CHAISE

CHAIR

Abrégé français

L'invention porte sur une chaise comprenant un siège permettant à l'utilisateur de s'asseoir et un élément de support destiné à supporter le siège. Le siège peut être déplacé entre différentes positions de hauteur sur l'élément de support et comprend un élément de blocage adapté pour se solidariser et se désolidariser de l'élément de support à chaque position de hauteur, par basculement du siège par rapport à l'élément de support. Le siège est bloqué par rapport à l'élément de support lorsque l'élément de blocage est en position engagée et libre de se déplacer par rapport à l'élément de support entre différentes hauteurs lorsque l'élément de blocage est désengagé.

Abrégé anglais

A chair comprises a seat portion for enabling a user to sit on the chair and
support means for supporting the seat portion. The seat portion is movable
between a plurality of different height positions on the support means, and
includes locking means adapted for engagement with and disengagement from the
support means at each height position, by rocking the seat portion relative to
the support means, wherein the seat portion is locked relative to the support
means when the locking means is in the engaged position and free to move
relative to the support means between different height positions when the
locking means is disengaged.

Revendications

Claims
1. A chair comprising:
a seat portion for enabling a user to sit on the chair;
support means for supporting the seat portion;
in which the seat portion is movable between a plurality of different height
positions on the
support means, characterised in that the seat portion includes locking means
adapted for
engagement with and disengagement from the support means at each height
position, by
rocking the seat portion relative to the support means, wherein the seat
portion is locked
relative to the support means when the locking means is in the engaged
position and free
to move relative to the support means between different height positions when
the locking
means is disengaged.
2. A chair as claimed in claim 1, in which the support means includes a
plurality of locating
formations spaced apart from one another, the locating formations
corresponding generally
to the different height positions for the seat portion on the support means
and being
adapted to co-operate with the locking means for locking the seat portion at a
selected
height position.
3. A chair as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the seat portion
includes sleeve means
adapted for receiving a portion of the support means for enabling the seat
portion to be
raised or lowered on said portion of the support means.
4. A chair as claimed in claim 3, in which the sleeve means are configured for
rocking
movement relative to said portion of the support means.
6

A chair as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, in which the locking means are
provided on the
sleeve means.
6. A chair as claimed m claim 5, m which the locking means are arranged for
movement with
the sleeve means.
7 A chair as claimed m any preceding claim, in which the locking means
comprises pin means.
8. A chair as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the support means
defines a pair of
legs, each leg including a plurality of spaced apart apertures along apportion
of the leg, the
position of the apertures generally corresponding to the different height
positions for the
seat portion on the support means and being adapted to co-operate with the
locking means
for locking the seat portion at a selected height position.
9. A chair as claimed in claim 8,in which a pair of sleeve formations is
provided spaced apart
from one another on the seat portion, with the legs of the support means
arranged to extend
through the respective sleeve formations.
10. A chair as claimed in claim 9, in which the seat portion is arranged
between the sleeve
formations.
11. A chair as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the support means is
generally S-
shaped when viewed from the side.
12. A chair as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the support means is
adapted for
nestling with a plurality of said support means.
13. A chair as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in any of Figures 1
to 5.
7

