Adjustable Patents (Class 297/300.7)
  • Patent number: 8888183
    Abstract: A chair has a supporting frame, a seat portion for supporting an occupant, and a back portion for supporting the back of a seated occupant. The portion is reclinable relative to the supporting frame between a generally upright position and a generally reclined position. A preference control is operatively engaged between the back portion and a chair component, wherein displacement of the back portion toward the generally reclined position causes displacement of the chair component. The preference control is adjustable to vary the amount of displacement of the chair component caused by a given amount of displacement of the back portion toward the generally reclined position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Formway Furniture Limited
    Inventors: Kent Wallace Parker, Paul Michael Wilkinson, Lyall Douglas Stewart, Daryl Owen Neal, Martyn Walter Goodwin Collings, Peter Alan Tierney
  • Patent number: 8272692
    Abstract: A chair that includes a support module, a seat carrier, an initially forwardly declined seat member articulated to the seat carrier such as by being pivotal along a front, and an initially rearwardly angled backrest carrier having a backrest member, the carrier articulated to the seat carrier such as by being pivotal along a lower end. The angular positions of the seat and backrest member are largely controlled via an actuator arm and adjustable spring arrangement, wherein the actuator arm directly links the seat member to the backrest carrier and the spring arrangement returns the backrest carrier and seat member to initial positions when a weighted load is lessened or removed from the rear of the seat member. A pneumatic cylinder to provide resistance to the seat member, a limiter to limit a maximum and minimum angular position of the seat member, adjustable arm rests, and casters may be included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Inventor: Ronald B. Epperson
  • Patent number: 7938487
    Abstract: A tilting fitting device enables a chair seat to be tiltable forwards and backwards against spring force of tilt-resisting springs, the tilting fitting having an upper part that is fastenable to the chair seat and a lower part that is fastenable to a chair base and tiltably connected to the upper part, wherein the tilting resistance is adjustable by adjusting spacing between the tilt-resisting springs and distance of each spring from a respective side of a tilting axis for the upper part. An actuating element is arranged for simultaneous engagement with two support members, an actuating element, along a part of each of its two sides in the element's direction of motion. On movement of the actuating element in the longitudinal direction of the tilting axis, it is adapted to cause rotation of the support members and springs mounted thereon, thereby changing the spacing of the springs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: HAG ASA
    Inventor: Olav H. Fismen
  • Patent number: 7784870
    Abstract: A chair according to embodiments of the present invention includes a base; a first linkage pivotably coupled to the base, a seat pivotably coupled to the first linkage, a second linkage pivotably coupled to the seat and pivotably coupled to the base, a back comprising a substantially upright portion and an attachment portion, the attachment portion pivotably coupled to the base at a first pivot point, and a third linkage pivotably coupled to the back at a second pivot point and pivotably coupled to the second linkage, wherein the second pivot point is on the attachment portion between the first pivot point and the substantially upright portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: HNI Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jay R. Machael, Jesse Hahn, Keith Machin, Richard Neil Roslund, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7568763
    Abstract: A seating unit includes a base with a control housing, a back supported on the base for reclining movement, and a seat supported at least partially by a pivoting link on the base for synchronous movement with the back upon recline of the back. A back stop is operably mounted on a pair of parallel guide rods that extend transversely across the control housing for selective movement to a plurality of different positions where the back stop engages the link to limit movement of the seat and hence limit recline of the back to a plurality of selectable recline positions corresponding to the plurality of different positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Steelcase Inc.
