Chair having synchronized backrest and seat movements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10470574-B2
Application number	US-201615150934-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2016
Priority date	Nov 18, 2013
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

A chair includes a seat and a backrest connected to a leg assembly. The front part of the seat is mounted on the leg assembly via a pivot link about an axis. The backrest is connected to the seat by a flexible intermediate part fixed to the leg assembly in the vicinity of the pivot of the seat for the purpose of a pivoting movement of the intermediate part by elastic deformation about an axis. The rear part of the seat is supported by the intermediate part, for example with at least one coupling element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A chair comprising:
a seat and a backrest pivotally connected to a leg assembly, wherein a front part of the seat distal with respect to the backrest is pivotally mounted on the leg assembly about a first pivot axis; and
wherein the backrest is connected to the leg assembly with a flexible intermediate part extending under the seat, wherein the intermediate part is fixed to the leg assembly for the purpose of a pivoting movement of the intermediate part by elastic deformation of the intermediate part about a second pivot axis parallel to the first pivot axis of the seat; and
at least one coupling element disposed between and engaged with a rear part of the seat proximal with respect to the backrest and the intermediate part.

2. The chair according to claim 1 wherein an upper end of the at least one coupling element is fixed to the seat and a lower end of the at least one coupling element rests on the intermediate part.

3. The chair according to claim 1 wherein the flexible intermediate part has a first portion fixed to a rear of the backrest and a second portion extending under the seat, the angle formed between the first portion and the second portion being capable of varying according to the pressing force exerted on the backrest by a user.

4. The chair according to claim 3 wherein the flexible intermediate part comprises at least one L-shaped flexible strip having two arms defining respectively the first and second portions.

5. The chair according to claim 3 wherein a free end of the first portion is fixed to the rear of the backrest, a free end of the second portion is fixed to a cross member belonging to the leg assembly, and a middle part of the second portion is connected to the rear part of the seat with the at least one coupling element.

6. The chair according to claim 3 wherein the flexible intermediate part comprises a single median flexible strip disposed in a vertical midplane of the chair.

7. The chair according to claim 3 wherein the flexible intermediate part comprises two lateral flexible strips disposed on both sides of a vertical midplane of the chair.

8. The chair according to claim 3 , wherein the first portion of the flexible intermediate part comprises a U-shaped frame framing a lower part of the backrest, and the second portion comprises a plate extending under the seat and coupled to the U-shaped frame, wherein a front end of the plate is fixed to a cross member belonging to the leg assembly and wherein the coupling element is disposed between a middle part of the plate and the rear part of the seat.

9. The chair according to claim 8 wherein the U-shaped frame is coupled to the plate with a fixation tab.

10. The chair according to claim 3 wherein the first portion of the flexible intermediate part comprises a bar of rounded appearance that winds around the rear of the backrest, overlies the frame and joins to the second portion comprising a plate extending under the seat, wherein a front end of the plate is fixed to a cross member belonging to the leg assembly, and wherein a clearance is provided between the first portion and the frame to allow the seat to pivot, with the frame acting as a stop for restricting the pivoting of the seat.

11. The chair according to claim 1 wherein a stop restricts the pivoting of the seat.

12. The chair according to claim 1 wherein the seat is pivotally connected to the leg assembly with a linchpin, flexible mounting, or ball joint.

13. The chair according to claim 1 wherein the flexible intermediate part is attached to the backrest and to the leg assembly with a mechanical fastener.

14. The chair according to claim 1 wherein the intermediate part has a front portion non-pivotally fixed to the leg assembly.

15. A chair comprising:
a frame;
a seat comprising a front portion pivotally connected to the frame about a first pivot axis and a rear portion spaced rearwardly from the front portion;
a flexible intermediate part underlying the seat and fixedly connected to the frame, wherein the rear portion of the seat is supported by the intermediate part, wherein the intermediate part is elastically deformable from a nominal position to a deformed position, and wherein the seat is moveable from an at rest position to a rear tilt position as the intermediate part is deformed from the nominal position to the deformed position; and
a backrest connected to the intermediate part.

16. The chair according to claim 15 wherein the intermediate part comprises an upright portion coupled to the backrest and a flexible portion underlying the seat and fixedly connected to the seat, wherein the upright portion and the flexible portion are angularly moveable relative to each other.

17. The chair according to claim 15 further comprising a coupling element disposed between the rear portion of the seat and the intermediate part.

18. The chair according to claim 15 wherein the flexible intermediate part comprises a single flexible strip disposed in a vertical midplane of the chair.

19. The chair according to claim 15 wherein the flexible intermediate part comprises two lateral flexible strips disposed on both sides of a vertical midplane of the chair.

20. The chair according to claim 16 wherein the upright portion of the flexible intermediate part comprises a U-shaped frame framing a lower part of the backrest, and the flexible portion comprises a plate extending under the seat and coupled to the U-shaped frame, wherein a front end of the plate is fixed to a cross member belonging to the frame.

21. The chair according to claim 16 wherein the upright portion of the flexible intermediate part comprises a curved bar that encircles the backrest.

22. The chair according to claim 15 wherein a stop restricts the pivoting of the seat in the rear tilt position.

23. The chair according to claim 15 wherein the intermediate part has a front portion non-pivotally fixed to the frame.

Assignees

• Steelcase Inc

Inventors

• Schneider Jean-Marc

Classifications

• A47C7/445

  with bar or leaf springs · CPC title

• A47C1/03277

  with bar or leaf springs · CPC title

• A47C7/44

  with elastically-mounted frame · CPC title

• A47C1/033

  the coupling member being a flexible strip · CPC title

• A47C1/03261 Primary

  characterised by elastic means · CPC title