Support assembly

Abstract

A support assembly for a chair, the support assembly including a carrier shell, a receiving shell mountable on the carrier shell, and a locking element. The carrier shell and the receiving shell each have, in an edge region, connection structures formed in a manner complementary to one another. The connection structures are configured to engage in one another in the mounted state in such a way that they form a through-channel into which the locking element can be introduced.

Claims

1. A support assembly for a chair, comprising: a carrier shell; a receiving shell which can be mounted on the carrier shell; and a locking element, wherein the carrier shell and the receiving shell each have, in an edge region, a connection structure which are formed in a manner complementary to one another, wherein the connection structure of the carrier shell and the connection structure of the receiving shell are configured to engage in one another, in a mounted state, in such a way that they form a through-channel into which the locking element can be inserted, and wherein the connection structure of the carrier shell, the connection structure of the receiving shell, or both the connection structure of the carrier shell and the connection structure of the receiving shell have claws spaced apart from one another.

2. The support assembly according to claim 1, wherein the claws comprise an engagement region, a first connection region and a support region.

3. The support assembly according to claim 2, wherein the first connection region of the claws and second connection region have partial roundings or partial rounded portions, which are configured to form the through-channel, having a substantially round cross section, in the mounted state.

4. The support assembly according to claim 2, wherein a supporting projection of the connection structure and a retaining element of the claws form a lateral path limitation of the receiving shell.

5. The support assembly according to claim 1, wherein either the connection structure of the carrier shell or the connection structure of the receiving shell has openings spaced apart from one another.

6. The support assembly according to claim 5, wherein a contact projection and a stop region between adjacent claws form a backward-directed path limitation.

7. The support assembly according to claim 5, wherein the connection structure of the carrier shell and the connection structure of the receiving shell are configured to engage in one another in that the openings each receive one of the claws, respectively.

8. The support assembly according to claim 5, wherein the connection structure, comprises a supporting projection, a second connection region and a receiving region.

9. The support assembly according to claim 8, wherein the connection structure is configured in the form of a bead.

10. The support assembly according to claim 1, wherein the connection structure of the receiving shell and the connection structure of the carrier shell have alternately arranged partial roundings which are configured to form the through-channel, having a substantially round cross section, in the mounted state.

11. The support assembly according to claim 1, wherein the carrier shell is formed so as to be dimensionally stable and has a first elasticity, the receiving shell is formed so as to be dimensionally stable and has a second elasticity, and the second elasticity of the receiving shell is higher than the first elasticity of the carrier shell.

12. The support assembly according to claim 1, wherein the carrier shell and/or the receiving shell are provided with perforations.

13. The support assembly according to claim 12, wherein the perforations are circular, polygonal or hexagonal.

14. The support assembly according to claim 1, wherein the locking element comprises a rod-shaped element, which is formed from a resiliently bendable plastics material.

15. The support assembly according to claim 14, wherein the rod-shaped element of the locking element is quasi round in cross-section.

16. The support assembly according to claim 1, wherein the carrier shell and the receiving shell have a convex curvature in the at least one edge region.

17. The support assembly according to claim 1, which comprises a second locking element, wherein the carrier shell and the receiving shell each have second connection structures, formed in a manner complementary to one another, in a second edge region opposite the edge region, wherein the second connection structures are configured to engage in one another in the mounted state in such a way that they form a second through-channel into which the second locking element can be inserted.

18. The support assembly according to claim 17, wherein the carrier shell and the receiving shell are configured such that they are spaced apart from one another between the edge regions and the second edge regions, in the mounted state.

19. A chair comprising: a seat mounted on a seat support; and a backrest support fastened to the seat support, wherein a support assembly according to claim 1 is mounted on the backrest support.

20. The support assembly according to claim 1, wherein the support assembly is a component of a backrest of the chair.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantageous embodiments of the invention emerge from the following description of embodiments of the invention with the aid of the schematic drawing. In particular, the chair according to the invention is described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings on the basis of embodiments.

(2) FIG. 1: shows an exploded view of a support assembly according to the invention comprising a carrier shell, receiving shell and locking element.

(3) FIG. 2: shows a perspective view of a support assembly according to the invention in the assembled state.

(4) FIG. 3 shows a detail view of a side region of a support assembly according to the invention in the assembled state.

(5) FIG. 4: shows a perspective sectional view along the line A-A in FIG. 3.

(6) FIG. 5: shows a planar sectional view along the line A-A in FIG. 3.

(7) FIG. 6: shows a perspective sectional view along the line B-B in FIG. 3.

(8) FIG. 7: shows a planar sectional view along the line B-B in FIG. 3.

