Tilt mechanism for a chair and chair

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9364091-B2
Application number	US-201013818426-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2010
Priority date	Aug 25, 2010
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

A tilt mechanism ( 10 ) for a chair comprises a base ( 11 ), a back bracket ( 12 ) configured to support a chair back ( 4 ) and a coupling arrangement ( 16, 25 ) configured to couple the back bracket ( 12 ) to the base ( 11 ). The coupling arrangement comprises a guide track ( 25 ) and a guide member ( 16 ). One of the guide track ( 25 ) and the guide member ( 16 ) is provided on a portion of the back bracket ( 12 ) extending from a back attaching portion ( 23 ) to a pivot coupling portion ( 24 ) at which the back bracket ( 12 ) may be articulated to a chair seat ( 3 ). The other one of the guide track ( 25 ) and the guide member ( 16 ) is provided on the base ( 11 ). When the coupling arrangement ( 16, 25 ) couples the back bracket ( 12 ) to the base ( 11 ), pivoting the back bracket ( 12 ) about the pivot coupling portion ( 24 ) causes the guide member ( 16 ) and the guide track ( 25 ) to be displaced relative to each other, effecting a displacement of the pivot coupling portion ( 24 ) relative to the base ( 11 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tilt mechanism for a chair, configured to effect a coordinated movement of a chair seat and chair back, said tilt mechanism comprising:
a base configured to be coupled to a chair base assembly,
a back bracket comprising a back attaching portion configured to be attached to said chair back and a pivot coupling portion configured to pivotably couple said back bracket to said chair seat, the pivot coupling portion defining a pivot axis that remains stationary relative to the chair seat during a pivoting movement of the back bracket,
a coupling arrangement configured to couple said back bracket to said base, said coupling arrangement comprising a guide track formed to have at least one channel and at least one guide member configured to be displaceably supported in said at least one channel, said at least one channel being curved,
one of said guide track and said at least one guide member being provided on a portion of said back bracket extending from said back attaching portion to said pivot coupling portion, and the other one of said guide track and said at least one guide member being provided on said base,
said tilt mechanism being configured such that, when said coupling arrangement couples said back bracket to said base, pivoting said back bracket about said pivot coupling portion causes said guide member and said guide track to be displaced relative to each other, effecting a displacement of said pivot coupling portion relative to said base.

2. The tilt mechanism of claim 1 ,
said back attaching portion of said back bracket defining a mounting plane for said chair back, said tilt mechanism being configured such that said base and said guide track are provided on the same side relative to said mounting plane when said coupling arrangement couples said back bracket to said base.

3. The tilt mechanism of claim 1 ,
said at least one channel being radially curved.

4. The tilt mechanism of claim 1 ,
said at least one channel having a centre of curvature which, when said coupling arrangement couples said back bracket to said base, is spaced from said pivot coupling portion.

5. The tilt mechanism of claim 1 ,
said back attaching portion being formed on an end of said back bracket.

6. The tilt mechanism of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second back bracket comprising a second back attaching portion configured to be attached to said chair back and a second pivot coupling portion configured to pivotably couple said second back bracket to said chair seat, and
a second coupling arrangement configured to couple said second back bracket to said base.

7. The tilt mechanism of claim 6 ,
configured such that, when said coupling arrangement couples said back bracket to said base and said second coupling arrangement couples said second back bracket to said base, said back bracket and said second back bracket are spaced from each other so as to allow said chair seat to be positioned therebetween.

8. The tilt mechanism of claim 6 ,
configured to support said chair seat such that, for at least one position of said back bracket relative to said base, a portion of said chair seat is interposed between said coupling arrangement and said second coupling arrangement.

9. A chair, comprising:
a chair base assembly,
a chair seat,
a chair back, and
a tilt mechanism according to claim 1 , said base being coupled to said chair base assembly, said chair seat being displaceably coupled to said base, said back bracket being attached to said chair back at said back attaching portion and being articulated to said chair seat at said pivot coupling portion,
said chair being configured such that pivoting said chair back causes said guide member and said guide track to be displaced relative to each other, effecting a displacement of said pivot coupling portion and said chair seat relative to said chair base assembly.

10. The chair of claim 9 ,
said chair having a forward direction,
said coupling arrangement being arranged in said forward direction relative to said chair back.

11. The chair of claim 10 ,
said pivot coupling portion being arranged in said forward direction relative to said coupling arrangement.

12. The chair of claim 10 ,
said chair back comprising a lumbar support, and said pivot coupling portion being arranged from 150 mm to 250 mm forward from said lumbar support when said chair back is in its foremost position.

13. The chair of claim 9 ,
said at least one channel overlapping with said chair seat, when viewed in a lateral direction of said chair, for at least one position of said chair back relative to said chair base assembly.

14. The chair of claim 13 ,
said at least one channel overlapping with said chair seat, when viewed in said lateral direction of said chair, for all positions of said chair back relative to said chair base assembly.

15. The chair of claim 9 ,
said chair base assembly defining a chair base plane,
at least a portion of said at least one channel being disposed at a height above said chair base plane smaller than a maximum height of a top surface of said chair seat above said chair base plane and greater than a minimum height of a bottom surface of said base above said chair base plane.

16. A tilt mechanism for a chair, configured to effect a coordinated movement of a chair seat and chair back, said tilt mechanism comprising:
a base configured to be coupled to a chair base assembly,
a back bracket comprising a back attaching portion configured to be attached to said chair back and a pivot coupling portion configured to pivotably couple said back bracket to said chair seat, the pivot coupling portion defining a pivot axis that remains stationary relative to the chair seat during a pivoting movement of the back bracket,
a coupling arrangement configured to couple said back bracket to said base, said coupling arrangement comprising a guide track formed to have at least one channel and at least one guide member configured to be displaceably supported in said at least one channel,
one of said guide track and said at least one guide member being provided on said back bracket at an intermediate location between said back attaching portion and said pivot coupling portion, and the other one of said guide track and said at least one guide member being provided on said base,
said tilt mechanism being configured such that, when said coupling arrangement couples said back bracket to said base, pivoting said back bracket about said pivot coupling portion causes said guide member and said guide track to be displaced relative to each other, effecting a displacement of said pivot coupling portion relative to said base.

17. The tilt mechanism of claim 16 ,
said at least one channel being curved.

18. The tilt mechanism of claim 16 ,
said at least one channel being radially curved.

19. A chair, comprising:
a chair base assembly,
a chair seat,
a chair back, and
a tilt mechanism according to claim 16 , said base being coupled to said chair base assembly, said chair seat being displaceably coupled to said base, said back bracket being attached to said chair back at said back attaching portion and being articulated to said chair seat at said pivot coupling portion.

Assignees

• Costaglia Massimo
• L&P Property Man Co

Inventors

• Costaglia Massimo

Classifications

• A47C1/032 Primary

  the parts being movably-coupled seat and back-rest (A47C1/035 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A47C1/03294 Primary

  slidingly movable in the base frame, e.g. by rollers · CPC title

• A47C1/03255

  with a central column, e.g. rocking office chairs · CPC title