CHAIR AND FURNITURE COMPOSITION

Abstract

A chair comprises a seat with a seat carrier comprising a buttock section at the rear and a knee section at the front, a height adjustment device coupled to the seat, and a foot part configured to be placed on a surface. The height adjustment device is configured to change the distance between the seat and the foot part. The seat is designed in such a manner that a height of the buttock section of the seat carrier and a height of the knee section of the seat carrier can be changed relative to one another. The chair further comprises a blocking structure configured to block the height adjustment device when the height of the buttock section of the seat carrier and the height of the knee section of the seat carrier are in a target position relative to one another.

Claims

1. A chair, comprising: a seat comprising a seat carrier with a rear buttock section and a front knee section; a height adjustment device which is coupled to the seat; a foot part configured to be placed on a surface; and a blocking structure, wherein the height adjustment device is configured to change a distance between the seat and the foot part, wherein the seat is configured in such a manner that a height of the buttock section of the seat carrier and a height of the knee section of the seat carrier can be changed relative to one another, and wherein the blocking structure is configured to block the height adjustment device when the height of the buttock section of the seat carrier and the height of the knee section of the seat carrier are in a target position relative to one another.

2. The chair of claim 1, wherein, to change the height of the buttock section of the seat carrier and the height of the knee section of the seat carrier relative to one another, the seat is configured to tilt the seat carrier about a tilting axis, wherein the blocking structure is configured to block the height adjustment device when the seat carrier of the seat is tilted to a predefined target inclination.

3. The chair of claim 2, wherein the seat defines a seat direction from the buttock section to the knee section and wherein the tilting axis extends substantially at a right angle to the seat direction.

4. The chair of claim 3, wherein the seat carrier is mounted for tilting about the tilting axis.

5. The chair of claim 1, wherein the seat comprises a seat carrier pressure element which presses the height of the buttock section of the seat carrier and the height of the knee section of the seat carrier relative to one another into a home position, wherein the home position is different from the target position.

6. The chair of claim 5, wherein the seat carrier pressure element comprises a spring.

7. The chair of claim 1, wherein the height adjustment device has a height pressure element which pushes the seat away from the foot part.

8. The chair of claim 7, wherein the height pressure element of the height adjustment device has a gas spring.

9. The chair of claim 8, wherein the blocking structure has a release mechanism which is configured to release the gas spring of the height adjustment device when actuated, and a locking mechanism which is configured to lock the gas spring of the height adjustment device when actuated.

10. The chair of claim 9, wherein the seat and the locking mechanism of the blocking structure are arranged in such a manner that the seat actuates the locking mechanism when the height of the buttock section of the seat carrier and the height of the knee section of the seat carrier are in the target position relative to one another.

11. The chair of claim 10, wherein the locking mechanism of the blocking structure is coupled to a valve of the gas spring of the height adjustment device such that the valve is repositioned when the locking mechanism is actuated.

12. The chair of claim 10, wherein, to change the height of the buttock section of the seat carrier and the height of the knee section of the seat carrier relative to one another, the seat is configured to tilt the seat carrier about a tilting axis, wherein the blocking structure is configured to block the height adjustment device when the seat carrier of the seat is tilted to a predefined target inclination, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a slide, a guide and a rocker, wherein the slide is coupled to the guide in such a manner that it is movable along the guide, wherein the rocker is coupled to the valve in such a manner that it closes the valve in a first tilted position, wherein the slide is coupled to the seat carrier such that it is moved along the guide when the seat carrier tilts, and wherein the slide is moved along the guide such that it tilts the rocker to the first tilt position when the seat carrier of the seat is tilted to a predefined target inclination.

13. The chair of claim 9, wherein the seat and the release mechanism of the blocking structure are arranged in such a manner that the seat actuates the release mechanism when the height of the buttock section of the seat carrier and the height of the knee section of the seat carrier are outside the target position relative to one another.

14. The chair of claim 13, wherein the release mechanism of the blocking structure is coupled to a valve of the gas spring of the height adjustment device such that the valve is adjusted when the release mechanism is actuated.

