AU657856B2

AU657856B2 - Control means for adjusting mechanisms of seating devices

Info

Publication number: AU657856B2
Application number: AU38334/93A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Konrad Neumuller
Original assignee: Sifa Sitzfabrik GmbH
Current assignee: Sifa Sitzfabrik GmbH
Priority date: 1992-05-15
Filing date: 1993-05-03
Publication date: 1995-03-23
Anticipated expiration: 2013-05-03
Also published as: DE4216173A1; EP0574688A1; CA2096325A1; AU3833493A

Description

I T I- 7 657856

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT ar a P.

Applicant(s): SIFA SITZFABRIK GMBH Invention Title: CONTROL MEANS FOR ADJUSTING MECHANISMS OF SEATING DEVICES 1 1 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: I- LL i 2 SIFA Sitzfabrik GmbH Control means for adjusting mechanisms of seating devices Description The present invention relates to a control means for adjusting mechanisms of seating devices. th a 1 Control means for adjustment mechanisms of seating devices, wherein a force transfer element is used to activate a mechanism of a seating device agains the force of a spring element, are known.

For example, E shows a locking device for locking S individual parts of office chairs, wherein clamping lamellae are clamped tight by the force of a spring, and the clamping can be released by activating a handle against the force of the spring.

Frequently with such clamping devices, as in EP 0 139 939 Al, clamping jaws or clamping brackets are used. The operation of such clamping devices is often found to be difficult. They also become slack in time and can only be reset with difficulty, if at all. The positioning of the associated release handles or release keys are subject to technical limitations, since levers or rods are generally used.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to create a control means of the type mentioned above, which is easy to operate i S3 and ro-adjustable and which can be arranged practically anywhere on the seating device.

According to the present invention there is provided control means for adjusting a mechanism of a seating device, by means of a force transmission element a mechanism of a seating device is activated against the force of a spring element, the force transmission element comprising a Bowden cable consisting of a wire and a metal spiral surrounding same, the wire of the Bowden cable being attached on one side to a control lever and on the other side to a release for the spring element, the control lever being displaceable and adapted to assume a basic position in which it does not apply enough force on the Bowden cable to activate the release, a holding position in which it applies enough force to activate the release and_,w= the adjusting mechanism, and a release position wherein further movement of the control lever causes the control lever to spring back into the basic position.

The force transfer can be affected either by pulling the i wire at the release by activating the release lever or by pressing the release of the metal spiral which surrounds the wire by means of activating the release lever.

I According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the control lever is arranged in the seat platform, the seat bowl, or the arm rest of the seating device, and the release in the seat carrier of the seating device. i It is an advantage that the release lever i, its basic position does not exert force on the Bowden cable that is sufficient for activating the release, and the release lever can be brought to a stop position by moving it in a direction in which it exerts a force sufficient for activating the release and thus the adjusting mechanism, S staifama/keepJ3a334.93 16.12 i Ii -j r 1 3Awherein a further movement of the release lever in the same direction lets the lever spring back into the basic position through the pressure of a spring.

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2/2 13 17 According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the release lever consists of a bearing support rigidly connected to the seat platform, the seat bowl or the arm rest, a pivotably mounted lever connected to the Bowden cable, and a locking element pivotably mounted at the lever, wherein a pressure spring is used between the locking element and the lever, and wherein the locking element can be brought into a locked position by pushing the lever in the direction of the bearing support with a catch against the bearing support.

This preferred embodiment can be designed in such a way that the locking element is designed as a plate and arranged between the legs i of the U-shaped lever, and the lever is arranged between the legs of the U-shaped bearing support.

It is an advantage when the front sector of the lever is mounted at the bearing support in a sector facing the Bowden cable, and when the locking element is mounted in a middle sector of the lever, when S the pressure spring is arranged between the rear end of the locking element and the rear sector of the lever, wherein the pressure spring seeks to press the rear end of the locking element about the bearing point of the iocking element in the lever, and when at the bearing support and/or at the locking element is provided at least one stop point, which, when the lever is moved beyond a certain point, lets the rear end of the locking element spring downward or upward beyond the greatest pressure point of the pressure spring I about the bearing point of the locking element in the lever.

SThe rear end of the lever can be widened into a handle, or it may be i r. 0_ 'C 1 1 1 1 11_-1 l t j designed in such a way that a handle is attached at least in its rear sector.

