Armrest assembly and chair including the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to an armrest assembly and a chair including the same, the armrest assembly including an arm frame body having an internal space with an open upper end and mediating connection to the seat part, an inner body inserted and disposed in the internal space of the arm frame body and arranged to be movable up and down by a user's operation, an arm support pad connected to an upper part of the inner body and supported by a user's arm, the arm support pad having a front end capable of rotating horizontally left and right by an external force provided by the user, and a friction ring providing friction between the inner body and the arm support pad.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an armrest assembly and a chair including the same, and more particularly, to an armrest assembly configured such that an arm support pad rotates relative to an inner body, improves convenience by allowing adjustment of rotational force (frictional force) for each user, and prevents arbitrary loosening of a hinge screw serving as a rotation center, and a chair including the same. Background Art

[0002] Recently released household and office chairs, in order to improve user convenience, are not only configured such that the height of the seat portion on which a user sits can be adjusted, but also the seat portion can slide in the front-rear direction, enabling adjustment of the seating position to fit the user's body shape. The backrest portion that supports the user's back is also configured such that the upper end portion can tilt at a predetermined angle in the front-rear direction with the lower end portion as a reference, allowing a more comfortable seating experience for the user.

[0003] In addition, the armrest assemblies provided at both ends of the seat portion for resting the user's arms are not only capable of adjusting their own height, but are also configured such that a part thereof slides in the front-rear direction, or the front end portion or the rear end portion rotates in the left-right direction around an arbitrary hinge axis, thereby maximizing user convenience.

[0004] In order to configure a conventional armrest assembly to be rotatable in the left-right direction, generally, the relatively upper component is rotated with reference to the relatively lower component of the armrest assembly, the two are rotatably assembled using a hinge screw, and an additional structure is included to provide an operating feeling (operating force or rotational force) to the user during relative rotation between the two.

[0005] However, conventional armrest assemblies only provide users with a predetermined level of tactile feedback, and are not configured to allow users to customize the level of that feedback (operating force). Therefore, in order to provide a user-customized tactile feedback, the only option is to replace the entire tactile feedback unit, which is inconvenient.

[0006] Furthermore, it has been pointed out that the conventional armrest assembly's tactile feedback mechanism has the problem of generating a loud noise when the tactile feedback is formed due to predetermined interference on the rotational path between the rotating and fixed components.

[0007] Furthermore, in conventional armrest assemblies, when the hinge screws that connect the components to allow for relative rotation are fastened with full assembly force, the hinge screws may be arbitrarily released by repeated rotational operations by the user, resulting in a fluidity problem for the elements configured to rotate. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] The present invention was devised to solve the aforementioned technical problems, and aims to provide an armrest assembly and a chair including the same, in which the arm support pad is configured to rotate relative to the inner body, the rotational force (frictional force) can be adjusted for each user to improve convenience, and the hinge screw that acts as the center of rotation cannot be arbitrarily released.

[0009] The problems addressed by the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and any other problems not mentioned should be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] An armrest assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an arm frame body having an internal space formed with an open upper end and mediating connection to a seat portion on which a user sits; an inner body inserted and positioned in the internal space of the arm frame body and positioned to be movable in the vertical direction by user operation; an arm support pad connected to the upper part of the inner body, on which the user's arm is resting and supported, and whose front end is provided to be rotatable horizontally to the left and right by external force provided by the user; and a friction ring positioned between the inner body and the arm support pad and providing a frictional force between the inner body and the arm support pad when the arm support pad is rotated relative to the inner body, wherein the frictional force provided by the friction ring is determined by the assembly force of the hinge screw connecting the inner body and the arm support pad.

[0011] Here, the inner body includes a height adjustment case inserted into the internal space of the arm frame body for adjusting the height, and a connecting portion provided at the upper end of the height adjustment case for mediating the relative rotational connection of the arm support pads, and the friction ring may be placed on a circular mounting groove formed on the upper surface of the connecting portion.

[0012] Furthermore, the friction force of the friction ring may be determined while its upper end is pressed against the lower end of a ring-shaped crimping boss whose upper end protrudes from the lower part of the arm support pad.

