Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US20110067931A1/en
Timestamp: 2019-07-16 12:58:17
Document Index: 593507915

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 6', 'art 6', 'art 5', 'art 6', 'art 5', 'art 6', 'art 5', 'art 6', 'art 6', 'art 5', 'art 6', 'art 6', 'art 6', 'arts 6', 'arts 6', 'art 6', 'art 6']

US20110067931A1 - Piece of furniture - Google Patents
US20110067931A1
US20110067931A1 US12/958,798 US95879810A US2011067931A1 US 20110067931 A1 US20110067931 A1 US 20110067931A1 US 95879810 A US95879810 A US 95879810A US 2011067931 A1 US2011067931 A1 US 2011067931A1
US12/958,798
US8025334B2 (en
2008-09-18 Priority to US22533608A priority
2010-12-02 Priority to US12/958,798 priority patent/US8025334B2/en
2010-12-02 Application filed by Johann Burkhard Schmitz, Carola Eva Marianne Zwick, Roland Rolf Otto Zwick, Claudia Plikat filed Critical Johann Burkhard Schmitz
2011-03-24 Publication of US20110067931A1 publication Critical patent/US20110067931A1/en
2011-09-27 Publication of US8025334B2 publication Critical patent/US8025334B2/en
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/225,336, filed Sep. 18, 2008, which was the National Stage under 35 U.S.C. Section 371 of International Application No. PCT/IB2007/00734, filed Mar. 22, 2007, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The difference between the levels N1 and N2 of the upper part 6 in positions I and II is designated as the weighing distance W1, and the spacing between the positions Si and S2 of the slide 26 is designated as the displacement distance V1.
When the arrangement is loaded via the seat, not illustrated, with a second weight force 40 a of a second person which is greater than the first weight force, the upper part 6 is lowered counter to the second spring element 37 in the direction of the arrow y′ downward toward the middle part 5 into the third position III. The third position III is illustrated by thin broken lines. Lowering again takes place according to the articulation of the upper part 6 on the middle part 5 via two parallel arms 31 and 32 on the circular path 42. In positions I and II, the upper part has levels N1 and N2, the difference of which corresponds to a weighing distance W1. This weighing distance W1 is converted via a drive 43 and an output 44 into a displacement distance V1 which is defined as a path difference between positions S1 and S2 of a slide 26. The drive 43 comprises a guide 28 on the upper part 6 and an inclined plane 30 on the middle part 5. These two components give rise, due to a lowering of the guide 28 together with the upper part 6, to a lateral displacement movement of the slide 26 which forms the output 44. In other words, the upper part 6, together with the middle part 5 or with the transmission mechanism operating as a movement converter 41, forms a gear 45 for converting a weighing movement into a displacement movement. In positions I and III, the upper part has the level N1 and a level N3, the difference of which corresponds to a weighing distance W2. This weighing distance W2 is converted via the gear 45 into a displacement distance V2 which is defined as the path difference between the position S1 and a position S3 of the slide 26. The slide 26 slides in the guide 28 from the position Si into the position S2, a support 25, fastened vertically movably to the slide 26, for a first spring element 20 moving on the upper part 6 along a curved path 46 which runs at an approximately constant spacing with respect to a curved run of the first spring element 26 designed as a leaf spring 21. By the path 46 being coordinated with the run of the leaf spring 21, it is possible to avoid a jamming of the support 25 under the spring element 20 in any position of the support 25 or slide 26 and to ensure a smooth movement of the support 25. The smooth movement of the support 25 is implemented by the formation of an interspace 95, 96 and 97 in any position of the support 25, insofar as the piece of furniture 1 is not loaded by a reclining person. As regards the structural implementation of the interspaces, reference is made to FIG. 2 c which has similar validity for FIG. 3. Owing to the smooth moveability which the support achieves as soon as the person sitting on the chair assumes an upright sitting position, a sensitive readjustment of the position of the support 25 is also possible if, for example, the person using the chair grasps a heavy file and puts this down again later. The vertical moveability of the support 25 is achieved by the guidance of a shaft 47 of the support 25 in long holes 48 arranged on the slide 26. As a result, during the displacement of the slide 26, the support 25 can follow the path 46 independently of the run of the guide 28. In the position S3 of the slide 26, belonging to position III, the support 25 has been lowered, according to the run of the path 46, in the direction y′ downward in the long holes 48. The path 46 is configured in its run in such a way that an undesirable jamming of the support 25 between the path 46 and the leaf spring 21 during weighing is prevented. The run of the path 46 is adapted to the run of the leaf spring 21. A return of the slide 26 out of the position S3 or S2 into the position Si takes place, when the seat is relieved of the weight force acting on it, for example, by means of a tension spring 49 which connects the slide 26 to the upper part 6. Such a tension spring 49 is also provided, for example, for the pieces of furniture illustrated in FIGS. 2 a and 2 b. As already mentioned in the description of FIGS. 2 a and 2 b, the displacement of the support 25 influences the hardness of the leaf spring 21 with which the latter supports an inclination movement of a seat, not illustrated, on the upper part 6. In the nonloaded position I, the first spring element 20 basically already has a prestress, by means of which the seat, not illustrated, is already supported against a basic loading of the piece of furniture with, for example, 40 kg. Such a prestress is generated in a tension slit 72 for the leaf spring 21 by the leaf spring 21 being fixed between an upper counterbearing OG and a lower counterbearing UG. In a consideration of the lower counterbearing UG and the support 25, the lower counterbearing UG is to be defined as a first support and the support 25 as a second support for the leaf spring 21.
