US3883174A

US3883174A - Adjustable chair

Info

Publication number: US3883174A
Application number: US495035A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joan C Roscoe
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1974-08-05
Filing date: 1974-08-05
Publication date: 1975-05-13
Anticipated expiration: 1992-05-13

Abstract

A four-legged chair having a seat with a back adjustable between a straight position and an inclined rest position relative to the seat and through use of push button release mechanisms associated with each of the arm rests of the seat.

Description

United States Patent Roscoe May 13, 1975 [54] ADJUSTABLE CHAIR 2,173,770 9/1939 Stantow 297/355 X 2,690,793 10 1954 P d [76] Inventor: Joan C. Roscoe, 27 Merryfield Ave., e erson 297/359 Waterville, Maine 04901 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [22 Filed: g 5 1974 l02,997 11/1941 Sweden 297/355 [2]] Appl' 495035 Primary Examiner-Roy D. Frazier Assistant Examiner-Peter A. Aschenbrenner [52] US. Cl 297/355; 297/360 {PIILIdCLfU 57 S C 1 le 0 earc A four-legged chair having a seat with a back adjust- [56] References Cited able between a straight position and an inclined rest position relative to the seat and through use of push UNITED STATES PATENTS button release mechanisms associated with each of the Brown t X arm rests of the seat 795,535 7/1905 Nabal 2,173,283 9/1939 Lorenz et a1 297/359 X 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures ADJUSTABLE CHAIR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to chairs and more particularly to a novel and improved chair including arm rests having push button release mechanisms associated with the back of the chair for moving the chair back between a vertical upright position and a reclined rest position for the complete comfort of an individual using the chair.

2. Description of the Prior Art Chairs of various types, structures and configurations are known in the prior art, with some of such chairs having inclining seats, reclining back rests, foot rests, and the like requiring complex linkage mechanisms and operating mechanisms such that the chairs are expensive to manufacture and thus expensive to purchase at the retail level. Accordingly, while many individuals would desire to own such a chair, such individuals hesitate to purchase the same due to the high initial cost thereof, and if the individual should incur such expense, it is quite doubtful as to whether more than a single chair would be purchased due to the high initial cost, even though the individual might desire to have a set of the chairs about the house.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention recognizes the appealability of chairs having reclining back rests to individuals, and recognizing the high cost and complex mechanism associated with presently available chairs having reclining features, provides a novel solution thereto in the form of a chair having novel arm rest supports with telescopically adjustable sliding members disposed therein and connected to the back rest for ease of push button release on the arm' rest for adjusting the angle of reclining of the back rest between a vertical upright position and the maximum reclining position.

It is a feature of the present invention to provide a novel chair structure having a reclining back rest.

A further feature of the present invention provides a chair structure having a reclining back rest and which is relatively simple in its construction and which therefore may be readily manufactured at a relatively low cost and by simple manufacturing methods utilizing readily available materials so as to be competitively priced at a retail level with chairs not having the reclining feature, the retail price being sufficiently low to encourage widespread use and purchase of the chair.

Still a further feature of the present invention provides a novel chair structure with reclining back rests which is easy to use and reliable and efficient in operation, and which is of a rugged and durable construction such that it may be guaranteed by the manufacturer to withstand many years of intended usage.

Still yet a further feature of the present invention provides a novel chair with reclining back rest which is of an aesthetically pleasing and refined appearance.

Other features and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like reference characters are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a chair having a reclining back rest in accord with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the back rest;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the arm support of the chair and the positions of the back rest;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of a portion of the arm rest with the push button release mechanism disclosed in detail; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 55 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in detail there is illustrated a preferred form of a chair structure having a reclining back rest and which is constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and which is designated generally in its entirety by the reference numeral 10, the chair comprised generally of a pair of inverted generally U-shaped supporting legs 11 supporting a seat 12 between their bight portions 13 and each bight portion having weldingly affixed at one end thereof an end of an arcuate semi-circular hollow tubular arm rest 14 having telescopically slidably re ceived therein associated ones of the back rest arcuate semi-circular supports 15 which, in turn, are secured by bolting or welding to opposite bottom ends of generally flat back rest 16.