    Inventors: Adam C. Bedford, David A. Bodnar, Gary Lee Karsten, Robert J. Battey, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gordon J. Peterson
  • Patent number: 7566097
    Abstract: A seat, in particular an office chair, has a synchronous mechanism with a weight-adapting mechanism. An automatic adaptation of a spring force acting on the synchronous mechanism depends on the weight momentarily exerted on the seat. Therefore, the spring force is transmitted to the synchronous mechanism via a lever whereof the active arm length of the lever can be modified to adjust the spring force. The weight-adapting mechanism is configured such that the active arm length is automatically adapted to the weight momentarily exerted on the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Inventors: Armin Sander, Christopher Schmidt
  • Patent number: 7494185
    Abstract: An adjustment mechanism for use with a chair. The adjustment mechanism is for use on a chair that has a base assembly with an extending pedestal, a seat, a chassis, and a back. Specifically the adjustment mechanism is for use on a chair that utilizes a J-back bar that couples the chassis to the back. The J-back adjustment mechanism allows the angle of the J-back bar and thus, the back to be changed throughout a range of motion. The J-back adjustment assembly includes a casing and an adjustment portion, wherein rotation of the adjustment portion changes the inclination of the J-back bar and, thus, the back with respect to the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: L & P Property Management Company
    Inventor: Earl Boyer
  • Patent number: 7293832
    Abstract: A chair adjustable device includes a base with which a seat frame and a backrest frame are respectively and pivotably connected. A positioning mechanism is connected to the base and includes an operation handle which is able to shift a transmission frame and a positioning plate is movably connected to the transmission frame and biased by a spring, so that the positioning plate can be movably engaged with one of notches defined in a positioning member on the seat frame. The seat frame and the backrest frame are connected by a connection member so that the chair can be adjusted its tilt angle by operating the operation handle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Inventor: Chien-Kai Huang
  • Patent number: 7249801
    Abstract: Cushioning device to cushion a backrest with respect to the seat of a chair or suchlike. The device comprises a first supporting element connected to the backrest, a second supporting element connected to the seat and pinned to the first supporting element, and a spring connected both to the first supporting element and to the second supporting element, to allow a reciprocal elastic oscillation, of a determined amplitude, between the backrest, which can oscillate, and the seat, which remain still. In a wall of the first supporting element a lodging seat is provided to lodge, at least partially, the spring in such a manner that the longitudinal axis of the spring is substantially aligned with respect to the first supporting element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: Erreti SNC Di Rinaldo Tonin & C.
    Inventor: Luigi Tonin
  • Patent number: 7134722
    Abstract: A simple arrangement of a chair allows transformation of the shape of a backrest. The chair has a transformable backrest and a backrest receiving member that supports a bottom end portion of the backrest in a slidable manner toward a certain direction and an operating lever to select and fix a position at which the backrest is slid and the backrest can be transformed in compliance with the position fixed by the operating lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignees: Kokuyo Co., Ltd., Takano Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Ueda, Yojiro Kinoshita, Toshiyuki Horiki, Toru Aoyagi
  • Patent number: 6935689
    Abstract: The chair comprises an axis X1 that extends right and left and that connects a seat 6 and a supporting body 3 arranged under the seat 6 in a rotatable manner at a front end portion of the seat frame 4, an axis X2 that connects the seat 6 and a backrest 7 in a rotatable manner at a rear side to the axis X1 and an axis X3 that connects the backrest 7 and the supporting body 3 in a rotatable manner, and the seat and the backrest are made to make a rocking movement between an upright posture and a rearward tilted posture with synchronizing the seat and the backrest by adopting an arrangement of a sliding engagement structure to a supporting portion of the axis, and the chair is also provided with a restraining member B1 to restrain a sliding range of the axis X1 variably by directly working the axis X1 to be restrained, an operating member B2 to operate the restraining member B1, a transmitting axis B3 to transmit an operating force of the transmitting member B2 to the restraining member B1 and a click stop mecha
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: Kokuyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Horiki, Nobuyuki Ueda
  • Patent number: 6932430
    Abstract: A seating unit includes a base, a seat, a back, and a control operably supporting the seat and the back on the base for movement between upright and recline positions. The control includes a spring providing a biasing supporting force to the back during recline, and further includes a booster mechanism for increasing the supporting force, and still further includes a stop member and a selector device for activating and deactivating the booster mechanism. The selector device is easily movable with a low effort that is independent from friction generated by internal components of the booster mechanism. The stop member is linearly slidably mounted atop a control housing for selectively engaging the booster mechanism and the link for movement between a disengaged position, a booster-engaged position, a partial-recline position, and a recline-prevented position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation
    Inventors: Adam C. Bedford, Robert J. Battey, David A. Bodnar, Jonathan B. Hadley, Jeffrey A. Hall, Kurt R. Heidmann, Eric Johnson, Gary Lee Karsten, Gordon J. Peterson
  • Patent number: 6880886