(9) FIG. 8: shows a perspective view of a chair comprising a support assembly according to the invention for the backrest.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) 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 terms inward, outward, below, above, left, right or similar 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 drawings. This spatial relative information also comprises different positions and orientations from those shown in the drawings. For example, if a part shown in the drawings is reversed, 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.

(11) In order to avoid repetitions in the drawings and the associated description of the different aspects and embodiments, certain features are to be understood as common for different aspects and embodiments. The omission of an aspect in the description or a drawing does not suggest that this aspect is missing in the associated embodiment. Rather, such omissions are made for the sake of clarity and to avoid repetition. In this connection, the following statement applies for the entirety of the further description: If, for purposes of clarity in the drawing, a figure contains reference signs, but these are not mentioned in the text of the description relating directly thereto, 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 drawings represent similar or identical elements.

(12) In FIG. 1 a support assembly 10 according to the present invention is shown in an exploded view. The support assembly 10 comprises, as main components, a carrier shell 1, a receiving shell 2 and two locking elements 3 for mounting the receiving shell 2 on the carrier shell 1. The carrier shell 1 is in this case designed as a hard or less flexible injection-molded part. The receiving shell 2 is regularly designed as a rather soft and flexible but dimensionally stable injection-molded part, preferably in the form of a flexible matrix, on which a user rests their back. The receiving shell 2 serves in particular to provide flexibility properties which can be adjusted to selected back regions. The rod-shaped locking elements 3 are formed from a bendable plastics material and serve for mounting the receiving shell 2 on the carrier shell 1. In any case, the receiving shell 2 and the carrier shell 1 have a concave curvature in the horizontal, at least in portions.

(13) The receiving shell 2 comprises an upper part 13, which is optionally configured in the form of a head rest and/or a neck rest. In this embodiment, the receiving shell 2 has substantially circular perforations or breakthroughs 9, which serve to adjust the flexibility and as ventilation openings. In their edge regions 4, the receiving shell 2 in each case has a bead 7 as the connection structure, in which mutually spaced openings 8 are made. On its underside, the carrier shell 1 has recesses 11 which serve for mounting the support assembly 10 for example on a backrest support of a chair. The receiving shell 2 has notches 19 arranged centrally on its underside, which are used to fix the receiving shell 2 on the carrier shell 1.

(14) The carrier shell 1 has, on its upper side, two tabs 18 which can be mounted on the upper part 13 of the receiving shell 2. The tabs 18 serve to support the receiving shell 2, so that it cannot buckle in the case of loading in the upper lateral region. The carrier shell 1 preferably has hexagonal perforations or breakthroughs 9, which also serve here, in a more limited manner than in the case of the receiving shell 2, for adjustment of flexibility properties, and also as ventilation openings. The carrier shell 1 furthermore has a substantially straight or non-curved central portion 12. In its edge regions 4, the carrier shell 1 preferably comprises hook-like claws 6 which project laterally outwards from the carrier shell 1 and which are configured, for assembly purposes, in each case to be introduced into the corresponding openings 8 of the bead 7 in the edge regions 4 of the receiving shell 2.

(15) The locking elements 3 are then introduced or inserted between the claws 6 and the bead 7, for example in the region of an insertion point 14 in the edge region 4 of the carrier shell 1, in such a way that a fixed, but basically detachable, mounting of the receiving shell 2 on the carrier shell 1 results. The support assembly 10 according to the invention is in this respect also suitable in particular for tool-free mounting at home.

(16) FIG. 2 shows a fully assembled support assembly 10. The locking element 3 is now located between the claws 6 in the edge region 4 of the receiving shell 2 and the bead 7 or the openings 8 in the edge region 4 of the carrier shell 1. The support assembly 10 can thus be mounted in the region of the recesses 11 on a corresponding backrest support of a seat device, for example a work or office chair.

(17) In the detail view according to FIG. 3, a detail of a lateral region of the assembled support assembly 10 is shown by a line of intersection A-A and a line of intersection B-B. In this case, the line of intersection A-A extends through the bead 7, one of the openings 8 in the bead 7, through one of the claws 6, and the locking element 3, and through one of the perforations 9 of the receiving shell 2. The line of intersection B-B extends slightly higher up, through the bead 7 (in the region between two openings 8), the locking element 3, and a part of the receiving shell 2 or the carrier shell 1.

(18) The perspective sectional view along the line A-A according to FIG. 4 illustrates the engagement of one of the claws 6 of the carrier shell 1 into a bead 7 or an opening 8 in the bead 7 of the receiving shell 2.

