Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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BAÇ~G~ D OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of th~ Invention
The present invention relates to a chair including a seat member and a back
member, wherein the seat member and the back member are movably connecte~ to each other
by means of a hinge and are supported by a support frame. To the front edge of the seat
member may be connected a leg rest member in an articulated manner by means of a hinge.
The support frame supports the seat member and back rest member by means of a plurality of
downwardly directed connecting members, wherein at leasi one of the connecting members is
connected to the back member.
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2. 12~scription of thç ~L A~
A large variety of types of chairs is known. In one type of chair, the seat
member and the back member are rigidly connected ~o each other or are constructed as a single
piece. In another type of chair, the back member is adjustable relative to the seat member, or
the seat member and the back member are together pivotable relative to the support frame of the
chair, wherein the mechanism for making the seat member and the back member adjustable in
this manner is constructed such that, when the seat member and back member are adjusted, they
move at differently large angles. When the members of the chair are adjustable, it is usually
necessary to actuate them randomly for the adjustment.
As a rule, it is possible to distinguish between two principal types of chairs.
In the first principal type of chair, known from U.S. patents 1,96S,785,
1,885,663, 2,570,000, and European patents 214 250 and 102 546, the seat member and the
back member are rigidly connected to each other, and the structural unit formed by the seat
member and the back member is suspended from the support frame by means of connecting
members. These connecting members may be stiff or may be chains or springs, see U.S. patents
1,B85,663 and 2,570,000. Because of the rigid connection between the seat member and the
back member, these two components cannot be adjusted relative to each other, however, because
of the manner in which the structural unit is suspended as described above, it is possible to
impart a swinging movement to the stmctural unit.
In the second principal type of chair, the seat member and the back member are
adjustable relative to each other. For example, Austrian patent 136 657 describes and shows
a reclining chair which is swingably suspended between two support columns. This reclining
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chair has a seat member, a back member, and a leg rest member, wherein these three
components forming the reclining chair are connected to each other by means of hinges.
However, these components cannot move freely relative to each other because of the
arrangement of a parallelogram-type control mechanism which consists of five levers, wherein
one of these levers is formed by the lower portion of the back member and another lever is
formed by a portion of the leg rest member. As a result, each adjustment of the back mernber
also results inevitably in an adjustment of the leg rest member, and vice Yersa. This reclining
chair is suspended from a support frame through two connecting members which have a common
hinge point. One of the connecting members is connected to the seat member, and the other is
connected to the back member. Because of the above-described configuration, a person using
the reclinîng chair must adapt his or her position to the position of the leg rest member and the
back member, which are positively guided relative to each other. This configuration is not
considered useful.
A construction which is immediately comparable to the one disclosed in Austrian
patent 136 657 is illustrated in U.S. Patent 2,254,869. In this case also, back member, seat
member, and leg rest member are connected to each other by means of hinged connections,
however, the movements of the components relative to each other are predetermined by a
parallelogram-type control mechanism, so that the disadvantages describe~ above are also
applicable to the construction of U.S. Patent 2,549,869.
Finally, U.S. Patent 2,717,630 discloses a reclining chair which is composed of
several frame members, wherein the individual frame members are guided rela~ive to each other
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in such a way that the adjustment or pi~oting of one frame component inevitably results in
adjustment or pivoting of the other frarne components.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a seat of
the above-describffi type which is constructed in such a way that it fully automatically adjusts
itself to the position assumed by the user of the chair and, thus, provides a chair which is as
comfortable as possible for the user and actually serves to relax the body of the user and does
not, as is the case in all other known constructions, require that the body of the user has to adapt
to the seat.
In accordance with the present invention, at least one additional connecting
member is provided. The additional connecting member is connected to a fiont portion of the
seat member or, if the chair has a leg rest member, the additional connecling member is
connected to this leg rest member. The connecting members are straps, strings, ropes, belts,
chains, or tension springs, and the length of the connecting members may be adjustable. The
members connected by means of hinges, i.e., the seat member, the back member, and the leg
rest member, are freely movable relative to each other.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out
with particularity in the clairns annexed to and forming a part of the disclosure. For a better
understanding of the invention, its operating advantages, and specific objects attained by its use,
reference should be had to the drawing and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and
described prefelTed embodiments of the invention.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION Q~THE l)RAWI~
In the drawing:
Figs. 1, 2, and 3 are schematic side views of a first embodiment of a chair
according to the present invention, showing three different positions of the members of the chair
relative to each other;
Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are schematic side views of three additional embodiments of thc
chair according to the present invention; and
Fig. 7 is a partial schematic view of a hinge point of the chair according to the
present invention.