    Abstract: A seating unit includes a base, a seat, a back, and a control operably supporting the seat and the back on the base for movement between upright and recline positions. The control includes a spring providing a biasing supporting force to the back during recline, and further includes a booster mechanism capable of increasing the supporting force, and still further includes a selector device for activating and deactivating the booster mechanism. The selector device is easily moveable with a low effort that is separated from and independent from any friction generated by internal components of the booster mechanism. In a narrower aspect, the control is powered, such as by an electrical or electromechanical device from a remote location. A back stop is attached to the selector device, for movement between a disengaged position, a partial-recline position, and a recline-prevented position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation
    Inventors: David A. Bodnar, Adam C. Bedford, Kurt R. Heidmann, Gary L. Karsten
  • Patent number: 6616231
    Abstract: A chair back upright tilts about a pivot axis with respect to a chair seat plate and has a protrusion on the bottom portion thereof. When the occupant of a chair reclines, the protrusion on the back upright and a stop plate make contact with each other. The contact stops the tilting of the back upright. A lever handle, fixedly attached to the stop plate, can be rotated thereby providing more or less tilting of the back upright before contact between the protrusion and the stop plate occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2003
    Assignee: Hon Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Marcus C. Koepke, Jay R. Machael, Brian R. Trego
  • Patent number: 6467844
    Abstract: Clamping arrangement for seat carriers of chairs, in particular office swivel chairs, whereby the seat carrier is provided with at least two parts which can be pivoted in relation to each other about a common axis and to each of which a lamellar stack is hinged, whereby the lamellar stacks intermesh with each other, whereby both lamellar stacks are provided with recesses through which they are hinged to a common transverse pin, and the recesses of at least one of the lamellar stacks allow the lamellar stack to move across the axis of the common pin, and whereby means are provided which can be moved into and out of a clamped position with the lamellar blades of both stacks, whereby the clamping means are supported on one of the two parts or another additional part of the seat carrier, and a stop for the lamellar blades is provided in the seat carrier opposite to the clamping direction, whereby clamping means (9) are pivotably arranged in part (1), and its pivoting axis extends across the axis of the common pin
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Sifa Sitzfabrik GmbH
    Inventor: Reinhard Gebhard
  • Patent number: 6419320
    Abstract: A base manipulation device for an office chair includes a bottom plate having locking slots and pivoted with a chair base which has a rotation plate provided with a pivot plate and a drive plate. An operation bar is pivoted on the pivot plate and has a distal end pressed on the pneumatic bar. A positioning plate is secured on a rod which is moved with the drive plate. When the operation bar is driven to pivot vertically, the pneumatic bar is driven to adjust a height of a seat. When the operation bar is driven to move horizontally, the rotation plate is rotated to move the drive plate which moves the rod which moves the positioning plate to insert into or detach from one locking slot of the bottom plate, thereby achieving a purpose of adjusting an angle of inclination of the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Tung Yu Oa Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Bing-Nan Wang
  • Patent number: 6283548
    Abstract: An office chair is provided. The office chair includes a seat back that can follow the motions of the upper body of a person seated in the seat. The seat back of the office chair includes a restoring spring in the form of a mechanical screw pressure spring. A piston is coaxially disposed in the screw pressure spring. The piston inserts in a piston sleeve, whereby the piston has locking pieces that can be extended radially to the outside, which are placed on the peripheral edge of the piston sleeve in the hooked-out state and in a largely extended position of the piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: Drabert GmbH
    Inventor: Dirk Husemann
  • Patent number: 6276755
    Abstract: A swivel arrangement is provided for a chair having a backrest, a chair seat, a chassis, and a base. The chassis includes a swivel seat mounted to an underside of the chair seat, a first connecting seat, a second connecting seat, a spring seat, a control device, and an adjusting rod. The swivel seat includes a hole and a stop adjacent to the hole. The control device includes a pressing plate engaged with an inner end of the adjusting rod and an operative block with a pressing portion. The first connecting seat, the swivel seat, and the second connecting seat are connected by axle rods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Inventor: Tung-Hua Su
  • Patent number: 6234573
    Abstract: A chair is provided in which the position and movement of the backrest, which is pivotally carried on a backrest carrier, is effected by movement of the seat top, which, in turn, is subjected to the weight of the seat user. The amount of the user's weight differently affects the position of the backrest through the use of pivoting linkages and a tension spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Inventors: Peter Röder, Johannes Uhlenbrock
  • Patent number: 6213552
    Abstract: A seat adjustment mechanism for a chair includes a first handle which controls the height of the seat above a surface supporting the chair. A second handle allows the user to selectively lock the seat at a user selected angle relative to the supporting surface. As the seat is tilted into a desired position, the seat adjustment mechanism provides limited horizontal and vertical movement of the seat to maintain the chair in an ergonomically correct position. The mechanism includes a housing or enclosure adapted for connection to a pedestal, and a seat bracket for mounting to the underside of the seat. An intermediate bracket is pivotably mounted to the lower enclosure. One end of the seat mounting bracket is pivotably connected to an end of the intermediate bracket, and the other end of the seat bracket is interconnected with the lower enclosure via a link arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Assignee: Miotto International Company
    Inventor: Beniamino Miotto