(19) In this case, the claw 6 shown in cross-section has, like the other claws 6, the following structure: At its outer upper end, the claw 6 has an engagement region 6a which is adjoined by a first connection 6b. The first connection region 6b is in turn adjoined by a support region 6c which has a retaining element 6d, by means of which it together forms a notch 16d.

(20) The parts of the bead 7 shown in cross-section (the cross-section through an opening 8) comprise a receiving region 7c having a notch 17c. On the other side of the opening 8, the bead 7 comprises a supporting projection 7a, which is adjoined by a perforation 9.

(21) In this case, the interaction of the individual parts or portions of the bead 7 and of the claws 6 takes place as follows: The engagement region 6a engages in the notch 17c of the receiving region 7c. The first connection region 6b forms a half-rounding 16b as a partial rounding, which in any case surrounds the locking element 3 in part. The notch 16d formed by the support region 6c and the retaining element 6d receives the supporting projection 7a.

(22) In this case, the retaining element 6d is designed in such a way that it forms a stop or a (substantially horizontal) path limitation for the supporting projection 7a, which is received in the notch 16d at least in part.

(23) As a result of the above-described opposing construction, the claws 6 inserted into the openings 8 of the bead 7 are initially also held without a locking element 3.

(24) The planar sectional view according to FIG. 5 in particular illustrates the lateral path limitation W.sub.Z of the receiving shell 2. In the case of a tensile load of the receiving shell 2 in the direction of the arrow F.sub.Zi.e., the substantially laterally inwardly directed force component when, for example, a user leans back in the receiving shell 2, the stop surfaces, shown circled, of the supporting projection 7a and of the retaining element 6d form the lateral path limitation W.sub.Z of the receiving shell 2 in the case of a tensile load.

(25) The perspective sectional view along the line B-B according to FIG. 6 illustrates the interaction of a bead 7 of the receiving shell 2 with one of the claws 6 of the carrier shell 1.

(26) The bead 7 shown in a sectional viewoutside an opening 8initially has a rounding 7f at its outer upper end. The side wall 7d of the bead 7 comprises the second connection region 7b, which forms a half-rounding 17b as a partial rounding, which in any case surrounds the locking element 3 in part and forms a portion of the through-channel 5 for the locking element 3 together with the first connection region 6 or its half-rounding (not visible here). An essentially vertical stop projection 7e adjoins the second connection region 7b.

(27) The region shown in cross-section between the claws 6 comprises a contact region 6e. A retaining element 6d and, above the locking element 3, a first connection region 6b of a claw 6, can be seen behind the sectional plane.

(28) The planar sectional view according to FIG. 7 in particular illustrates the rear path limitation W.sub.D of the receiving shell 2. In the case of a pressure load of the receiving shell 2 in the direction of the arrow F.sub.Di.e., the substantially backward-directed force component when, for example, a user leans back in the receiving shell 2, the stop surfaces of the stop projection 7e and of the contact region 6e, which are shown circled, form the rear path limitation W.sub.D of the receiving shell in the case of a pressure load. In this case, the retaining element 6d preferably does not come to rest against the inner wall of the carrier shell 1.

(29) FIG. 8 finally shows a chair 20, by way of example, comprising a support assembly 10 according to the invention. In this case, the chair 20 comprises two armrests 21, a seat 22 which is mounted on a seat support 25, and a star-shaped foot part 23 which is arranged below the seat support and has multiple rollers 26. In addition, a backrest support 24, on which the support assembly 10 according to the invention is mounted, is fastened in the rear region of the seat support 22. In this case, the flexible receiving shell 2 is mounted on the fixed carrier shell 1 by means of the locking element 3.

(30) TABLE-US-00001 List of reference signs: 1 carrier shell 2 receiving shell 3 locking element 4 edge region of the carrier shell 4 edge region of the receiving shell 5 through-channel 6 claws 6a engagement region 6b first connection region 6c support region 6d retaining element 6e contact region (between adjacent claws) 7 bead (preferred embodiment edge region 4) 7a supporting projection 7b second connection region 7c receiving region 7d side wall bead 7e contact projection 7f rounding 8 openings 9 perforations/breakthroughs of the carrier shell 9 perforations/breakthroughs of the receiving shell 10 support assembly 11 recesses 12 central portion 13 upper part of the carrier shell 14 insertion point for locking element 15 curvature 16b half-rounding (first connection region) 16d notch 17b half-rounding (second connection region) 17c notch (receiving region) 18 tabs 19 notches 20 chair 21 armrests 22 seat 23 foot part 24 backrest support 25 seat support 26 rollers FD compressive force (arrow) FZ tensile force (arrow) WD path limitation in the pressure direction WZ path limitation in the tensile direction