WO2002087390A1

WO2002087390A1 - A chair

Info

Publication number: WO2002087390A1
Application number: PCT/IL2002/000338
Authority: WO
Inventors: Moshe Shalev
Original assignee: PORPETOUM MOBILLE Ltd
Current assignee: PORPETOUM MOBILLE Ltd
Priority date: 2001-05-01
Filing date: 2002-05-01
Publication date: 2002-11-07
Anticipated expiration: 2003-11-01
Also published as: IL142888A0

Abstract

An office chair (as herein defined) which comprises a construction (hereafter called 'office stop'), said office stop consis-ting of a surface being connected to folding means, which folding means in turn are actuated by operating means; said office stop being connected by suitable means to the office chair, and preventing the movement of the office chair when sitting down.

Description

A CHAIR

The present invention relates to a chair in particular to one provided with wheels.

There are known many chairs of the above kind, in particular those which are called office chairs. Most of them are constructed with one central rod located below the seat to which several arms are connected, each arm being connected to a wheel (hereinafter: "office chair"). Each wheel can rotate in 360°. People who suffer from certain diseases and/or are too weak to move by themselves having problems of body and muscles have difficulties in getting up and seating on such standard office chair.

There are known certain office chairs which try to solve the problem. Such known office chairs are, for example, those made by Euroflex System GmbH, NITZBON etc. Said NITZBON office chairs require e.g. a new and special design for the lower part of the office chair, a new seat etc. Another arrangement was designed by Paltechnica Nizanim in which office chair an handle actuates a piston which causes the surface between the wheels to be lowered and thus neutralizes the influence of the wheels on the elevating of the chair. Said arrangement is very complicated to manufacture and expensive.

It has thus be desirable to construct an office chair or a device therefore which may be used easily by people who suffer from certain diseases and/or are too weak to move by themselves having difficulties of body and muscles. Said office chair should be relatively easy to construct, should not be too expensive and be easy to be used.

The present invention thus consists in an office chair (as herein defined) which comprises a construction (hereafter called "office stop"), said office stop consisting of a surface being connected to folding means, which folding means in turn are actuated by operating means; said office stop being connected by suitable means to the office chair, preferably to the lower part thereof.

The office stop may be a separate unit which unit may be an integral part of the office chair or may be removable therefrom. Both possibilities are within the scope of the present invention, i.e. in the later case the office stop may be stored separately and be connected to the chair when required.

The surface of the office stop is advantageously a plate or a foldable plate. The size of both plates is determined in accordance with the requirements. Should the plate be a non-foldable plate the size thereof preferably depends on the size of the chair i.e. the size between two arms and the distance between the bottom of the chair and the seat i.e. so-called a trapeze. Should the chair have the possibility to move upwards and downwards, the plate should be foldable in such a manner that it does not disturb said movement when being folded. The plate in a preferred embodiment of the present invention is made of one material or a combination thereof which form a strong and non-slidable material, such as a metal, e.g. nerosta, plastic e.g. ABS etc, which material is optionally covered with a rubber material at the part touching the floor.

The folding means may be any suitable means. They should cause the surface to be folded inside and not to touch the ground any more in the folded position. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the folding means consists in an axis; on said axis advantageously on the center being located a small tooth wheel; said small tooth wheel rotating on a large tooth wheel being located on a second axis; each axis being connected to means, which means are connected in turn to the office chair, preferably to the lower part thereof.

The means connecting the office stop to the chair preferably to the lower part thereof are, e.g. a plate and/or any other suitable connecting means.

The operating means may be for example a handle connected and/or being part of the folding means and being actuated manually. Said operating means may be also means actuated electrically such as by engine, charger, battery, accumulator etc and/or electronically e.g. by remote control.

The suitable connecting means may be any screw, pins, nails, or other connecting means, etc.

The folding means of the office stop or any part thereof may be coated by a cover.

The office stop may be operated as follows:

The person to use the chair stands on the unfolded surface which touches the ground and thus the chair cannot move. The moment the person sits on the chair, the surface is folded by the operating means via the folding means.

Should the seat of the chair be rotatable, the moment the person stands on the surface his legs should be standing upon said surface.

The present invention will now be illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings without being limited by same. (Identical parts appearing in several drawing will be marked for sake of clarity by the same numerals).

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a side perspective view of an office chair according to the present invention in which the surface of the office stop is located on the ground;

Fig. 2 shows a front perspective view of the office chair shown in Fig.1 ;

Fig. 3 shows a side view of the office chair shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in the folded position;

Fig. 4 shows a front view of the office chair shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 shows an enlarged view of the office stop; and

Fig. 6 shows parts of the office stop.

The office chair shown in Figs. 1 to 4 consists of standard office chair 1. (The separate parts of the standard office chair are not referenced unless they are connected to office stop 2.)

Office stop 2 shown in Figs. 1 to 6 is connected to office chair. 1. The office stop itself is described in detail in Figs. 5 and 6.

Office stop 2 comprises plate 3. Plate 3 is connected to folding means 4. Folding means 4 consist of front axis 5 having at each side friction support 6 and ring 7. At the center of front axis 5 is located small tooth wheel 8. On small tooth wheel 8 rotates large tooth wheel 9. Tooth wheel 9 is located at the center of back axis 10, which axis 10 is connected to the lower part of operating means 11. Back axis 10 has also at each side friction support 12 and ring 13. The upper part of operating means 11 has the form of handle 14. Plate 3 is connected to front axis 5 whereas supports 6 and 12 are connected to plate 15. Plate 15 is in turn connected by connecting means (not shown) to the lower part of office chair 1.

Claims

1. An office chair (as herein defined) which comprises a construction (hereafter called "office stop"), said office stop consisting of a surface being connected to folding means, which folding means in turn are actuated by operating means; said office stop being connected by suitable means to the office chair.

2. An office chair according to Claim 1, wherein the office stop is connected to the lower part of the office chair.

3. An office chair according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the office stop is an integral part of the chair.

4. An office chair according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the office stop is removable from the chair.

5. An office chair according to any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the surface of the office stop is selected among a plate or a foldable plate.

6. An office chair according to Claim 5, wherein the size of the surface is determined in accordance with the requirements.

7. An office chair according to Claim 5 or 6, wherein the surface of the office chair is a non-foldable plate the size of which depends on the size of the chair.

8. An office chair according to Claim 5 or 6, wherein the size of the non-foldable plate is the size between two arms and the distance between the bottom of the chair and the seat i.e. so-called a trapeze.

9. An office chair according to any of Claims 1 to 8, wherein the surface is being made of one material or a combination thereof which form a strong and non-slidable material.

10. An office chair according to any of Claims 1 to 9 wherein the folding means consists in an axis; on the center of said axis being located a small tooth wheel; said small tooth wheel rotating on a large tooth wheel being located on a second axis; each axis being connected to connecting means, which means are connected in turn to the office chair.

11. An office chair according to any of Claims 1 to 10, wherein the operating means are a handle connected and/or being part of the folding means and being actuated manually.

12. An office chair according to any of Claims 1 to 10, wherein the operating means are means actuated electrically and/or electronically by remote control.

13. An office chair according to any of Claims 1 to 12 wherein the connecting means are selected among screws, nails, pins or the like.

14. An office chair according to any of Claims 1 to 13, in which the office stop or any parts thereof are coated by a cover.

15. An office chair substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

16. A office stop as herein defined consisting of a surface being connected to folding means, which folding means in turn are actuated by operating means; said office stop being connected to the office chair.