Support component for a stool

Abstract

Support component (4) for a stool (1), comprising a base support (5) which can be placed on a foot part (2) and a seat support (7) arranged on the base support (5), wherein the seat support (5) and / or the base support (7) are designed to be substantially rotationally symmetrical, wherein the seat support (7) is formed in one piece with the base support (5), thereby forming a base support-seat support unit (5, 7), wherein the base support-seat support unit (5, 7) is manufactured from a plastic material in a single operation by injection molding and has both regions (5, 7, 22) of greater rigidity and regions (24) of lower rigidity, and wherein the base support (5) is connected to the seat support (7) via a number of connecting elements (21), wherein the number of connecting elements (21) extend radially from the base support (5) to the seat support (7), wherein the number of connecting elements (21) allow an all-round pivoting or wobbling movement of the seat support (7) relative to the base support (5) by deforming when the seat support (7) is loaded, wherein the number of connecting elements (21) are subjected to a restoring moment when the seat support (7) is subjected to such a load.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a support component for a stool.

[0002] For some time now, great emphasis has been placed on dynamic, active sitting, which is beneficial from an ergonomic perspective. This allows the user to adopt different sitting positions through appropriate seating design. The term "active sitting" is used for this, among other things.

[0003] For office chairs, it is common practice to upgrade the existing mechanism in the base of the chair accordingly. Spring elements or elastic components made of rubber are often used for this purpose. In other cases, complex joint arrangements with numerous pivot points are required to achieve the desired result. For example, a piece of seating furniture is known from the prior art, comprising a seat plate, a seat base arranged on the underside of the seat plate, and a tilting device with a tilting seat plate arranged on the seat plate. The tilting device allows the person sitting on the tilting seat plate to tilt around a pivot point located in the central seating area (DE 10 2011 101 388 B3).Also known is a multi-dimensional chair suspension which has at least one elastic element to ensure multi-dimensional mobility, wherein at least one spring element is arranged between a lower plate and an upper plate in such a way that the spring element opposes a first movement component and at least one second movement component with a defined spring force, thereby causing multi-dimensional suspension between the plates (WO2017 / 029409A1).

[0004] One object of the present invention is to provide a stool that is ergonomically advantageous from the perspective of "moving sitting." This object is achieved by a support component according to claim 1 or by a stool according to claim 9. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

[0005] The support component according to the invention comprises a base support that can be placed on a foot part, in particular on a chair column, and a seat support arranged on the base support, wherein the seat support and / or the base support are designed to be substantially rotationally symmetrical, and wherein the seat support is formed in one piece with the base support, thereby forming a base support-seat support unit, wherein the base support-seat support unit is manufactured from a plastic material in a single operation by injection molding and has both regions of greater rigidity and regions of lesser rigidity, and wherein the base support is connected to the seat support via a number of connecting elements, wherein the number of connecting elements extend radially from the base support to the seat support, wherein the number of connecting elements allow an all-round pivoting or wobbling movement of the seat support relative to the base support,by deforming when the seat support is subjected to a load, whereby the number of connecting elements are subjected to a restoring moment when the seat support is subjected to such a load.

[0006] The stool according to the invention has a foot part and a support component according to the invention placed on the foot part, in particular on a chair column.

[0007] A core idea of ​​the invention is that the seat support is connected to the fixed base support of the stool by a suitably designed intermediate structure, in this case the connecting elements, in such a way that the intermediate structure undergoes reversible deformation under the influence of load. This ensures that if the center of gravity of the upper body of a user of the stool shifts, the seat follows this movement of the user without the need for complex construction. The main components of the support component, namely the base support, seat support and intermediate structure, are designed as a single piece, which simplifies both manufacture and assembly. This structurally very simple solution does not require any additional movable and / or interacting mechanical components. The support component fulfills a dual function.It not only serves as the base body and main part of the stool that supports the seat, but also enables the desired mobility of the seat in the sense of "moving sitting", in particular a free pivoting or wobbling movement of the seat support and thus of the seat arranged on the seat support, which can also be implemented as a tilting, rolling or tipping movement. The support component is preferably designed in such a way that the pivoting or wobbling movement of the seat support occurs in all directions. The deformation of the intermediate structure caused by loading of the seat support is reversible. The elasticity of the intermediate structure causes a restoring moment, through which the deformed intermediate structure automatically moves back to its undeformed original shape as soon as the forces or moments acting on it are removed.