Description

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Chair
The present invention relates to a chair or other such object for supporting a
user in a seated
position.
In recent years, there has been an increasing emphasis placed on the
ergonomics of fiin7iture, in
particular for use in office and school environments. For example, it is
common for office fiuniture
such as chairs to be adapted for users having different height requirements.
It is an obj ect of the invention to provide an improved chair, which can be
adapted for users having
different height requirements.
According to the present invention, there is provided a chair comprising a
seat portion for enabl'u1g
a user to sit on the chair; support means for supporting the seat portion;
characterised in that the
seat portion is movable between a plurality of different height positions on
the support means, and
in which the seat portion includes locking means adapted for engagement with
and disengagement
from the support means at eachheightposition, byrockingthe seat portion
relative to the support
means, wherein the seat portion is loclced relative to the support means when
the locking means
is in the engaged position and free to move relative to the support means
between different height
positions when the locking means is disengaged.
Preferably, the support means includes a plurality of locating formations
spaced apart from one
another, the locating fonnations conesponding generallyto the different height
positioiis for the seat
portion on the support means and being adapted to co-operate with the locldng
means for locking
the seat portion at a selected height position.
Preferably, in which the seat portion includes sleeve means adapted for
receiving aportion of the
support means for enabling the seat portion to be raised or lowered on said
portion ofthe support
means.
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Conveniently, the sleeve means are configured forrocking movement relative to
said portion ofthe
support means.
Preferably, the loclcing means are provided on the sleeve means, and may be
arranged for
movement witli the sleeve means.
Preferably, the locking means comprises pin means.
In apreferred embodiment, the support means defines apair of legs, each leg
including aplurality
of spaced apart apertures along apportion of the leg, the position of the
apertures generally
corresponding to the different height positions for the seat portion on the
supportmeans and being
adapted to co-operate with the locking means for locking the seat portion at a
selected height
position.
Conveniently, apair of sleeve formations is provided spaced apart from one
another on the seat
portion, with the legs of the support means arranged to extend through the
respective sleeve
formations.
Preferably, the seat portion is arranged between the sleeve formations.
Preferably, the support means is generally S-shaped when viewed from the side,
and may be
adapted for nestling with a plurality of said support means.
Otherpreferred features ofthe inventionwill be readily apparent from the
following description and
the dependent claims.
The iuivention will now be described, byway of example only, with reference to
the accompanying
drawings, in which:
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Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of
chair in
accordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 is a schematic front view of the chair shown in Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a schematic side view of a chair similar to the chair sllown in
Figures 1 and 2;
Figure 4 is an exploded part cross-sectional view ofthe area encircled in
Figure 3, showing the seat
portion in an engaged condition; and
Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, sllowing the seat portion in a
disengaged condition.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a chair according to a preferred embodiment of
the invention is
indicated generally at 10. The chair 10 includes a seat portion 12 for
supporting a user (not shown)
in a seatedposition, the seatportion 12 being received on a support means in
the form of tubular
fra.ine, indicated at 14.
Sleeve-type formations 16 are provided on either side of the seat portion 12,
as can be seen in
Figure 2, either formed integrallywith the remainder ofthe seat portion 12 or
attached thereto. The
tubular frasne 14 defines abase 17 and a pair of legs 18. The chair 10 is
configured such that the
seat portion 12 can be received on the fratne 14, with the upper ends of the
legs 18 extending up
through the sleeve formations 16. hi this embodiment, stabiliser means 19 are
provided at the base
17 of the frame 14, which add stability to the chair 10 when placed on a
planar surface such as a
floor or the like.
As can be seen clearly in Figure 2, with the seat portion 12 in place on the
frame 14, the seat
portion is effectively suspended between the legs 18 via the sleeve formations
16.
Loolking now at Figure 3, a chair virtually identical to that shown in Figures
1 and 2, but differing
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slightly in relatively iminaterial aspects of the aesthetic appearance of the
seat portion, is also
indicated at 10. Other similar components are also given the same reference
numerals used with
respect to Figures 1 and 2.
As with the chair shown in Figures 1 and 2, the tubular frame 14 is curved so
as to be of generally
S-shaped when viewed from the side. Together with the positioning of the seat
portion 12 between
the legs 18, the cuived configuration of the legs 18 enables the chair 10 to
be easily nestled with
correspondingly shaped articles, for example with a plurality of identical
chairs 10.
As will be described in more detail below, the seat portion 12 is movable
between different height
positions relative to the frame 14.
Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the internal configuration of one of the sleeve
formations 16 and its
relationship with one of the fraine legs 18 is clearly illustrated.
The sleeve formation 16 includes a substantially conical shafl having a bore
20 defining an effective
front surface 22 and an effective rear surface 24. A locking pin 26 is
provided adj acent the lower
end of the front surface 22. The locking pin 26 is rigidly connected to the
sleeve formation 16 for
movement therewith.
As can be seen, apertures 28 are provided in a spaced apart relationship along
an upperportion
of each leg 18, four of which are shown in Figures 4 and 5. Each aperture 28
is configured for
receiving the locking pin 26 on the sleeve fonnation 16. Each aperture 28 is
aligned with a similarly
positioned aperture on the other leg 18, so as to define aplurality of
different height positions on
the frame 14, wherein the position of seat portion 12 can be raised or lowered
on the frame 14.
In Figure 4, the locldng pin 26 is shown in engagement with the lowermost
aperture 28A in the leg
18, so tliat the seat portion 12 is securelyheld under the action of the
locldng pins 26 on the sleeve
formations 16 on either side of the seat portion 12 at that height on the
frame 14. As can be seen,
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the front of the leg 16 is generally in abutment with the front surface 22 of
the bore 20. The upper
region of the rear surface 24 also includes an inclined portion, indicated at
30, and the rear leg 16
is generally in abutment with the transition between the rear surface 24 and
the inclined surface 3 0.
In this engaged position, a user can sit on the seat portion 12 ofthe chair
10. The sleeve formations
16 and seat portion 12 are arranged so that, with a user sat on the seat
portion 12, the direction
of the load on the chair 10 acts to impart a rotational force on the lower end
of the sleeve formation
16, anti-clockwise as sllown in Figure 4, therebybiasing the locking pin 26
ulto the aperture 28A.
It will be appreciated that this action transmits a similar rotational force
to the upperportion ofthe
leg 18, bringing it furtller into contact with front surface 22 of the sleeve
bore 20. This rotational
effect acts to securably hold the seat portion 12 in the chosen height
position on the frame 14.
If a userwishes to raise the seat portion 12 to a different height position,
the usermust first liftthe
front end of the seat portionl2, indicated at 32 in Figure 3, tlzereby
rotating the seat portion 12
clockwise as viewed inFigure 3, until the lockingpins 26 are disengaged from
the apertures 28A,
as shown in Figure 5. The seat portion 12 can thenbe moved upwards along the
upper portion
of the legs 18.
To re-locate the seat portion 12 in a loclced position on the frame 14, the
front 32 of the seat
portion 12 is rotated anti-cloclcwise as viewed in Figure 3, towards the legs
18, to engage the
locking pins 26 in tlie apertures 28 at the desired heightposition,
substantially as described above
with respect to Figure 4.
The above described forward and b ackward rotational movement of the front
portion of tlie chair
10 essentially causes a rocking movement ofthe lower end of the sleeve
formations 16 and the
locking pins 26. Hence, it will be understood that the seat portion 12 is
arranged for rocking
engageinent with the frame 14, via the locking pins 26, at each height
position, for selectively
locking the seat portion 12 at a desired height position.
5

Dessin représentatif