Seat support kit for one chair

Abstract

Seat support kit (1) for a chair, wherein the seat support kit (1) has a seat plate (2), characterized in that the seat support kit (1) has a stiffening body (3) which can be attached to the seat plate (2) to form a structural unit (4), wherein the seat plate (2) and the stiffening body (3) have connecting elements (14, 15) which are complementary to one another and designed to engage with one another, the geometry of which, when they engage with one another, produces a plurality of positive locking connections between the seat plate (2) and the stiffening body (3), in order to produce a displacement-free connection between the stiffening body (3) and the seat plate (2).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a seat support kit for a chair, a seat support and a chair.

[0002] If a component of a chair, such as a backrest support, is to be movable relative to another component of the chair, such as a seat support, as is particularly the case with office chairs, a mechanism is used that forms the seat base of the chair and defines the interaction of the chair components.

[0003] The invention is based on an office chair mechanism comprising a seat support whose seat plate is provided with elongated holes extending in the longitudinal direction of the seat support. These elongated holes serve to flexibly position the seat support relative to the chair mechanism for seat depth adjustment. These elongated holes, arranged in the longitudinal direction of the seat support, weaken the transverse stiffness of the seat plate. While the required longitudinal stiffness of the seat plate can be achieved relatively easily through suitable design measures, for design reasons, no transverse stiffening elements interrupting the elongated holes can be installed in the areas of the elongated holes required for seat depth adjustment.

[0004] However, sufficient transverse rigidity of the seat plate is particularly important if the chair includes armrests whose armrest supports are connected to the seat support of the chair mechanism. Since the armrest supports are typically only screwed to the seat support at specific points, excessive load on the armrests by a chair user can damage the connection between the armrest supports and the seat plate, or even damage the seat plate itself.To date, the seat plate has therefore either been designed as a solid component, which leads to an undesirably high weight, or the seat plate consists of a comparatively thin base body which - away from the longitudinal slots of the seat depth adjustment - is provided with stiffening structures, such as ribs or struts, in order to achieve a minimum degree of transverse stiffness and to be able to absorb the loads introduced into the seat plate via the armrests.

[0005] An office chair mechanism in which the seat support has stiffening structures is described, for example, in US 2012 / 0205952 A1, see there the Fig. 4, Fig. 8, Fig. 15. Solid, transverse connecting struts (41) are provided for further reinforcement.

[0006] In US 2006 / 0055220 A1 an office chair mechanism is described in which support members (32) with direction-dependent stiffnesses for carrying a seat frame (53) are provided on a central carrier (44), see there e.g. Fig. 2. These supporting members are stiff in one direction and elastic in another direction.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a chair with a seat support whose transverse rigidity can be selectively increased in a particularly simple manner.

[0008] This object is achieved by a seat support kit according to claim 1 or a seat support according to claim 9 or a chair according to claim 10. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

[0009] The seat support assembly according to the invention comprises a seat plate and a stiffening body attachable to the seat plate to form a structural unit. The seat plate and the stiffening body have complementary connecting elements designed to engage with one another. The geometry of these connecting elements, when engaged, creates a plurality of positive engagements between the seat plate and the stiffening body for a displacement-free connection of the stiffening body to the seat plate. The seat support assembly according to the invention comprises a structural unit formed with a seat plate and a stiffening body of such a seat support assembly.

[0010] The chair according to the invention comprises such a seat support. This allows the provision of a chair with a seat support whose transverse rigidity can be selectively increased particularly easily.

[0011] The advantages and configurations explained below in connection with the seat support kit also apply mutatis mutandis to the seat support according to the invention or the chair according to the invention and vice versa.

[0012] A core idea of ​​the invention is to use an existing stiffening structure of the seat plate in a seat support and to optionally complete the seat plate with an additional stiffening body to create a novel structural unit which has significantly increased stiffness, particularly transverse stiffness, compared to conventional seat plates. Complementary connecting elements designed to interlock the seat plate and stiffening body create a displacement-free connection between the stiffening body and the seat plate, forming a plurality of positive locking mechanisms that prevent these components from moving relative to one another. Because the stiffening body is designed as a precisely fitting counterpart to the seat plate provided with the existing stiffening structure, the interlocking creates a particularly rigid composite.Additional stiffening elements to be attached to the seat support, such as metal inserts, steel profiles or the like, are not necessary to achieve the desired transverse stiffness of the seat support.