[0013] Furthermore, the friction ring may have a number of locking protrusions that protrude downward from its lower surface, and these numerous locking protrusions may be inserted and fixed into a number of locking grooves formed in the circular mounting groove.

[0014] Furthermore, the friction ring may be an elastic body made of rubber.

[0015] Furthermore, the inner body may be provided with a screw fastening boss having a screw fastening hole formed therein, and the arm support pad may be provided with a screw through-boss having a screw through-hole formed at a position corresponding to the screw fastening hole, and the friction ring may be pressed against the arm support pad while a ring-shaped crimping boss protruding from the lower part of the arm support pad moves downward due to the assembly force of a hinge screw that passes through the screw through-hole of the screw through-boss and is fastened to the screw fastening hole of the screw fastening boss.

[0016] Furthermore, a flat washer may be interposed between the hinge screw and the ring-shaped crimping boss to mediate the transmission of the assembly force transmitted by the user.

[0017] Furthermore, the outer circumferential surface of the ring-shaped crimping boss may have a number of grooves repeatedly formed in the circumferential direction, and the upper surface of the connecting portion of the inner body may be further provided with an operating sensation-providing portion that is elastically supported toward the number of grooves and provides an operating sensation when the arm support pad rotates.

[0018] Furthermore, the actuation-providing part may include a member case having a mounting space opening toward the numerous grooves on the upper surface of the connecting portion of the inner body, an elastic rubber provided inside the mounting space within the member case, and an action pin whose inner end is supported by the elastic rubber and whose outer surface is supported such that a part of it fits into the numerous grooves.

[0019] A chair according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a seat portion provided for a user to sit on, and armrest assemblies provided at both left and right ends of the seat portion for the user to rest their arms on, wherein the armrest assemblies include an arm frame body having an internal space formed with an open upper end and mediating the connection to the seat portion, an inner body inserted into the internal space of the arm frame body and arranged to be movable vertically by user operation, an arm support pad connected to the upper part of the inner body and provided to support the user's arms, with its front end rotatable horizontally to the left and right by external force provided by the user, and a friction ring positioned between the inner body and the arm support pad and providing a frictional force between the inner body and the arm support pad when the arm support pad is rotated relative to the inner body, wherein the frictional force provided by the friction ring is determined by the assembly force of a hinge screw connecting the inner body and the arm support pad. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to an armrest assembly and chair including the same in one embodiment of the present invention, the rotational force (operating force) of the arm support pad can be customized for each user by adjusting the fastening force of the hinge screw, and the hinge screw can be prevented from being released unintentionally by the frictional force equalization design using a friction ring, thus having the advantage of greatly improving user convenience. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0021] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an armrest assembly and a chair including the same according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an armrest assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the various rotation patterns of the armrest pad in the configuration shown in Figure 2. [Figure 4a] Fig. 4a is a bottom-up and top-down exploded perspective view of Fig. 2. [Figure 4b] Fig. 4b is a bottom-up and top-down exploded perspective view of Fig. 2. [Figure 5] Fig. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of a part of an armrest assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention and a partially enlarged view thereof. [Figure 6] Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing another embodiment of a friction ring in the configuration of an armrest assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7a] Fig. 7a is a cutaway perspective view of a part of an armrest assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention and a partially enlarged view thereof. [Figure 7b] Fig. 7b is a cutaway perspective view of a part of an armrest assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention and a partially enlarged view thereof. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0022] Hereinafter, an armrest assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention and a chair including the same will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0023] It should be noted that, in assigning reference numerals to components in each drawing, the same reference numerals are used as much as possible for the same component even if they are shown in other drawings. In addition, when describing embodiments of the present invention, if a detailed description of related known configurations or functions is determined to hinder the understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0024] In describing the components of embodiments of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc., may be used. Such terms are used solely to distinguish a component from other components, and do not limit the nature, order, or procedure of that component. Furthermore, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as those generally understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. Terms as defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having the meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art, and not in an ideal or overly formal sense unless expressly defined in this application.

