Chair or joint system for a chair or seating device
By combining a hollow cylindrical receiving cylinder with a deformable elastic element, the shortcomings of the swing joint in active dynamic chairs in terms of safety, mobility, and cost are solved, enabling safe and diverse seat movements, extending service life, and reducing health risks.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ALLIS CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2021-01-12
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-10
AI Technical Summary
Existing active dynamic chairs with swing joints have shortcomings in terms of safety, mobility, resilience, and production cost, and long-term use can lead to back muscle degeneration and intervertebral disc wear.
The seat employs a combination of a hollow cylindrical receiving cylinder and a deformable elastic element. By changing the size and shape of the bearing clearance, the seat can move safely and in various ways. The deformation of the elastic element can also adjust the deflectability of the seat to accommodate users of different weights.
It provides safe and versatile seat movement within a limited range of motion, reduces production costs, extends service life, and reduces the risk of back muscle degeneration and intervertebral disc wear.
Smart Images
Figure CN115151166B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a chair or a joint system for a chair or seating device. Background Technology
[0002] Various chair and seating systems exist, which can generally be divided into three sections: a base section (base or support) near the floor, a middle section (e.g., multiple legs or chair posts), and an upper seat section (seat or seat portion). Typically, most chairs, stools, or seats have rigid connections between two interfaces for the base, middle section, and seat. Recent developments have provided flexible connections for at least one of these interfaces with associated reset mechanisms.
[0003] The present invention relates to seats also known as active dynamic chairs, particularly pendulum seats or swing chairs designed to have a flexible connection between the base and the middle section (here, the chair post).
[0004] The difference between a movable or active dynamic chair and a static chair is that the user can move their torso and body along with the seat, which is impossible with a static chair. Human physiology prefers dynamic movement, even while sitting, to static rest. A chair that supports the weight of the legs should not only allow dynamic movement but also provide ergonomic support for the user. In most cases, chair furniture is equipped with a well-designed seat surface and backrest in a manner most consistent with human anatomy to support the body, especially the back. This type of chair furniture is generally considered comfortable, but it has significant drawbacks: the body is merely sitting passively, meaning the back muscles experience little pressure while the intervertebral discs bear prolonged stress. Long-term use of these chair devices can lead to back muscle atrophy and intervertebral disc wear. Health damage and pain in the back and hip areas are common consequences of static or passive sitting. For this reason, active dynamic chair devices have been developed to achieve so-called active dynamic sitting, in which the back muscles and intervertebral discs are always in a state of slight movement. In almost all cases, this active dynamic seating posture is achieved by keeping the actual seat of the seating device in an unstable (i.e., movable) position and allowing the seat user to swing back and forth from a stationary position to a laterally skewed position.
[0005] Such an active dynamic swing chair is known, for example, from DE 42 44 657 02. It describes a general seating arrangement comprising a foot, an intermediate member connected to the foot, and a seat portion rigidly connected to the intermediate member, wherein the intermediate member is held in an opening in the foot by an elastically deformable connecting element, allowing it to tilt in any lateral direction and return to its neutral position (rest position) in an unloaded state. U.S. Patent No. 5,921,926 also discloses an active dynamic swing chair, which is also based on the principle of an inverted pendulum. This chair has a defined motion path and structural return mechanism, and also has a safety device to prevent the chair from tipping over. However, when the seat swings backward, the seat tilts from a horizontal position to an inclined position away from the body's center. This swing chair allows the seat to swing back and forth from an initial non-deflection position to various deflection positions, causing the seat surface to tilt from its horizontal position to an oblique inclined position. The tilt angle depends on the direction and degree of deflection.
[0006] EP 0 808 116 B1 describes a self-aligning bearing disposed between the post and the foot. The self-aligning bearing is formed as a metal-clad rubber cushioning support (Schwingmetall), consisting of a generally tubular upper portion for a wedge-shaped connection at the upper end, a lower portion of an arm firmly attached to the foot, and an elastic material disposed between the upper and lower portions. The self-aligning bearing allows the seat portion to swing back and forth.