[0008] In one embodiment of the invention, the support component is designed such that the connecting elements are subjected to bending and / or torsion when the seat support is loaded, whereby for each individual connecting element there is an automatically adjusting, preferably arbitrarily variable, ratio of the bending components to the torsion components of the movement, which ratio depends on the one hand on the location of the force input into the seat support, which depends on the position of the user, and on the other hand on the number, arrangement and / or design of the connecting elements, in particular on the choice of the locations of the connection of the connecting elements to the base support and the seat support.

[0009] When a force is applied to the seat support by a user, each individual connecting element experiences an element-specific load, resulting in bending of the connecting element (typically along the connecting element) and / or torsion of the connecting element (typically about the connecting element's longitudinal axis). If the user moves on the seat, the force input also changes, particularly the location of the force input into the seat support, and each individual connecting element reacts in such a way that the ratio of the bending components to the torsion components of the movement changes.When the seat support is subjected to the user's weight or when the location of the force input changes due to a user movement, each connecting element can perform a movement with a bending component of between 0% and 100% and a torsional component of between 0% and 100%. For example, one and the same connecting element can perform a movement with a bending component of 70% and a torsional component of 30% during a first loaded state of the seat support or during a first time of a user movement, and a movement with a bending component of 20% and a torsional component of 80% during a subsequent second loaded state of the seat support or during a second time of a user movement.

[0010] A particularly advantageous feature is that, due to the structural design of the support component, a change in the ratio of bending to torsional components of the movement of the connecting elements is not perceived by the user of the stool. The fact that the bending and torsional forces or moments only act proportionally on the individual connecting elements is not felt by the user, nor is the change in their forces or the change in the ratio of the components felt. Instead, the user experiences uninterrupted seat mobility. In particular, the seat mobility perceived by the user is not interrupted by the seat support passing through a "zero position," in which the seat support exhibits no lateral inclination.

[0011] The number and arrangement of the connecting elements, in addition to their specific design, influence the movement behavior of the seat depending on the location of the force application when the seat is loaded by a user. In one embodiment of the invention, the seat support is connected to the base support via a plurality of, preferably at least four, connecting elements. Other preferred values ​​for the number of connecting elements are five or six. The connecting elements are preferably arranged separately, i.e., spaced apart from one another. The connecting elements are preferably arranged symmetrically between the base support and the seat support.

[0012] In one embodiment of the invention, the connecting elements are arranged rotationally symmetrically, in particular with respect to the vertical longitudinal axis of the base support, which in the application of a stool described here typically corresponds to the longitudinal axis of the base of the stool. Particularly when the seat support (and the seat arranged thereon) also exhibit corresponding rotational symmetry, the user feels an equal counterforce at all times during any pivoting or wobbling movement of the seat support. This is advantageous for a comfortable seating experience.

[0013] If the connecting elements are arranged rotationally symmetrically, there is no preferred direction for the swivel or wobble movement of the seat support. This is particularly desirable for stools. On the other hand, a deliberate non-rotationally symmetrical arrangement of the connecting elements can create a desired preferred direction for the swivel or wobble movement of the seat support. This can be particularly desirable for specially shaped seats, such as saddle seats.

[0014] In one embodiment of the invention, the number of connecting elements is minimized. The base support is connected to the seat support via a single connecting element. Depending on the position of the connecting element relative to the point of force application, a preferred direction of movement of the seat support results, corresponding to the magnitude of the resistance to deformation of the connecting elements.

[0015] In one embodiment of the invention, the number of connecting elements is maximized such that the connecting elements are no longer separated from one another, but are connected to one another. This results in a closed, preferably tulip- or trumpet-shaped, flat connecting wall between the base support and the seat support. A change in the center of gravity of the user sitting on the seat then leads to a kind of flexing movement of the connecting wall. Nevertheless, the intended pivoting or wobbling movement of the seat support is also feasible in this case.