[0025] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an armrest assembly and a chair including the same according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Referring to Figure 1, a chair 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figure 1, includes a seat portion 110 positioned horizontally at a predetermined height from the ground on which the user sits; a backrest portion 120 positioned approximately vertically to the rear end of the seat portion 110, with its upper end tiltable in the front-rear direction relative to an arbitrary tilting point at its lower end, and supporting the user's back; a head support portion 130 positioned in the center of the upper end of the backrest portion 120, supporting the user's occipital region; and a foot portion 140 that supports the seat portion 110 at a predetermined height from the ground.

[0027] Furthermore, the chair 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include an operating unit 150 positioned on the lower surface of the seat portion 110 and provided to work in conjunction with the connecting portions of the seat portion 110 and the backrest portion 120, and which is used to operate the seat portion 110 to slide in the front-rear direction and the backrest portion 120 to tilt in the front-rear direction.

[0028] Furthermore, the chair 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include armrest assemblies 200 at both the left and right ends of the seat portion 110 to support the arms of the user seated on the seat portion 110. A specific description of the armrest assemblies 200 will be given later.

[0029] The seat portion 110 may be provided so as to be slidable in the front-to-back direction relative to a seat frame (not shown) so as to allow the user to adjust their seating position.

[0030] More specifically, the seat portion 110 may extend forward and backward. The seat portion 110 may be the part where the user sits. The seat portion 110 can support the user's buttocks and the thighs of both of the user's legs.

[0031] Of the upper surface of the seat portion 110, the rear portion which supports the user's buttocks may be formed to be slightly recessed downwards, and the front portion which supports the user's thighs may be formed to be inclined so that it becomes closer to the downwards as it approaches the front.

[0032] The backrest portion 120 extends vertically and may extend at a predetermined angle such that its lower end is positioned forward of its upper end. The lower end of the backrest portion 120 can be hinged to a seat frame (not shown). Therefore, the backrest portion 120 can be adjusted so that its upper end can tilt in the front-rear direction around the hinge portion of its lower end.

[0033] The head support portion 130 may extend vertically, or it may be connected to the center of the upper end of the backrest portion 120. Such a head support portion 130 may be formed integrally with the backrest portion 120, and its lower end may be connected so as to a horizontal axis formed horizontally and elongated from left to right across the entire upper end of the backrest portion 120, with the upper end being connected so as to be tiltable in the front-rear direction.

[0034] On the other hand, the foot portion 140 may be positioned below the seat portion 110 and provided to support the operating portion 150. Such a foot portion 140 may include a plurality of radially arranged branch frames 141 and a movable wheel 143 rotatably coupled to the lower end of each end of the branch frame 141.

[0035] The branching frame 141 may be formed with five branches that branch out from the center at the same angle, but it is sufficient to have three or more branches to support the user's seating. Here, although not shown, the center of the branching frame 141 is equipped with a cylinder device that is recessed and attached to the lower part of the seat portion 110, and the user can adjust the height of the seat portion 110 by operating the operating unit 150.

[0036] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an armrest assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is a perspective view showing various rotation modes of the armrest pad among the components of Figure 2; Figures 4a and 4b are downward and upward exploded perspective views of Figure 2; Figure 5 is a side cross-sectional view of a part of the armrest assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention and a partially enlarged view thereof; Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view showing another embodiment of the friction ring among the components of the armrest assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention; and Figures 7a and 7b are a cut-out perspective view and a partially enlarged view of a part of the armrest assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the armrest assembly 200 includes an arm frame body 210 that is connected to one and the other side of the lower left and right ends of the seat portion 110 and extends upward to a predetermined height, an inner body 220 that is inserted and positioned inside the arm frame body 210 and is movable in the vertical direction by user operation, and an arm support pad 230 that is connected to the upper part of the inner body 220 and on which the user's arm is resting and supported.

