Office chair with weight adjusting mechanism

Abstract

An office chair (1) comprising a seat (2) and a backrest (3), and a weight adjustment mechanism (4) having a spring (5) for adjusting the chair (1) according to a specific user weight, the spring (5) engaging a slider (6) movable along the spring (5) for setting the chair to said weight, the invention relates to a slide (6) drivable by a pinion (8) operated by a cable (7), the pinion (8) forming part of a rack and pinion system, the system further comprising a rack (9) connected to the slide (6) wherein a transition mechanism (10) is provided between the pinion (8) operated by the cable (7) and the cable (7), the transition mechanism is used for converting adjustment of the cable (7) into adjustment of at least one of the transition mechanism (10) and the pinion (8).

Description

[0001] This invention relates to an office chair, which includes a seat and a backrest, as well as a weight adjustment mechanism with springs for adjusting the chair according to the weight of a specific user.

[0002] EP 1 570 767 discloses a chair that includes an adjustment device for individually adjusting the elasticity of the seat and / or backrest according to the user's weight. The weight adjuster includes a primary adjustment device for coarse adjustment and a secondary adjustment device for fine adjustment of the elasticity of the seat or backrest by tilting / moving. The adjustment device operates between a lower support point and a base frame and is not loaded at the time of adjustment.

[0003] US2020 / 0229614 discloses an office chair including a seat and a backrest, and a weight adjustment mechanism with springs for adjusting the chair according to a specific user weight, wherein the chair's springs engage a slider and the slider is movable along the springs to set the chair to the weight, the slider being driven by a cable-operated pinion forming part of a rack and pinion system including a rack connected to the slider, and wherein a transition mechanism is provided between the cable-operated pinion and the cable for converting cable adjustment into adjustment of at least one of the transition mechanism and the pinion.

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to enable input of the set point for the weight adjustment mechanism of a chair, without requiring the chair to always be in a neutral, unloaded position.

[0005] According to the present invention, an office chair is provided having the features of one or more of the appended claims.

[0006] In a first aspect of the invention, the transition mechanism includes a rotatable ring connected to a cable, the rotatable ring being motive-connected to a pinion via at least one spring inserted into the rotatable ring, wherein the spring is connected to the pinion to absorb rotation of the ring relative to the pinion when the chair is loaded, and when the chair is not loaded, the spring causes the pinion to follow the rotation of the ring.

[0007] The office chair of the present invention provides that, when the office chair is loaded with the user's weight, the adjustment of the cable is converted into the adjustment of the transition mechanism, which is intended to later adjust the pinion gear controlling the position of the slider. Therefore, the pinion gear adjustment that cannot be performed due to the user's weight is stored in the temporary adjustment of the transition mechanism. Thus, when the office chair is not loaded, the previous adjustment of the cable stored or stored in the transition mechanism can then be converted into pinion gear adjustment, wherein the corresponding movement of the slider along the spring is used to set the weight of the chair.

[0008] Appropriately, the cable is Bowden cable.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the rack and pinion system includes a pinion and two racks, wherein a spur gear is provided between one of the racks and the pinion to ensure symmetrical operation of the two racks.

[0010] The invention will be further illustrated below with reference to the accompanying drawings of exemplary embodiments thereof, which do not limit the scope of the appended claims.

[0011] In the attached diagram:

[0012] - Figures 1A and 1B show the office chair of the present invention from the front and from the side, respectively;

[0013] - Figure 1C Detail B of Figure 1B is shown;

[0014] - Figure 2 The weight adjustment mechanism of the office chair of the present invention is shown in an exploded view;

[0015] - Figure 3A A top view of the weight adjustment mechanism is provided;

[0016] - Figure 3B Provided along Figure 3A A cross-sectional view of line AA in the diagram;

[0017] - Figure 4A , Figure 4B , Figure 4C and Figure 4D The bottom view and side view of the weight adjustment mechanism are shown respectively, as well as according to Figure 4A A cross-sectional view of line AA in the diagram;

[0018] - Figures 5A to 5F The different input positions of the cable driving the weight adjustment mechanism are shown in different operating stages of the chair.