To avoid injuries, a casing may be arranged around the pivoting area between the lever and the bearing support, wherein the handle extends beyond the casing in basic position and slides into the casing when it is activated.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the wire of the Bowden cable is fastened to a nipple mounted in mounting holes of the lever, and the metal spiral of the Bowden cable is fastened to the front end of the bearing support.

For fastening the metal spiral, the bearing support is, for example, S provided with a semi-circular groove, and the groove contains a half thread with the same pitch as the metal spiral, wherein the metal spiral is clamped or pressed into the groove with a screw or similar means. This provides a secure fit and allows the easy readjustment of the metal spiral.

4,r According to a special embodiment of the invention, the wire of the Bowden cable consists of only one lead, to prevent fraying when it is installed.

Furthermore, the control means according to the invention can be designed in such a way that the spring element is supported against i a wall of a seat carrier and is clamping at least one clamping element, such as a lamellar stack, that the release is connected to I the spring element either directly or via an intermediate element, that the release is rigidly anchored at one wall of the seat carrier, and that pulling or pushing the release with the Bowden cable causes the release to change in length, which compresses the spring element and weakens or eliminates the clamping effect.

Kr affect the change in length by the movement of two surfaces against each other, at least onre of which is slanted in relation to the other.

The release can be a laterally divided cylindrical body, which is connected on one side with the Bowden cable, whose direction of movement is lateral to the cylinder axis, and on the other side to the spring element or an intermediate element, and the surfaces causing the change in length can be the front surfaces of the cylinder parts which face each other.

The spring element can consist not only of pressure or tension springs or other elastic element, but it can also be a gas spring, wherein the control lever of the gas spring is the release, and the Bowden cable acts upon the control lever when it is pulled or pushed.

According to a special embodiment of the invention, the spring a element is a gas spring that can be released by means of a control lever, and the release connected with the Bowden cable is movably attached to the seating device and connected to the control lever in such a way that pulling or pushing the Bowden cable, which moves the release, causes to activate the control lever.

The invention is described below by way of example and with reference to the drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 shows a control lever in one embodiment of the invention, in its basic position; o, FIGURE 2 shows the control lever according to Fig. 1 in holding position; FIGURE 3 shows the said control lever in pressed condition; FIGURE 4 and FIGURE 5 show the fastening of one end of the Bowden cable to a nipple; FIGURE 6 and FIGURE 7 show a release for the clamping of, for example, lamellar stacks.

OA. Gonro\ In the basic position of.lever 2 shown in FIGURE 1, the Bowden cable, consisting of wire 8 and its surrounding metal spiral 10, affects little or no pull upon the release or the spring element connected with same. The wire fastening, here a plastic nipple 9 inserted into lateral slots of leverA2, is therefore in a front position, near the fastening for metal spiral 10, from which it extends only by a short piece. The lever 2 itself is an elongated plastic or metal part, open toward the top, having a U-shaped cross-section. In its frontal, lower sector, lever 2 is pivotably mounted by means of a pin 11, a bolt or axle stubs to bearing support 1, which is rigidly anchored to I 44 the seating device. Bearing support 1 also has a U-shaped crosssection and is designed so that lever 2 is pivotable about it in a Scertain range. This range is limited on the one hand by base plate 1' of bearing support 1, and on the other hand by a frontal stop 14 of bearing support 1, wherein lever 2 in the basic position shown here abuts at the frontal stop 14 of bearing support 1. Inside the legs of lever 2, an elongated locking element 3 is provided which in its j middle section is pivotably mounted about a pin 13, bolt or axle stubs, and i V J 1 i NN./i spring 6. This pressure spring 6, because its fastening is raised in the rear, has the tendency to rotate locking element 3 downward about its mounting. At its rear end, which is facing pressure spring 6, locking element 3 is provided with an extension 12 pointing downward, which serves the purpose of letting locking element 3 snap upward via the greatest pressure point of pressure spring 6 from a position in which its rear end is pressed downward by pressure spring 6, when the extension is pressed against stop 16 S located in the bearing support. Instead of extension 12, this can also be done by a pin or a similar means inserted into the bearirg Ssupport and pointing upward. A handle 4 is attached from behind to lever 2. In the frontal sector of bearing support 1, e.g. in a semicircular groove provided on the surface of its frontal stop 14, metal spiral 10 is clamped or pressed in, by a screw or similar means. The semi-circular groove can be provided wit a half thread which should S have the same pitch as the metal spiral, to allow simple and exact re-adjustment.

i FIGURES 2 to 3 showthe function of lever2 with locking element 3.

