Patent ID: 6425633
Filing Date: 2002-07-30
Classification: A47C

Abstract:
In an office-type chair having a base, a cantilevered pedestal projecting upwardly from substantially a center of said base, and a seat-back arrangement connected to an upper end of said pedestal, said seat-back arrangement including a generally horizontally enlarged seat assembly and a back assembly projecting upwardly from and adjacent a rear edge of said seat assembly, said seat assembly including a control housing therein which is fixed to an upper end of the pedestal, said pedestal including a height-adjustable pneumatic cylinder unit which has a lower end thereof connected to said base and an upper end thereof connected to said control housing for permitting selected variation in the height of the seat assembly, said cylinder unit having a movable valve actuator projecting from an upper end thereof, and a manually-operable activating mechanism mounted on said seat assembly and cooperating with the valve actuator to permit selected actuation thereof when height adjustment is desired, comprising the improvement wherein:said activating mechanism includes an elongate actuator rod which has one end thereof disposed exteriorly of the seat assembly and provided with a gripping knob thereon, said actuator rod having an interior rod part which is positioned interiorly of the seat assembly and which is positioned closely adjacent and projects transversely relative to the valve actuator and its direction of movement; and a one-piece resilient actuator member including a first part supportingly engaged on said interior rod part, a second part engaged with said valve actuator, and a third part engaged with said control housing, said third part comprising a resilient spring part which reacts between the housing and the interior rod part to normally maintain the interior rod part in a released position wherein the valve actuator is not activated.