[0019] Whenever the same reference numerals are used in the accompanying drawings, these reference numerals refer to the same parts.

[0020] Referring to Figures 1A and 1B, an office chair 1 of the present invention is shown. The office chair 1 includes a seat 2 and a backrest 3. The chair 1 also includes a weight adjustment mechanism 4 with springs 5, which is used to adjust the chair according to the weight of a specific user. This can... Figure 1C To see it best, Figure 1C Detail B of Figure 1B is shown. Spring 5 engages slider 6, which is movable along spring 5 to set the weight. Figure 2An exploded view of the weight adjustment mechanism 4 is provided, clearly showing that the slider 6 is driven by a pinion 8 operated by a cable 7. The pinion 8 forms part of a rack and pinion system, the details of which are shown in [the diagram]. Figures 4A to 4D As shown in the image. See also: Figure 3A Cable 7 is preferably Bowden cable.

[0021] Figure 2 , Figure 3A and Figures 4A to 4D The rack and pinion system shown includes a (double) rack 9 connected to a slider 6, and a transition mechanism 10 disposed between a pinion 8 operated by a cable 7 and the cable 7. The transition mechanism 10 is used to convert adjustment of the cable 7 into adjustment of at least one of the transition mechanism 10 and the pinion 8. This arrangement provides that when the office chair 1 is loaded with the user's weight and the pinion 8 is prevented from moving due to frictional contact between the slider 6 and the spring 5, adjustment of the cable 7 is then converted into adjustment of the transition mechanism 10. Similarly, when the office chair 1 is unloaded, and the pinion 8 is able to move again due to the removal of frictional contact between the slider 6 and the spring 5, adjustment of the cable 7 is then converted into adjustment of the pinion 8.

[0022] In the preferred embodiment shown, the transition mechanism 10 includes a rotatable ring 10' connected to the cable 7. This rotatable ring 10' is operatively connected to the pinion 8 via a spring 11 inserted into the rotatable ring 10'. The spring 11 is located at reference numeral 8' (see figure). Figure 4D A spring 11 is connected to a pinion 8 to absorb clockwise rotation of the ring 10' relative to the pinion 8 when the chair 1 is loaded. When the chair 1 is not loaded, the spring 11 causes the pinion 8 to follow the clockwise rotation of the ring 10'. Similarly, the spring 11, connected to the pinion 8 at reference numeral 8', is arranged to absorb counterclockwise rotation of the ring 10' relative to the pinion 8 when the chair 1 is loaded. When the chair 1 is not loaded, the spring 11 will cause the pinion 8 to follow the counterclockwise rotation of the ring 10'. Figure 3B The position of the spring 11 between the rotatable ring 10' and the pinion 8 is shown.

[0023] Figure 2 , Figure 3A and Figures 4A to 4D The rack and pinion system also shows a pinion 8 and two racks 9, wherein a spur gear 13 is provided between one of the racks 9 and the pinion 8 to ensure symmetrical operation of the two racks 9.

[0024] This invention allows the setting knob connected to the Bowden cable 7 to be operated even when the chair 1 of this invention is loaded with the user's weight. In this case, the transition mechanism 10, as used in this invention, absorbs the displacement of the Bowden cable 7, and this displacement is not immediately transmitted to the pinion 8 of the rack 9 driving the rack and pinion system. Therefore, the position of the slider 6 acting on the spring 5 of the chair is not affected at this time. The change in the position of the slider 6 acting on the spring 5 according to the adjustment of the Bowden cable 7 only takes effect after the chair of this invention is released from the user's weight. By comparison Figures 5A to 5F The effects of the invention can be clearly understood from the views shown.

[0025] In a series Figures 5A to 5F In the diagram, the position of Bowden cable 7 is shown as being reflected by the position of the rotatable ring 10' and the corresponding rotation of the spring 11. The position of the rotatable ring 10' and the corresponding rotation of the spring 11 reflect whether the chair is loaded or unloaded by the user's weight. Correspondingly, Figures 5A to 5F The output position of the rack and pinion system, which can be identified by the position of slider 6, is shown.