[0038] The armrest assembly 200, having this configuration, has an insertion end 213 formed at the lower end of the arm frame body 210, which is provided approximately parallel to the lower surface of the seat portion 110. After being inserted into the connecting ends (not shown) at the lower left and right ends of the seat portion 110, it can be firmly connected by assembly screws (not shown) that are assembled through through holes 215 of fastening members formed to penetrate vertically through the insertion end 213.

[0039] The portion of the arm frame body 210 that extends upward, excluding the portion parallel to the lower surface of the seat portion 110, may have an internal space formed therein that allows for the internal mounting of the aforementioned inner body 220.

[0040] The upper end of the inner body 220, which is inserted and installed into the internal space of the arm frame body 210, is equipped with a height adjustment button 250 that is exposed to the outside. Inside the inner body 220, there is a rotating locking mechanism (not shown) that is linked to the height adjustment button 250, allowing the user to adjust the arm support pad 230 to their desired height.

[0041] More specifically, the inner body 220 may include a height adjustment case 221 inserted into the internal space of the arm frame body 210 to adjust the height, and a connecting portion 222 provided at the upper end of the height adjustment case 221 to mediate the relative rotational connection of the arm support pad 230.

[0042] In other words, the arm support pad 230 may be provided so as to be rotatable in the left-right direction, with its height fixed around the vertical rotation axis of the connecting portion 222 provided at the upper end of the inner body 220.

[0043] On the other hand, the arm support pad 230 may include, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, a connecting pad 231 that is rotatably mounted relative to the connecting portion 222 of the inner body 220 and extends inclined upward toward the front, and a support pad 232 that is integrally connected to the upper side of the front end of the connecting pad 231 and is formed to extend horizontally toward the rear or inclined upward at a predetermined angle, substantially supporting the user's arm.

[0044] Here, a safety space S may be formed between the rear ends of the connecting pad 231 and the support pad 232 to prevent the user's arm from getting caught and injured when the backrest 120 is tilted forward or backward.

[0045] In the configuration of the armrest assembly 200 according to one embodiment of the present invention configured as described above, the arm support pad 230 may be provided so as to be rotatable in the left-right direction around a hinge screw (refer to the drawing reference numeral "240" in Figures 4a and 4b) that mediates the connection of the inner body 220 to the connecting portion 222.

[0046] In other words, as shown in Figure 3(a), the user can rest their arm on the arm support pad 230 while it is fixed in the middle relative to the hinge screw 240, according to the user's preference. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 3(b) or (c), the user can also rest their arm on the arm support pad 230 with its tip rotated to the left or right by a predetermined angle relative to the hinge screw 240, according to the user's preference.

[0047] On the other hand, as shown in Figures 4a and 4b, the arm support pad 230 may be rotatably connected to the upper surface of the connecting portion 222 of the inner body 220.

[0048] For this purpose, the safety space S of the arm support pad 230 may further include screw mounting holes 235 provided in the area where the connecting pad 231 is formed, for mounting the hinge screw 240, which will be described later.

[0049] The screw mounting hole 235 may be shielded by the hole cover 237 after the hinge screw 240, which will be described later, is installed. The outer surface of the hole cover 237 may be formed in a shape that matches the outer surface that forms the safety space S side of the connecting pad 231.

[0050] Here, the arm support pad 230 may be rotatably connected to the upper surface of the connecting portion 222 of the inner body 220 via the hinge screw 240.

[0051] For this purpose, the upper surface 223 of the connecting portion 222 of the inner body 220 is provided with a screw fastening boss (not indicated by a drawing reference numeral) having a screw fastening hole 223h formed therein, and the lower surface of the connecting pad 231 of the arm support pad 230 may be provided with a screw through boss 234 having a screw through hole 233h formed at a position corresponding to the screw fastening hole 223h.

[0052] The arm support pad 230 may be rotatably connected to the connecting portion 222 of the inner body 220 by the operation of fastening a hinge screw 240 through a screw mounting hole 235 on the safety space S side with the hole cover 237 removed, through a screw through hole 233h, and then into a screw fastening hole 223h.

