Seat, in particular an office chair

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9504325-B2
Application number	US-201214123617-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2012
Priority date	Jun 8, 2011
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

The invention relates to a seat ( 1 ), in particular an office chair, comprising a seat support ( 3 ) for a seating surface ( 6 ) and comprising a backrest support ( 4 ) of a backrest ( 5 ), which is held on the seat support ( 3 ) so as to be able to move in a tiltable manner to the side, wherein the backrest support ( 4 ) comprises two support arms ( 4 a, 4 b ) which are configured to be flexible and/or articulated laterally and spaced apart from one another. Preferably, the seating surface ( 6 ) and/or the backrest ( 5 ) comprises a curved seat shell and/or backrest shell ( 6 a, 5 a ) provided with a cover ( 6 b, 5 b ) with a number of flexible curved ribs ( 15, 16 ) on the edge of the shell, wherein the cover is stretched by the seat shell and/or backrest shell ( 6 a, 5 a ) such that when the cover ( 6 b, 5 b ) is loaded, the bending of the curved ribs ( 15, 16 ) is altered.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A seat ( 1 ), in particular an office chair, comprising a seat support ( 3 ) for a seating surface ( 6 ) and comprising a backrest support ( 4 ) of a backrest ( 5 ) which is held on the seat support ( 3 ) so as to be able to move relative to the seat support ( 3 ), the backrest ( 5 ) comprising a curved shell ( 5 a ) having a plurality of flexible curved ribs ( 16 ) on a peripheral side of the curved shell ( 5 a ) formed by a plurality of slots ( 18 ) incorporated on said peripheral side, the flexible curved ribs ( 16 ) extending convexly forward relative to a regular sitting direction, toward the seating surface ( 6 ), and a backrest opening ( 19 ) formed by a central recess in the curved shell ( 5 a ), wherein the backrest support ( 4 ) comprises two support arms ( 4 a , 4 b ) which extend along and adjacent to at least two respective vertical, opposing sides of the backrest opening ( 19 ).

2. The seat ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the support arms ( 4 a , 4 b ) in a vertical direction (z) extend in a V-shape with a spacing (a 1 , a 2 ) increasing toward a connection ( 9 ) thereof to the backrest ( 5 ).

3. The seat ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the support arms ( 4 a , 4 b ) extend in a direction (x) in this case in a V-shape.

4. The seat ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the support arms ( 4 a , 4 b ) extend toward one another relative to a mean perpendicular (S) to a normal (N) of the seating surface ( 6 ) extending between said support arms.

5. The seat ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a support arm depth (d 1 , d 2 ) of the support arms ( 4 a , 4 b ) in a region of a connection ( 9 ) to the backrest ( 5 ) is smaller than in a region of a connection thereof ( 10 ) to the seat support ( 3 ).

6. The seat ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the support arm depth (d 1 , d 2 ) continuously reduces from the seat support ( 3 ) in a vertical direction.

7. The seat ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 5 , wherein a support arm width (b) is greater than the support arm depth (d 1 , d 2 ) of the support arms ( 4 a , 4 b ).

8. The seat ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the seating surface ( 6 ) is configured as a curved support shell ( 6 a ) provided with a cover ( 6 b ) with a number of flexible curved ribs ( 15 ) on an edge of the support shell, wherein the cover ( 6 b ) is stretched by the support shell ( 6 a ) such that when the cover ( 6 b ) is loaded, the bending of the curved ribs ( 15 ) and/or the support shell ( 6 a ) is altered.

9. The seat ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the backrest ( 5 ) is provided with a cover ( 5 b ), wherein the cover is stretched by the curved shell ( 5 a ) such that when the cover ( 5 b ) is loaded, the bending of the curved ribs ( 16 ) and/or the curved shell ( 5 a ) is altered.

10. The seat ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the support shell ( 6 a ) of the seating surface ( 6 ) comprises a central recess which forms a seat opening ( 17 ) on a side of the support shell ( 6 a ) which is covered by means of the cover ( 6 b ).

11. The seat ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the backrest support ( 4 ) further comprises a connecting element ( 9 ) that flanks the backrest opening ( 19 ) at a top thereof substantially horizontally.

12. The seat ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 10 , wherein supporting webs ( 17 a , 17 b ) are connected to the support shell ( 6 a ) along a side of the seat opening ( 17 ).

13. The seat ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the backrest support ( 4 ) is of L-shaped configuration with a substantially vertical L-shaped limb forming the support arms ( 4 a , 4 b ) and with a substantially horizontal L-shaped limb ( 4 c ) which extends below the seating surface ( 6 ).

14. The seat ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the supporting webs ( 17 a , 17 b ) are connected in an articulated manner in the front region of the seat opening ( 17 ) remote from the backrest ( 5 ) to the horizontal L-shaped limb ( 4 c ).

15. The seat ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the curved shell ( 5 a ) is integrally formed with at least a portion of the backrest support ( 4 ).

16. The seat ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the curved ribs ( 16 ) are flexible with respect to the curved shell ( 5 a ).

17. The seat ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 wherein a length of the two support arms ( 4 a , 4 b ) is greater than a spacing between the two support arms.

18. An office chair comprising:
a seat support ( 3 ) for a seating surface ( 6 );
a backrest support ( 4 ) coupled with the seat support ( 3 ) so as to be able to move relative to the seat support ( 3 ), the backrest support ( 4 ) comprising two support arms ( 4 a , 4 b ) defining an opening;
a backrest cover ( 5 b ); and
a plurality of flexible curved ribs ( 16 ) separated by a plurality of slots ( 18 ), the plurality of slots ( 18 ) extending at least partially between each of the two support arms ( 4 a , 4 b ) and the cover ( 5 b ), the flexible curved ribs ( 16 ) extending convexly forward relative to a regular sitting direction, toward the seating surface ( 6 ),
wherein the backrest cover ( 5 b ) is attached to the flexible curved ribs ( 16 ) to support the backrest cover ( 5 b ) relative to the backrest support ( 4 ) and wherein a bending of at least some of the plurality of flexible curved ribs ( 16 ) is altered when the cover ( 5 b ) is loaded.

19. The office chair as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the seating surface ( 6 ) is configured as a curved support shell ( 6 a ) provided with a cover ( 6 b ) with a number of flexible curved ribs ( 15 ) on an edge of the support shell, wherein the cover ( 6 b ) is stretched by the support shell ( 6 a ) such that when the cover ( 6 b ) is loaded, the bending of the curved ribs ( 15 ) and/or the support shell ( 6 a ) is altered.

20. The office chair as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the support shell ( 6 a ) of the seating surface ( 6 ) comprises a central recess which forms a seat opening ( 17 ) on a side of the support shell ( 6 a ) which is covered by means of the cover ( 6 b ).

21. The office chair as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the backrest support ( 4 ) further comprises a connecting element ( 9 ) extending between upper ends of the two support arms ( 4 a , 4 b ) and flanks the opening at a top thereof substantially horizontally.

Assignees

• Sander Armin
• Potrykus Martin
• Haworth Inc

Inventors

• Sander Armin
• Potrykus Martin

Classifications

• A47C7/445

  with bar or leaf springs · CPC title

• A47C7/40

  for the back · CPC title

• A47C1/03255

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

• A47C1/023

  the parts being horizontally-adjustable seats · CPC title

• A47C7/54 Primary

  Supports for the arms · CPC title