Leggett & Platt, Inc.

L&p Property Management Company

Herman Miller, Inc.

American Seating Company

Stow/davis Furniture Company

Amstore Corporation

Philip E Crossman

LeRoy Bryan Johnson

Bryan H Zeeuw

Kenneth C Hybarger

David A Young

Timothy P Coffield

William E Stumpf

Donald T Chadwick

Jeffrey W Bruner

Randy J Sayers

Rodney C Schoenfelder

Carolyn Keller

Eric Cammenga

George A Miles

Douglas D Amstutz

Arthur L Van Ryn

Donald D Kelemen

James F Gadsbey

Douglas W Dingler

Steven M Lynch

A tilt mechanism provides improved coordination in the motions of a chair seat and a chair back during chair tilt. In one aspect, the tilt mechanism includes a seat base, a back bracket, a back support bar, a guide track and a back follower member. The seat base is slidably coupled to the chassis and rigidly coupled to the chair seat. The back support bar is configured for moveable engagement with the back bracket coupled with the chair back. Additionally, the back follower member, coupled with the chair back, is received within one or more channels formed in the guide track for moveable engagement therewith. A proportional and asynchronous action is achieved via the back bracket moving relative to and in engagement with the back support bar, the back follower member moving within the guide track and the seat base sliding forwardly relative to the chassis.

Tilt mechanism for a chair

A synchrotilt chair mechanism and a chair are provided. The synchrotilt chair mechanism is for use on a chair that has a base assembly with an extending pedestal, a seat and a back. The mechanism includes a chassis that is coupled to the pedestal and a seat plate that is coupled to the chassis and to the chair seat. The seat plate can slide relative to the chassis. The mechanism further includes a back support bar that is coupled on one end to the chassis. The support bar extends upwardly from the chassis. A pair of arm supports are further included that can be coupled to the chair. Each arm support extends upwardly adjacent one side of the chair seat. The mechanism further includes a back bracket having a pair of ends that extend adjacent a side of the chair. Each end is pivotally coupled to the adjacent arm support. The back bracket further includes a guide plate that mounts to the chair back and that has at least one guide slot. The guide slot slidably and pivotally couples the back bracket to the other end of the back support bar. During recline of the chair, the back bracket pivots about the pivot connection on each arm support and the guide plate guides the lower chair back downwardly and forwardly. In addition, during recline the chair seat slides forwardly on the chassis.

Chair and synchrotilt chair mechanism

A chair includes a control housing, a seat and a back support including an upwardly extending upright portion and a link portion extending forwardly from a lower portion of the upright portion. The link portion is pivotally connected to the control housing about a first pivot axis. The seat is connected to the link portion and is pivotable relative thereto. A linkage is coupled to the seat and is pivotally connected to the control housing at a second pivot axis positioned rearwardly and downwardly from the first pivot axis.

Chair with a linkage assembly

A J-back calibration device is adapted to vary respective positions of the seat and the back on a chair to which it is removedly attached. A chair measurement device is mounted to the seat of the chair and is adapted to take measurements of the chair given a set position of the J-back calibration device. A design of experiments software is provided with test condition information including the variable positions of the J-back calibration device and measurements from the chair measurement device. The software generates a table of configuration settings for the J-back calibration device at which shirt-pull and bridging or other such variable sought to be optimized can be measured and provided to the software. Through graphical and other analytical tools, optimal configuration settings for the variable positions of the J-back calibration device are determined. The J-back of a chair is adapted to these calibrated settings.

Method for optimization of J-back configuration for a chair

A tiltable chair including a base member ( ), a seat ( ), a back ( ), and a linkage assembly ( ) adapted to allow the seat and back to tilt downwardly and rearwardly and to allow pivotal movement of the seat about a pivot axis ( ) in substantial alignment with the hip joints of a user. Other aspects of the invention are to provide a vertically adjustable column ( ) for supporting the seat of the chair, a support assembly including a frame member ( ) having a central opening therethrough and a receptacle formed around the perimeter thereof, a carrier member adapted to fit inside the receptacle, and a membrane of elastic material ( ) covering the central opening, and a pair of armrests ( ) adapted to be mounted to the chair to allow pivotal movement thereof.

Office chair

A chair control mechanism is provided for use on a chair having a separate seat 14 and backrest 16 that move with respect to a base 12 of the chair. The mechanism 22 includes a housing 26 supported on the base, and brackets 28, 30 secured to the seat and backrest. The seat bracket 28 is supported on the housing for pivotal movement about a horizontally extending front pivot axis 68 between an upright position and a reclining position, and the front pivot axis is located adjacent the front end of the housing. The backrest bracket 30 is supported on the housing for pivotal movement about a horizontally extending rear pivot axis 80 that is located rearward of the front pivot axis. A mechanical linkage 70, 78 is connected between the brackets at a position spaced rearward of the rear pivot axis relative to the housing for transmitting pivoting movement between the brackets, and a spring assembly 32 is connected between the housing and the backrest bracket for biasing the seat and backrest toward the upright position.

Synchronized chair seat and backrest tilt control mechanism

In a chair having a base, a seat, a backrest, and a tilt control mechanism, a horizontal adjustment mechanism is provided for allowing fore and aft shifting movement of the seat relative to the backrest. The tilt control mechanism typically includes a pair of rails or other mounting structure by which the control mechanism is normally fastened to the seat. The rails present a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending edges and a plurality of mounting holes arranged in a predetermined pattern. The horizontal adjustment mechanism includes a seat mounting assembly provided with a pair of laterally spaced guides adapted to engage the edges of the rails to support the seat mounting assembly for sliding movement on the control mechanism. The seat mounting assembly presents at least one plurality of mounting holes by which it can be fastened to the seat, and these mounting holes of the seat mounting assembly are arranged in the same pattern as the holes in the rails so that the horizontal adjustment mechanism can be employed on the chair without requiring modification or added expense. Likewise, by employing the rails of the tilt control mechanism to support the guides of the seat mounting assembly, a low profile is presented that reduces the overall height of the seat above the ground.