The lever is moved from the basic position described in FIGURE 1 to the holding position shown in FIGURE 2. By means of pressure from the top upon handle 4 and thus on lever 2, the latter is pivoted downward about its frontal mounting. Thus its front face and nipple 9 also move away from frontal stop 14, and wire 9 is pulled out of i i i It !¢4 metal spiral 10, which results in a tensile force being applied via the release on the spring element. In a certain position, locking element 3 with catch 7 moulded onto its frontal end slides behind the lower edge of frontal stop 14 of bearing support 1. Now if handle 4 is released, the lever remains fixed because it is clamped locking element 3, and the mechanism of the seating device remains unlocked. When handle 4 is pushed further into the position shown in FIGURE 3, locking element 3 moves away from frontal stop 14 and with its rear extension 12 meets stop 16 located at the bottom of the bearing support, which causes it to be pressed upward beyond the highest pressure point of pressure spring 6, thus allowing the lever to snap bac due to the spring force.

FIGURE 4 and FIGURE 5 show the fastening of wire 8 in nipple 9.

Nipple 9 is designed as a T-shaped moulded plastic part whose arms 16 lie pivotably in the holes of the lever. In the frcnt, wire 8 is threaded through a wider central hole 17 into nipple 9, at the end it is bent by 1800 and led back into hole 18 which surrounds it tightly and thus clamps it. To prevent the kink or bend of wire 8 from extending along the surface of the nipple, a groove 19 is provided between the two holes 17, 18.

FIGURE 6 and FIGURE 7 show an example of an embodiment of a release 20. Attached to the release are the other ends of the above described wire 8 and metal spiral 10. Release 20 consists of two cylindrical elements 21, 22, one of which is mounted, for example, i on a seat carrier, and the other is rotatably mounted on a control rod i 1 f 1 1 1 i 1 s led through central holes of both cylindrical elements 21, 22. Thus Sthe inner front surface of the second element 22 abuts to the outer front surface of the first element. The front surfaces of both elements 21, 22 are provided with bevels or curves so that a rotation of the second element 22 on the first element 21 causes the second element 22 to be removed from the first element 21. Since the second element 22, which is mounted on the control rod, is rigidly connected with same, for example by means of a screw fitting, a cotter pin or similar means, the described rotatioinal movement pulls the control rod, whose other end is connected to a clamping mechanism not described here in detail, against the force of a spring element not described here in detail, out of the seat S, carrier by a piece and thus cancels out the clamping effect. The first element can also be moulded directly to the seat carrier. The rotation of the second element 22 on the first element 21 by the aa Bowden cable is takes place because the second element 22 is provided with two parallel arms 23, projecting laterally toward its a a axis, containing holes in which is held a nipple connected o wire 8, as described in FIGURE 4 and FIGURE 5. Metal spiral 10 is held in one projecting arm 24 of the first element 21. FIGURE 6 shows the basic position, in which the Bowden cable is completely or lar -viy aunstressed, and the holding position, i.e. the pull of the B0 den cable, and the change in length in the release, i.e. between the two elements 21, 22, is indicated. In this case, too, the metal spiral can be clamped into threaded grooves of arm 24 to allow better readjustment, i 1

Claims

1. Control means for adjusting a mechanism of a seating device, by means of a force transmission element a mechanism of a seating device is activated against the force of a spring element, the force transmission element comprising a Bowden cable consisting of a wire and a metal spiral surrounding same, the wire of the Bowden cable being attached on one side to a control lever and on the other side to a release for the spring element, the control lever being displaceable and adapted to assume a basic position in which it does not apply enough force on the Bowden cable to activate the -release, a holding position in which it applies enough i t*hus force to activate the release and ~~tw the adjusting 15 mechanism, and a release position wherein further movement of the control lever causes the control lever to spring back into the basic position.

2. Control means according to Claim 1, wherein the force transmission is accomplished by pulling the wire at the release by displacement of the control lever.

3. Control means according to Claim 1, wherein the :force transmission is accomplished when the metal spiral surrounding the wire exerts pressure upon the release by activating the control lever.