15. A furniture composition comprising a chair according to claim 1 and a height-adjustable table, wherein the chair has a transmitting unit and the table has a receiving unit, wherein the transmitting unit of the chair is configured to transmit a height signal representing a seat height when the blocking structure blocks the height-adjusting device, and wherein the receiving unit of the table is configured to receive the height signal and to automatically adjust a table height adapted to the seat height on the basis of the height signal.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Further advantageous embodiments of the invention emerge from the following description of exemplary embodiments of the invention with the aid of the schematic drawing. In particular, the chair according to the invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings on the basis of embodiments. In the drawings:

[0040] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a chair according to the invention;

[0041] FIG. 2 shows a side sectional view of the chair in FIG. 1 in a basic position;

[0042] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a blocking structure of the chair of FIG. 1;

[0043] FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of the blocking structure of FIG. 3 in a released position, wherein a rocker of the blocking structure is in a first tilted position;

[0044] FIG. 5 shows a side sectional view of the chair in FIG. 1 during a loading process;

[0045] FIG. 6 shows a side sectional view of the chair of FIG. 1 in a target position; and

[0046] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the blocking structure of FIG. 3 in a blocked position, wherein the rocker of the blocking structure is in a second tilted position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0047] Certain expressions are used in the following description for practical reasons and are not to be understood as limiting. The words right, left, bottom and top denote directions in the drawing to which reference is made. The expressions inward, outward, below, above, on the left, on the right or the like are used to describe the arrangement of designated parts relative to one another, the movement of designated parts relative to one another and the directions toward or away from the geometric center of the invention and designated parts thereof as shown in the figures. This spatial relative information also comprises other positions and orientations than those shown in the figures. For example, when a part shown in the figure is inverted, elements or features that are described as below are then above. The terminology comprises the words expressly mentioned above, their derivations and words with similar meanings.

[0048] In order to avoid repetition in the figures and the associated description of the various aspects and exemplary embodiments, certain features are to be understood collectively for different aspects and exemplary embodiments. The omission of an aspect in the description or in a figure does not suggest that this aspect is lacking in the associated exemplary embodiment. Rather, such omissions are made for the sake of clarity and to avoid repetition. In this context, the following stipulation applies to the entire further description: If reference numerals are contained in a figure for the purpose of graphic unambiguity but are not mentioned in the directly associated descriptive text, reference is made to their explanation in preceding figure descriptions. If reference signs are also mentioned in the text of the description relating directly to a figure that are not included in the corresponding figure, reference is made to the preceding and following figures. Similar reference signs in two or more figures represent similar or identical elements.

[0049] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a chair 1 according to the invention with a seat 2, a height adjustment device 3 and a blocking structure 4. The height adjustment device 3 comprises a gas spring 31 and a coupling part 32. The coupling part 32 is equipped with a sleeve-shaped gas spring holder 321, which embraces a longitudinal end of the gas spring 31.

[0050] The seat 2 comprises a seat carrier 21 with a seat plate 211 and a seat carrier frame 212, a manual release lever 22 and a base frame 23. The base frame 23 is fixedly connected to the coupling part 32, so that the base frame 23 and the coupling part 32 form a unit. The seat plate 211 has a rear, slightly upwardly curved buttock section 2111 and a front, slightly downwardly curved knee section 2112. The seat plate 211 defines a seating direction 213 from the buttock section 2111 to the knee section 2112.

[0051] In FIG. 2, the chair 1 is shown in a sectional side view, wherein it is in a basic position. In particular, the height of the buttock section 2111 of the seat plate 211 and the height of the knee section 2112 of the seat plate 211 are in a basic position relative to one another or a height ratio between the buttock section and the knee section is in a basic position or has a basic size. The chair 1 comprises a foot part 5, which is intended to be placed on a base or similar surface. The gas spring 31 of the height adjustment device 3 has an upright gas cylinder 311 with a hollow interior space, a piston rod 312 and a valve 313. The piston rod 312 extends from the top into the hollow interior space of the gas cylinder 311.

[0052] In the basic position of the seat shown in FIG. 2, the gas spring 31 is fully extended. This means that the piston rod 312 is pushed out of the gas cylinder 311 by the gas in the interior space of the gas cylinder 311 to the maximum extent possible. As a result, the coupling part 32 and with it the seat 2 is pushed away from the foot part 5 as far as possible and the seat 2 or the coupling part 32 is at a basic distance 61 from the foot part 5.