Chair seat horizontal adjustment mechanism

A chair control mechanism is provided for use on a chair having a separate seat 14 and backrest 16 that move with respect to a base 12 of the chair. The mechanism 22 includes a housing 26 supported on the base, and brackets 28, 30 secured to the seat and backrest. The seat bracket 28 is supported on the housing for pivotal movement about a horizontally extending front pivot axis 68 between an upright position and a reclining position, and the front pivot axis is located adjacent the front end of the housing. The backrest bracket 30 is supported on the housing for pivotal movement about a horizontally extending rear pivot axis 80 that is located rearward of the front pivot axis. A mechanical linkage 70, 78 is connected between the brackets at a position spaced rearward of the rear pivot axis relative to the housing for transmitting pivoting movement between the brackets, and a spring assembly 32 is connected between the housing and the backrest bracket for biasing the seat and backrest toward the upright position. A forward travel-stop control assembly 38 is provided on the mechanism for adjusting the forward most position of the seat and backrest, as is a tilt control assembly 36 which permits the seat and backrest to be locked against tilting movement. The tilt control assembly 36 includes a locking plate 102 supported on the housing for relative translational movement between an extended position in which the locking plate is received in an aperture of the backrest bracket to lock the backrest bracket from further pivotal movement, and a retracted position removed from the aperture to allow further pivotal movement of the seat and backrest. A locking pawl 106 is supported on a lever 104 of the tilt assembly and engages the lock plate 102 to retract and extend the plate when the lever is rotated. In addition, a clutch is interposed between the actuating lever and the locking pawl for exerting a rotating force on the locking pawl to move the locking pawl from the second position when the actuating lever is rotated. The rotating force of the clutch is smaller than the friction force that is exerted on the locking plate when the pivoting force of the spring assembly 32 is exerted on the locking plate such that the locking plate can only be retracted when the friction force is reduced to a magnitude less than the rotating force.

An apparatus for controlling the tilt range of a chair and the resistance to tilting of the chair including a torsion spring mounted to an axle, a tilt rate adjustment mechanism, a forward tilt limiter and a rearward tilt limiter. The tilt rate adjustment mechanism includes an outer sleeve member mounted to the spring. An arm extends radially outward from the sleeve and operably engages a block member threadably attached to a screw. A first and second gear member are actuated to rotate the screw so as to move the block member which thereby moves the arm a desired amount to adjust the initial return torque of the spring. The forward tilt limiter includes an arm extending outwardly from the axle. The arm operably engages a pivot member pivotally attached to a tilt control housing. The rearward tilt limiter also includes an arm extending outwardly from the axle. The arm operably engages a cam member pivotally attached to the tilt control housing.

Tilt control mechanism for a chair

An adaptor housing assembly for mounting an adjustable height work surface to a wall panel of an open office furniture system. The wall panel has a pair of vertical slotted standards which are adapted to receive the hooks of a mounting bracket. The adaptor housing assembly mounts a height adjustable work surface to the vertical slotted standards of the wall panel by clamping a mounting bracket to an adaptor housing in which is mounted a height adjustment mechanism having a frame which is connected to the work surface. The adaptor housing is fixed with respect to the wall panel and the frame of the height adjustment mechanism moves vertically with respect to the wall panel to raise and lower the work surface. The channel guides the moving members of the mechanism to which the work surface is mounted. The adaptor housing has a pair of elongated flanges extending outwardly from one end of the adaptor housing to form a slot which receives an elongated plate having tapped holes. The mounting bracket is affixed to the adaptor housing by screws passing through the mounting bracket and into tapped holes in the elongated plate, thereby clamping the mounting bracket to the adaptor housing as the screws are tightened. The hooks of the mounting bracket engage the vertical slotted standards and support the adaptor housing to which the work surface is mounted by the height adjustment mechanism.

Adaptor housing for mounting an adjustable height work surface to a wall

The invention is a crank which is flush-mounted into a work surface and provides for raising or lowering a vertically adjustable work surface. The crank can be raised from its stored position to a fixed position above the work surface and unfolded providing for rotating the crank to raise or lower the work surface by causing an adjustment screw to thread in or out of an adjustment nut. The crank is returned to its stored position or flush-mounted by folding the crank and pressing downward.

Flush-mounted crank

A low profile knee-tilt chair control for controlling biased tilting between a chair seat plate and a chair base plate of a pedestal base chair wherein the chair base plate is supported by a single vertical spindle at the rear of the base plate, and the chair seat plate pivots about a horizontal axis at the front of the base plate. The chair seat is biased to an at-rest position by a low profile, conical helical compression spring operable between the base plate and chair seat and located between the spindle and the horizontal pivot axis of the base plate. The low profile, conical helical compression spring is so mounted relative to the base plate and chair seat plate that the small coils of the compression spring may pass through the large coils during compression of the spring. The control is further characterized by a lockout for securing the chair seat plate against tilting relative to the base plate in either of two different, selectable, at-rest positions.

Knee-tilt chair control

The specification discloses a chair including side arms readily and conveniently alignable with one another and/or the chair seat at any time, even after the chair is assembled. More specifically, the control includes a chair iron and a pair of side arms pivotally supported by the iron on opposite sides thereof for movement in a generally vertical plane. Further included is a locking mechanism for releasably locking each arm in one of its pivotal positions to fixedly secure the arms in alignment with respect to the chair iron.

Growing community of inventors

Grand Rapids, MI, United States of America

Philip E Crossman