EP0079530A2 - Lockable rocking device for seats of sitting furniture - Google Patents

Abstract

A lockable rocker device for seat parts of seating furniture has a base plate (11) which can be fastened to the respective seat part and a rocker body (17) which is connected to the rocker arm and which can be pivoted about a pivot axis (18) against the restoring force of a spring (30, 32) Seating is connected, wherein a locking device which can be actuated by moving an operating lever (50) between two end positions is provided for locking the base plate (11) and the rocking body (17) or for releasing this locking. In order to make it possible to use such a rocker device (17) either for seating that can be tilted back or tilted forward, the device is formed by a slide (35) that is displaceably arranged on the rocker body (17) and that has two diametrically opposite receptacles for the operating lever ( 50).

Description

The invention relates to a lockable rocker device according to the preamble of claim 1.

In such a rocker device known from DE-OS 24 32 248, the operating lever is held in a link piece guided in the rocker body, to which a rocker arm is articulated, which in turn displaces a locking device by means of which the holding plate and rocker body are firmly connected or detached. The link piece is arranged in a vertically movable release lever, by means of which a release pin of a length-adjustable gas spring can be actuated, which is part of a height-adjustable chair column of the chair frame. This known lockable rocker device can be used for so-called executive chairs, the seat part of which can be tilted backwards by a predetermined angle when the locking device is released. It is also known to use, in principle, similarly constructed rocking devices for seating furniture, the seat part of which can be tilted forward when the locking device is released. The related Field of application mainly refers to so-called secretary chairs. Each of these rocking devices is only suitable for one of the chair types mentioned, ie only for one rocking direction.

The invention has for its object to provide a rocker of the generic type so that it can be used either for backward or forward tilting seating.

This object is achieved by the characterizing features of claim 1. The main feature of the invention is that the operating lever can be inserted from two different sides in the slide arranged in the rocker body, of course in the sliding direction of the slide, so that the rocker device can be used either for one of the mentioned inclination purposes. In both cases, the operating lever is located in a position that is easily accessible to the user underneath the seat part. The measures according to claim 2 ensure that the operating lever for the displacement movements is guided precisely. In addition, the bearing openings serve at the same time to support the operating lever when it is still supposed to perform pivoting movements, which is the case, for example, when the slide is also used to actuate a trigger pin of a gas spring which is part of a height-adjustable chair column, as is also the case with State of the art is provided.

By the measures according to claim 3 it is achieved in a simple manner that the operating lever its pre retains its current position and is also easy to replace. The measures according to claim 4 specify a particularly easy-to-use lock for the operating lever in the disc.

The measures according to claim 5, on the one hand, achieve simple guiding of the slide and, on the other hand, particularly reliable displaceability which lies precisely in the best possible displacement direction. The measures according to claim 6 further specify how the slide is held in two end positions that can be felt by the user. The measures according to claim 7 ensure that the good effect of the slider is maintained, even with swiveling movements for height adjustment of the chair.

The measures according to claim 8 provide a locking device which is particularly well adapted to the slide on which an operating lever can be attached from two sides. Through the development according to claim 9 it is achieved that in the locked position, the holding plate and thus also the seat part has no pivoting play with respect to the rocker body, without the actuating forces required for shifting the operating lever with the slide being disproportionately large.

The embodiment according to claim 10 makes it possible in a simple manner to also use the slider - as already mentioned - to actuate a trigger pin of a length-adjustable gas spring as part of the chair column.

• Fig. 1 ein nach vorn neigbares Sitzmöbel mit einer Wippvorrichtung nach der Erfindung,
• Fig. 2 ein nach hinten neigbares Sitzmöbel mit einer Wippvorrichtung nach der Erfindung,
• Fig. 3 einen vertikalen Längsschnitt durch die Wippvorrichtung entsprechend der Schnittlinie III-III in Fig. 4,
• Fig. 4 eine Draufsicht auf die Wippvorrichtung in teilweise aufgebrochener Darstellung,
• Fig. 5 einen Vertikalschnitt durch die Wippvorrichtung gemäß der Schnittlinie V-V in Fig. 4 und
• Fig. 6 eine Stirnansicht auf die Wippvorrichtung gemäß dem Sichtpfeil VI in Fig. 3 in teilweise aufgebrochener Darstellung.