[0053] Here, a flat washer 241 may be interposed between the hinge screw 240 and the hinge screw 240, as shown in Figure 5. The flat washer 241 is supported by the head portion of the hinge screw 240 that passes through it, and its frame end is positioned to support the area around the screw through-hole 233h on the bottom surface of the screw mounting hole 235. In this way, it can transmit the user's assembly force transmitted to the hinge screw 240 to the arm support pad 230 and support the arm support pad 230 when it rotates.

[0054] Furthermore, the flat washer 241 can act as a mediator, transmitting the assembly force transmitted by the user to the ring-shaped crimping boss 236 integrally formed on the lower end of the connecting pad 231 so as to crimp the friction ring 225, which will be described later.

[0055] On the other hand, the armrest assembly 200 according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include a friction ring 225, which is disposed between the inner body 220 and the arm support pad 230, as shown in Figures 5 to 7b, and provides a frictional force between the inner body 220 and the arm support pad 230 when the arm support pad 230 is rotated relative to the inner body 220.

[0056] Here, the friction ring 225 may be an elastic body made of rubber. Therefore, the friction ring 225 can be elastically deformed when the assembly force of the hinge screw 240 is transmitted by the ring-shaped crimping boss 236, which will be described later.

[0057] The frictional force of the friction ring 225 may be determined by the assembly force of the hinge screw 240 that connects the inner body 220 and the arm support pad 230.

[0058] More specifically, the friction ring 225 is positioned between the inner body 220 and the arm support pad 230 and is elastically compressed by the assembly force transmitted through the hinge screw 240, forming a frictional force on each contact surface between the two (inner body 220 and arm support pad 230). This prevents the arm support pad 230 from rotating arbitrarily if a predetermined assembly force or more is not transmitted.

[0059] For this purpose, a circular mounting groove 224 is formed on the upper surface of the connecting portion 222, and the friction ring 225 can be placed in this circular mounting groove 224. The circular mounting groove 224 may be formed in a manner in which a non-continuous arc-shaped rib protrudes upward.

[0060] Furthermore, a ring-shaped crimping boss 236 may be formed on the lower surface of the connecting pad 231 of the arm support pad 230, such that its diameter is larger than that of the aforementioned screw-through boss 234. The ring-shaped crimping boss 236 serves to uniformly crimp the upper surface of the friction ring 225 when the hinge screw 240 is fastened to the screw fastening hole 223h.

[0061] Thus, the uniform clamping force of the ring-type crimping boss 236 against the friction ring 225 is an operating force adjusted by the user through the hinge screw 240, and at least the friction ring 225 must be an elastic body with a hardness of a predetermined degree or less and capable of elastic deformation in order to impart a frictional force to the ring-type crimping boss 236 corresponding to the aforementioned operating force.

[0062] In this case, as shown in Figure 5, if the friction ring 225 is formed in such a way that it can rotate in conjunction with the ring-shaped crimping boss 236 without a separate locking structure, there is a concern that if the hardness of the friction ring 225 is low, it may break due to the accumulation of intermittent operation. Furthermore, there is a concern that the operating force will be set differently for each product, regardless of the degree of adjustment of the hinge screw 240, depending on whether or not it rotates in conjunction with the ring-shaped crimping boss 236.

[0063] Therefore, as shown in Figure 6, the friction ring 225 may have a number of locking protrusions 225a that protrude downward from its lower surface. The number of locking protrusions 225a of the friction ring 225 formed in this way are each inserted and fixed into a number of locking grooves 224a formed in the circular mounting groove 224, so that they do not rotate in conjunction with the ring-shaped crimping boss 236 and can form a normal, uniform friction force, thus solving the problem of different operating forces for each product.

[0064] The friction ring 225 described above can also be directly applied to the relative rotation structure between the connecting pad 231 and the support pad 232, and it can be said with certainty that the modified embodiment with the aforementioned structure of numerous locking protrusions 225a and numerous locking grooves 224a can also be applied to the friction ring 225 in this case.