Each of the arm rests 14 are of a hollow semi-circular tubular configuration having end 21 permanently affixed to bight portion 13 of an associated pair of the legs 11, the opposite end 22 terminating at a position adjacent the front end portion of the seat 12. An arcuate extending tubular passageway 23 extends between

ends

21 and 22. The side walls 24 are provided with an elongated rectangular slot extending longitudinally circumferally along the innermost surface of the side wall at the maximum vertical height area thereof.

A circular aperture 31 extends through the topmost portion of the side wall 24 on the forward portion of the arm rest 14. A release button 32 is associated with each aperture 31 and has an enlarged button shaped head portion 33 with a bottom surface 34 resting on the top portion of side wall 24 and with a cylindrical shank 35 having one end connected to bottom surface 34 and extending outwardly therefrom through aperture 31 and diametrically through passageway 23 and terminating adjacent the diametric opposite end of passageway 23. A radially extending flat washer member 36 is affixed concentrically inwardly of the bottom end 37 of the shaft 35 with there being disposed concentrically with the shaft intermediate washer 36 and the interior of passageway 23 about aperture 31 a spiral coiled spring 38 resiliently biasing washer member 36 and shaft 35 in a direction inwardly of passageway 23.

Telescopically received concentric with outer arm rests 14 in passageway 23 are the arcuate tubes 15 supporting back rest 16, the tubes being disposed concentrically in passageway 23 and slidable therealong between selective positions varying from the back rest 16 being disposed in a vertically upright position, and back rest 16 being set in its maximum reclined position, such as designed by reference numeral 16 in FIG. 3.

Each of the tubes 15 are of a hollow configuration having back end 41 and a front end 42 defining a passageway 43 therebetween as defined by side walls 44.

An elongated rectangularly shaped longitudinally extending slot 45 extends circumferally along the central forward top portion of side walls 44 to permit telescopic sliding movement of tube 15 within arm rest 14 with the slots passing about the coiled spring 38 and shank 35 without interfering with the operation of thereof. Disposed in the central forward bottom portion of side walls 44 in the general vicinity of the slot 45 and diametrically opposed therefrom are a plurality of aligned circumferally extending and spaced apart openings 46 each adapted to be placed in axial registration with shaft 35 for engagement thereby to retain the tubes 15 in selectable telescopic positions within arm rests 14.

A support bracket 51 of a flat generally triangular shape has its base edge 52 of an arcuate configuration in engagement with side walls 44 along the central bottom portion thereof and affixed thereto, the bracket projecting outwardly of the side walls 24 of arm rests 14 through slot 25 and being pivotally connected by a pivot pin 53 to a bracket 54 associated with the sides of seat 12, the support bracket extending beyond the pivot point and terminating in a terminal end 55 having a leading edge 56 and a trailing edge 57 which are adapted to engage stop members 58 and 59 respectively which determine the maximum reclined position and the maximum upright position of the back rest 16. The stop members 58 and 59 are preferably blocks which are affixed to the bracket 54 or to the sides of the seat 12.

Side walls 44 adjacentmost to the tubular support members 61 of back rest 16 adjacent end 41 are affixed thereto, such as by welding, bolts, or the like, with there being provided an arcuate slot 62 in the side walls 24 of arm rests 14 adjacent end 21 to permit for the sliding of tube 15 therethrough to guide the back rest 16 between the selected upright and selected reclined positions.

In operation, an individual sitting in seat 12 lifts up on the heads 33 of release buttons 32 to free the terminal end 37 from apertures 46, adjusts the back rest 16 to the desired angle within the limits of stop members 58 and 59, and then releases the release buttons 32 which are urged by spring 38 in a downward direction to engage an aperture 46 to lock the back rest in the selected position.

There is thus provided a novel chair structure having a selectably adjustable back rest movable between an upright position and a reclined position, the reclining mechanism being of an inexpensive and readily manufactured structure requiring no maintenance or repair problems and, as such, should meet with widespread commercial acceptance.