[0013] In contrast to alternative solutions, in which the rigidity of components is increased by simply stacking several elements on top of each other, the non-slip connection of the stiffening body to the seat plate results in a significantly increased rigidity of the structural unit. This non-slip arrangement ensures a defined position of the stiffening body relative to the seat plate and prevents incorrect or inaccurate assembly of the stiffening body to the seat plate during assembly of the structural unit.

[0014] To create a connection between the stiffening body and the seat plate that is non-displaceable in all directions in the seat support plane, the complementary connecting elements are designed so that they can engage with one another. In this way, a precisely fitting or precisely shaped arrangement of the stiffening body on the seat plate is achieved. Accordingly, the connecting elements comprise both engagement elements and receiving elements, which are designed for precise engagement or precise reception. The engagement elements and receiving elements can each be assigned to a component of the assembly, for example, the seat plate or the stiffening body. For example, rib structures or struts serving as engagement elements can be provided exclusively on the seat plate, while receiving structures designed as grooves are provided exclusively on the stiffening body.However, the engagement and receiving elements can also be assigned to the seat plate or to the stiffening body differently. In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, engagement and receiving elements are provided simultaneously on both components.

[0015] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the engagement elements and / or the receiving elements are designed as form-locking members arranged on the seat plate and / or the stiffening body. These form-locking members are preferably integrally connected to the respective base bodies of the seat plate and stiffening body.

[0016] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the stiffening body, preferably like the seat plate, is made of a plastic material, in particular using an injection molding process. This not only keeps manufacturing costs low, but also ensures a very precise fit of the connecting elements particularly easily due to the tight manufacturing tolerances in plastic injection molding.

[0017] If the stiffening body is placed between the armrests according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, or more precisely, if corresponding connection points are provided for the armrest support, seat plate, and stiffening body, each armrest support can be attached to one end of the stiffening body via the seat plate. In this way, the continuous stiffening body, which extends from the right armrest support to the left armrest support and is positively connected to the seat plate, can absorb large loads that are transferred into the seat support via an armrest load, without causing damage to the attachment points or to the seat support itself. Even if the armrest supports are only screwed to the seat support at specific points, the transfer of large loads through the armrests into the seat support is possible without causing damage to the seat plate.

[0018] Another advantage is that the stiffening element can be optionally mounted on the seat plate or omitted. This creates a modular seat support system in which the stiffening element is used only when needed. For chairs without armrests, this allows for material and weight savings, as additional transverse reinforcement of the seat plate is not required.

[0019] An embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 a stiffening body from above, Fig. 2 the stiffening body from the side, Fig. 3 the stiffening body from below, Fig. 4 a plan view of a seat support with stiffening body, Fig. 5 a not yet assembled unit in cross section along the line AA in Fig. 4, Fig. 6 an assembled unit in cross section along the line AA in Fig. 4, Fig. 7 a perspective view of a seat support with armrest supports in an exploded view, Fig. 8 a perspective view of the seat support from Fig. 7 in assembled condition, Fig. 9 the seat support Fig. 9 in vertical section along the central longitudinal axis of the stiffening body.

[0020] All figures depict the invention only schematically and with only its essential components. Like reference numerals correspond to elements with the same or comparable function.

[0021] "Front" or "front" means that a component is arranged at the front in the longitudinal direction 7 of the seat support or refers to a component extending toward the front edge 12 of the seat or pointing in this direction, while "rear" or "rear" means that a component is arranged at the rear in the longitudinal direction 7 of the seat support or refers to a component extending toward the rear edge 13 of the seat or pointing in this direction. The terms "top" and "bottom" refer to the intended use of the seat support 5 or the chair.

[0022] The seat support kit 1 according to the invention comprises a seat plate 2 and a stiffening body 3 that can be attached to the seat plate 2 to form a structural unit 4. The seat plate 2 and stiffening body 3 form a seat support 5 with increased transverse rigidity. The seat support 5 is designed for attaching a seat cushion (not shown). This can be, for example, a padded seat cushion or a mesh cushion.

[0023] In the seat plate 2, elongated holes 8 are provided for seat depth adjustment, extending in the longitudinal direction 7 of the seat support and penetrating the seat plate 2. Further structural elements for implementing the seat depth adjustment are provided above and below the seat plate 2, but are not shown in the figures for reasons of clarity.

[0024] Integrated into the underside 6 of the seat plate 2 are receptacles 9 into which armrests 11 can be attached, with their armrest supports 10 extending horizontally from the foot ends of the armrest columns 41. These receptacles 9 are open downwards and laterally, but otherwise closed. The armrest supports 10 can be inserted or inserted into these receptacles 9 and then screwed to the structural unit 4 or connected in another suitable manner.

