GB2391800A - Rotary, telescopic connector between a seatback and a seatbase - Google Patents
Rotary, telescopic connector between a seatback and a seatbase Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2391800A GB2391800A GB0215670A GB0215670A GB2391800A GB 2391800 A GB2391800 A GB 2391800A GB 0215670 A GB0215670 A GB 0215670A GB 0215670 A GB0215670 A GB 0215670A GB 2391800 A GB2391800 A GB 2391800A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- inner member
- backrest
- seat
- portions
- connecting means
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
- 238000006073 displacement reaction Methods 0.000 abstract 1
- 238000000926 separation method Methods 0.000 description 2
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
- A47C7/00—Parts, details, or accessories of chairs or stools
- A47C7/36—Supports for the head or the back
- A47C7/40—Supports for the head or the back for the back
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
- A47C1/00—Chairs adapted for special purposes
- A47C1/02—Reclining or easy chairs
- A47C1/022—Reclining or easy chairs having independently-adjustable supporting parts
- A47C1/024—Reclining or easy chairs having independently-adjustable supporting parts the parts, being the back-rest, or the back-rest and seat unit, having adjustable and lockable inclination
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
- A47C7/00—Parts, details, or accessories of chairs or stools
- A47C7/36—Supports for the head or the back
- A47C7/40—Supports for the head or the back for the back
- A47C7/48—Supports for the head or the back for the back of freely-rotatable type
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47C—CHAIRS; SOFAS; BEDS
- A47C7/00—Parts, details, or accessories of chairs or stools
- A47C7/54—Supports for the arms
- A47C7/543—Supports for the arms movable to inoperative position
Landscapes
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Dentistry (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Chair Legs, Seat Parts, And Backrests (AREA)
Abstract
The connection means, for connecting a backrest to the seat of an office type chair whereby the backrest can be moved between an upright operative position and a lowered storage position, comprises a first part (1) having a mounting portion (2) for mounting onto the underside of the seat portion of the chair and a second part (3) being adapted for connection to the backrest portion of the chair. The first part (1) includes a square section aperture into which is telescopically located a square section member (5) extending from the second part (3). The member (5) is telescopically located within the member (4) for axial movement between a retracted position wherein both the first and second portions (6,7) of the member (5) are located within the member (4) and an extended position wherein the second portion 7 of the member 5 is located beyond and outside of the member (4) such that the second portion (7) can be rotated with respect to the first portion (6) of the inner member (5,) whereby the second part(3)of the connection assembly and the backrest attached thereto can be rotated with respect to the first part (1) of the connection assembly and the seat attached thereto to move the backrest between a raised operative position and a lowered storage position. A rotatable connection may also be in corporated into the armrests to allow pivotal downwards displacement.
Description
- 2391 800
- ) 1 CHAIR ASSEMBLY AND CONNECTING MEANS THEREFOR
The present invention relates to a chair assembly and a connecting means for connecting component parts of the chair assembly for enabling the overall height of the chair to be reduced to permit the chair to be placed underneath a desk or workstation when not in use.
It is known to provide chairs for computer operators, supermarket checkout operatives and other persons who are required to remain seated for long periods of time whilst working at a desk or computer workstation. Such chairs are required to provide a suitable ergonomic seating position, having a seat base and a back rest connected thereto, said backrest being fixed at a predetermined angle of inclination or being adjustable to a desired angle to provide support for the users back. Such chairs may also have a pair of armrests at the sides of the seat base. Frequently the height of the seat base is adjustable to provide the optimum seating position.
When such chairs are not in use, it is frequently desired to store the chair beneath an adjacent desk or workstation. The presence of the backrest, and armrests if provided, limits the degree to which the chair can be slid under the desk. In circumstances where space is limited, such as in the case of a supermarket checkout station, it is desirable to store the chair completely beneath the adjacent desk or other worksurface.
GB 2 356 805 discloses a chair having a backrest which is adapted to be replaceably removable from the remainder of the chair for storage and transport purposes. Whilst removal of the backrest would permit the chair to be placed completely beneath a desk, once removed, there is a risk that the backrest could become lost or damaged.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided connecting means for connecting component parts of an article of furniture, said
l (3 connecting means comprising an elongate inner member of non-circular cross section telescopically locatable within an outer member of corresponding non-
circular cross section, the relative dimensions and cross section of the inner and outer members being such that the inner member can axially slide within the outer member but rotation of the inner member within the outer member is prevented, said inner member comprising coaxially arranged first and second portions, said first and second portions of the inner member being rotatably connected together for relative rotation about the longitudinal axis of the inner member, said inner member being telescopically slidable within the outer member between a retracted position wherein the first portion and at least a portion of the second portion of the inner member are located within the outer member, whereby relative rotation between the first and second portions of the inner member is prevented, and an extended position wherein the second portion of the inner member is located beyond the outer member to permit relative rotation between the first and second portions of the inner member, stop means being provided preventing removal of the inner member from the outer member beyond the extended position of the inner member, latch means being provided for retaining the inner member in the retracted position, the outer member being connectable to a first component part of an article of furniture and the second portion of the inner member being connectable to a second component of an article of furniture. Preferably said article of furniture comprises a chair, said first component comprises a seat and said second component comprises a backrest or an armrest. Alternatively said second component may comprise a seat and said first component may comprise a backrest or an armrest.