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DES(~RIPrIQN OF TH~ PR~FERRED ~MBODIMENT~
The chair illustrated in Figs. 1-3 of the drawing has a seat member 1 and a back
member 3 which is connected in an articulated manner to the rear edge of the seat member 1
by means of a freely movable hinge 2. In this embodiment, a leg rest member 4 is connected
to the front edge of the seat member 1 also by means of a freely movable hinge 5. The lower
end of the leg rest member 4 may extend to the floor 6. Small rollers or wheels, not shown,
may advantageously be mounled at the bottom end of the leg rest member 4, so that the lower
end of the leg rest member 4 can roll on the floor 6.
A support frame 7 is shown in the drawing by a broken line. The arc-shaped
upper portion 8 of the support frame may form an arm rest or an arm rest surface.
The seat member 1 and ~he back member 3 are suspended in an articulated manner
from the support frame 7 by means of comlecting members 9, 10, I l. The hinge points 12, 13
of the connecting members are fixed in relation to the support frame 7 and are preferably
arranged in the region of the arm rest. All hinge points and connecting members are provided
in pairs and are located perpendicularly, one behind the other, as seen in the direction of the
plane of the drawing.
The connecting member 9, mounted in the front as seen in the drawing, is
connected to the front portion of the seat member 1, preferabty in the front third of the seat
member 1, at the hinge point 14. The hinge point 15 of the rear connecting member 10
connected to the seat member 1 is located near the hinge 2. The third connecting member 11
is connected to the back member 3 at hinge point 16. The connecting members 10, 11 are
connected to the support frame 7 at the same hinge point 13. It is atso possible to make the
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front hinge point 12 adjustable on the support frame 7 within the plane of the drawing. The
connecting members 9, 10, 11 may be straps or belts or ropes or chains, wherein the length of
the connecting members may be adjustable. Connecting members of this type are preferable
over rigid connecting members b cause they can easily absorb changing loads. However, it is
also possible to use tension springs as the connecting rnembers.
The distance of the hinge point 16 of the connecting member 11 connected to the
back member 3 from the hinge 2 is approximately equal to, or preferably slightly smaller than,
the distance of the hinge point 14 of the front connecting member 9 to the seat mernber 1 from
the hinge 2. The length of the connecting member 11 attached to the back member 3 is only
a fraction of the length of the connecting member 10 attached to the seat member 1. Thus, the
connect;ng member 11 is only one-quarter to one-third as long as the connecting member 10.
The distance between the hinge points 12, 13 of the connecting members 9, 10, 11 which are
fixed on the support fMme 7 is smaller than the length of the seat member 1.
The seat member 1 and the back member 3, as well as the leg rest member 4, are
suspended in an articulated manner from the support frame 7 by means of the connecting
members 9, 10, 11 which are constructed, for example, as belts, and whose lengths may
additionally be adjustable. If the position illustrated in Fig. 1 is considered the initial position
or position of rest, the components of the chair assume different positions relative to each other
depending on the manner in which the user of the chair shifts his or her center of gravity, as
illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. Seat member 1 and back member 3 can be adjusted relative to each
other to such an extent that they form a plane resting surface. The leg rest member 4 is always
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taken along because, as illustrated in the drawing, the leg rest member 4 is hinged to the seat
member 1 by means of a freely movable hinge.
It is within the scope of the present invention to provide an additional mechanism
between the seat member 1 and the leg rest member 4 Çor adjusting the position of the leg rest
member 4 relative to the seat member 1 and for loclcing the seat member 1 and the leg rest
member 4 in the adjusted position relative to each other. It is further within the scope of the
invention to entirely omit ~he leg rest member 4, as shown in Fig. S of the drawing. In
addition, the connection between the leg rest member 4 and the seat member 1 may be
constructed so as to be separable, so that the leg rest member 4 can be added to the chair or
removed from the chair as dssired by the user.
