Patent Publication Number: US-2006001297-A1

Title: Chair

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a chair, and more particularly to a chair-type massage device having independent actuating or operating devices to actuate or to operate seats, seat backs, and foot supports.  
      2. Description of the Prior Art  
      Various kinds of typical chairs, such as chair-type massage devices have been developed for supporting users, and comprise a massage device disposed in or attached to seat backs of the chairs, for massaging back portions of the users.  
      For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,082 to Yamanaka et al. discloses one of the typical chair-type massage devices, and comprise a seat back pivotally attached to a seat, and tiltable relative to the seat with an actuator, and a foot support pivotally or retractably attached to the seat with a linkage, for allowing the foot support to be extended out of the seat to an extending position, or moved toward the seat to a receiving or storing position.  
      The typical chair-type massage device also includes one or more massage devices disposed in or attached to the seat backs and/or the seats of the chairs, for massaging back portions and the buttocks of the users.  
      However, the seat may not be rotated or tilted or adjusted to the ground. The actuator for controlling the seat back should be actuated or operated with a handle, such that the users have to rotate or to force the handle relative to the chair, before the seat backs may be rotated or adjusted relative to the seats of the chairs. In addition, the foot support is also required to be actuated or operated with a handle before the foot support may be rotated or adjusted relative to the seat, such that the users may not relax their muscles to comfortably use the massage device.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 6,685,271 to the present application, Chang, discloses another typical chair-type massage device comprising a foot support pivotally or retractably attached to the seat with an actuator, and having a slidable foot pedal movable relative to the foot support with the actuator, in order to suitably support the feet of the users at selected positions. However, only the foot support may be easily adjusted relative to the seat. The seat back and the seat itself also may not be easily adjusted relative to the support base.  
      The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional chairs.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a chair including independent actuating or operating devices to actuate or to operate seats, seat backs, and foot supports respectively.  
      In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a chair comprising a base, a seat rotatably attached to the base with a pivot axle, to allow the seat to be rotated relative to the base, a first actuator coupled between the seat and the base, to adjust the seat relative to the base, a seat back rotatably attached to the seat with a pivot shaft, to allow the seat back to be rotated relative to the seat, a second actuator coupled between the seat and the seat back, to adjust the seat back relative to the seat, a foot support rotatably attached to the seat with a pivot pole, to allow the foot support to be rotated relative to the seat, and a third actuator coupled between the foot support and the seat, to adjust the foot support relative to the seat. The seat is adjustable relative to the base, and the seat back is adjustable independently relative to the seat, and the foot support is adjustable independently relative to the seat.  
      The seat includes a frame extended therefrom, and a bar extended from the frame and coupled to the first actuator. The seat may further include another bar extended from the frame and coupled to the third actuator.  
      The foot support includes a plate having a bracket extended therefrom and coupled to the third actuator. The foot support includes a foot pedal slidably attached to the plate and movable relative to the plate.  
      The plate includes at least one track provided therein, the foot pedal is slidably attached to the plate with the at least one track. The foot support includes a fourth actuator coupled between the foot pedal and the plate, to adjust the foot pedal relative to the plate.  
      Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a side view of a chair in accordance with the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating a foot support for the chair;  
       FIG. 3  is a side view similar to  FIG. 1 , illustrating the tilting operation of the seat relative to a supporting base;  
       FIG. 4  is a side view similar to  FIGS. 1, 3 , illustrating the tilting operation of the seat back relative to the seat;  
       FIG. 5  is a side view similar to  FIGS. 1, 3 ,  4 , illustrating the tilting operation of the foot support relative to the seat; and  
       FIG. 6  is a side view similar to  FIGS. 1 and 3 - 5 , illustrating the extending operation of the foot support. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      Referring to the drawings, and initially to  FIG. 1 , a chair in accordance with the present invention is preferably a chair-type massage device, and comprises a supporting base  10  for stably engaging with and for being supported on ground, and a seat  20  rotatably or pivotally attached to the base  10  with a pivot axle  11 , at a middle or rear portion  21  thereof, to allow the seat  20  to be rotated or adjusted relative to the base  10  ( FIGS. 1, 3 ).  