[0053] The seat carrier frame 212 of the seat carrier 21 of the seat 2 is fastened in a stationary manner to an underside of the seat plate 211, so that the seat carrier frame 212 and the seat plate 211 form a unit. The seat carrier frame 212 is coupled approximately centrally rotatably to a hinge rod 41 of the blocking structure 4. The hinge rod 41 is in turn rotatably connected to a slide 42 of the blocking structure 4, so that the seat carrier frame 212 is connected in a hinged manner to the slide 42. The seat 2 comprises a tilting arm 24, which connects the seat carrier frame 212 to the base frame 23 so that it can tilt about a tilting axis 26 extending at right angles to the seat direction 213. A torsion spring 25 is provided on the tilting axis 26, the spring force of which deflects the seat carrier frame 212 to the maximum relative to the base frame 23, so that the seat plate 211 describes a basic inclination N.sub.0. In the basic inclination N.sub.0, a difference in a height of the buttock section 2111 of the seat plate 211 and a height of the knee section 2112 of the seat plate 211 is maximum, so that a height ratio between the buttock section 2111 and the knee section 2112 is also maximum.

[0054] FIG. 3 shows a more detailed perspective view of the blocking structure 4. In addition to the hinge rod 41 and the slide 42, the blocking structure 4 comprises a slide guide 43 and a rocker 44. The slide 42 is assembled on the coupling part 32 of the height adjustment device 3 via the slide guide 43 in such a manner that it can be displaced linearly to the coupling part 32 within a predefined range. The rocker 44 is arranged in the slide 42 and has a beveled face side 441. The slide 42 is equipped with a ramp element 421 that is associated with the face side 441 of the rocker 44. In particular, in a displacement position of the slide 42 along the slide guide 43, it contacts the end face 441 and during a further displacement of the slide 42 it tilts the rocker 44.

[0055] As can be seen in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4, the rocker 44 is coupled to the valve 313 of the gas spring 31. In the basic position of the chair 1, the valve 313 of the gas spring 31 is open. When the seat plate 211 is unloaded, the seat plate 211 is pushed upwards accordingly by the gas spring 31 and the chair 1 is at the highest seat height. The rocker 44 is not engaged with the ramp element 421 of the slide 42 and is tilted to a first tilted positionto the left in the view of FIG. 4. As mentioned, the valve 313 of the gas spring 31 is open in this position.

[0056] FIG. 5 shows the chair 1 while it is being loaded. The user sits on the seat plate 211 with his buttocks against the buttock section 2111. As a result, on the one hand the seat plate 211 is increasingly tilted about the tilting axis 26 in accordance with an inclination of the user's thighs, counter to the spring force of the torsion spring 25, so that the seat plate 211 describes an intermediate inclination N.sub.1. The intermediate inclination N.sub.1 is smaller than the basic inclination N.sub.0. By tilting the seat plate 211 from the basic inclination N.sub.0 to the intermediate inclination N.sub.1, the hinge rod 41 pushes the slide 42 backwards. In this manner, the ramp portion 421 is moved towards the end face 441 of the rocker 44. However, the rocker 44 is not yet tilted and the valve 313 of the gas spring 31 is still open.

[0057] On the other hand, when the user sits down, the weight of the user presses the piston rod 312 of the gas spring 31 into the gas cylinder 311. The gas arranged in the interior space of the gas cylinder 311 is thereby compressed and the gas spring 31 is pushed together. In this manner, the seat 2 is moved towards the foot part 5 in such a manner that the seat 2 and the foot part 5 are at an intermediate distance 62 from one another. The intermediate distance 62 is smaller than the basic distance 61 and the seat height of chair 1 is reduced accordingly.