Preferably the inner and outer members of the connecting means are of square cross section.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a chair having a seat and a backrest, the backrest being connected to the seat by connecting means comprising an elongate inner member of non-circular cross section
telescopically locatable within an outer member of corresponding noncircular cross section, the relative dimensions and cross section of the inner and outer members being such that the inner member can axially slide within the outer member but rotation of the inner member within the outer member is prevented, said inner member comprising coaxially arranged first and second portions, said first and second portions of the inner member being rotatably connected together for relative rotation about the longitudinal axis of the inner member, the inner member extending orthogonally from and being connected to the backrest and the outer member extending horizontally from and being connected to the seat such that the inner and outer members extend perpendicular to the backrest in a substantially horizontal plane, said inner member being telescopically slidable within the outer member between a retracted position wherein the first portion and at least a portion of the second portion of the inner member are located within the outer member, whereby relative rotation between the first and second portions of the inner member, and thus between the seat and the backrest is prevented, and an extended position wherein the second portion of the inner member is located beyond the outer member to permit relative rotation between the first and second portions of the inner member such that the backrest can be rotated through 180 degrees with respect to the seat between a raised operative position and a lowered inoperative position, stop means being provided preventing removal of the inner member from the outer member beyond the extended position of the inner member, latch means being provided for retaining the inner member in the retracted position.
Preferably the inner and outer members of the connecting means are of square cross section.
The present invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view of a connecting means according to the invention for connecting a backrest to a seat of a chair;
- Fig. 2 is a plan view of the connecting means of Fig. 1 with the inner member in its extended position to permit relative rotation of the respective parts of the connecting means; Fig. 3 is a side view of the connecting means of Fig. 2 in direction A; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the connecting means of Fig. 1 with the inner member in its extended position with the backrest supporting part rotated through 180 ; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the connecting means of Fig. 4 with the inner member in its retracted position; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a connecting means according to a further embodiment of the invention for connecting an armrest to the seat of a chair; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the connecting means of Fig. 7 with the inner member in its extended position to permit relative rotation of the respective parts of the connecting means; and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the connecting means of Fig. 7 with the armrest rotated through 180 .
Figs. 1 to 5 show a first embodiment of a connection assembly means for connecting a backrest to the seat of an office type chair whereby the backrest can be moved between an upright operative position and a lowered storage position. The connection assembly comprises a first part 1 having a mounting portion 2 for mounting onto the underside of the seat portion of the chair and a second part 3 being adapted for connection to the backrest portion of the chair. The first part 1 of the connection assembly includes a square section aperture extending from one end of the first part defining a horizontally disposed outer member 4 into which is telescopically located an elongate square section inner member 5 extending from the second part 3, in a direction perpendicular to the backrest, by means of which the first and second parts 13 of the connection assembly are interconnected.
in The inner member 5 comprises coaxially arranged first and second portions 6,7 rotatably interconnected for relative rotation about the elongate axis of the inner member 5, said first portion 6 forming the distal end of the inner member 5 and the second portion 7 being integrally formed with or affixed to the second part 3 of the connection assembly.
The inner member 5 is telescopically located within the outer member 4 for axial movement between a retracted position, shown in Fig. 1, wherein both the first and second portions 6,7 of the inner member 5 are located within the outer member 4 such that relative rotation between the first and second portions 6,7 of the inner member 5 is prevented and an extended position, shown in Figs. 2 and 3, wherein the second portion 7 of the inner member 5 is located beyond and outside of the outer member 4 such that the second portion 7 can be rotated with respect to the first portion 6 of the inner member 5, whereby the second part 3 of the connection assembly and the backrest attached thereto can be rotated with respect to the first part 1 of the connection assembly and the seat attached thereto to move the backrest between a raised operative position and a lowered storage position as will be described in more detail below.
Stop means (not shown) are provided for preventing axial movement of the inner member 5 within the outer member 4 beyond the extended position of the inner member 5, thus preventing complete removal of the inner member 5 from the outer member 4 and separation of the first and second parts 1, 3 of the connection assembly. Said stop means may comprise a spring loaded pin mounted on the outer member, said pin being urged towards the inner member to engage an abutment provided on the first portion of the inner member.