[0065] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4b, numerous grooves 238 are repeatedly formed in the circumferential direction on the outer surface of the ring-shaped crimping boss 236, and as shown in Figure 4a, an operating sensation-providing part 226 may be provided on the upper surface of the connecting part 222 of the inner body 220, which is elastically supported toward the numerous grooves 238 and provides an operating sensation when the arm support pad 230 rotates.

[0066] Here, the operating sensation-providing unit 226 may include, as shown in Figure 7b, a member case 227 having a mounting space (not indicated by drawing reference numerals) on the upper surface of the connecting portion 222 of the inner body 220 that opens toward a number of grooves 238, an elastic rubber 228 provided inside the mounting space within the member case 227, and an operating pin 229 whose inner end is supported by the elastic rubber 228 and whose outer surface is supported such that a part of it fits into the number of grooves 238.

[0067] When a user grasps the arm support pad 230 with their hand and rotates it in the desired direction, the actuation pin 229, which is elastically supported by the elastic rubber 228, sequentially moves over the numerous grooves 238, and the resulting operating sensation is transmitted to the user, thereby providing the user with a predetermined operating sensation (feeling of operation).

[0068] The effects and advantages of the armrest assembly 200 according to one embodiment of the present invention, as described above, can be briefly explained with reference to the attached drawings as follows.

[0069] As previously shown in Figure 3, when the user grasps the arm support pad 230 with their hand and rotates it in the desired direction, the arm support pad 230 rotates its front end to one side or the other, with the hinge screw 240 as the hinge center.

[0070] At this time, the friction ring 225 provided between the arm support pad 230 and the connecting portion 222 of the inner body 220 can rotate while forming different frictional forces due to the assembly force obtained by pre-adjusting the hinge screw 240.

[0071] To adjust the rotational force (frictional force) of the arm support pad 230 to suit each user, this can be achieved by removing the hole cover 237 and then adjusting the assembly force of the hinge screw 240 using a simple tool.

[0072] In this case, the friction ring 225 is designed to be uniformly crimped and supported by the ring-shaped crimping boss 236, as shown in Figures 7a and 7b. Furthermore, direct contact assembly of the hinge screw 240 with the arm support pad 230 via the flat washer 241 is prevented, thereby preventing the hinge screw 240 from being released unintentionally.

[0073] Thus, according to the armrest assembly 200 and the chair 100 including it, when the arm support pad 230 is rotated, the friction ring 225 creates a uniform frictional force between it and the inner body 220, thereby minimizing operating noise. Furthermore, it offers the advantage that the rotational force (frictional force) desired by the user can be easily adjusted for each user.

[0074] An armrest assembly 200 and a chair 100 including the same according to one embodiment of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments of the present invention are not necessarily limited to the embodiment described above, and it is natural that various modifications and equivalences of the invention are possible by persons with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. Therefore, the true scope of the present invention should be determined by the claims described later. [Industrial applicability]

[0075] The present invention provides an armrest assembly and a chair including the same, which allows the rotational force (operating force) of the arm support pad to be customized for each user by adjusting the fastening force of the hinge screw, and prevents the hinge screw from being released unintentionally by designing the friction force to be evenly distributed by a friction ring. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0076] 100: Chair 110: Seat section 120: Backrest 130: Head support part 140: Foot 150:Operation unit 200: Armrest Assembly 210: Arm frame body 220: Inner Body 221: Height-adjustable case 222: Connection part 223: Upper surface of the connecting section 224: Mounting groove 224a: Locking groove 225: Friction ring 225a: Locking protrusion 226: Operation feeling imparting part 227: Parts Case 228: Elastic rubber 229: Action pin 230: Arm support pad 231: Connecting pad 232: Support pad 233h: Screw through hole 234: Screw-piercing boss 235: Screw mounting hole 236: Ring-type crimp boss 237: Hole cover 240: Hinge Screw 241: Flat washer S: Safety Space

