IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0124973
(2005-05-09)
|
등록번호 |
US-7419215
(2008-09-02)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Wilkerson,Larry
- Klassen,Gardner
- Tomandl,Mark
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Flynn, Thiel, Boutell & Tanis, P.C.
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
10 인용 특허 :
11 |
초록
▼
A chair is provided having a seat with a resiliently deflectable shell defining a front portion thereof. The front shell is deflectable downwardly in response to the user. An adjustment mechanism is provided which controls the deflected position of the front shell section to provide for controlled d
A chair is provided having a seat with a resiliently deflectable shell defining a front portion thereof. The front shell is deflectable downwardly in response to the user. An adjustment mechanism is provided which controls the deflected position of the front shell section to provide for controlled deflection of the seat which adjusts the effected length of the seat while also providing for user responsive deflection of the seat.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. A chair comprising: a base having a support post; a seat supported on said support post of said base which said seat defines a support surface for supporting the seat and thighs of an occupant, said seat comprising a rear seat section supported on said base and a flexible fro
What is claimed is: 1. A chair comprising: a base having a support post; a seat supported on said support post of said base which said seat defines a support surface for supporting the seat and thighs of an occupant, said seat comprising a rear seat section supported on said base and a flexible front seat section which extends forwardly from said rear seat section, said front seat section being resiliently flexible in a vertical direction so as to generate a resilient restoring force which resists deflection of said front seat section away from an initial position while permitting downward deflection of said front seat section away from said initial position to a user response position, said support surface having a contour defined by said front and rear seat sections which varies by the deflection of said front seat section relative to said rear seat section between said initial position and said user response position; said seat comprising a seat shell and a thin, flexible cover member connected about its periphery to said seat shell to define an upward facing seat surface for supporting the chair occupant, said seat shell including a bottom section connected to said support post and a support rim which fixedly supports said periphery of said cover member and is spaced above said bottom section to define an open area below said cover member to accommodate downward flexing thereof under load, said seat shell including a front panel disposed below said cover member and projecting forwardly in a forward direction and upwardly to define a front rim section of said support rim, said front panel being formed as one piece of a shell material and having flex facilitating formations defined in said shell material which facilitate downward flexing of said front panel under load wherein said front panel and a front portion of said cover member defines said front seat section that is deflectable downwardly between said initial position and said user response position, said flex facilitating formations comprising a pattern of slots formed in said shell material of said front panel which said slots are sidewardly elongate and forwardly spaced one from another in said forward direction to facilitate downward flexing of said front panel over a forwardly extending extent thereof, said shell material, when flexed, serving to resiliently restore said front panel from said user response position to said initial position. 2. The chair according to claim 1, which includes an adjustment mechanism having a manual actuator and a connector member which is connected to said front panel of said front seat section and is movable by manual operation of said actuator to adjust the deflection of said front seat section relative to said rear seat section. 3. The chair according to claim 2, wherein said actuator is manually moveable to effect movement of said connector member to move said front seat section from said initial position to an adjusted position and maintain said front seat section in said adjusted position while permitting downward movement of said front seat section from said adjusted position to said user response position. 4. The chair according to claim 3, wherein said front panel is resiliently deflectable to define a restoring force which biases said front seat section away from said user response position back to said adjusted position. 5. The chair according to claim 4, wherein said slots open vertically through said front panel to facilitate bending of said front panel downwardly under load. 6. The chair according to claim 3, wherein said connector member is flexible in a downward direction to permit said movement of said front seat section to said user response position either from said adjusted position or from said initial position. 7. The chair according to claim 6, wherein said connector member is a cable which pulls said front seat section downwardly in tension. 8. The chair according to claim 1, wherein said slots open vertically through said front panel to facilitate bending of said front panel downwardly under load. 9. The chair according to claim 1, wherein said front seat section is disposed in cantilevered relation relative to said bottom shell section and said base and is formed of a resiliently flexible elastomeric material. 10. The chair according to claim 1, wherein said cover member includes a cushion overlying said seat shell. 11. A chair comprising: a base having a support frame; a seat supported on said support frame, said seat comprising a horizontally enlarged chair shell having a connector section and a support rim disposed above said connector section, said seat further comprising a flexible cover member suspended from said chair shell in a raised position such that an open area is defined below said cover member, said cover member having contiguous front and rear support sections that define an upward facing support surface which supports the seat and thighs of a chair occupant and has a contour defined by said front and rear support sections, said seat defining an effective seat length of said support surface which extends from a rear portion of the occupant's seat to a contact location on said front portion of said cover member wherein said support surface separates from the thighs of an occupant, said chair shell having said connector section disposed over said support frame and affixed thereto and a front shell section which extends forwardly from said connector section so as to extend forwardly of said support frame in cantilevered relation therewith to support said front support section of said cover member, said front shell section including a pattern of slots therein which facilitate deflection of said front shell section downwardly; and an adjustment mechanism having a manually actuatable connector member engaged with said front shell section forwardly of said support frame wherein said connector member maintains said front shell section in a first position and manual movement of said handle deflects said front shell section vertically relative to said rear shell section away from said first position to an adjusted second position which varies the contour of the support surface to adjust the contact location between said support shell and the thighs of the occupant and adjust the effective seat length, said connector member being moveable in a downward direction in response to the weight and/or movements of an occupant to permit deflection of said front shell section away from said adjusted second position to a user-responsive third position. 