It is to be understood that the form of this invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that this invention is not to be limited to the exact arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specification as various changes in the details of construction as to shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of the novel concepts thereof, or the scope of the sub-joined claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed l. A chair comprising:

a pair of spaced apart inverted generally U-shaped leg members each having a top bight portion;

a horizontal seat resting on the bight portions and secured thereto;

a pair of arm rests, one arm rest associated with each leg member and having one end fixedly attached to a back end of the associated leg member bight portion with the arm rest projecting upwardly and forwardly therefrom in an arcuate semi-circular manner;

a passageway defined interiorly of each arm rest member and extending axially therethrough;

a tubular member telescopically received in each of the arm rest passageways and movable axially therealong;

control means associated with each arm rest member and engagable with each tube member telescopically received therein to selectively lock the tube member in any selected telescopic position therein;

a pair of bracket members, each bracket member associated with one of the tubular members at a central portion thereof and extending outwardly therefrom through appropriate slots in the arm rest members to a position adjacent opposite sides of the seat;

pivot means pivotally connecting the projecting free end portion of each bracket to the seat for guided pivotal movement of the bracket thereabout;

a pair of stop members associated with the terminal end of each bracket on each side of the seat, the stop members being disposed in front and in back of the leading and trailing edges respectively of the terminal edge to limit the maximum rearward and forward angular pivotal movement of the bracket relative to the seat; and

a generally flat back rest member including side supports interconnected by a top edge and a bottom edge and extending intermediate the arm rest members adjacent the back end portions thereof, each side edge being fixedly attached to an adjacentmost end of the telescopic tubular member within the associated arm rest member for simultaneous movement therewith as permitted by an arcuate slot extending through a side wall portion of the arm rest member at the back portion thereof;

whereby telescopic movement of the tubular member forwardly of the arm rest members effects the movement of the back rest member to a maximum upright position as determined by the stop member engaging the trailing edge of the bracket, and sliding telescopic movement of the tubular member rearwardly of the arm rest members places the back rest member at any selected reclined position up to a maximum reclined position determined by the stop member engaging the leading edge of the support brackets.

2. The chair as set forth in claim 1 wherein each arm rest member is of a hollow unitary tubular configuration bent into an arcuate semi-circular shape having a back end, a front end, a tubular passageway extending therethrough, and surrounding side walls; an elongated rectangularly shaped longitudinally extending slot disposed in the central bottom portion of the arcuate side walls and extending circumferally therealong intermediate the front and back portions thereof and of a size to permit the support bracket to pass freely therethrough and move freely therealong during telescopic adjustment movements of the tubular back rest members; and an aperture extending diametrically through a top portion of the side walls diametrically opposed to the slot and forwardly thereof for association with the release button; and an arcuately curved slot extending along the side wall in communication with the passageway from a position adjacent the arm rest member back end to a position forwardly thereof, the side wall surface in which the slot is disposed being that surface adjacentmost to the side of the chair seat.

3. The chair as set forth in claim 2 wherein the back rest tubular members each comprise a hollow arcuately curved semi-circular tubular member of a diameter to be telescopically received within the arm rest member passageway and slidable axially therethrough, the tubular member having a front end, a back end, a hollow passageway extending therethrough, and side walls disposed in guiding juxtaposition with the interior side walls of the arm rest passageway; an elongated rectangularly shaped longitudinally extending slot disposed along a top portion of the tubular side walls in a position about the arm rest member aperture so as to not interfere with operation of the release button during telescopic movement of the tubular member relative to the arm rest member; a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart diametrically extending holes disposed in the tubular member side walls along the forward bottom portion thereof, the holes adapted to be brought into axial registration with a portion of the release button for selective locking of telescopic movement of the tubular member in the arm rest member; the back rest including a pair of side supporting members terminating at a horizontal top edge and a horizontal bottom edge, the side supporting members of the back rest adjacent the bottom edge thereof being associated with one of the tubular members and fixed thereto through the associated arcuate slots of the arm rest members such that rearward movement of the tubular members relative to the arm rest members will effect the reclining movement of the back rest, with forward movement of the tubular members in the arm rest member effecting the movement of the back rest toward the upright vertical position.

