US2799323A - Self-aligning seat construction - Google Patents

Description

July 16, 1957 J. A. BERG 2,799,323

sELF-ALIGNING SEAT CONSTRUCTION Filed May 18, 1954 FIG.3.

Y INVENTOR FlG. 6. JOSEPH A. BERG ATfCRNEYS 2,799,323 SELF-ALIGNING SEAT CONSTRUCTION Joseph A. Berg, Arcadia, Calif. Application May 1s, 1954, serial No. 4so,4'/4

4 claims. (cl. 15s-77) This invention has to do generally with seat constructions.

Conventional seats, chairs and the like are basically not adapted to compensate for a persons various movements and positions. While padded chairs and spring seats may yield to some extent, and while `attempts have been made to provide posture chairs, none of these very closely approaches the ideal of a seat which readily accommodates for the various positions Iand movements of the occupant and aligns itself with the body. Consequently, considerable strain is placed upon the muscles, bones, Iand various other parts of the body, and circulation is often impaired where a person `occupies 'any of the types of seats heretofore devised. For example, it is common for a person to have the circulation impaired in one vor both legs unless they are carefully placed due to pressure of the thighs of the legs against the chair seat edge. It is a particular `object of the invention to provide a seat construction which overcomes these disadvantages of conventional chairs and seats and those of -so-called posture chairs.

An object of the invention is to provide a comfortable seat construction which readily responds to or accommodates itself to the position of the body of the person occupying it. In this connection it is an object to provide a seat which is self-aligning and which is so constructed that it lallows each side of the body of the occupant of the seat to move normally `and independently of the other and without restraint.

Another object is to provide Such a seat construction in which a person can assume various positions, such `as sitting with the legs crossed or with one of'them outstretched, for example, without causing impairment of the circulation or causing undue strain upon any part of the body.

It is `also an object to provide a simple seat construction which can be readily manufactured.

These and other objects will be -apparent from the drawing and the following description.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a chair embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the seat embodied in the construction of the chair in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4 4 of Fig. 2 on the same scale as Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary `sectional plan view on line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a sectional View on line 6-6 of Fig. 2 on the same scale as Figs. 3 and 4; and

Fig. 7 is la fragmentary sectional view showing a modication.

More particularly describing the invention, I lshow in Fig. l a chair having a leg structure 11, a seat structure 12 which embodies the invention and a ba-ck rest means 13. The -fseat construction 12 comprises a `base plate 15 United States Patent O .ICC

which is mounted upon the leg structure 11 in any suitable manner. Supported upon the base plate is what will be termed -a divided seat, generally indicated by numeral 16 and including the complementary seat elements 17R and `17L which are similar, being right and left and being laterally spaced. The lseat members or halves are mounted in such Ia manner that they can individually tilt universally independently -of the other. The general level of the -seat halves remains the same during the tilting. Means are provided for resiliently holding the seat members in the normal or substantially level position in which they are shown.

The seat elements 17R and 17L are mounted identically and a description of one will suiiic'e. Referring to 'member 17L, this is mounted on a rod 20 which extends longitudinally orvvfrom front to rear of the seat member. In the form of the invention shown, suitable brackets 21 and 22 on the under side of the seat member pivotally receive the ends of the rod. The rod 20 is supported on a relatively short cross rod-24 spaced above thebase 1'5 and journaled in the pedestals 27 mounted on the base. The rods 20 and 24 are rigidly connected by means of a fitting 28; however, any suitable connection may be provided.

With the construction described, it will be apparent that the seat member 17L may be universally tilted due to the universal mounting thereof on the base by the rod means described. Although I have described the brackets 22 as being rotatable with respect to rod 20 and have described rod 24 as rotatable in the pedestals 27, this isnot essential, since the relative rotation could be provided of the rods within the fitting 28 and the other parts made rigid. Also, it will be apparent that, in essence, a universal joint connection is provided between each seat element and the base and thus various universal joint connections might be used in place of the `one shown and described.

In order to yieldably hold the seat halves in normal position, l provide coil springs 31, the springs extending between the base 15 and each `seat half. They are Preferably arranged so that when viewed in plan they form a rectangle for each seat half as best shown in Fig. 2, being spaced about the intersection of the two pivotal axes of the seat half. Any suitable means may be pro vided for mounting` the end-sof the coil springs and securing them to the base. The upper ends may be left free. When the seats are normally disposed the coil springs should be slightly compressed. I prefer to provide for adjusting one set of springs for each seat member, and to accomplish this, I have shown each set of forward springs mounted on a saddle plate 33, the edges of which are received in tracks 34 provided by the members 35 of stepped cross section attached to the base. Means for adjusting the position of the plate 33 is provided in the form of yadjustment screw 36 mounted in bracket 37 and received ina threaded opening in a lug 38 which projects upwardly from the plate 33, the screw being rotatable in and held against movement axially by any suitable means in the bracket 37.

When the seat construction is assembled in a ch-air or the like a pad or cover member 45 is provided to overlie the two halves ofthe yseat so as to provide an uninterrupted upper surface for a person sitting. The sides of the construction may be enclosed by suitable fabric depending from the pad or cover 45, `such as the side wall enclosing member 46.

It will be apparent that when a person sits on the seat construction described, each seat element adjusts individually to the occupants body allowing the occupant to assume a desired position without placing strain upon any part of the body.

Although I have illustrated and above described a preblocks or supports'of rubber or' the like' in place of "the springs. :The'bl'o'cks would bedispo'sed 'in the same positionsV as 'the springs. One such bl'o'ck, .indicated"by"50, is shown in Fig. 7 whereSl ind'icatesfthe'ba'se'and'52 a seat element. 'The block may be'ibonded' to afmount- 'ing plate 53 which in .turn is"secured to the 'base' in'any suitable manner.

The springs or blocks should'be 'rm enougntoresist but not to prevent tilting movement of' the seat' elements under the influence of anoccup'antof Vthe seat.

` I' claim:

1. .In a seat construction, a base, a pair of complementary seat elements disposed side by side in laterallyspaced 'relation above the base,`means'b'etweenthe base'and each seat element mounting the seat element 'forindividual universal tilting' movement,` and Vresilientl means interposed between each said seat element and said base yieldably resisting tilting movement of said seat element.

2. In a seat construction, a base, a pair'of complementary seat elements disposed side by side in laterally spaced 'relation above the base, means Vbetween the kbase and i each seat element mounting the seat element for individual,'universal tilting movement, and springs mountedbetween each of said seat elements and said base yieldably resisting tilting movement of the seat element.

3. A seat construction as defined in claim 2 in which said springs are coil springs and in which there are four springs for each seat element.

4, In a seat construction, a base, a pair of complementary `seat elements disposed side by side in laterally spaced relation above the base, a universal joint-type connection between each seat elementand said base, and spring means disposed between each seat element and said base resisting tilting movement of the' se'atelement, said spring means resisting downward'movement of the seat element at four points spaced about the intersection of the axes of said connection.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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