[0007] However, in principle, the swing joint of such a chair needs to have special performance in terms of safety, mobility, resilience (especially depending on the weight of the chair user), and simple technical manufacturability. Summary of the Invention
[0008] Based on existing technology, the purpose of this invention is to optimize the above aspects and provide an active dynamic chair, in which the user can perform safe and diverse movements of the seat portion within a limited movement space, and in which the swing joint has low production cost and long service life.
[0009] This objective is achieved by combining the features of the following technical solutions.
[0010] According to the connector device of the invention, a hollow cylindrical receiving cylinder extending in the axial direction of a cylinder is included. The receiving cylinder is designed to receive the end of a chairpost of an active dynamic rocking chair. The end is movably mounted in a generally hollow cylindrical outer connector housing composed of two or more connector housing segments. The movable mounting of the receiving cylinder is achieved by a deformable elastic element arranged in a bearing clearance between each outer wall segment of the receiving cylinder and an inner wall segment of the connector housing in a manner that changes shape and position. The receiving cylinder can be actuated by force, thereby changing the shape and / or position of the elastic element. Thus, when the receiving cylinder is actuated in the axial direction of the cylinder, the clearance dimension of the bearing clearance changes, preferably decreases, when viewed in the radial direction.
[0011] Therefore, this concept utilizes, on the one hand, the opposing outer surfaces of the receiving cylinder, which are oriented in the same manner within the inclined plane at the cone angle, and on the other hand, the inner surface of the bearing housing, forming a conventional bearing clearance between the outer and inner surfaces to accommodate the elastic element. Due to the axial translational displacement of the receiving cylinder, the clearance size decreases, and then, because the tapered side surfaces move toward each other, the elastic element located between them elastically deforms and may displace along the side surfaces or move along the surface itself.
[0012] In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the connector device, the movable mounting of the receiving cylinder is achieved by a deformable elastic element arranged in a shape and position variable manner in the bearing clearance between each tapered outer wall segment of the receiving cylinder and the tapered inner wall segment of the connector housing, and the receiving cylinder can be actuated in the axial direction of the cylinder depending on the force, thereby changing the shape and / or position of the elastic element, thereby reducing the clearance size of the bearing clearance when viewed in the radial direction, particularly along the entire circumference.
[0013] Advantageously, the tapered sides extend or are oriented parallel to each other, such that the bearing clearance between the tapered sides changes linearly and proportionally when translated along the axial direction of the receiving cylinder. Alternatively, it can be specified that the angle of the inclined plane, i.e., the tapered side, is slightly different relative to the axial extension direction.
[0014] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the outer wall of the receiving cylinder is provided with at least one first upper wall segment and a second lower wall segment, both tapered and offset in the axial direction of the cylinder, and a radially tapering wall segment with a smaller diameter is provided between the two wall segments, the radially tapering wall segment preferably having a concave shape when viewed in a longitudinal section through the receiving cylinder.
[0015] In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the outer wall of the receiving cylinder is preferably provided with a protrusion extending radially outward along the direction of the bearing clearance at the lower end of the upper concave wall section. The protrusion preferably extends partially or completely circumferentially along the outer wall in the circumferential direction, and the elastic element in the bearing clearance arranged in this region abuts against the protrusion.
[0016] In an equally advantageous embodiment, the outer wall of the receiving cylinder has a protrusion extending radially outward along the direction of the bearing clearance at the lower end of the concave wall portion. The protrusion preferably extends partially or completely circumferentially along the outer wall in the circumferential direction, and an elastic element in the bearing clearance arranged in this region abuts against the protrusion.
[0017] In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the inner wall of the hollow cylindrical outer connector housing has at least one first upper inner wall segment and a second lower inner wall segment, both tapered and offset in the cylindrical axial direction (Z), and a radially inwardly extending protrusion is provided between the two inner wall segments, the protrusion preferably extending partially or completely circumferentially along the inner wall in the circumferential direction. The aforementioned features of the protrusion specifically define end-side restraints to limit the translational displacement of the elastic element and the receiving cylinder. Therefore, these protrusions also represent end-side stops for the bearing.
