherein at least one of said chair component and said first piston is connected to said second support member.
- 30. The invention of claim 20 further comprising a mechanical spring biasing said second piston.
- 31. The invention of claim 20 wherein said support member comprises a one-piece member having an interior surface defining said first and second fluid passageways.
- 32. A method for operating an office furniture device comprising:providing a first and second support member, said first support member having a fluid passageway formed within at least a portion thereof; providing a first piston moveably disposed in said fluid passageway, said first piston having a first and second end, wherein said second support member is coupled to said first end of said first piston; providing a fluid supply in said fluid passageway, wherein said fluid supply communicates with said second end of said first piston; providing a second piston having a first end and a second end, wherein said second end communicates with said fluid supply; stopping a flow of said fluid supply at a location between said first and second pistons with a fluid flow controller; operating said controller in an open position and thereby allowing said fluid supply to flow past said location between said first and second pistons; and applying a force to said first end of said second piston, thereby flowing said fluid supply past said location between said first and second pistons and thereby moving said first piston with said fluid supply.
- 33. The invention of claim 32 wherein said stopping said flow further comprising operating said controller in a closed position.
- 34. The invention of claim 32 further comprising applying a force to said first end of said first piston.
- 35. The invention of claim 32 wherein said applying a force to said first end of said second piston comprises biasing said first end of said second piston with a spring.
- 36. The invention of claim 32 wherein said fluid supply comprises a magneto-rheological fluid.
- 37. The invention of claim 36 wherein said operating said controller in said open position comprises moving a magnet adjacent said fluid supply and thereby applying a magnetic field to said fluid supply.
- 38. The invention of claim 37 wherein said moving said magnet comprises moving an actuator connected to said magnet between at least a first and second position.
- 39. The invention of claim 32 wherein said fluid supply comprises a hydraulic fluid, and wherein said operating said controller in said open position comprises opening a valve to an open position.
- 40. The invention of claim 32 wherein said fluid passageway is a first fluid passageway and wherein said first support member further comprises a second fluid passageway, wherein said second piston is moveably disposed in said second fluid passageway.
- 41. The invention of claim 32 wherein said second support member comprises a chair component.
- 42. The invention of claim 41 wherein said chair component comprises an armrest member.
- 43. The invention of claim 42 wherein said fluid passageway is extruded in said first support member.
- 44. An office furniture device comprising:a support member having a fluid passageway formed within at least a portion thereof; a piston moveably disposed in said fluid passageway and having a first and second end; a magneto-rheological fluid disposed in said fluid passageway and communicating with said second end of said piston; a magnet moveable between at least a first and second position, wherein said magnet applies a magnetic field to said magneto-rheological fluid when in said first position; and an actuator connected to said magnet, wherein said actuator is operable between at least a first and second position, wherein said actuator moves said magnet to said first position when said actuator is in said first position and wherein said actuator moves said magnet to said second position when said actuator is in said second position.
- 45. The invention of claim 44 wherein said magnet is moveably disposed in said support member.
- 46. The invention of claim 44 wherein said magnet is moveable along a linear path.
- 47. The invention of claim 44 further comprising a shuttle member supporting said magnet, wherein said actuator is connected to said shuffle member, and wherein said shuttle moves along a track.
- 48. The invention of claim 47 wherein said magnet is disposed in said shuttle.
- 49. The invention of claim 44 wherein said actuator comprises a spring biasing said magnet between said first and second positions.
- 50. The invention of claim 49 wherein said actuator further comprises a push rod connected to said magnet.
- 51. The invention of claim 44 wherein said magnet is rare earth magnet.
- 52. The invention of claim 44 wherein said support member forms part of an armrest on a chair.
Parent Case Info
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/252,852, filed Nov. 22, 2000, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
US Referenced Citations (57)
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60/252852 |
Nov 2000 |
US |