[0026] For the purpose of comparison, Figure 5A The initial intermediate position of slider 6 is shown, with spring 11 in the neutral position and chair 1 unloaded.

[0027] In the next Figure 5B In the middle, chair 1 is still not loaded, and Bowden cable 7 has been used to rotate the rotatable ring 10' clockwise in order to drive pinion 8 to bring slider 6 to the "light" position.

[0028] exist Figure 5C In the middle, the chair is loaded, and the adjustment of Bowden cable 7 has brought the rotatable ring 10' to a position where spring 11 has absorbed the movement that cannot be transmitted to pinion 8 as long as the chair is loaded. Slider 6 is set to the "light" position.

[0029] In the next Figure 5D In this case, the position of the rotatable ring 10' remains unchanged, however the load has been removed from the chair, and thus the spring 11 has been relaxed to bring the pinion 8 to a position corresponding to the position of the rotatable ring 10', which corresponds to the "weight" setting of the slider 6. Figure 5E The diagram shows further compression of spring 11 when the slider is in the "middle" position and the chair is loaded, which prevents pinion 8 from following the rotation of rotatable ring 10'. Therefore, spring 11 is compressed to absorb the difference in rotation between rotatable ring 10' and pinion 8.

[0030] at last, Figure 5FThe spring 11, which returns to its initial position, is shown again for the “middle” position of block 6.

[0031] Embodiments of the present invention may include each combination of features disclosed herein independently of each other. Although the invention has been discussed for the foregoing with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, the invention is not limited to that particular embodiment, which may be varied in many ways without departing from the invention. Therefore, the exemplary embodiments discussed should not be used to strictly interpret the appended claims therein. Rather, these embodiments are intended only to interpret the wording of the appended claims and not to limit the claims to those exemplary embodiments. Therefore, the scope of protection of the invention should be interpreted only according to the appended claims, wherein any ambiguity in the wording of the claims should be resolved using the exemplary embodiments.

[0032] Variations and modifications of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and it is intended that all such modifications and equivalents be covered in the appended claims. The full disclosure of all foregoing references, applications, patents, and publications is incorporated herein by reference. Unless specifically stated above as "essential," the various components or their interrelationships are not essential for the operation of the invention. Rather, the desired results can be achieved by substituting the various components and / or reconfiguring the relationships between them.

Claims

1. An office chair (1) comprising a seat (2) and a backrest (3), and a weight adjustment mechanism (4) having a spring (5) for adjusting the chair (1) according to the weight of a specific user, wherein, The spring (5) engages the slider (6), and the slider (6) is movable along the spring (5) to set the chair to the weight. The slider (6) is driven by a pinion (8) operated by a cable (7), the pinion (8) forming part of a rack and pinion system including a rack (9) connected to the slider (6). A transition mechanism (10) is provided between the pinion (8) operated by the cable (7) and the cable (7), the transition mechanism (10) for converting the adjustment of the cable (7) into the adjustment of the chair by the transition mechanism (10) and the pinion (8). The adjustment of at least one of them is characterized in that the transition mechanism (10) includes a rotatable ring (10') connected to the cable (7), and the rotatable ring (10') is driven to be connected to the pinion (8) by at least one spring (11) inserted into the rotatable ring (10'), wherein the spring is connected to the pinion (8) to absorb the rotation of the ring (10') relative to the pinion (8) when the chair (1) is loaded, and wherein when the chair (1) is not loaded, the spring (11) causes the pinion (8) to follow the rotation of the ring (10').

2. The office chair according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the office chair (1) is loaded with the user's weight, the adjustment of the cable (7) is converted into the adjustment of the transition mechanism (10).

3. The office chair according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, When the office chair (1) is not loaded, the adjustment of the cable (7) is converted into the adjustment of the pinion (8).

4. The office chair according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The cable (7) is Bowden cable.

5. The office chair according to any one of claims 1 to 4, Its features are, The rack and pinion system includes a pinion (8) and two racks (9), wherein a spur gear (13) is provided between one of the racks (9) and the pinion (8) to ensure symmetrical operation of the two racks (9).

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