FIG. 7 c illustrates the piece of furniture 1 without the cloth covering and without the height adjustment device and the base, once again in the nonloaded position I. It can be seen in this view that the upper parts 6 a, 6 b of the piece of furniture 1 are not connected to one another directly. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the carriers 77, 78, too, are connected to one another only by means of the cloth covering, not illustrated. According to design variants indicated by broken lines, the upper parts 6 a, 6 b and/or the carriers 77, 78 are connected by means of at least one flexible or rigid crossmember 81 or 82. Alternatively or additionally to this, there is also provision for connecting the upper part 6 a and the carrier 78 and/or the upper part 6 b and the carrier 79 via at least one diagonal crossmember. The upper legs 77 a and 78 a of the two carriers 77 and 78 are supported in each case with projections 22 a and 22 b on spring elements 20 a, 20 b of the two spring mechanisms SM, the spring elements 20 a, 20 b being designed as leaf springs 21 a and 21 b.
29 Lower end of 26
260 a-260 d Position of 259 on 239
2. A body support structure according to claim 1 wherein the movement converter comprises a cable coupled between the weighing mechanism and the spring mechanism.
3. A body support structure according to claim 2 wherein at least a portion of the weighing mechanism is arranged in a housing.
4. A body support structure according to claim 3 wherein the housing comprises a counterbearing for a guide housing the cable.
5. A body support structure according to claim 1 wherein the height adjustment device comprises a pneumatic spring having a pressure tube and a piston rod moveable in the pressure tube.
6. A body support structure according to claim 5 wherein the movement converter further comprises a coupling arranged on the pressure tube, and wherein the cable comprises a first cable coupled between the weighing mechanism and the coupling, and a second cable coupled between the coupling and the spring mechanism.
7. A body support structure according to claim 6 wherein the coupling is adapted to permit relative rotation about a vertical axis between the weighing mechanism and the spring mechanism.
8. A body support structure according to claim 7 wherein the coupling comprises an upper ring vertically and non-rotatably moveable relative to a lower ring.
9. A body support structure according to claim 8 further comprising an inner ring rotatably moveable relative to the upper ring.
10. A body support structure according to claim 9 wherein the inner ring is rotatable with the spring mechanism relative to the upper and lower rings, which are non-rotatable relative to the weighing mechanism.
11. A body support structure according to claim 5 wherein the piston rod is coupled to the axial bearing.
21. A body support structure according to claim 20 wherein the first cable is coupled to an axial bearing supporting the height adjustment device.
US12/958,798 2006-03-24 2010-12-02 Piece of furniture Active US8025334B2 (en)
US22533608A true 2008-09-18 2008-09-18
US12/958,798 US8025334B2 (en) 2006-03-24 2010-12-02 Piece of furniture
US12225336 Continuation
PCT/IB2007/000734 Continuation WO2007110732A2 (en) 2006-03-24 2007-03-22 Piece of furniture
US22533608A Continuation 2008-09-18 2008-09-18
US20110067931A1 true US20110067931A1 (en) 2011-03-24
US8025334B2 US8025334B2 (en) 2011-09-27
CN103156419A (en) * 2012-11-16 2013-06-19 张东赋 Self-adaptation elastic chair composed of steel ring springs and hinge four-bar mechanism
TWM515403U (en) * 2015-08-19 2016-01-11 Dong-Her Wu Waist fitness equipment structure
US20090261637A1 (en) 2009-10-22
US7735923B2 (en) 2010-06-15 Tilt control mechanism for a chair