Latch means are provided for locking the inner member 5 in its retracted position, said latch means comprising a spring loaded locking pin 8 mounted on a portion of the second part 3 of the connection assembly, the locking pin 8 being biased towards the inner member 5 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the inner member 5, the locking pin 8 being adapted to engage a corresponding aperture 9 provided on a portion of the first part 1 of the connection assembly when the inner member 5 is in its retracted position.
In normal use of the chair, the inner and outer members 4,5 of the connection assembly are arranged as shown in Fig. 1, with the inner member 5 located within the outer member 4 in its retracted position and the locking pin 8 engaged in the corresponding aperture 9. With the connection assembly so arranged, the backrest extends substantially vertically from the rear of the seat to provide support for the back of the user of the chair.
When it is required to store the chair beneath an adjacent worksurface, the locking pin 8 of the latch means is pulled outwardly to remove the locking pin from the aperture 9, allowing the inner member 5 of the second part 3 of the connection assembly to be moved from its retracted position to its extended position as shown in Fig. 2.
With the inner member 5 in its extended position, the second portion 7 of the inner member 5 is located outside of the outer member 4, whereby relative rotation between the first and second portions 6,7 of the inner member 5 can take place. By virtue of the rotary connection between the first and second portions 6,7,of the inner member 5 the backrest can now be rotated through 180 to a storage position wherein the backrest extends vertically downwardly. With the backrest in such position, the first and second parts 1,3 of the connection assembly as positioned as shown in Fig. 4.
With the backrest in its storage position, the inner member 5 can be resumed to its retracted position, as shown in Fig. 5, and the locking pin 8 of the latch
means engaging a corresponding aperture 9' on the first part of the connection assembly to retain the inner member 5 in the outer member 4 to lock the backrest in its storage position.
With the backrest in its storage position, the overall height of the chair is greatly reduced, permitting the chair to be slid beneath an adjacent worksurface, such as a checkout station of a supermarket.
When its is desired to return the backrest to its operative position, the locking pin 8 of the latch means is once again retracted from the corresponding aperture 9' in the first part of the connection assembly, the inner member 5 is moved to its extended position whereby the second part 7 of the inner -I member 5 can be rotated through 180 with respect to the first part 6 thereof to return the backrest to its raised operatwe position, the inner member 5 being resumed to its retracted position and the locking pin 8 of the latch means engaging the aperture 9 to lock the backrest in its operative position.
Figs. 6 to 8 show a connection assembly according to a further embodiment of the invention for connecting an armrest of a chair to the seat thereof to permit the armrest to be moved between an upright operative position and a lowered storage position.
The connection assembly comprises a first part 11 comprising an elongate square section tubular member 12 connected to a mounting plate 13 for securing to the first part to an armrest, such that the tubular member 12 extends perpendicularly to the armrest, and a second part 14 comprising an elongate square section bar 15 dimensioned to be slidably received within the -I tubular member 12 of the first part 11, one end of said square section bar 15 being integrally formed with or being secured to a mounting plate 16 permitting the second part 14 of the connection assembly to be fastened to the underside of the seat of a chair.
) The bar 15 comprises coaxially arranged first and second portions rotatably interconnected for relative rotation about the elongate axis of the bar 15, said first portion (not visible in the drawings) forming the distal end of the bar 15 and the second portion being integrally formed with or secured to the mounting plate 16.
The bar 15 is telescopically located within the tubular member 12 for axial movement between a retracted position, shown in Fig. 6, wherein both the first and second portions of the bar 15 are located within the tubular member 12 such that relative rotation between the first and second portions of the bar 15 is prevented and an extended position, shown in Figs. 7 and 8, wherein the second portion of the bar 15 is located beyond and outside of the tubular member 12 such that the first portion of the bar 15 can be rotated with respect to the second portion of the bar 15, whereby the first part 1 1 of the connection assembly and the armrest attached thereto can be rotated with respect to the second part 14 of the connection assembly and the seat attached thereto, such that the armrest can be rotated through 180 between a raised operative position and a lowered storage position.
Stop means (not shown) are provided for preventing removal of the first portion of the bar 15 from the tubular member 12, thus preventing separation of the first and second parts 1,4 of the connection assembly. Said stop means may comprise a spring loaded pin mounted on the tubular member 12, said pin being urged inwardly towards the bar 15 to engage an abutment provided on the first portion of the bar 15.
Latch means are provided for locking the bar 15 in its retracted position, said latch means comprising a spring loaded locking pin 17 mounted on the tubular member 12, the locking pin 17 being biased inwardly towards the bar 15 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tubular member 12, the locking pin 17 being adapted to engage a corresponding aperture (not shown)
. provided on a side surface of the inner portion of the bar 15 when the bar 15 is in its retracted position.