[0018] Furthermore, the individual conical inner wall sections are positioned relative to the conical outer wall sections when viewed in the radial direction, and particularly offset in the axial direction, in order to define the conventional setting of the receiving cylinder in the hollow-shaped connector housing and the permissible insertion depth.
[0019] Another advantageous embodiment of the invention specifies that, viewed radially, the elastic element introduced into the bearing clearance is annular and arranged completely circumferentially within the bearing clearance. Suitable here is an annular elastic ring having a circular or elliptical cross-section.
[0020] Particularly advantageously, by reducing the gap size through relative displacement of the aforementioned side surfaces, the force required to actuate the receiving cylinder in the axial direction of the cylinder is increased, thereby causing the elastic element to gradually compress and deform with increasing force. This is used to automatically change the deflectability of the seat and chair post in the swing direction of such a chair according to the weight of the seat user, and as the weight of the seat user increases, the receiving cylinder is inserted further downward into the hollow cylindrical joint housing, thus increasing the deformation of the elastic element, but this further restricts the deflectability of the swing chair.
[0021] Another aspect of the invention relates to a seat with a column, the ends of which are fastened to a connector device according to the invention near the floor, particularly inserted into the hollow cylindrical receiving cylinder.
[0022] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a simplified assembly, namely, a method for assembling the components of the connector device, comprising the following steps:
[0023] a. Secure the first elastic annular element to the outer shell of the hollow cylindrical receiving cylinder in the region of the upper conical wall section, and
[0024] b. Secure the second elastic annular element to the outer shell of the hollow cylindrical receiving cylinder in the region of the lower conical wall section, then
[0025] c. Insert the receiving cylinder between the connector housing sections and connect the connector housing sections via a connecting device. Attached Figure Description
[0026] Other advantageous developments of the invention are characterized in the dependent claims or are presented in more detail below together with the description of preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0027] The attached diagram shows:
[0028] Figure 1 A perspective view of the connector device in an unassembled state according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0029] Figure 2 According to Figure 1 A partial cross-sectional perspective view of the joint device in the first non-deflection position;
[0030] Figure 3 According to Figure 1 A partial cross-sectional perspective view of the second position of the connector device, i.e., the vertical load position, in which the force acts on the pendulum column from above;
[0031] Figure 4 To pass through according to Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the view;
[0032] Figure 5 To pass through according to Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the view;
[0033] Figure 6 This is a view used to explain the tapered lateral slope. Detailed Implementation
[0034] The following is for reference. Figures 1 to 6 The invention will be explained in more detail hereof, with the same reference numerals in the figures indicating the same functional and / or structural features.
[0035] exist Figure 1 The diagram shows a perspective view of the connector device 10 in an unassembled state according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in which the various important components can be seen.
[0036] The connector device 10 includes a hollow cylindrical receiving cylinder 20, which is centrally located and extends along the cylinder's axial direction Z. In this drawing, the portion near the ground is at the bottom, while the chairpost 30 of the active dynamic rocking chair extends upwards. Figures 2 to 5 As shown, the chair post 30 is inserted into the cylindrical receiving portion of the receiving cylinder 20.
[0037] Furthermore, two connector housing sections 45 of the hollow cylindrical outer connector housing 40 are shown. The two connector housing sections 45 are interconnected by a connecting device 46, such that the connector housing 40 accommodates the receiving cylinder 20, forming a bearing clearance 60, as shown. Figures 2 to 5 As shown.
[0038] The movable installation of the receiving cylinder 20 within the connector housing 40 is achieved by two deformable elastic ring elements 50. The elastic ring elements are arranged in a variable shape and position within the bearing gaps 60 between the respective outer wall sections 21, 22 of the receiving cylinder 20 and the inner wall sections 41, 42 of the connector housing 40, specifically between the respective tapered outer wall sections 21, 22 of the receiving cylinder 20 and the tapered inner wall sections 41, 42 of the connector housing 40.
[0039] like Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the receiving cylinder 20 can be adjusted according to the force from... Figure 2 and Figure 4 The indicated position is actuated downwards. The shape and position of the elastic element 50 change during this process. Figure 3 and Figure 5 and Figure 2 and Figure 4 This can be clearly seen from the comparison.