[0025] The seat plate 2 and the stiffening body 3 have mutually complementary connecting elements 14, 15 designed for interlocking, the geometry of which, when interlocked, creates a plurality of positive locking connections between the seat plate 2 and the stiffening body 3 for a displacement-free connection of the stiffening body 3 to the seat plate 2. The resulting connection is displacement-free in all directions in the seat plate plane, in particular in the seat support longitudinal direction 7 and in the seat support transverse direction 17.

[0026] The stiffening body 3 essentially has the shape of a flat beam. The upper side 18 of the stiffening body 3 is smooth, while the underside 19 of the stiffening body 3 is provided with connecting elements 15 and is thus structured. Bores 23 for receiving screw bolts 20 are provided in the end regions 16 of the stiffening body 3. Further bores 40 are provided in the central region 22 of the stiffening body 3, which, in conjunction with corresponding bores in the seat plate 2, serve to screw or otherwise connect the stiffening body 3 to the seat plate 2. Both parts of the structural unit 4, i.e., both the stiffening body 3 and the seat plate 2, are manufactured from a plastic material using an injection molding process.

[0027] Both the connecting elements 14 of the seat plate 2 and the connecting elements 15 of the stiffening body 3 each form a surface structure 21 with gaps 24 for positively receiving the respective complementary connecting elements. Thus, when the connecting elements 14, 15 engage during assembly of the stiffening body 3 and the seat plate 2, positive locking occurs between the complementary connecting elements 14, 15. For this purpose, the connecting elements 14, 15 themselves do not necessarily have to run exactly in the longitudinal direction 7 of the seat support or the transverse direction 17 of the seat support, as is the case with most of the connecting elements 14, 15 shown in the figures.Straight connecting elements running obliquely to the longitudinal direction 7 of the seat support or non-straight connecting elements, for example curved ones, can also ensure the desired displacement-free arrangement of the stiffening body 3 on the seat plate 2.

[0028] To create a connection between the stiffening body 3 and the seat plate 2 that is free from displacement in all directions within the seat support plane, the connecting elements 14, 15 are formed, on the one hand, from engagement elements and, on the other hand, from receiving elements. In the illustrated example, engagement elements and receiving elements are provided on both the seat support 5 and the stiffening body 3.

[0029] The connecting elements 14 comprise, among other things, rib-shaped form-locking members 25, which are integrally connected to the seat plate 2 and arranged in the manner of struts, forming a honeycomb-like structure, in an upwardly open receiving space 31 of the trough-shaped seat plate 2. These form-locking members 25, which protrude upward from a base body 26 of the seat plate 2 and are designed as integral parts of the seat plate 2, have spaces 24 between them for the precise reception of connecting elements 15 of the stiffening body. In the figures, only some of these spaces are provided with reference numerals as examples.

[0030] The connecting elements 15 comprise, among other things, form-locking elements 27, which are integrally connected to the stiffening body 3 and designed as integral parts of the stiffening body 3. These form-locking elements engage in receiving grooves 29 on the seat plate 2, or form-locking elements 28, which form receiving grooves 30 between them, open downwards, and protrude downwards from a base body 32 of the stiffening body 3. Depending on the design of the form-locking elements 27, 28, the groove walls can completely or partially fill the spaces between the receiving grooves 30.

[0031] In addition to the previously described form-locking elements, further form-locking elements can be provided which are designed as engagement and / or receiving elements.

[0032] The connecting elements 14, 15 engage by inserting the stiffening body 3 into the receiving space 31 such that the corresponding positive-locking elements engage with each other. The seat plate 2 is designed such that the receiving space 31 has a defined receiving section 34 for the stiffening body 3, so that the stiffening body 3 can be inserted into the receiving space 31 exclusively in this receiving section 34. The receiving section 34 extends in the seat support transverse direction 17 essentially from one seat plate outer edge 35 to the opposite seat plate outer edge 36, so that the stiffening body 3, when attached to the seat plate 2, extends transversely to the seat support longitudinal direction 7 and, in the region of the receiving section 24, essentially completely covers the receiving space 31 between the seat plate outer edges 35, 36 in the seat support longitudinal direction 7.When attached to the seat plate 2, the stiffening body 3 rests with its longitudinal sides 37, which run parallel to one another and extend in the transverse direction 17 of the seat support, on guide walls 38, wherein these guide walls 38 are connecting elements 14, in particular form-locking elements in the form of ribs or struts, which delimit the receiving section 34 in the longitudinal direction 7 of the seat support.