Operation of the connection assembly of Figs. 6 to 8 is essentially the same as that described for the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 5.
Claims (8)
1. Connecting means for connecting component parts of an article of furniture, said connecting means comprising an elongate inner member of non-circular cross section telescopically locatable within an outer member of corresponding non-circular cross section, the relative dimensions and cross section of the inner and outer members being such that the inner member can axially slide within the outer member but rotation of the inner member within the outer member is prevented, said inner member comprising coaxially arranged first and second portions, said first and second portions of the inner member being rotatably connected together for relative rotation about the longitudinal axis of the inner member, said inner member being telescopically slidable within the outer member between a retracted position wherein the first portion and at least a portion of the second portion of the inner member are located within the outer member, whereby relative rotation between the first and second portions of the inner member is prevented, and an extended position wherein the second portion of the inner member is located beyond the outer member to permit relative rotation between the first and second portions of the inner member, stop means being provided preventing removal of the inner member from the outer member beyond the extended position of the inner member, latch means being provided for retaining the inner member in the retracted position, the outer member being connectable to a first component part of an article of furniture and the second portion of the inner member being connectable to a second component of an article of furniture.
2. A connecting means as claimed in claim 1, wherein said article of furniture comprises a chair, said first component comprises a seat and said second component comprises a backrest or an armrest.
3. A connecting means as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second component may comprise a seat and said first component comprises a backrest or an armrest.
4. A connecting means as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the inner and outer members of the connecting means are of square cross section.
5. A chair having a seat and a backrest, the backrest being connected to the seat by connecting means comprising an elongate inner member of non-circular cross section telescopically locatable within an outer member of corresponding non-circular cross section, the relative dimensions and cross section of the inner and outer members being such that the inner member can axially slide within the outer member but rotation of the inner member within the outer member is prevented, said inner member comprising coaxially arranged first and second portions, said first and second portions of the inner member being rotatably connected together for relative rotation about the longitudinal axis of the inner member, the inner member extending orthogonally from and being connected to the backrest and the outer member extending horizontally from and being connected to the seat such that the inner and outer members extend perpendicular to the backrest in a substantially horizontal plane, said inner member being telescopically slidable within the outer member between a retracted position wherein the first portion and at least a portion of the second portion of the inner member are located within the outer member, whereby relative rotation between the first and second portions of the inner member, and thus between the seat and the backrest is prevented, and an extended position wherein the second portion of the inner member is located beyond the outer member to permit relative rotation between the first and second portions of the inner member such that the backrest can be rotated through 180 degrees with respect to the seat between a raised
operative position and a lowered inoperative position, stop means being provided preventing removal of the inner member from the outer member beyond the extended position of the inner member, latch means being provided for retaining the inner member in the retracted position.
6. A chair as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner and outer members of the connecting means are of square cross section.
7. A connecting means substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
8. A chair substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0215670A GB2391800A (en) | 2002-07-06 | 2002-07-06 | Rotary, telescopic connector between a seatback and a seatbase |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0215670A GB2391800A (en) | 2002-07-06 | 2002-07-06 | Rotary, telescopic connector between a seatback and a seatbase |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB0215670D0 GB0215670D0 (en) | 2002-08-14 |
| GB2391800A true GB2391800A (en) | 2004-02-18 |
Family
ID=9939960
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0215670A Withdrawn GB2391800A (en) | 2002-07-06 | 2002-07-06 | Rotary, telescopic connector between a seatback and a seatbase |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2391800A (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN104172781A (en) * | 2014-07-11 | 2014-12-03 | 李关和 | Movable armrest |
Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPH06191338A (en) * | 1992-12-22 | 1994-07-12 | Tokyo Seat Kk | Mounting device for table which can be used also as armrest |
| US6076892A (en) * | 1997-06-04 | 2000-06-20 | Knoll, Inc. | Multi-adjustable armrest assembly |
| US6460932B1 (en) * | 2000-06-09 | 2002-10-08 | Krueger International, Inc. | Arm height adjustment mechanism for a chair |
-
2002
- 2002-07-06 GB GB0215670A patent/GB2391800A/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPH06191338A (en) * | 1992-12-22 | 1994-07-12 | Tokyo Seat Kk | Mounting device for table which can be used also as armrest |
| US6076892A (en) * | 1997-06-04 | 2000-06-20 | Knoll, Inc. | Multi-adjustable armrest assembly |
| US6460932B1 (en) * | 2000-06-09 | 2002-10-08 | Krueger International, Inc. | Arm height adjustment mechanism for a chair |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN104172781A (en) * | 2014-07-11 | 2014-12-03 | 李关和 | Movable armrest |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB0215670D0 (en) | 2002-08-14 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |