Chair with lumbar support and conforming back

Inactive Publication Date: 2005-03-10
KIMBALL INTERNATIONAL
View PDF57 Cites 77 Cited by
  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010] The backrest is connected to the seat support structure by a backrest frame, which may include one or more support arms which may be moveably mounted to the seat support structure. The support arms additionally include support portions extending therefrom which are in abutment with the rigid portions of the backrest to define substantially rigid flex points about which the back support surface may flex to conform to the back of a seated user. In addition

Problems solved by technology

Such backrests typically allow only a very limited degree of adjustment, in terms of both the movement of the lumbar support and the reclining of the

Method used

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
View more

Image

Smart Image Click on the blue labels to locate them in the text.
Viewing Examples
Smart Image
  • Chair with lumbar support and conforming back
  • Chair with lumbar support and conforming back
  • Chair with lumbar support and conforming back

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

Example

[0037] Referring to FIG. 4, a first embodiment of backrest 72 is shown. Backrest 72a includes backrest frame 68 having a pair of support arms 82 with first ends 84 moveably connected to upper ends 66 of L-shaped brackets 62. Support arms 82 each include second ends 86 opposite first ends 84 which include support portions 88 projecting upwardly therefrom. Support portions 88 of support arms 82 are attached to rigid portion 80a of backrest 72a in a suitable manner, with rubber bushings 92 therebetween. Support portions 88 of lumbar support arms 82 and rubber bushings 92 provide substantially rigid flex points or flex joints which, in cooperation with the flexible portions of backrest 72, allow backrest 72 to ergonomically conform to a seated user, as described in further detail below.

[0038] Backrest 72a includes back support surface 94a defined by rigid portion 80a and flexible portion 90a. Rigid portion 80a has a generally inverted T-shape, including base section 96a and a single ar...

Example

[0050] A second embodiment of backrest 72, backrest 72b, is shown in FIG. 5, and is somewhat similar to backrest 72a. Backrest 72b includes back support surface 94b defined by rigid portion 80b and flexible portion 90b. Rigid portion 80b is generally U-shaped, including base section 96b and a pair of arm sections 98b projecting upwardly therefrom. Flexible portion 90b is disposed around the periphery of rigid portion 80b and in between rigid portions 90b. Backrest 72b is supported by backrest frame 68 including a single support arm 106, having first ends 108 movably attached to upper ends 66 of L-shaped brackets 62. Joint mechanism 100 operates similar to the joint mechanism 100 described above with respect to backrest 72a. Joint mechanism 100 of backrest 72b may also include tension adjustment lever 102, which is provided for adjusting the pre-tension of the energy source of joint mechanism 100, which supports support arm 106 and backrest 72b and allows movement of same between the...

Example

[0052] A third embodiment of backrest 72 is shown in FIGS. 6A-6D. Backrest 72c includes back support surface 94c defined by a pair of rigid portions 80c which are disposed along respective sides of backrest 72c, and flexible portion 90c which is disposed around the peripheries of rigid portions 80c and which defines the remainder of backrest 72c. As may be seen in FIGS. 6A and 6D, rigid portions 80c and flexible portion 90c have a substantially equal thickness, and together define a substantially thinly-profiled backrest 72c. Backrest 72c is supported by backrest frame 150 having central portion 152 and end portions 154 attached to the upper ends 56 of U-shaped arm support 54. Support arm 156 includes central portion 158 attached to central portion 152 of backrest frame 150, and also includes end portions 160 attached to rigid portions 80c of backrest 72c at flex joints 162, as described below. The attachment of central portion 158 of support arm 156 to central portion 152 of backre...

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to view more

PUM

No PUM Login to view more

Abstract

A task chair including a seat support structure, a backrest frame attached to the seat support structure, and a backrest supported by the backrest frame. The backrest includes a back support surface which may ergonomically conform to a seated user when the user shifts positions while sitting in the chair. The back support surface includes rigid and flexible portions connected to one another, the flexible portions allowing resilient flexing of the back support surface to create conformance zones which dynamically support the back of a seated user in an ergonomic manner.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 315,838, entitled CHAIR WITH LUMBAR SUPPORT AND CONFORMING BACK, filed on Dec. 10, 2002, which claims the benefit under Title 35, U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 340,673, entitled CHAIR WITH LUMBAR SUPPORT AND CONFORMING BACK, filed on Dec. 14, 2001.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to chairs, and in particular, to a task chair for supporting the back of a seated user in an ergonomic manner. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] Task chairs are commonly used by persons while working in a seated position in offices or other occupational environments. Typically, such chairs include a caster wheel assembly supporting the chair for rolling movement over a floor surface, as well as a number of manual adjustment features to allow the user to adjust the sh...

Claims

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to view more

Application Information

Patent Timeline
no application Login to view more
IPC IPC(8): A47C7/14A47C7/44A47C7/46
CPCA47C7/14A47C7/46A47C7/448
Inventor DEIMEN, MICHAEL L.SCHWEIKARTH, DEREKHATCHER, STEPHEN D.HASENOUR, JOSEPH G.
Owner KIMBALL INTERNATIONAL
Who we serve
  • R&D Engineer
  • R&D Manager
  • IP Professional
Why Eureka
  • Industry Leading Data Capabilities
  • Powerful AI technology
  • Patent DNA Extraction
Social media
Try Eureka
PatSnap group products

Browse by: Latest US Patents, China's latest patents, Technical Efficacy Thesaurus, Application Domain, Technology Topic.

© 2024 PatSnap. All rights reserved.Legal|Privacy policy|Modern Slavery Act Transparency Statement|Sitemap