Chair seat to base mounting assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10631645-B2
Application number	US-201815916998-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2018
Priority date	Feb 1, 2010
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

A seating unit for use in a space including a supporting floor surface, the seating unit comprising a seat structure comprising a mounting bracket having a female connector, a tablet assembly comprising a support arm having a mounting collar on an end and a base having a lower end to be supported by the floor surface and including a base mounting assembly and wherein the base mounting assembly comprises a cup attached to the base, a base tube having a first end inserted into the cup and a second end extending through the mounting collar and mateably engaging the female connector.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A seating assembly comprising:
a base subassembly including a central hub, a leg assembly, a base tube and casters, the leg assembly extending laterally from the central hub, the base tube supported by the central hub for rotation about a first vertical axis with respect to the central hub, extending upward along the first vertical axis away from the central hub to an upper end and having a central portion between the upper end and a lower end, the casters at a lower end of the leg assembly arranged to support the leg assembly and the central hub above an ambient floor surface;
a seat subassembly including a seat member having an undersurface and a generally upwardly facing seat surface;
a mounting bracket mounted above the upper end of the base tube and secured to the undersurface of the seat member so that the mounting bracket separates the upper end of the base tube from the undersurface of the seat member;
a mounting collar mounted to the base tube adjacent to and below the mounting bracket for rotation about the first vertical axis, the mounting collar substantially laterally enclosing at least a portion of the central portion of base tube and extending substantially to an undersurface of the mounting bracket;
a support arm having first and second ends, the first end connected to the mounting collar for rotation therewith about the first vertical axis, the support arm extending radially outward from the mounting collar along an undersurface of the mounting bracket and upward to the second end; and
a tablet member having a top surface, the tablet member mounted to the second end of the support arm with the top surface substantially horizontal.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the mounting collar has a lower edge and wherein the base tube extends through the mounting collar.

3. The assembly of claim 2 further including at least one bearing positioned at the lower end of the base tube.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the leg assembly includes a plurality of leg members that extend downward from the central hub and wherein a storage space is located between the plurality of leg members.

5. The assembly of claim 4 further including at least one storage pan mounted to at least first and second of the plurality of leg members, an upward facing surface of the storage pan providing a support surface for storing items within the storage space.

6. The assembly of claim 5 wherein the storage pan is further mounted to at least a third of the plurality of leg members in addition to the first and second leg members.

7. The assembly of claim 6 wherein the storage pan forms an upwardly concave top surface between the plurality of leg members.

8. The assembly of claim 4 wherein each of the leg members extends substantially laterally from the central hub along a first leg section and then curves downward from the first leg section at a distal end of the first leg section opposite the central hub, each first leg section having a leg section undersurface, the central hub forming an upwardly facing central opening, the base tube extending downward into the central opening to an elevation below the leg section undersurfaces.

9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein the mounting collar includes an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion extending into the central opening and the upper portion substantially enclosing an upper end of the base tube between the central hub and the mounting bracket.

10. The assembly of claim 9 wherein the lower end of the base tube extends to an elevation below a lower end of the mounting collar.

11. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the mounting collar forms part of a mounting assembly, the mounting assembly forming stop surfaces that restrict rotation of the collar and the support arm with respect to the seat subassembly to within a range between first and second positions, the range including at least 110 degrees of rotation.

12. The assembly of claim 11 wherein the second end of the support arm is to one side of the seat member when the support arm is in the first position and to a different side of the seat member when the support arm is in the second position.

13. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the seat member is rotatable through 360 degrees about the first vertical axis.

14. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the seat subassembly includes at least a first armrest, the tablet member has an undersurface, the undersurface of the tablet member mounted to the second end of the support arm for rotation about a second vertical axis, the tablet positionable in various positions including at least one position where the first armrest resides directly below a portion of the tablet member undersurface.

15. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the seat assembly further includes first and second armrests and a backrest member and wherein the seat member, backrest member and first and second armrests are integrally formed as a single molded plastic chair member.

16. The assembly of claim 15 wherein the leg assembly includes at least three leg members that extend downward from the central hub and wherein the central hub and at least three leg members are formed as a single molded plastic component.

17. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the base tube forms a piston in a gas cylinder, the gas cylinder having upper and lower ends, the leg members extending radially from the lower end of the cylinder and supporting the cylinder in an upright position so that the upper end of the cylinder extends along the first vertical axis, the cylinder controllable to extend the upper end and central portion of the base tube to different heights relative to the lower end of the cylinder.

18. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the upper end of the base tube is secured to the mounting bracket and wherein a lower end of the base tube is attached to the central hub.

19. A seating assembly comprising:
a base subassembly including a central hub and a leg assembly, the leg assembly extending laterally from the central hub;
a seat subassembly including a seat member having an undersurface and a generally upwardly facing seat surface and at least a first armrest;
a mounting bracket supported by the base subassembly and secured to the undersurface of the seat member;
a support arm having first and second ends, the first end supported by the central hub for rotation about a first vertical axis, the support arm extending radially outwardly from the central hub and upward to the second end;
stop surfaces associated with the support arm and the central hub for limiting rotation of the support arm to positions between first and second end positions wherein the second end of the support arm is located on opposite first and second sides of the seat subassembly wherein the first and second end positions, respectively; and

a tablet member having a top surface and an undersurface and an elongated shape, the tablet member mounted to the second end of the support arm for rotation about a second vertical axis, the tablet movable via rotation about the second axis to at least a first position in which at least a portion of the tablet resides directly above at least a portion of the first armrest.

Assignees

• Steelcase Inc

Inventors

• Corcorran Sean M
• Machin Keith Robert
• Holstege Cody Jay
• Carey William
• Cheng Larry
• Oberwelz Elger
• Overthun Thomas
• Scherrer Lukas Martin
• Student Joerg Christoph
• Battey David J
• Deevers Nickolaus William Charles

Classifications

• A47C7/62

  Accessories for chairs · CPC title

• A47C7/004

  for chairs or stools with central column, e.g. office chairs · CPC title

• A47C7/70

  of foldable type · CPC title

• A47B83/02

  Tables combined with seats {(folding or stowable tables with separable parts combined with seats A47B3/063; foldable table and seat units A47B3/14)} · CPC title

• F16M11/22 Primary

  with approximately constant height, e.g. with constant length of column or of legs (F16M11/42 takes precedence) · CPC title