[0016] According to the invention, the base support-seat support unit is manufactured from a plastic material in a single operation, particularly by injection molding. During the production of the base support area, a steel sleeve is advantageously overmolded at the same time, which forms the subsequent conical receptacle for accommodating a gas spring of a height-adjustable base. The base support then also includes a gas spring height release, which, however, is designed as a separate component and is not part of the one-piece base support-seat support unit.

[0017] A material suitable for manufacturing the base support-seat support unit must, on the one hand, possess the necessary rigidity to ensure the required stability and strength of the support component. On the other hand, the material must be elastic enough to provide the desired flexibility of the intermediate structure during the pivoting or wobbling movement of the seat support.

[0018] According to the invention, the base support-seat support unit has both (load-bearing) regions of greater rigidity (in particular rigid regions) and (flexible) regions of lower rigidity, i.e. regions with low resistance to elastic deformation due to a bending or torsional moment or, in other words, regions of comparatively strong deformability (bendability, torsionability). The regions of greater rigidity are, in particular, the base support, the seat support and the connection regions of the connecting elements. These regions are preferably rigid or essentially rigid. The regions of lower rigidity are, in particular, the central sections of the connecting elements located between the connection regions, which must be designed to be bendable and torsionable in order to implement the invention.The terms “larger” and “lower” always refer to the stiffness values ​​of the other areas in a comparative manner.

[0019] In one embodiment of the invention, the different deformation properties of these regions are attributable exclusively to the respective part geometry, in particular the cross-sectional shapes and material thicknesses used. When manufacturing the one-piece base support-seat support unit, in particular by plastic injection molding, preferably only a single material is used. The use of multiple materials or changing the material or material composition during injection molding is then unnecessary.

[0020] In one embodiment of the invention, the connecting elements are designed as rod-shaped struts or posts. In one embodiment of the invention, the connecting elements each have a substantially rectilinear central section with lower rigidity and, adjoining both ends of the central section, connecting regions with greater rigidity for connecting the connecting element to the base support and the seat support. Preferably, the connecting elements are substantially fixed in length.

[0021] The use of preferably slender struts as connecting elements to create the flexible intermediate structure results in an open design, particularly when, according to a particularly preferred embodiment, the intermediate structure is the only component between the base support and the seat support, meaning that the struts bridge a gap between the base support and the seat support in which no other component is located. The stool can therefore also be particularly lightweight. The delicate, open structure of the intermediate structure is also visually appealing, particularly when the preferred number of connecting elements is used. Advantageously, the struts, which are openly accessible from the outside, also serve as handles for handling the stool.

[0022] According to the invention, the seat support and / or the base support are substantially rotationally symmetrical, i.e. at least with regard to their basic shape, in particular with regard to their outer shapes or lateral surfaces on which the connecting elements engage with their connection regions. In particular, the seat support is ring-shaped and the base support is cup-shaped. The ring shape of the seat support, which has proven particularly advantageous for a stool, has the necessary rigidity to prevent the seat support from bending or twisting when the user places a load on the seat support. The necessary rigidity of the ring can be achieved by a suitable profile geometry, preferably by a ring cross-section stiffened by means of a stiffening rib. Instead of an annular seat support, a seat support in the shape of a disc can also be used.

[0023] In a rotationally symmetrical design of the base support and seat support, the (preferably four) connecting elements are evenly distributed over the circumference of the base support or seat support.

[0024] According to the invention, the connecting elements extend radially from the base support (and, since the base support pot has a smaller diameter than the seat support ring, obliquely upwards) to the seat support, preferably in such a way that the distance between the connection areas of the connecting elements on the base support is smaller than the distance between the connection areas of the connecting elements on the seat support.

[0025] The invention relates to a stool. While a typical office chair always has a preferred sitting direction due to the presence of a backrest, and the chair's mechanical components are therefore always aligned for movement in this sitting direction, a conventional stool, due to its design, does not have a preferred sitting position. Instead, the user is free to choose their sitting position.

[0026] In one embodiment of the invention, the seat, and thus preferably also the seat support, are designed in such a way that they do not predetermine a preferred seating position (in the sense of a preferred position). In other words, there is no "front" or "back." The user is free to choose how they sit on the seat.

