Inclination Adjusting Device for Chair Seat
An inclination adjusting device includes an upper seat mounted below a chair seat of a chair. A coupling member is mounted to a rear end of the upper seat and includes a plurality of vertically spaced engaging portions. A lower seat is pivotably mounted to and below the upper seat. An inclination adjusting rod is pivotably mounted to a rod mounting board in the lower seat. An actuating board is connected to the inclination adjusting rod and includes at least one engaging protrusion for releasably and selectively engaging with the vertically spaced engaging portions of the coupling member. The inclination adjusting rod is pivotable between a first position in which the at least one engaging protrusion is engaged with one of the engaging portions of the coupling member and a second position in which the at least one engaging protrusion is disengaged from the engaging portions of the coupling member.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inclination adjusting device and, more particularly, to a device for adjusting an inclination angle of a seat of a chair.
2. Description of the Related Art
The resilience of the spring 31′ allows the backrest 8′ and the seat 6′ to simultaneously sway rearward, as shown in
A need exists for a device for adjusting and fixing the inclination angle of the backrest of a chair while providing safety use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAn inclination adjusting device for a chair seat according to the preferred teachings of the present invention includes an upper seat adapted to be mounted below a seat of a chair. A coupling member is mounted to a rear end of the upper seat and includes a plurality of vertically spaced engaging portions. A lower seat is pivotably mounted to and below the upper seat. The lower seat has a bottom adapted to engage with a pneumatic rod for adjusting a height of the lower seat. The lower seat includes a compartment. A rod mounting board is mounted in an intermediate portion of the compartment. A height adjusting rod is pivotably mounted to a side of the rod mounting board. The height adjusting rod is pressable against the pneumatic rod. An inclination adjusting rod is pivotably mounted to another side of the rod mounting board. An actuating board is connected to the inclination adjusting rod and includes at least one engaging protrusion for releasably and selectively engaging with the plurality of vertically spaced engaging portions of the coupling member of the upper seat. A linking member includes a front end pivotably connected to a rear portion of the lower base. The linking member further includes an intermediate portion pivotably connected to the coupling member. The linking member is adapted to engage with a backrest support member.
The inclination adjusting rod is pivotable between a first position in which the at least one engaging protrusion of the actuating board is engaged with one of the plurality of vertically spaced engaging portions of the coupling member of the upper seat and a second position in which said at least one engaging protrusion of the actuating board is disengaged from the plurality of vertically spaced engaging portions of the coupling member of the upper seat.
Other objectives, advantages, and features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
An inclination adjusting device according to the preferred teachings of the present invention is shown in
According to the preferred form shown, the inclination adjusting device includes an upper seat 1 fixed to and below the seat 4 and having a recess 11 in an underside thereof. A substantially U-shaped coupling member 12 is mounted in a rear end of the recess 11 (
A lower seat 2 is pivotably mounted to and below the upper seat 1. A bottom of the lower seat 2 is engaged with a top end of the pneumatic rod 5 (
A support 25 is mounted in a rear portion of the compartment 21 of the lower base 2 and substantially parallel to the bottom of the lower base 2. The support 25 has a notch 251 in an inner end thereof. Two blocks 26 are respectively mounted on two sides of the upper face of the support 25. A cover plate 27 is mounted on top of the blocks 26 and has a notch 271. A space is defined between the cover plate 27, the support 25, and the blocks 26 for slideably receiving a rear section of an actuating board 28 having a thickness slightly smaller than that of the blocks 26. Thus, the actuating board 28 is slideable back and forth between the cover plate 27 and the support 25. The actuating board 28 further includes two engaging protrusions 281 on a rear end thereof for selectively engaging with the engaging portions 121a, 121b, or 121c of the coupling member 12. A compression spring 282 is mounted around a front section of the actuating board 28. Two ends of the compression spring 282 are respectively attached to the actuating board 28 and the inclination adjusting rod 24. A spring hook 283 in the form of a screw is fixed to an intermediate portion of the actuating board 28. An end of a tension spring 29 is attached to the spring hook 283, and the other end of the tension spring 29 is attached to the spring hook 242. A spring mechanism 291 is mounted between the upper seat 1 and the lower seat 2.