4. Control means according to Claii 1, wherein the control lever is arranged at a seat platform, seat bowl, or arm rest, and the release is arranged at a seat carrier of the seating device. Control means according to Claim 4, wherein the control lever comprises a bearing support rigidly connected to the seat platform, the seat bowl or the arm rest, stafflarmakeep38334.93 16.12 L' 12 Itr I II I 1 r (t I 1 I I I i I I t II a lever member connected to the Bowden cable and pivotably mounted to the bearing support, and a locking element pivotably mounted to the lever member, wherein a spring is positioned between the locking element and the lever member, and wherein by pressing the lever member the locking element can be brought into engagement with the bearing support though a catch against the bearing support.

6. Control means according to Claim 5, wherein the bearing support and the lever member are both shaped and the locking element is designed in the shape of a plate and arranged between the legs of the lever member, the lever member being arranged between the legs of the U- shaped bearing support. 15 7. Control means according to Claim 6, wherein the lever member is mounted in its front sector to the bearing support in a sector facing the Bowden cable, and the locking element is mounted in a middle sector of the lever member, 20 the spring is arranged between the rear end of the locking element and the rear sector of the lever member, the spring seeks to press the rear end of the locking element about the bearing point of the locking element in the lever member, and at the bearing support and/or at the locking element is provided at least one stop, which, when the lever member is moved beyond a certain point, lets the rear end of the locking element spring downward or upward beyond the greatest pressure point of the spring about the bearing point of the locking element in the lever member. I'" IL I

8. Control means according to Claim 7, wherein the rear end of the lever member is widened into a handle. sta rfaia/keeW38334.93 16.12 13

9. Control means according to Claim 7, wherein a handle is attached to at least the rear sector of the lever member. Control means according to Claim 7, wherein a casing is provided around the pivoting area between the lever member and the bearing support. S11. Control means according to Claim 10, wherein in its basic position the handle extends beyond the casing, and when activated the handle slides into the casing.

12. Control means according to Claim 5, wherein the wire of the Bowden cable is fastened to a nipple mounted in mounting holes of the lever member, and the metal spiral of the Bowden cable is fastened to the front end of the bearing support.

13. Control means according to Claim 12, wherein the bearing support is provided with a semi-circular groove for fastening the metal spiral, I the groove contains a half-thread with the same pitch as 1 the metal spiral, 20 and the metal spiral is clamped or clipped into the groove with a screw or similar means.

14. Control means according to Claim 1, wherein the wire of the Bowden cable has only one lead. Controls means according to Claim 1, wherein the spring element is supported against a wall of a seat carrier and is clamping to at least one clamping element, the release is connected to the spring element either directly or via an intermediate element, the release is rigidly anchored at one wall of the seat carrier, wherein pulling or pushing the release with the stafflamakeep/38334.93 16.12: I s 1* 1 i 1 1 1 1 1 l 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 1 14 Bowden cable causes the release to change in length, which compresses the spring element and weakens or eliminates the clamping effect. S 16. Control means according to Claim 15, wherein the change in length is caused by the movement of two surfaces against each other, at least one of which is slanted in relation to the other.

17. Control means according to Claim 16, wherein the release is a laterally divided cylindrical body, which is connected on one side with the Bowden cable, whose direction of movement is lateral to the cylinder axis, and 'ij on the other side to the spring element or an intermediate element, and that the surfaces causing the change in length are the 15 'front surfaces of the cylinder parts wh4-h face each other.

18. Control means according to Claim 1, wherein the spring element is a gas spring, that the control lever of the gas spring is the release, and that the Bowden cable I' acts upon the control lever when it is pulled or pushed. 20 19. Control means according to Claim 1, wherein the spring element is a gas spring that can be released by means of the control lever, Sthat the release connected with the Bowden cable is movably a attached to the seating device and connected to the control lever in such a way that pulling or pushing the Bowden cable moves the release to activate the control lever. Control means substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. DATED THIS 16th day of DECEMBER 1994 'o SIFA SITZFABRIK GMBH 1. By its Patent Attorneys: I GRIFFITH HACK CO Fellows Institute of Patent 5 Attorneys of Australia L. 1 Abstract Control means for adjusting mechanisms of seating devices, wherein by means of a force transfer element a mechanism of a seating device is activated against the force of a spring element, and the force transfer element is a Bowden cable consisting of a wire and a metal spiral surrounding same, wherein the wire of the Bowden cable is connected on one side to a control lever and on the other side with a release for the spring element. I I II I II I I (FIGURE 1) t- fi ~a i: B ar 1., ii