[0033] At the opposite end regions 16 of the stiffening body 3, defined connection points for attaching armrest supports 10 to the structural unit 4 are provided by suitable fastening elements, here the bores 23. If the stiffening body 3 is attached to the seat plate 2 in the receiving section 34, these connection points correspond to armrest support mounting points of the seat plate 2, which are defined by corresponding bores 39 in the seat plate 2. The stiffening body 3 is then arranged between the two armrests 11 such that, due to the corresponding connection points of the armrest support 10, the seat plate 2, and the stiffening body 3, the armrest supports 10 can be attached to both ends 16 of the stiffening body 3 via the seat plate 2.The structural unit 4 then comprises a continuous stiffening body 3 extending from the right armrest support 10 to the left armrest support 10 and positively connected to the seat plate 2. The stiffening body 3 is inserted into the seat plate 2 in such a way that it does not block or interrupt the elongated holes 8 of the seat depth adjustment. With a suitable design of the connecting elements 14, 15 on both components of the structural unit 4, it can also be ensured that sufficient space is available in the receiving space 31 of the seat plate 2 for additional components required for the seat depth adjustment, such as slides or the like that pass through the elongated holes 8.

[0034] All features presented in the description, the following claims and the drawings can be essential to the invention both individually and in any combination with one another.

[0035] These features or combinations of features may each constitute an independent invention, the use of which is expressly reserved.

[0036] When specifying a combination of features defining an invention, individual features from the description of an embodiment need not necessarily be combined with one or more or all other features specified in the description of that embodiment; in this respect, each sub-combination of features of one or more embodiments is expressly disclosed.

[0037] Furthermore, physical features of the device can be reformulated to be used as process features, and process features can be reformulated to be used as physical features of the device. Features reformulated in this way are implicitly disclosed. List of reference symbols 1 seat support kit 2 seat plate 3 stiffening bodies 4 Unit 5 seat supports 6 Seat plate underside 7 Seat support longitudinal direction 8 slotted hole 9 Recording 10 armrest supports 11 Armrest 12 front seat edge 13 rear seat edge 14 Connecting element on the seat plate 15 Connecting element on the stiffening body 16 End area of ​​the stiffening body 17 Seat support longitudinal direction 18 Top of the stiffening body 19 Underside of the stiffening body 20 screw bolts 21 Surface structure 22 middle area of ​​the stiffening body 23 Hole 24 space 25 positive locking element 26 seat plate base body 27 Form-locking element 28 positive locking element 29 Mounting groove on the seat plate 30 Receiving groove on the stiffening body 31 Recording room 32 Base body of the stiffening body 33 (free) 34 Recording section 35 Seat plate outer edge 36 Seat plate outer edge 37 Longitudinal side of the stiffening body 38 Guide wall 39 Hole 40 bore 41 Armrest column

Claims

[1] Seat support kit (1) for a chair, wherein the seat support kit (1) has a seat plate (2), characterized by that the seat support kit (1) has a stiffening body (3) which can be attached to the seat plate (2) to form a structural unit (4), the seat plate (2) and the stiffening body (3) having connecting elements (14, 15) which are complementary to one another and designed to engage with one another, the geometry of which, when they engage with one another, produces a plurality of positive locking connections between the seat plate (2) and the stiffening body (3), in order to produce a displacement-free connection between the stiffening body (3) and the seat plate (2). [2] Seat support kit (1) according to claim 1, wherein the connecting elements (14, 15) each form a surface structure (21) with intermediate spaces (24) for the positive reception of the respective complementary connecting elements (15, 14). [3] Seat support kit (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the connecting elements (14, 15) are designed as form-fitting members (27, 28) arranged on the seat plate (2) and the stiffening body (3). [4] Seat support kit (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the stiffening body (3) consists of a plastic material. [5] Seat support kit (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the stiffening body (3) is beam-shaped. [6] Seat support kit (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the stiffening body (3) extends in the seat support transverse direction (17) when attached to the seat plate (2). [7] Seat support kit (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein connection points defined by suitable fastening elements (23) for fastening armrest supports (10) to the structural unit (4) are provided on opposite regions (16) of the stiffening body (3). [8] Seat support kit (1) according to claim 7, wherein the stiffening body (3) can be attached to the seat plate (2) in such a way that these connection points correspond to armrest support mounting points of the seat plate (2). [9] Seat support (5) with a structural unit (4) formed with a seat plate (2) and a stiffening body (3) of a seat support kit (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8. [10] Chair with a seat support (5) according to claim 9.

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