12. The chair according to claim 11, wherein said front shell section is resiliently deflectable, and the resiliency of said front shell section generates a restoring force in a first vertical direction and said adjustment mechanism generates an adjustment force through said connector member which acts in a second direction opposite to said first direction to deflect said front shell section. 13. The chair according to claim 12, wherein said front shell section is hidden from above by said cover member. 14. The chair according to claim 11, wherein said adjustment mechanism generates said adjustment force in a downward direction and the resiliency of said front shell section generates said restoring force in an upward direction. 15. A chair comprising: a base; a horizontally enlarged seat comprising a seat shell having a rear shell section supported on said base and a front shell section extending forwardly of said base from said rear shell section, said front shell section being formed of a resiliently deflectable material, said seat shell defining a support rim and said seat further comprising a suspension member suspended about its periphery from said support rim to define an upward facing support surface that overlies and covers said seat shell, said front shell section including flex facilitating formations formed as slots which facilitate bending of said front shell section downwardly along with a front portion of said suspension member suspended therefrom; and an adjustment mechanism having a manual actuator and a connector member which is connected to said front shell section forwardly of said rear shell section and is displaceable upwardly and downwardly relative to said rear shell section by movement of said actuator to deflect said front shell section relative to said rear shell section to an adjusted position, said connector member permitting downward deflection of said front shell section away from said adjusted position in response to downwardly directed forces applied thereto while maintaining said front shell section in said adjusted position in the absence of said downwardly directed forces. 16. The chair according to claim 15, wherein said seat shell generates a restoring force which biases said front shell section back to said adjusted position in the absence of said downwardly directed forces. 17. The chair according to claim 16, wherein said connector member permits said downward deflection of said front shell section away from said adjusted position without manual activation of said actuator. 18. A chair comprising: a base having a support post; a seat supported on said support post of said base which said seat defines a support surface for supporting the seat and thighs of an occupant, said seat comprising a rear seat section supported on said base and a flexible front seat section which extends forwardly from said rear seat section, said front seat section being resiliently flexible in a vertical direction so as to generate a resilient restoring force which resists deflection of said front seat section away from an initial position while permitting downward deflection of said front seat section away from said initial position to a user response position, said support surface having a contour defined by said front and rear seat sections which varies by the deflection of said front seat section relative to said rear seat section between said initial position and said user response position; said seat comprising a seat shell and a thin, flexible cover member having a central cover section and a periphery bounding said central cover section, said cover member being connected about said periphery to said seat shell to suspend said cover member from said seat shell and define an upward facing seat surface for supporting the chair occupant, said seat shell including a bottom section connected to said support post and a support rim which fixedly supports said periphery of said cover member and is spaced above said bottom section to define an open area below said central cover section of said cover member to accommodate downward flexing of said central cover section interiorly of said periphery under load, said seat shell including a front panel disposed below a front portion of said central cover section of said cover member and projecting forwardly and upwardly to define a front rim section of said support rim which supports a corresponding front peripheral portion of said periphery with a front portion of said central cover section adjacent thereto being spaced vertically above an interior portion of said front panel, said interior portion of said front panel having flex facilitating formations which facilitate downward flexing of said front panel under load wherein said front panel and said front portion of said cover member defines said front seat section that is deflectable downwardly between said initial position and said user response position. 19. A chair comprising: a base having a support post; a seat supported on said support post of said base which said seat defines a support surface for supporting the seat and thighs of an occupant, said seat comprising a rear seat section supported on said base and a flexible front seat section which extends forwardly from said rear seat section, said front seat section being resiliently flexible in a vertical direction so as to generate a resilient restoring force which resists deflection of said front seat section away from an initial position while permitting downward deflection of said front seat section away from said initial position to a user response position, said support surface having a contour defined by said front and rear seat sections which varies by the deflection of said front seat section relative to said rear seat section between said initial position and said user response position; said seat comprising a molded seat shell and a thin, flexible cover member connected about its periphery to said seat shell to define an upward facing seat surface for supporting the chair occupant, said seat shell including a bottom section connected to said support post and an annular support rim, which said support rim fixedly supports said periphery of said cover member and is spaced above said bottom section to define an open area below said cover member, said cover member having a central cover section bounded by said periphery which spans said open area in suspension wherein said open area accommodates downward flexing of said central cover section under load, said seat shell including a molded front panel disposed below said cover member and projecting forwardly and upwardly to define a front rim section of said support rim, said front rim section being connected to said periphery wherein a front portion of said cover member is suspended above said front panel in vertically spaced relation, said front panel having flex facilitating formations molded therein which facilitate downward flexing deformation of said front panel under load wherein said front panel and a front portion of said cover member defines said front seat section that is deflectable downwardly between said initial position and said user response position. 20. The chair according to claim 19, wherein said front panel is resiliently deflectable to define a restoring force which biases said front seat section away from said user response position back to said adjusted position. 21. The chair according to claim 20, wherein said flex facilitating formations comprise a pattern of vertical openings formed in said front panel. 22. The chair according to claim 21, wherein said openings comprise slots which are sidewardly elongate and open vertically through said front panel to facilitate bending of said front panel downwardly under load.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.