Office chair

US6386634B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Herman Miller, Inc. · US

Inventors

• William E. Stumpf · Minneapolis, US
• Rodney C. Schoenfelder · Shakopee, US
• Donald Chadwick · Los Angeles, US
• Carolyn Keller · Holland, US
• Timothy P. Coffield · Grand Rapids, US
• Randy J. Sayers · Belding, US
• Jeffrey W. Bruner · Greensboro, US
• George A. Miles · West Olive, US
• Eric Cammenga · Holland, US
• Philip E. Crossman · Grand Rapids, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 17, 1995
• Grant date: May 14, 2002
• Expiry date: Nov 17, 2015

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T442/3024
• WIPO field: Furniture, games
• WIPO sector: Other fields

Abstract

A tiltable chair including a base member (44), a seat (32), a back (34), and a linkage assembly (40) adapted to allow the seat and back to tilt downwardly and rearwardly and to allow pivotal movement of the seat about a pivot axis (52) in substantial alignment with the hip joints of a user. Other aspects of the invention are to provide a vertically adjustable column (42) for supporting the seat of the chair, a support assembly including a frame member (33) having a central opening therethrough and a receptacle formed around the perimeter thereof, a carrier member adapted to fit inside the receptacle, and a membrane of elastic material (210) covering the central opening, and a pair of armrests (36) adapted to be mounted to the chair to allow pivotal movement thereof.