Moreover, it is within the scope of the invention to mount a displaceable or
rotatable, manually actuated locking lever in the support frame 7 for acting on the seat member
1 and/or the back member 3. Consequently, it is possible, in spite of the freely swinging
support of the seat member 1 and the back member 3 in the support frame 7, to lock these
components relative to their support frame. The locking mechanism may be constructed so that
it can lock these components only in a single predetermined pOSitiOIl, or in such a way that the
components can be locked relative to each other hl any chosen position.
In the drawing, the support frame 7 is only indicated by a broken line. It is
advantageous to construct the arm rests of the support frame 7 in such a way that they are
slightly resilient in the vertical plane. In this situation, the arm rests are made of bent metal
rails or metal pipes, or of bent wood components.
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In the illustrated embodiment, the hinge points 13 or, rather, the straight line
connecting the hinge points 13 and extendin~ p elpendicularly to the plane of the drawing, define
the axis about which the back member 3 is pivotable. However, it is essentially also possible
to reduce the length of the connecting member l l to such an extent that this al~is is located in
the plane of the back member 3.
In the drawing, the seat member 1, the back member 3, and the leg rest member
4 are schematically illustrated as straight lines in order to clearly illustrate the invention.
However, in the practical application of the chair according to the present invention, these
components are constructed in accordance with the standard practices of the art. Thus, the
components are upholstered, covered with texti1e material or leather, and are quilted or
contoured. There are no limitations with respect to the specific construction of the chair
according to the present invention.
It is to be expressly pointed out in this connection that, because of the suspension
of the components I, 3, 4 by means of the belt-like connecting members 9, lû, 1 1, the positions
of the cornponents relative to eac'n other are not assumed automatically and are not mainhined
automatically. Rather, these components assume a position relative to each other which
corresponds to the position of equilibrium of the compollents. The p ositions illustrated in the
drawing are only assumed if the chair is used by a person and this person reaches these positions
by shifting his or her extremities or center of gravity.
In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 4, the connecting member 10 is omitted, and
the chair is suspended from the support frame 7 by means of connecting member 9 attached to
the leg rest mernber 4 and the connecting member 11 attached to the back member 3.
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Fig. 5 of the drawing shows an embodiment in which the leg rest member 4 and
the connecting member 10 are omitted.
If the connec~ing members are relatively long, as is the case in the embodiment
illustrated in Fig. ~, the hinge point 12 may also be provided at a roorn ceiling or a ceiling
beam, so that the chair according to !he present invention does not require a support frame, as
described in connection wi~h the embodiments illustrated in Figs. 1-5. Of course, in order to
be connplete, it should a]so be mentioned that the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 6 may
additionally be provided with a support frame, so that the seat according to the invention is
configured as a swing.
Since, as already mentioned, the components l, 3, 4, forming the chair, do not
automatically assume the illustrated positions relative to each other when no load is applied, but
rather would fold up into a position of equilibrium, it is possible to provide additional locking
means at the hinges 2, 5 for blocking the movements of the hinges 2, 5, particularly when the
chair is not in use, so that the components of the chair can assume the illustrated positions
relative to each other, even if the chair is not in use. The loclcing means can be constructed
such that they permit only a single predetermined angular position of the components relative
to each other, or in such a way that several angular positions are freely selectable.
Fig. 7 of the drawing shows, in enlarged detail, the configuration of the hinge 16.
Freely rotatable rollers, pins, lugs 17 are mounted on the back member, and the end of the
connecting member 11 is guided, in the form of a loop 18, around the rollers~ pins, lugs 17.
Experiments have shown that the chair according to the present invention is
extremely comfortable when used because the components which are suspended in a swinging
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manner automatically adapt to ach movement of the user and to each shift in the center of
gravity of the user. The connecting members 9, 10, 11 which are constructed as belts can move
in accordance with each load change, so that the mobility of the components relative to each
other is extremely high. If, in addition, the length of the connecting members is adjustable, the
user of the shair has the additional option of adjusting the relative configuration of the
components of the chair as desired. For example, the length of the connecting member 11, as
well as the length of the two connecting members 9, 10, can be increased or decreased, so that
the initial position or position of rest of lhe components forming the chair can be freely adjusted.
It should be understood that the preferred embodiments and examples described
are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present
invention which is properly delineated only in the appended claims.
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