Further advantages and features of the invention result from the description of an exemplary embodiment with reference to the drawing. It shows

• 1 is a forward tilting furniture with a rocker device according to the invention,
• 2 is a backward tiltable seating with a rocker device according to the invention,
• 3 shows a vertical longitudinal section through the seesaw device according to section line III-III in FIG. 4,
• 4 is a plan view of the rocker device in a partially broken away representation,
• Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the rocker according to the section line VV in Fig. 4 and
• Fig. 6 is an end view of the rocker device according to the arrow VI in Fig. 3 in a partially broken away view.

The typewriter chair shown in FIG. 1 has a base frame 3 which is supported on rollers 1 and can be moved relative to the floor 2 and to which a height-adjustable chair column 4 is attached in the center, which consists of a guide tube 5 and a length-adjustable gas spring 6 fitted in it. Such length-adjustable gas springs 6 are for example from the

DE-PS 18 12 282 (corresponding to US-PS 3,656,593) is known. The use of these gas springs together with a guide tube 5 as chair columns 4 is known, for example, from DE-PS 19 31 o12 (corresponding to US Pat. No. 3,711,054), to which reference may be made to avoid repetition. At the upper end of the gas spring 6, a rocker device 7, which will be described in more detail below, is fastened, which in turn is fastened to the underside of a seat part 8, to which a backrest 9 is optionally attached. As can be seen from FIG. 1, the seat part 8 can be inclined together with the backrest 9 from a normal sitting position shown in dashed lines to a forward inclined position (shown in solid lines). Such inclination or rocking options are provided for example in typewriter chairs.

2 is a so-called executive chair, the seat part 8 'with backrest 9' of a normal sitting position shown in broken lines can be tilted or tilted into a position inclined backwards. As is apparent from the drawing, the rocking device is arranged pivoted about the axis 1o the chair column 4 in this embodiment compared with the embodiment according to Fig. 1 to 8o _{1 0} 7. Otherwise, the structure is the same as in Fig. 1, so that the same reference numerals are used can and a new description is not necessary.

The rocking device has a base plate 11 made of sheet steel in the form of an elongated rectangle. On the two long sides of the base plate 11, webs 12 are bent vertically downwards. In the vicinity of the corners, fastening bores 13 are provided, which are used to pass fastening screws 14, by means of which the seat part 8 or 8 'is fastened to the base plate 11.

In the webs 12 a pair of mutually opposite and mutually aligned bearing bores 15 are formed, in which a rocker body 17 is pivotally mounted about an axle pin 18. In the rocker body 17, which is designed as a cast part, for example made of aluminum, a conical receptacle 19 is formed for the correspondingly conical upper end of the gas spring 6, so that a firm clamping connection between the rocker body 17 and the gas spring 6 can be produced. In the usual way, a release pin 2o projects from the upper end face of the gas spring 6 to trigger a length adjustment of the gas spring.

The rocker body 17 is also provided with a spring abutment 21, which is laterally provided with a cup-shaped boundary wall 22 which is open at the bottom.

In the substantially plate-shaped abutment 21 an opening 23 is formed through which a shuttle bolt is passed 24, with an upper _Q uerstück 25 in a trough-shaped supports 26 in the top of the base: 11 is mounted pivotally and through an opening 27 in the Base plate 11 through this and through the opening 23 of the counter camp 21 is guided. The lower free end of the pendulum pin 24 is provided with a thread 28, onto which a rotary knob-like clamping nut 29 is screwed. Between the clamping nut 29 and the spring abutment 21 are two nested coil springs 3 _0, 31 arranged with oppositely directed winding direction. On the pendulum pin 24 and within the springs 3o, 31 there is an approximately hollow cylindrical suspension and damping element 32, for example made of foamed polyurethane, which also bears on the one hand against the spring abutment 21 and on the other hand against the clamping nut 29. By a suitable choice and dimensioning of the springs 3o or 31 and the suspension and damping member 32 on the one hand and by appropriate preloading of the rotary knob-like clamping nut 29 on the other hand, the forces can be set which prevent the base plate 11 from pivoting about the axle pin 18 from that shown in FIG. 3 Counteract the position of the base plate 11 shown in dashed lines in the inclined position of the base plate 11 shown in dashed lines. Since the rocker body 17 is firmly connected to the gas spring 6, it does not change its position here. The maximum inclination of the base plate 11 shown in dashed lines in FIG. 3 is determined by a stop surface 33 which is formed on the rocker body 17, specifically in the region of the receptacle 19 for the gas spring 6.

