Patent ID: 6776456
Filing Date: 2004-08-17
Classification: A47C

Abstract:
A gliding chair unit comprising:a base frame including opposite left and right rods that extend in a longitudinal direction, and opposite front and rear rods that extend in a transverse direction relative to said longitudinal direction and that interconnect said left and right rods; an upper frame mounted slidably on said base frame, and including front and rear rods that are disposed above and aligned with said front and rear rods of said base frame, respectively, and left and right rods that extend in said longitudinal direction, that interconnect said front and rear rods of said upper frame, and that are respectively disposed adjacent to said left and right rods of said base frame, said upper frame being slidable on said base frame in said transverse direction between a left position, in which said right rod of said upper frame is disposed leftwise of said right rod of said base frame in said transverse direction and in which said left rod of said upper frame is disposed leftwise of said left rod of said base frame in said transverse direction, and a right position, in which said right rod of said upper frame is disposed rightwise of said right rod of said base frame in said transverse direction, and in which said left rod of said upper frame is disposed rightwise of said left rod of said base frame in said transverse direction; left and right seat members mounted securely on said upper frame, and disposed adjacent to said left and right rods of said upper frame, respectively; a footrest panel disposed between said left and right seat members, connected securely to said front and rear rods of said base frame, and having left and right sides, each of which has opposite front and rear ends; a cushioning unit including left and right cushioning members, each of which includes a first bracket fixed to one of said front and rear ends of a respective one of said left and right sides of said footrest panel and projecting outwardly therefrom in said transverse direction, and a first roller that is made from an elastomeric material and that is mounted rotatably on said first bracket; and a gliding mechanism disposed between said base frame and said upper frame to permit gliding movement of said upper frame on said base frame between said left and right positions, said gliding mechanism including left and right rail units disposed respectively adjacent to said left and right sides of said footrest panel, and left and right wheel units slidably and respectively engaging said left and right rail units, each of said left and right rail units including curved upper and lower front rails that are respectively formed on said front rods of said base and upper frames and that define a front wheel-receiving space therebetween, and curved upper and lower rear rails that are respectively formed on said rear rods of said base and upper frames and that define a rear wheel-receiving space therebetween which is opposite to said front wheel-receiving space, each of said left and right wheel units including a connecting rod that extends in said longitudinal direction and that has two opposite ends, and a pair of front and rear wheels that are respectively mounted on said opposite ends of said connecting rod, that are respectively received in said front and rear wheel-receiving spaces in a respective one of said left and right rail units, and that slidably and respectively engage said curved upper and lower front rails and said curved upper and lower rear rails of the respective one of said left and right rail units, each of said curved upper front and rear rails having an inner end projecting toward said footrest panel, said first roller of said right cushioning member colliding against said inner end of an adjacent one of said curved upper front and rear rails of said right rail unit when said upper frame is moved to said left position, said first roller of said left cushioning member colliding against said inner end of an adjacent one of said curved upper front and rear rails of said left rail unit when said upper frame is moved to said right position.