[0058] In FIG. 6, the chair 1 is shown in an end position in which the height of the buttock section 2111 of the seat plate 211 and the height of the knee section 2112 of the seat plate 211 are in a target position relative to one another or in which the height ratio between the buttock section and the knee section is in a target position or has a target size. In the target position, the height ratio is lower than in the home position. When sitting down, the user has tilted the seat plate 211 around the tilting axis 26 against the spring force of the torsion spring 25 so that it is aligned quasi horizontally or tilted slightly backwards at a target inclination N.sub.3. The target inclination N.sub.3 is smaller than the intermediate inclination N.sub.2. The user's thighs are also virtually horizontal in the target position, which corresponds to a predefined preferred sitting position.

[0059] In the target position, the slide 42 is pressed or pushed further back along the slide guide 43 by the hinge rod 41. As can be seen in FIG. 7, the ramp portion 421 thereby presses on the rocker 44 and tilts it into a second tilted positionto the right in the view of FIG. 4. This closes the valve 313 of the gas spring 31 and the gas spring 31 is blocked or rigid. The rocker 44 and the ramp element 421 thus together form a locking mechanism. Thus, the seat height in the target position is fixed at a target distance 63 between coupling part 32 or seat 2 and foot part 5 and adjusted to suit the user.

[0060] When the user protrusions from the chair 1 again, the seat plate 211 is pushed upwards about the tilting axis 26 by the spring force of the torsion spring 25 until it is again at the basic inclination N.sub.0 to the base frame 23. This causes the slide 42 of the blocking structure 4 to be pulled forward by the hinge rod 41. The ramp portion 421 moves away from the rocker 44 again and this tilts back in the other direction, so that the valve 313 of the gas spring 31 is opened. The rocker 44 and the ramp element 421 thus together form a release mechanism. As a result, the spring force of the gas spring 31 acts on the seat plate 211 and pushes it vertically upwards. The seat height is increased again accordingly until the basic distance 61 is restored. Chair 1 is now back in the starting position or home position and ready for the next user.

[0061] By equipping the chair 1 with a manual release lever 22, the seat height of the chair 1 can also be adjusted manually. In particular, for example, the manual release lever 22 can be used to manually open the valve 313 so that the distance between foot part 5 and seat 2 can be changed. This allows the seat height to be readjusted if the automatically set seat height does not meet the user's precise preferences.

[0062] Although the invention is illustrated and described in detail by means of the figures and the accompanying description, such illustration and detailed description are to be understood as illustrative and exemplary and do not limit the invention. In order not to obscure the invention, well-known structures and techniques may not be shown and described in detail in certain cases. It is understood that a person skilled in the art can make changes and modifications without departing from the scope of the following claims. In particular, the present invention covers further exemplary embodiments with any combinations of features that may deviate from the explicitly described feature combinations.

[0063] The present disclosure also includes embodiments having any combination of features that are mentioned or shown above or below with respect to various embodiments. It also includes individual features in the figures, even if they are shown there in connection with other features and/or are not mentioned above or below. Alternatives of embodiments described in the figures and the description and individual alternatives of their features can also be excluded from the subject matter of the invention or from the disclosed subject matter. The disclosure includes embodiments comprising exclusively the features described in the claims or in the exemplary embodiments and those comprising additional features. The disclosure also comprises intermediate generalizations of features or groups of features of exemplary embodiments shown in the figures and the associated portions of the description. In other words, specific features or groups of features as disclosed in the figures and the associated portions of the description can be combined in the more general embodiments of the invention as disclosed in connection with the description of the invention. In particular, such specific features or groups of features can be provided in the more general embodiments of the invention independently of further specific features shown in the figures. For example, the blocking structure shown in FIG. can be designed with a locking mechanism other than the slide, guide and rocker shown in FIG. 1n particular, a different mechanism can be used if the construction of the chair differs. It is understood that persons skilled in art will be able to incorporate specific features from the description of the figures into the embodiments of the description of the invention.

[0064] Furthermore, the expression comprise and derivations thereof do not exclude other elements or steps. Likewise, the indefinite article a or an and derivations thereof do not exclude a plurality. The functions of several features listed in the claims can be performed by one unit or one step. The terms substantially, about, approximately, quasi and the like in connection with a property or a value in particular also define exactly the property or exactly the value. The terms about and approximately in connection with a given numerical value or range can refer to a value or range that lies within 20%, within 10%, within 5% or within 2% of the given value or range. All reference signs in the claims are not to be understood as limiting the scope of the claims.