An upwardly open recess 34 is formed in the rocker body 17, in which a slide 35 is arranged to be horizontally displaceable in the direction 36 on the axle pin 18 and to be pivoted vertically in the direction 37. As can be seen in particular from FIG. 3, the slider 35 has an upper actuating tongue 38, which is in all sliding positions lungs rests along the direction of displacement 36 on the release pin 2o of the gas spring 6. The disk 35 stiffened on its upper side with ribs 39 has in its central region a web wall 40 in which an elongated hole 41 is formed which extends approximately in the pivoting direction 37 and through which the axle bolt 18 is guided, the smaller diameter of which is only slightly larger, than the diameter of the axle pin 18, so that the slide 35 is guided largely without play in the sliding direction 36, but can be moved in accordance with the pivoting direction 37. So that such pivoting movements can be carried out, the slide 35 is supported at its end facing away from the actuating tongue 38 for the release pin 20 by means of a molded-on groove-shaped support 42 on the abutment 21.

In the slide 35, an approximately S-shaped wire spring 43 is arranged, which is fixed with its upper end in an opening 44 adjacent to the support 42 in the slide 35. This spring 43 rests with its upper bow 45 against the axle pin 18. With its lower arch 46, it bears against an associated inner wall 47 of the slide 35. On the axle pin 18, two recesses 48, 49 are formed at a distance from each other, into which the upper arc 45 of the spring :: 43 engages in the two end positions of the slide 35 in accordance with its sliding direction 36, whereby the slide 35 in the two End positions are releasably engaged.

In the lower part of the slide, an operating lever 5o can be attached in the manner described below. In a common vertical plane with the axle pin 18, that is to say parallel and below this, openings 53 are formed in the two side walls 51, 52 of the rocker body 17, through which the essentially round-rod-shaped operating lever 5o provided with an operating handle 54 by one or the other other side can be introduced. In a lower middle holding section 55 of the slide 35, a locking bolt 56 is arranged to be displaceable in the sliding direction 36. This locking bolt 56 is penetrated by a lower end portion 57 of the spring 43 which adjoins the lower arch 46 of the spring 43 and which presses the locking bolt 56 into a locking position - on the left in FIG. 3. This end section 57 projects downward through corresponding recesses 58, 59 in the slide 35 or in the rocker body 17. It can thus be gripped from below and pressed while loosening the locking bolt 56 - to the right in FIG. 3.

The operating lever 5o is provided with a flattened area 6o at its free end and has a lower locking recess 61. The flattened area 6o of the operating lever 5o can be inserted into a correspondingly adapted receptacle 62 in the holding section 55 of the slide 35 associated with the one end of the locking bolt 56, specifically - as mentioned - from both sides, i.e. through the side wall 51 or the side wall 52. To insert the locking bolt 56 from the position shown in Fig. 3 by appropriate elastic displacement of the end portion 57 of the spring 43 shifted so that the flattened area 6 _{0 of} the operating lever 5o can be inserted into the receptacle 62. The end section 57 is then released, as a result of which the locking bolt 56 is pushed back into the locking position shown in FIG. 3. While the slide 35 is preferably made of plastic, the locking bolt 56 is accordingly made of metal.

In a bore 63 of the slide 35, specifically in the area of the actuating tongue 38, a locking bolt 64 is arranged approximately vertically, the bottom of which rests on the rocker body 17. In a horizontal end position of the slide 35, the upper end face 65 of this locking bolt 64 is located in the region of an opening 66 in the base plate 11. It is the end position in which the upper arch 45 of the spring 43 corresponds to the illustration in FIG. 5 in the recess 48 is engaged. In this end position, the base plate 11 can be pivoted into the position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 3 against the force of the springs ₃₀ , 31, 32 up to the stop surface 33. In the other horizontal end position of the slide 35, the upper end face 65 of the locking bolt 64 bears against the underside of the base plate 11, as shown in broken lines in FIG. 4. This end position corresponds to the locking of the recess 49 with the spring 43. In this position, the rocker body 17 is blocked relative to the base plate 11. An inclination for the seat part 8 or 8 'is therefore excluded in this position.