4. The chair as set forth in claim 3 wherein the release button comprises:

an enlarged button shaped head member having a flat bottom surface adapted to restingly engage the top portion of the arm rest member about the aperture extending therethrough; an elongated solid cylindrical shaft having one end affixed to the bottom surface of the head portion with the shaft extending outwardly therefrom through the arm rest member aperture and through the associated tubular member slot inwardly of the arm rest and tubular member passageway and terminating adjacent the opposite end of the arm rest passageway, the shaft being of a diameter to be removably received within the openings in the tubular members to lockingly adjust the position of the tubular member relative to the arm rest member; a washer shaped disc secured to the shaft adjacent the terminal end thereof and forming an angular shoulder thereabout; and a spiral coil spring disposed concentrically about the shaft between the shoulder forming washer member and the interior surface of the arm rest member immediately about the arm rest member aperture and biasing the shaft inwardly of the passageway for engagement with any one of the adjustment openings of the tubular member which are brought into axial registration therewith.

Claims

1. A chair comprising: a pair of spaced apart inverted generally U-shaped leg members each having a top bight portion; a horizontal seat resting on the bight portions and secured thereto; a pair of arm rests, one arm rest associated with each leg member and having one end fixedly attached to a back end of the associated leg member bight portion with the arm rest projecting upwardly and forwardly therefrom in an arcuate semicircular manner; a passageway defined interiorly of each arm rest member and extending axially therethrough; a tubular member telescopically received in each of the arm rest passageways and movable axially therealong; control means associated with each arm rest member and engagable with each tube member telescopically received therein to selectively lock the tube member in any selected telescopic position therein; a pair of bracket members, each bracket member associated with one of the tubular members at a central portion thereof and extending outwardly therefrom through appropriate slots in the arm rest members to a position adjacent opposite sides of the seat; pivot means pivotally connecting the projecting free end portion of each bracket to the seat for guided pivotal movement of the bracket thereabout; a pair of stop members associated with the terminal end of each bracket on each side of the seat, the stop members being disposed in fronT and in back of the leading and trailing edges respectively of the terminal edge to limit the maximum rearward and forward angular pivotal movement of the bracket relative to the seat; and a generally flat back rest member including side supports interconnected by a top edge and a bottom edge and extending intermediate the arm rest members adjacent the back end portions thereof, each side edge being fixedly attached to an adjacentmost end of the telescopic tubular member within the associated arm rest member for simultaneous movement therewith as permitted by an arcuate slot extending through a side wall portion of the arm rest member at the back portion thereof; whereby telescopic movement of the tubular member forwardly of the arm rest members effects the movement of the back rest member to a maximum upright position as determined by the stop member engaging the trailing edge of the bracket, and sliding telescopic movement of the tubular member rearwardly of the arm rest members places the back rest member at any selected reclined position up to a maximum reclined position determined by the stop member engaging the leading edge of the support brackets.

4. The cHair as set forth in claim 3 wherein the release button comprises: an enlarged button shaped head member having a flat bottom surface adapted to restingly engage the top portion of the arm rest member about the aperture extending therethrough; an elongated solid cylindrical shaft having one end affixed to the bottom surface of the head portion with the shaft extending outwardly therefrom through the arm rest member aperture and through the associated tubular member slot inwardly of the arm rest and tubular member passageway and terminating adjacent the opposite end of the arm rest passageway, the shaft being of a diameter to be removably received within the openings in the tubular members to lockingly adjust the position of the tubular member relative to the arm rest member; a washer shaped disc secured to the shaft adjacent the terminal end thereof and forming an angular shoulder thereabout; and a spiral coil spring disposed concentrically about the shaft between the shoulder forming washer member and the interior surface of the arm rest member immediately about the arm rest member aperture and biasing the shaft inwardly of the passageway for engagement with any one of the adjustment openings of the tubular member which are brought into axial registration therewith.