[0027] An embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 a representation of a stool, Fig. 2 a perspective view of the support component, Fig. 3 a first side view of the support component, Fig. 4 the first side view (section) Fig. 5 a second side view of the support component, Fig. 6 the second side view (section).

[0028] All figures depict the invention not to scale, but merely schematically and with only its essential components. Like reference numerals correspond to elements with the same or comparable function.

[0029] The stool according to the invention is in Fig. 1 and comprises a caster-equipped footrest 2 with a chair column 3, which is height-adjustable by means of a gas spring (not shown). A support component 4 according to the invention is placed on the chair column 3. The actual seat 10, which typically provides an upholstered seating surface, is attached to the support component.

[0030] The Fig. The support component 4, shown separately in Figures 2 to 6, comprises a base support 5 with a centrally positioned conical receptacle 6 for the chair column 3, as well as a seat support 7 arranged on the base support 5. The seat support 7 is formed integrally with the base support 5 and forms a base support-seat support unit. The base support-seat support unit is manufactured from a single plastic material by injection molding. The base support 5 includes a gas spring height adjustment mechanism 8 as a separate assembly.

[0031] The base support 5 is essentially rotationally symmetrical and has a cup-shaped, downwardly tapered base body 11, in which the conical receptacle 6 is integrated with an opening 9 pointing downward toward the base part 2. The height release 8 is located above the conical receptacle 6. A handle 12 for actuating the height release 8 protrudes radially from the base body 11. The base body 11 is covered at the top by a cover 13.

[0032] The seat support 7 is essentially rotationally symmetrical and consists essentially of an annular base body 15, which is designed in the manner of a circular ring, on whose upper side 16 a circumferential stiffening rib 17 is attached. Integrated into the stiffening rib 17 are four evenly spaced mounting openings 18 for screwing the seat support 7 to the seat 10.

[0033] The base support 5 is connected to the seat support 7 via four connecting elements 21. These connecting elements 21 thus also belong to the one-piece base support-seat support unit. The connecting elements 21 are designed as rod-shaped, essentially length-fixed struts. The slender struts 21 engage with their connection areas 22 on the underside 23 of the seat support base body 15 on the one hand and on the lateral surface 19 of the base support base body 11 below the cover 13 on the other hand. They extend radially from the base support 5, running diagonally upwards to the seat support 7. The connection areas 22 of the struts 21 are each evenly distributed over the circumference of the base support 5 and the seat support 7, respectively, and are thus evenly spaced from one another.

[0034] Since the base support body 11 has a smaller diameter in the area of ​​the connecting areas 22 of the struts 21 engaging thereon than the seat support body 15 in the area of ​​the connecting areas 22 of the struts 21 engaging thereon, the distance between the connecting areas 22 on the base support 5 is smaller than the distance between the connecting areas 22 on the seat support 7.

[0035] The struts 21 allow a pivoting or wobbling movement of the seat support 7 in all directions (see only as an example the arrows 14 in Fig. 1) relative to the base support 5 by deforming when the seat support 7 is subjected to a load, whereby when the seat support 7 is subjected to such a load they are subjected to a restoring moment which allows them to return to their initial position when the forces or moments acting on them are removed.

[0036] The essentially rectilinear central sections 24 of the struts 21 have a lower rigidity than the connecting regions 22 adjoining both ends of the central section 24 for connecting the struts 21 to the base support 5 and the seat support 7. This lower rigidity of the central sections 24 results in the desired deformability of the struts 21. The connecting regions 22, on the other hand, have a greater rigidity, so that the struts 21 are not deformable there, even when the seat support 7 is loaded. The connection of the struts 21 to the base support 5 and the seat support 7 is implemented as a rigid connection that is resistant to bending and torsion. In other words, the struts 21 are firmly clamped at both ends between the base support 5 and the seat support 7.

[0037] When the seat support 7 is loaded, the struts 21 are subjected to bending and / or torsion stresses, with each strut 21 exhibiting a specific ratio of the bending components to the torsion components, which changes with a change in the load on the seat support 7. Since the four struts 21 are arranged rotationally symmetrically with respect to the vertical longitudinal axis 25 of the base support 5, there is no preferred direction of the pivoting or wobbling movement of the seat support 7.