A linking member 3 has a front end pivotably connected to a rear portion of the lower base 2. An intermediate portion of the linking member 3 is pivotably connected to the elongated holes 122 of the coupling member 12. Furthermore, the linking member 3 is coupled with a lower end of the support member 61 for the backrest 6.
An inner corner of an intermediate portion of the L-shaped rod mounting board 22 in the compartment 21 is engaged with a portion of an outer periphery of a fixing disc 7 for fixing the pneumatic rod 5. The structural strength of the fixing disc 7 is, thus, enhanced.
When the inclination adjusting rod 24 is in a position shown in
When the inclination adjusting rod 24 is pivoted forward (see
When the engaging protrusions 281 of the actuating board 28 are engaged with the engaging portions 121a (
The two engaging protrusions 282 on two sides of the actuating board 28 engaged with the engaging portions 121a, 121b, or 121c share the shear force acting on the actuating board 28 when the user is lying against the backrest 6. Enhanced support is provided, and breakage of the engaging protrusions 282 is prevented.
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications and variations are still possible without departing from the preferred teachings of the invention. The scope of the invention is limited by the accompanying claims.
Claims
1. An inclination adjusting device for a chair seat comprising:
- an upper seat adapted to be mounted below a seat of a chair, with a coupling member being mounted to a rear end of the upper seat and including a plurality of vertically spaced engaging portions;
- a lower seat pivotably mounted to and below the upper seat, with the lower seat having a bottom adapted to engage with a pneumatic rod for adjusting a height of the lower seat, with the lower seat including a compartment, with a rod mounting board being mounted in an intermediate portion of the compartment, with a height adjusting rod being pivotably mounted to a side of the rod mounting board, with the height adjusting rod being pressable against the pneumatic rod, with an inclination adjusting rod being pivotably mounted to another side of the rod mounting board, with an actuating board being connected to the inclination adjusting rod and including at least one engaging protrusion for releasably and selectively engaging with the plurality of vertically spaced engaging portions of the coupling member of the upper seat; and
- a linking member including a front end pivotably connected to a rear portion of the lower base, with the linking member further including an intermediate portion pivotably connected to the coupling member, with the linking member being adapted to engage with a backrest support member;
- with the inclination adjusting rod being pivotable between a first position in which said at least one engaging protrusion of the actuating board is engaged with one of the plurality of vertically spaced engaging portions of the coupling member of the upper seat and a second position in which said at least one engaging protrusion of the actuating board is disengaged from the plurality of vertically spaced engaging portions of the coupling member of the upper seat.
2. The inclination adjusting device for a chair seat as claimed in claim 1, with the rod mounting board further including a positioning block fixed thereto, with the positioning block being made of a slightly resilient material and including two inclined abutting faces on a bottom side thereof, with the inclined abutting faces meeting at a top, with the inclination adjusting rod bearing against and being retained by one of the inclined abutting faces corresponding to one of the first and second positions.
3. The inclination adjusting device for a chair seat as claimed in claim 1, further including, in combination: a tension spring having two ends respectively attached to the inclination adjusting rod and the actuating board, with the tension spring biasing the inclination adjusting rod toward the first position when the tension spring is in tension.
4. The inclination adjusting device for a chair seat as claimed in claim 1, further including, in combination: a support mounted in a rear portion of the compartment and having an upper face, two blocks mounted on two sides of the upper face of the support, a cover plate mounted on top of the blocks, defining a space between the cover plate and the blocks for slideably receiving a rear section of the actuating board; and a compression spring mounted around a front section of the actuating board, with the compression spring having two ends respectively attached to the actuating board and the inclination adjusting rod, and with the compression spring being compressed when the actuating board is pivoted rearward, thereby biasing said at least one engaging protrusion of the actuating board to engage with one of the plurality of vertically spaced engaging portions of the coupling member of the upper seat.
5. The inclination adjusting device for a chair seat as claimed in claim 1, with said at least one engaging protrusion including two engaging protrusions respectively on two sides of a rear end of the actuating board, with the engaging protrusions being adapted for sharing shear force acting on the actuating board when a user is lying against a backrest of the chair.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 9, 2007
Publication Date: Mar 12, 2009
Inventor: Tung-Hua SU (Tainan Hsien)
Application Number: 11/852,316
International Classification: A47C 1/024 (20060101);