Work chair

Abstract

 A work chair comprising a spat (20) and a back section (28) which is pivotally mounted on an arm (24). The chair (10) is arranged to be used for both sedentary and semi-sedentary working positions, In the former position the arm assumes a rearwards/outer position and the back section assumes an essentially perpendicular position, and in the latter position the arm assumes a forwards/inner position and the back section an essentially horizontal position in which it serves as a support when the user assumes a semi-sedentary position.

Description

[0001] The subject invention concerns a chair comprising a seat and a back section, the latter being pivotally mounted on at least one arm. The chair is particularly adapted to be used primarily as a work chair in offices, within industry or other working places.

[0002] Conventional work chairs of the type generally used in offices and to some extent within industry usually consists of a chair seat and a back section which is mounted on a rod so as to be vertically movable for adjustment of the level of the back section. The seat is pivotally mounted on a post which is supported on a multi-arm base which may be provided with castors at the arm ends. The post consists of two telescopically movable parts by means of which the seat may be raised and lowered. The back section is often mounted in such a manner in the rod as to movable over a limited angle, for instance over an angle of about 15⁰ from its perpendicular position for adjustment of the back to various sitting positions.

[0003] This prior-art work chair is limited to use for works performed in a sitting position and for this reason it is suitable for work performed at writing desks, for typing jobs and the like. It is not, however, useable for jobs requiring other working positions. However, such jobs are common within industry. Also in the case of office jobs, such as jobs by drawing boards, require that the working position frequently is changed from a sedentary to a semi-sedentary position. However, suitable work chairs do not exist for jobs requiring frequent shifts of working positions or for jobs requiring a semi-sedentary working position. As a result , personnel who perform jobs that require to be performed in non-sedentary positions often are forced to remain in a standing position for the entire working day or most part of it, which is very tiring.

[0004] The purpose of the subject invention is to provide a chair which may be used both for sedentary working positions and as a support in semi-sedentary positions. This is achieved in accordance with the invention by means of a chair of the type mentioned initially and comprising a seat section, and a back section pivotally mounted on at least one arm, which chair is characterized therein that it may be operated into a first operative position, wherein it is adapted for sedentary working positions, in which first operative position the back-section mounting arm assumes a reardwards/outwards-tilted position and the back section assumes an essentially vertical position, and into a second operative position, wherein the chair is adapted for semi-sedentary working positions, in which second operative position the back-section mounting arm assumes a forward/inwards tilted position and the back section assumes an essentially horizontal position.

[0005] Further characteristics of the chair in accordance with the invention will become apparent from the subsequent description and the dependent claims.

[0006] The work chair in accordance with the invention will be described in following with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein, _'

Fig. 1 is a lateral view of the chair in accordance with the invention in the operative position adapted for sedentary work,

Fig. 2 is a lateral view of the chair in the operative position in which it provides support for an individual in a semi-sedentary working position, and

Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively a lateral view and a plan view of the chair in the latter operative position.

[0007] The work chair in accordance with the invention, designated generally by numeral 10, comprises a post 12 which extends upwards from a multi-arm base 14 the arms 16 of which support castors 18 at their ends. At the upper end of the post 12 a chair seat 20 is rotationally mounted and is also attached a rod 22. An arm is pivotally mounted at the outer end of the rod 22. The arm 24 is provided with a pivot shaft 26 on which a back section 28 is pivotally mounted.

[0008] In the operative position of the chair, adapted for sedentary work, see Fig. 1, the chair ressembles very much a conventional work chair of the type generally in use in e.g. offices. The post 12 is telescopically movable in the conventional prior-art manner to adjust the level of the chair seat 20 to the height of the user.

[0009] Figs. 2-4 show the operative position of the chair 10 when serving as a support for a person assuming a semi-sedentary (knee-bent) working position. In this position of the chair, the arm 24 is folded forwards/inwards across the seat which is made possible owing to the provision of a notch 30 (see Fig. 4) formed at the rear part of the chair seat 20. In this forward/inwards position of the arm 24 the pivot shaft 26 will be positioned above the post 12 in the line of extension thereof. The back section 28 is pivoted to an essentially horizontal position above the shaft 26. The pivotal movements of the arm forwards/inwards is limited by means of a suitable stop member (not shown), which could be provided e.g. on the rod 22. At its lower end the post 12 is provided with a support member 32 which may be moved downwards and which is arranged to abut against the support/floor 34 on which the chair is standing in order to prevent the chair 10, when assuming the position shown in Fig. 2, from rolling away on the castors 18 during use of the chair. A person 36 assuming a semi-sedentary position tends to exert a laterally directed force on the chair 10. The support 32 is moved aside when the chair 10 is used in the operative position adapted for sedentary work (Fig. 1), in which position there is no lateral force exerted on the chair and when it is desirable that the chair 10 may be moved easily, rolling on the castors 18. The support may be operated by automatic means or manually.

[0010] When the work chair 10 in accordance with the invention is used in the working position indicated in Fig. 2 the back section 28 serves as a seat. In this position, the chair 10 relieves pressure on the user's 36 legs and provides adequate support. The working position is, as mentioned above, very common in many situations. The chair 10 may be shifted rapidly and simply from one of the two positions to the other.

[0011] The embodiment of the invention described in the aforegoing is to be regarded as one example only and a number of various embodiments are possible within the scope of the appended claims. If one chooses to omit the castors 18 of the chair 10 there is no risk that it rolls away when used in the working position illustrated in Fig. 2 and the support 32 then becomes superfluous. The chair 10 may be used from either side in the semi-sedentary working position (cf Fig. 2).

Claims

1. A work chair comprising a seat (20) and a back section (28), the latter being pivotally mounted on at least one arm (24), cha- racterized therein, that the chair (10) is arranged to be operated into a first operative position (Fig. 1), wherein it is adapted for sedentary working positions, in which first operative position the back-section mounting arm (24) assumes a rearwards/outwards-tilted position and the back section (28) assumes an essentially vertical position, and into a second operative position (Fig. 2), wherein the chair is adapted for semi-sedentary working postions, in which second operative position the back-section mounting arm (24) assumes a forwards/inwards-tilted position and the back section (28) assumes an essentially horizontal position.

2.,A work chair as claimed in claim 1, said chair being of the type comprising a post (12) to support the seat (20), characte-rized therein that in the second operative position of said work chair (10), in which it is adapted for semi-sedentary working positions, the arm (24) is arranged to assume a position in which the mounting shaft (26) of said back section (28) is positioned on the line of extension of said post (12).

3. A work chair as claimed in claim 1 or 2, said chair being of the type comprising castors (18), characterized therein that the chair (10) is equipped with a support member (32) arranged to be moved into abutment with the support (34), e.g. the floor, in the second operative position of said chair, in which said chair is adapted for semi-sedentary working positions.

Drawing