Claims

1. An internal space is formed with an open upper end, and an arm frame body mediates the connection to the seat where the user sits, An inner body is inserted and positioned within the internal space of the aforementioned arm frame body, and is arranged to be movable in the vertical direction by user operation, An arm support pad is provided, which is connected to the upper part of the inner body, on which the user's arm is resting and supported, and whose front end is rotatable horizontally from side to side by external force provided by the user. A friction ring is disposed between the inner body and the arm support pad, and provides frictional force between the inner body and the arm support pad when the arm support pad is rotated relative to the inner body. Includes, The frictional force exerted by the friction ring is determined by the assembly force of the hinge screw connecting the inner body and the arm support pad. The aforementioned arm support pad is A connecting pad that is rotatable relative to the inner body via a hinge screw, A support pad is integrally connected to the upper side of the front end of the aforementioned connecting pad and is formed to extend horizontally backward to support the user's arm, Includes, The rear end of the connecting pad and the rear end of the support pad are separated from each other by a safety space. Armrest assembly.

2. The inner body includes a height adjustment case inserted into the internal space of the arm frame body for adjusting the height, and a connecting portion provided at the upper end of the height adjustment case for mediating the relative rotational connection of the connecting pads. The friction ring is placed in a circular mounting groove formed on the upper surface of the connecting portion. The armrest assembly according to claim 1.

3. The friction force is determined as the friction ring is pressed against the lower end of a ring-shaped crimping boss whose upper surface protrudes from the lower part of the connecting pad, according to claim 2.

4. The friction ring has a number of locking protrusions that protrude downward from its lower surface. The numerous locking protrusions are each inserted into and fixed into the numerous locking grooves formed in the circular mounting groove. The armrest assembly according to claim 2.

5. The armrest assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the friction ring is an elastic body made of rubber material.

6. The inner body is provided with a screw fastening boss having a screw fastening hole formed therein. The connecting pad is provided with a screw through boss, which has a screw through hole formed at a position corresponding to the screw fastening hole. The friction ring is pressed against the connecting pad as the ring-shaped crimping boss, which is formed to protrude from the lower part of the connecting pad, moves downward due to the assembly force of the hinge screw that passes through the screw through hole of the screw through boss and is fastened to the screw fastening hole of the screw fastening boss. The armrest assembly according to claim 5.

7. The armrest assembly according to claim 6, wherein a flat washer is interposed in the hinge screw to mediate the transmission of the assembly force transmitted by the user to the ring-shaped crimping boss.

8. Numerous grooves are repeatedly formed in the circumferential direction on the outer surface of the ring-shaped crimping boss. The upper surface of the connecting portion of the inner body is further provided with an operating sensation-providing portion that is elastically supported toward the numerous grooves and provides an operating sensation when the arm support pad rotates. The armrest assembly according to claim 6.

9. The aforementioned operating sensation-providing unit is A member case having a mounting space opening toward the numerous grooves on the upper surface of the connecting portion of the inner body, An elastic rubber is provided inside the mounting space within the aforementioned component case, An operating pin whose inner end is supported by the elastic rubber and whose outer surface is supported such that a portion of it fits into the numerous grooves, The armrest assembly according to claim 8, including the following:

10. A seat section provided for the user to sit in, The seat portion includes an armrest assembly provided at both the left and right ends, on which the user's arms can be rested, The aforementioned armrest assembly is, An internal space is formed with an open upper end, and an arm frame body mediates the connection to the seat portion, An inner body is inserted and positioned within the internal space of the aforementioned arm frame body, and is arranged to be movable in the vertical direction by user operation, An arm support connected to the upper part of the inner body, on which the user's arm rests and is supported, and whose front end is rotatable horizontally from side to side by external force provided by the user. pads and, It includes a friction ring disposed between the inner body and the arm support pad, which provides frictional force between the inner body and the arm support pad when the arm support pad is rotated relative to the inner body, The frictional force exerted by the friction ring is determined by the assembly force of the hinge screw connecting the inner body and the arm support pad. The aforementioned arm support pad is A connecting pad that is rotatable relative to the inner body via a hinge screw, A support pad is integrally connected to the upper side of the front end of the aforementioned connecting pad and is formed to extend horizontally backward to support the user's arm, Includes, The rear end of the connecting pad and the rear end of the support pad are separated from each other by a safety space. chair.

Images