[0038] For example, if a force symbolized by arrow 26 acts in Fig. 2, from above onto a point 27 on the ring 15 of the seat support 5, which is located directly above a connecting area 22 of a strut 21a, then this strut 21a, as well as the opposite strut 21c, is subjected exclusively to a bending moment, while the two other struts 21b, 21d, arranged between the struts 21a, 21c subjected to bending and perpendicular to them, experience exclusively a torsional moment. If the point of application 27' of the force on the ring 15 is shifted towards one of the neighboring struts 21b, symbolized by arrow 26' in Fig. 2, for example, because the user tilts his upper body and thereby shifts the user's center of gravity, the ratio of the distribution of bending and torsion for all four struts 21 changes. Both bending and torsion moments then act on all struts 21.

[0039] In addition to the swivel or wobble movement of the seat support and the height adjustment of the support component, the support component can also be rotatable on the chair column,

[0040] All features presented in the description, the following claims and the drawings may be essential to the invention both individually and in any combination with one another. List of reference symbols 1 stool 2 footrest 3 chair columns 4 Support component 5 base supports 6 cone holder 7 seat supports 8 Altitude release 9 Opening of the cone holder 10 seats 11 Base support body 12 Handle 13 lids 14 Direction of the swivel or wobble movement (e.g.) 15 seat support base body 16 Ring top 17 Stiffening rib 18 Mounting opening 19 lateral surfaces 20 (free) 21 Connecting element, strut 22 Connection area 23 Ring bottom 24 Middle section 25 Base support longitudinal axis 26 Direction of force 27 Point of attack

Claims

[1] Supporting component (4) for a stool (1), comprising a base support (5) which can be placed on a foot part (2) and a seat support (7) arranged on the base support (5), wherein the seat support (5) and / or the base support (7) are designed to be substantially rotationally symmetrical, wherein the seat support (7) is formed in one piece with the base support (5), thereby forming a base support-seat support unit (5, 7), wherein the base support-seat support unit (5, 7) is manufactured from a plastic material in a single operation by injection molding and has both regions (5, 7, 22) of greater rigidity and regions (24) of lower rigidity, and wherein the base support (5) is connected to the seat support (7) via a number of connecting elements (21), wherein the number of connecting elements (21) extend radially from the base support (5) to the seat support (7), wherein the number of connecting elements (21) allow an all-round pivoting or wobbling movement of the seat support (7) relative to the base support (5) by deforming when the seat support (7) is loaded, wherein the number of connecting elements (21) are subjected to a restoring moment when the seat support (7) is subjected to such a load. [2] Support component (4) according to claim 1, wherein the number of connecting elements (21) are subjected to bending and / or torsion under such a load, wherein for each individual connecting element (21) there is an automatically adjusting ratio of the bending components to the torsion components of the movement, which ratio depends on the location of the force input into the seat support (7). [3] Support component (4) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the base support (5) is connected to the seat support (7) via a plurality, preferably at least four, connecting elements (21). [4] Support component (4) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the different deformation properties of these regions can be traced back exclusively to the respective part geometry. [5] Support component (4) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the number of connecting elements (21) are designed as rod-shaped struts. [6] Support component (4) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the number of connecting elements (21) each have a substantially rectilinear central section (24) with lower rigidity and, adjoining both ends of the central section (24), connecting regions (22) with greater rigidity for connecting the connecting elements (21) to the base support (5) and the seat support (7). [7] Support component (4) according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the seat support (5) and / or the base support (7) are ring-shaped or pot-shaped. [8] Support component (4) according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the distance between the connection areas (22) of the connecting elements (21) on the base support (5) is smaller than the distance between the connection areas (22) of the connecting elements (21) on the seat support (7). [9] Stool (1) comprising a foot part (2) and a support component (4) placed on the foot part (2) according to one of claims 1 to 8. [10] Stool (1) according to claim 9, with a seat (10) mounted on the support member (4), wherein the seat (10) is designed such that it does not predetermine a preferred sitting position.

Images