Seat Construction

Abstract

A seat member is hinged to a base member and a plurality of springs are located between the members to resiliently urge them apart. Each spring is made of two counterposed leaf portions joined together at one end and secured to one of the members at the other end. The springs are arranged so that the spring force increases as the seat member moves downwardly, and vice versa.

Description

BACKGROUND

This invention pertains generally to chairs and seats, and more particularly to a seat construction having a tiltable seat member.

It is sometimes difficult for an aged or infirmed person to be seated, or to arise from a seat, without assistance. In the prior art there has been provided chairs having seats which are spring-urged upwardly to aid an invalid or other person to rise from the seat. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,158,398. The prior art has at least two deficiencies. First, prior spring arrangements have required considerable storage space when the seat member is at the lower, seating position. More importantly, springs are constructed to exert a substantially uniform force throughout their range of operation. If a strong spring is utilized in order to give the greatest desired lift at the lower position, the force at the raised position is too strong and operates almost as an ejector. This is aggravated by the fact that less of the occupant's weight is supported adjacent the raised position than at the lower position.

SUMMARY

The present invention relates to a seat construction having a tiltable seat member.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a seat construction with a tiltable seat member in which the spring takes up little space in the lower, seating position.

Another object is to provide a seat construction of the type described which overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art.

Still another object is to provide a seat construction with a tiltable seat member which has its greatest lifting force in the lower position.

These, and other objects and advantages of the present invention, will become apparent as the same becomes better understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention with a portion of the cover broken away for better illustration of the parts;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view, with the cover removed, illustrating the relationship of the parts in the raised position; and,

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view similar to FIG. 2, but also having the web removed, and showing the relationship of the parts in an intermediate position as the seat member moves to the lower position, and with another position illustrated in phantom lines.

DESCRIPTION

Reference is now made more particularly to the drawings which illustrate the best presently known mode of carrying out the invention and wherein similar reference characters indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

The seat construction includes a base member 11 and a seat member 12. The seat member advantageously includes a cushion portion 13 and a support portion 14 which is swingably connected to the base member by a hinge 16. The hinge 16 may be of any convenient construction and is herein shown as a piano hinge. The support portion 14 and the base member 11 may be constructed of any suitable materials such as wood, metal or plastic. While these parts are herein shown as generally solid pieces, it is deemed obvious that they may be in the shape of a frame or otherwise shaped. The cushion portion 13 can be of any convenient construction, such as foam or innerspring, and may be eliminated if desired. Base member 11 has a plurality of openings 11a formed therein adjacent its rear edge. Similarly, portion 14 has a plurality of openings 14a.

A plurality of springs, generally designated 20, are provided for resiliently urging the seat member 12 to its raised position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Each spring 20 is preferably a leaf spring and is herein formed of two counterposed leaf springs 22 and 24 each having front and rear ends. The front ends of the counterposed leaf springs are secured together in any convenient manner, such as by welding. The rear ends of the leaf springs are disposed in the openings 11a and 14a, as best shown in FIG. 1. The front ends of the leaf springs, where they are joined, are advantageously disposed at the bisector of the angle between the base member 11 and seat member 12 for a purpose which will hereinafter be explained.

A web 32, shown in phantom lines in FIG. 1, is connected to the base member 11 and seat member 12 to positively limit movement of the seat member away from the base member under urging of the springs 20 to the raised position. At the raised position, the seat member 12 is preferably at an acute angle to the base member. This angle is preferably about 45.degree. or slightly greater.

A cover 34, of any suitable material, can be applied to cover the seat construction and hide the springs 20 if desired. If suitable materials are selected, the cover material can assume the function of the web 32.

Referring now to the side elevation views, the seat construction is illustrated in the raised position in FIG. 2. Here it can be seen that the inner ends of the leaf springs 22 and 24 are generally at the bisector of the angle between the base member 11 and seat member 12. It will be noted that the leaf springs 22 and 24 engage each other only at their inner ends when in this raised position. Referring now to FIG. 3, there is illustrated moved positions of the seat member 12. As the seat member 12 is moved to its lower or seated position under the weight of an occupant, the inner end of the spring 20 moves slightly toward the hinge 16 while remaining substantially at the bisector of the angle between the base and seat members. As the spring 20 is forced downwardly, greater areas of the leaves 22 and 24 come into contact with each other. This increases the stiffness of the leaves and thereby increases the resistant pressure of the spring 20. When the seat member 12 is at the lower position, this force is at the maximum. At the same time, the leaves 22 and 24 are generally contiguous to each other along most of their length so that they are stored between the base member 11 and seat member 12 thereby assuming little space.

The embodiment illustrated is adapted for use with an existing chair or other article of seating. When so used, the bottom of base member 11 should be covered with a suitable non-slip material. This can be a portion of cover 34 or the top and sides of the cover 34 can be other suitable upholstery material.

It is now deemed obvious that the present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art and provides a spring arrangement which takes little storage space in the lower, seated position. Additionally, it is deemed obvious that the present invention provides a novel arrangement in which the force of the spring increases to a maximum at the lower position and thereby gives the greatest lifting power where it is needed most. Conversely, the least force is applied at the raised position and thereby reduces the possibility of a feeling of ejection by an occupant arising from the seat.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has herein been illustrated and described, this has been done by way of illustration and not limitation, and the invention should not be limited except as required by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a seat construction including a base member, a seat member, and means swingably connecting the members at the front side thereof, the improvement comprising: spring means located between the members for urging the seat member from a lower position adjacent the base member to a raised position at an angle to the base member, the spring means including two counterposed arcuate leaf springs each having front and rear ends, means securing each rear end to a respective one of the members, means securing the front ends of the leaf springs to each other at about a point on the bisector of the angle between the members, and said counterposed leaf springs being capable of lying generally flat against each other along substantially their entire length when the seat member is at its lower position, whereby the seat member can move to the lower position under weight of an occupant while the leaf springs flatten against each other between the members, and to the raised position under the force of the springs when the weight is removed.

2. The combination of claim 1 including means for limiting movement of the seat member away from the base member under urging of the spring means to the raised position.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the last-mentioned means limits the movement of the seat member to the raised position at an acute angle to the base member thereby positioning the seat member for contact by an occupant.

4. A seat construction including a base member, a seat member, means swingably connecting the members at the front side thereof for movement of the seat member between a raised position and a lower position adjacent the base member, leaf spring means operatively connected to the members for resiliently urging the seat member to its raised position, the leaf spring means having an effective length which shortens as the seat member moves to the lower position for increasing the force of said urging as the seat member moves toward its lower position, so that the force is at a maximum when the seat member is in its lower position and at a minimum when in its raised position.

5. A seat construction as set forth in claim 4 wherein the leaf spring means includes two counterposed portions joined together adjacent the front thereof and at a location between the members, each portion having a rear end attached to one of the members adjacent the rear thereof, and the counterposed portions so constructed and arranged that they lie generally flat against each other between the members along substantially their entire length when the seat member is at its lower position.