[0040] Figure 2 The direction of the circumferential bearing clearance is clearly shown, where the clearance size varies depending on the height observed along the radial direction Rs, but is constant when viewed in the circumferential direction. In other words, when viewed from the cross-sectional direction, the clearance size is constant in the circumferential direction, so the distance between the sides depends on the difference between the outer diameter of the receiving cylinder 20 in this region and the inner diameter of the joint housing 40 in this cross-section.
[0041] When the receiving cylinder 20 is actuated in the axial direction Z of the cylinder, the clearance dimension of the bearing clearance 60 decreases in the tapered side region when viewed in the radial direction (Rs). As a result, the elastic ring element 50 deforms.
[0042] The outer wall of the receiving cylinder 20 has a first wall segment (i.e., the upper wall segment) and a second wall segment (i.e., the lower wall segment) 21 and 22, which are offset in the axial direction Z of the cylinder and are each conical. Figures 1 to 5 As shown, a radially tapering wall section 26 with a smaller diameter is provided between the two wall sections 21 and 22. This wall section 26 has a concave shape. In the direction of this concave shape, a protrusion 43 protrudes from the inner wall surface of the bearing housing 40.
[0043] At the lower end of the upper concave wall section 21, the outer wall of the receiving cylinder 20 has a protrusion 23 that projects radially outward along the direction of the bearing clearance 60. It is configured as an annular ring surrounding the outer wall. An elastic ring element 50 arranged in this region of the bearing clearance 60 abuts against this protrusion 23, for example... Figure 2 and Figure 3 It can be clearly seen in the middle.
[0044] A protrusion 24 is also provided on the outer wall of the receiving cylinder 20 at the lower end of the concave wall section 22. The protrusion 24 extends radially outward into the bearing gap 60. The protrusion also extends circumferentially along the outer wall in the axial direction. The second elastic ring element 50 arranged in this region in the bearing gap 60 abuts against the protrusion. Advantageously, the two concave outer surfaces of the receiving cylinder 20 are configured to be substantially the same in shape.
[0045] As can also be seen from the figure, the inner wall of the hollow cylindrical outer connector housing 40 has a first upper inner wall section 41 and a second lower inner wall section 42, which are deflected in the Z-direction of the cylindrical axis and are both conical. The aforementioned protrusion 43 is provided between the two inner wall sections 41 and 42, and this protrusion also extends completely circumferentially along the inner wall in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, lugs 47 are provided on the connector housing. In this exemplary embodiment, the lugs 47 are arranged completely circumferentially, but they could also be provided as continuous sections. These serve as reverse bearings for the elastic element 50.
[0046] Figure 6 A view illustrating the inclined plane of the conical side is shown. The individual cone angles α relative to the vertical S are quantitatively equal and represent offset angles. The distance between the parallel wall segments corresponds to the diameter D of the elastic annular element 50, which has a circular cross-section.
[0047] The implementation of the present invention is not limited to the preferred exemplary embodiments given above. Rather, even in cases of fundamentally different designs, various variations of the illustrated scheme can be contemplated. For example, the connector housing 40 may have a flange at its lower end for fastening it to a substrate or base plate near the floor.
Claims
1. A connector device (10) comprising a hollow cylindrical receiving cylinder (20) extending in a cylindrical axial direction (Z), the receiving cylinder being designed to receive an end of a chair post (30) of an active dynamic rocking chair, wherein the end is movably mounted in a hollow cylindrical outer connector housing (40) composed of two or more connector housing segments (45), wherein the movable mounting of the receiving cylinder (20) is achieved by a deformable elastic element (50) shaped as... Arranged in a variable manner in the bearing clearance between each outer wall segment (21, 22) of the receiving cylinder (20) and the inner wall segment (41, 42) of the outer connector housing (40), the receiving cylinder (20) can be actuated depending on the force, thereby changing the shape and / or position of the elastic element (50), so that when the receiving cylinder (20) is actuated in the axial direction (Z) of the cylinder, the clearance size of the bearing clearance (60) changes when viewed in the radial direction (Rs).
