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Modular mechanism for office chairs and the likeModular mechanism for office chairs and the like description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060290182, Modular mechanism for office chairs and the like. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] The present invention relates to a mechanism for office chairs and the like. As is known, office chairs generally have portions with adjustable height and inclination. Said chairs can have the back, and sometimes the seat as well, with adjustable inclination with respect to a main body, for instance box-shaped, which is engaged with an upper end of an upright defining the vertical stand of the chair. The connection between main body and upright is carried out by means of an element substantially shaped as a frustum of cone, integral with the main body and receiving the upper end of the upright. It is known about mechanisms enabling the inclination only of the back, known as "permanent contact" mechanisms, in which the seat is fastened to the main body of the chair whereas the back is hinged to said body. It is further known about mechanisms enabling the independent inclination of back and seat, known as "asynchronous" mechanisms, in which both the back and the seat are hinged outside to the main body. [0002] Then there are mechanisms enabling the simultaneous and proportional inclination, according to a given ratio between the angles, of back and seat, known as "synchronous" mechanisms. In this case the back and the seat are mounted onto the main body through corresponding hinges and are further connected by means of another hinge or connecting element, outside the main body. As is well known, in order to prevent the formation of a three-hinge arc, which would prevent any movement, a slot enabling the reciprocal movement of the parts is provided on one of the three mounting spots. It is also known about mechanisms with inclinable back and seat, integral one with the other, known as "swinging" mechanisms, in which a global back-seat structure is mounted onto a plate hinged to the main body. In all the cases referred to above, it is provided for elastic elements contrasting inclination and the oscillation of the inclinable portions can be selectively prevented by means of suitable known blocking devices, which are generally operatively associated with the back, but can also be associated with the seat and in particular, in the case of asynchronous mechanism, it can be provided for one blocking element for the back and one for the seat. [0003] The prior art, briefly described above, shows some drawbacks. [0004] First of all, all known mechanisms have a high level of design and structural complexity, since in order to obtain the desired movement the mounting position of back and seat should be chosen in a particularly careful way for each type of mechanism. Moreover, known mechanisms should always be designed specifically for each type of desired application, and therefore the possibility to exploit large-scale productions with standard parts is quite limited. This involves high design and installation costs for manufacturing plants, high storage and in general manufacturing costs for chair mechanisms. Furthermore, due to the strong design limitations of said mechanisms, the aesthetical appearance thereof and of the chairs onto which they are mounted is often strongly limited. [0005] Under these circumstances the technical task underlying the present invention is to conceive a mechanism for office chairs and the like that can basically obviate the aforesaid drawbacks. Within said technical task an important aim of the invention is to conceive a mechanism for office chairs granting a high design freedom for the mechanism, for the parts connected thereto and for the chair as a whole. Furthermore, the invention aims at conceiving a mechanism for office chairs that can be carried out in a simple and fast way. Another aim of the invention is a mechanism for office chairs that can easily suit various needs, and that can thus be modified in order to carry out a plurality of types of mechanisms for chairs (for instance swinging, synchronous, asynchronous, permanent contact mechanisms). A further aim of the invention is to provide for a mechanism enabling to keep the aesthetical appearance of the mechanism and of the chair substantially unchanged in the different types of mechanism, for instance from swinging to synchronous mechanism. The invention further aims at conceiving a mechanism that is particularly compact. Eventually, a technical aim of the invention is to conceive a mechanism for office chairs with quite low design and manufacturing costs. The technical task and the aims referred to are basically achieved by a mechanism for office chairs characterized in that it comprises one or more of the technical solutions hereinafter claimed. The following contains to a merely indicative and non-limiting purpose the description of a preferred though not exclusive embodiment of a mechanism according to the invention, shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: [0006] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a mechanism for office chairs according to the present invention; [0007] FIG. 2 is a partially sectioned lateral view of the mechanism of FIG. 1 applied to an office chair; [0008] FIG. 3 is a view from above of the mechanism of FIG. 1; [0009] FIG. 4 is a view like the one in FIG. 2 showing a variant of the first embodiment of the mechanism; [0010] FIG. 5 is a view like the one in FIG. 2 showing a second embodiment of the mechanism; [0011] FIG. 6 is a view like the one in FIG. 2 showing a third embodiment of the mechanism; [0012] FIG. 6a is a view from above of a detail of the mechanism of FIG. 6; [0013] FIG. 7 is a view like the one in FIG. 2 showing a fourth embodiment of the mechanism; [0014] FIG. 8 is a view like the one in FIG. 2 showing a fifth embodiment of the mechanism; [0015] FIG. 9 is a view like the one in FIG. 2 showing a sixth embodiment of the mechanism; [0016] FIG. 10 is a view like the one in FIG. 2 showing a seventh embodiment of the mechanism; [0017] FIG. 11 is a view from above of a eighth embodiment of the mechanism; [0018] FIG. 12 is a lateral view of the mechanism of FIG. 11; [0019] FIG. 13 is a lateral view of a variant of the mechanism of FIG. 12; [0020] FIG. 14 shows the mechanism of FIG. 13 in an inclined operating position; [0021] FIG. 15 shows a lateral view of a main body being part of the mechanisms of FIGS. 11-14. [0022] With reference to the figures just mentioned, a mechanism for office chairs and the like according to the invention is globally referred to with the numeral 1. The mechanism 1 comprises a main body 2 engaging by means of a connecting element 3 with an upper end of an upright 4 defining the vertical stand of a chair 5. A known base 6 is connected to the lower end of the upright 4. [0023] The mechanism 1 further comprises a support element 7 for a back 8 of the chair 5, turnably engaged with the main body 2 by means of first mounting means 9, and a prop element 10 for a seat 11 of the chair 5 mounted onto the main body 2 by means of second mounting means 12. The mechanism 1 further comprises elastic support means, which are known and therefore not shown in the figures, placed at least between the support element 7 and the main body 2. [0024] According to the present invention the first mounting means 9 are at least partially arranged within the main body 2, i.e. they comprise at least a first portion 9a extending within the main body 2. Advantageously, also the second mounting means 12 are at least partially arranged within the main body 2, and therefore comprise at least a corresponding first portion 12a extending within the main body 2, beyond a possible second portion 12b, extending outside the main body 2. The support element 7 of the back 8 and the prop element 10 of the seat 11 can be applied onto the corresponding mounting means on the first or second portions 9a, 12a, 9b, 12b. Continue reading about Modular mechanism for office chairs and the like... Full patent description for Modular mechanism for office chairs and the like Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Modular mechanism for office chairs and the like patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Modular mechanism for office chairs and the like or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Chair system with a suspended balanced inclination seat adjustable by a body weight only Next Patent Application: Medical patient support chair Industry Class: Chairs and seats ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Modular mechanism for office chairs and the like patent info. 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