      The seat  20  includes one or more, such as two frames  22  attached thereto, or extended downwardly therefrom, and preferably received in the base  10 , and includes one or more, such as two bars  23 ,  24  attached thereto, or extended therefrom, and preferably provided in bottom portion of the frames  22 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 - 6 .  
      A pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder or actuator  12  is coupled between the base  10  and the seat  20 . For example, the actuator  12  includes one end  13  pivotally attached to the base  10  with a pivot pin  14  ( FIGS. 1, 3 ), and the other end  15  pivotally attached to the bar  23  of the frame  22  of the seat  20  with a pivot pin  16  (FIGS.  1 ,  3 - 6 ), to allow the seat  20  to be easily rotated or adjusted relative to the base  10  with the actuator  12  ( FIGS. 1, 3 ).  
      A seat back  30  includes a lower portion  31  rotatably or pivotally attached to the seat  20  with a pivot shaft  17 , to allow the seat back  30  to be rotated or adjusted relative to the seat  20  ( FIGS. 1 , and  3 - 6 ). The seat back  30  may include a massage device disposed therein (not shown), for massaging the back portions of the users.  
      Another pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder or actuator  33  is coupled between the seat back  30  and the seat  20 . For example, the actuator  33  includes one end  34  pivotally attached to the seat  20 , and the other end  35  pivotally attached to the lower portion  31  of the seat back  30 , to allow the seat back  30  to be easily rotated or adjusted relative to the seat  20  with the actuator  33 .  
      A foot support  4  includes a plate  40  rotatably or pivotally attached to the seat  20  with a pivot pole  18 , to allow the foot support  4  to be rotated or adjusted relative to the seat  20  ( FIGS. 1, 4 ; and  3 ,  5 - 6 ). The plate  40  includes a bracket  41  extended downwardly therefrom, and includes one or more, such as two tracks  42  provided thereon, to slidably attach a foot pedal  43  to the plate  40  with the tracks  43 .  
      A further pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder or actuator  44  is provided and coupled between the plate  40  of the foot support  4  and the seat  20 . For example, the actuator  44  includes one end  45  pivotally attached to the bracket  41  of the foot support  4 , and the other end  46  pivotally attached to the bar  24  of the frame  22  of the seat  20 , to allow the foot support  4  to be easily rotated or adjusted relative to the seat  20  with the actuator  44 .  
      In addition, a still further pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder or actuator  47  may further be provided and coupled between the plate  40  and the foot pedal  43  of the foot support  4 . For example, the actuator  47  includes one end  48  pivotally attached to the plate  45  of the foot support  4 , and the other end  49  pivotally attached to the foot pedal  43 , to allow the foot pedal  43  to be easily moved or adjusted relative to the plate  4  with the actuator  47 .  
      It is to be noted that the seat  20  may be easily rotated or adjusted relative to the base  10  with the actuator  12 , and the seat back  30  may be easily and independently rotated or adjusted relative to the seat  20  with the other actuator  33 , and the foot support  4  may be easily and independently rotated or adjusted relative to the seat  20  with the further actuator  44 , and the foot pedal  43  may be easily and independently moved or adjusted relative to the plate  4  with the still further actuator  47 .  
      The chair thus includes a simplified control apparatus to adjust the base  10  relative to the actuator  12 , and to adjust the seat back  30  relative to the seat  20 , and to adjust the foot support  4  relative to the seat  20 , and to adjust the foot pedal  43  relative to the plate  4  with different and independent actuators  12 ,  33 ,  44 ,  47 , without interfering the adjustment of the other elements or members.  
      Accordingly, the chair in accordance with the present invention includes independent actuating or operating devices to actuate or to operate the seats, the seat backs, and the foot supports and/or the foot pedals respectively, without interfering the adjustment of the other elements or members.  
      Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.