2. The connector device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the receiving cylinder (20) is actuated in the axial direction (Z) of the cylinder, the clearance size of the bearing clearance (60) decreases when viewed in the radial direction (Rs).
3. The connector device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The movable installation of the receiving cylinder (20) is achieved by a deformable elastic element (50) arranged in a variable shape and position in the bearing gap (60) between each tapered outer wall segment (21, 22) of the receiving cylinder (20) and the tapered inner wall segment (41, 42) of the connector housing (40), and the receiving cylinder (20) can be actuated in the cylindrical axial direction (Z) depending on the force, thereby changing the shape and / or position of the elastic element (50), thereby reducing the gap size of the bearing gap (60) when viewed in the radial direction (Rs).
4. The connector device (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that, When viewed in the radial direction (Rs), the clearance dimension of the bearing clearance (60) decreases along the entire circumference.
5. The connector device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, in, The outer wall of the receiving cylinder (20) has at least one first upper wall segment and a second lower wall segment (21, 22) that are offset upward in the axial direction (Z) of the cylinder and are both conical, and a radially tapered wall segment with a smaller diameter is provided between the two wall segments (21, 22).
6. The connector device (10) according to claim 5, characterized in that, The radially contracted wall section has a concave shape when viewed in a longitudinal section passing through the receiving cylinder (20).
7. The connector device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The outer wall of the receiving cylinder (20) has a protrusion (23) extending radially outward along the direction of the bearing clearance (60) on the lower end of the upper concave wall section (21).
8. The connector device (10) according to claim 7, characterized in that, The protrusion extends partially or completely circumferentially along the outer wall in the circumferential direction, and the elastic element (50) in the bearing gap (60) arranged in the region where the protrusion extends partially or completely circumferentially along the outer wall in the circumferential direction abuts against the protrusion.
9. The connector device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The receiving cylinder (20) has a protrusion (24) extending radially outward along the direction of the bearing clearance (50) on the outer wall of the lower end of the concave wall portion (22).
10. The connector device (10) according to claim 9, characterized in that, The protrusion extends partially or completely circumferentially along the outer wall in the circumferential direction, and the elastic element (50) in the bearing gap (60) arranged in the region where the protrusion extends partially or completely circumferentially along the outer wall in the circumferential direction abuts against the protrusion.
11. The connector device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The hollow cylindrical outer connector housing (40) has at least one first upper inner wall segment and a second lower inner wall segment (41, 42) offset in the cylindrical axial direction (Z) and both tapered, and a radially inwardly extending protrusion (43) is provided between the two inner wall segments (41, 42).
12. The connector device (10) according to claim 11, characterized in that, The protrusion extends partially or completely circumferentially along the inner wall in the circumferential direction.
13. The connector device (10) according to claim 11, characterized in that, When viewed radially, the inner wall segments (41, 42) of each cone are opposite to the outer wall segments (21, 22).
14. The connector device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The elastic element (50) is designed as an annular shape and is arranged circumferentially in the bearing clearance (60).
15. The connector device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, By reducing the gap size, the force required to actuate the receiving cylinder (20) in the axial direction (Z) of the cylinder is increased, so that the elastic element (50) is gradually compressed and deformed as the force increases.
16. A rocking chair comprising a seat with a column, the ends of which are fastened to a joint device (10) near the floor according to any one of the preceding claims.
17. The rocking chair according to claim 16, characterized in that, The end of the chair post is inserted into the hollow cylindrical receiving cylinder (20).
18. A method for assembling components of a connector device (10) according to any one of claims 3 to 15, comprising the following steps: a. Secure the first elastic annular element (50) to the outer shell of the hollow cylindrical receiving cylinder (20) in the region of the upper conical wall section (21), and b. Secure the second elastic annular element (50) to the outer shell of the hollow cylindrical receiving cylinder (20) in the region of the lower conical wall section (22), then c. Insert the receiving cylinder (20) between the connector housing section (45) and connect the connector housing section (45) by means of the connecting device (46).