In the locked position described last, the locking bolt 64 rests with its underside 67 on an adjusting bolt 68 which is arranged so as to be adjustable in its longitudinal direction in a corresponding threaded bore 69 of the rocker body 17. It has a slot 7o at its free end projecting downward from the seesaw body 17, so that an adjustment can be made by means of a screwdriver or the like. In a groove 71 of the adjusting bolt 68 is an O-ring 72 or the like. arranged, which serves as a self-locking anti-rotation for the adjusting bolt 68. This adjusting bolt 68 can be adjusted in its axial position so that the locking bolt 64 rests practically free of play on the one hand against the base plate 11 and on the other hand against the adjusting bolt 68, so that in the locking position the base plate 11 with the seat part 8 or 8 'on the one hand does not wobble , on the other hand, a displacement of the slide 35 by means of the operating lever 5o is possible with moderate effort. As can be seen in FIG. 6, the locking bolt 64 is formed so long that the vertical movements of the slide 35 corresponding to the pivoting direction 37 for actuating the trigger pin 2o can be easily carried out in both horizontal end positions of the slide 35.

If a piece of seating furniture - as shown in FIG. 2 - is to be designed to be tiltable to the rear, then the rocking device is attached to the seat part 8 'in such a way that the spring assembly is arranged towards the front. The operating lever 5o is then attached as shown in solid form in FIG. 5. It then protrudes - as seen from the user sitting on the seat part 8 '- to the right hand of the user.

If, on the other hand, the seating furniture - as shown in FIG. 1 - is to be designed such that it can be tilted forward, as is desirable, for example, for typewriter chairs, then the rocking device is installed in such a way that the spring assembly lies to the rear. In this case, the operating lever - as indicated by dash-dotted lines in FIG. 5 - is inserted through the opening 53 in the other side wall 52 and snapped into the disk 35 in the manner described. The direction of the operating lever 5 ₀ that is, its operation position in this case is the same as in the case of FIG. 2. Only the operation directions for moving the slide in the direction 36 are reversed in both cases. The operating position can be reversed (Fig. 1).

_H öhenverstellungen by actuation of the gas spring made in both cases, that is, to press the trigger pin 2o in the gas spring, the operating handle 54 is pulled 5o of the operating lever upward. Since the operating lever is supported in the opening 53 serving as the bearing opening, the slide 35 is pivoted about the support 42, as a result of which the actuating tongue 38 pushes the trigger pin into the gas spring. At the end of the height adjustment, that is to say when the operating lever 5o is released, the slide 35 is pushed upwards again by the release pin 2o, to a maximum until the axle pin 18 rests on the lower end of the elongated hole 41.

If desired, the gas spring 6 can also be held in the receptacle 19 by means of a displaceable clamping jaw, as described in DE-OS 24 32 248 and also in DE-OS 24 28 776 (corresponding to US Pat. No. 3,995,824) . Eccentric fastening according to DE-OS 28 36 666 (corresponding to US Pat. No. 4,283,033) is also possible.

Claims (11)

1. Lockable rocking device for seat parts of seating furniture with a base plate (11) that can be fastened to the respective seat part and one that can be pivoted about a pivot axis (18) against the restoring force of a spring (30, 32) with this rocker body (17) connected to a chair frame of the Seating is connected, wherein a locking device which can be actuated by shifting an operating lever (50) between two end positions is provided for locking the base plate (11) and rocker body (17) or for releasing this lock, characterized in that the device is provided with a mechanism in the rocker body ( 17) slidably arranged slide (35) is formed which has a receptacle for the operating lever (50) which is accessible from two diametrically opposite sides. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the receptacle on both sides is assigned a bearing opening (53) in the rocker body (17). 3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the operating lever (50) in the receptacle of the slide (35) is rotatably but releasably locked. 4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that in the receptacle in the slide (35) a through a matched locking recess (61) in the operating lever (50), against the force of a spring (43) from this locking position extractable locking bolt ( 56) is arranged. 5. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the slide (35) on the pivot axis (Axle pin 18) is guided. 6. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that the slide (35) is displaceable between two end positions, in which a locking device (spring 43) the slide (35) and the pivot axis (axle pin 18) releasably locked together. 7. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the slide (35) relative to the pivot axis (axle pin 18) is pivotable. 8. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that a locking bolt (64) is arranged in the slide (35), which rests in an end position of the slide (35) between the base plate (11) and the rocker body (17) and in the another end position protrudes into an opening (66) on at least one side. 9. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that the locking bolt (64) in one end position of the slide (35) bears against an axially adjustable in the rocker body (17) arranged adjusting bolt (68). 10. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that the locking bolt (64) in the slide (35) is freely displaceably mounted. 11. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that a plurality of springs (30, 31, 32) are provided.

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