Field of the invention

The present invention relates to an arrangement in a reclining chair, comprising two preferably tube-shaped side frame members carrying a combined seat/back member, said seat/back member being attached to said pipe-shaped side frame members through means which can travel along an arched sliding path defined by said pipe-shaped side frame members.

Prior art

From US 4.880.273 (Markus) there is known a reclining chair, comprising tube-shaped side frame members carrying a seat/back member which can take various reclining positions between said side frame members, but wherein the range of movement of said seat/back member is very limited, namely limited to very short slots machined on the side of the frame members facing the seat/back member.

In each slot which is machined on the side of the otherwise closed and arched side frame members, the motion of the seat/back member is guided by a round pin which is fastened by screws to the plywood lower portion of the seat and back, respectively. To the end portion of each guiding pin there is attached a respective end of a flexible strip which has a given length and which is mounted inside the respective closed pipe-shaped arched side frame member, see especially Fig. 5 in said US 4.880.273.

In other words, the chair according to US 4.880.273 gives instructions about a reclining mechanism which is completely enclosed in the pipe-shaped chair frame, and such a chair would be difficult to assemble without the use of tools, and would require much skill in order to mount the guiding pins in right position, this means that the prior chair could

not be sold in an unassembled condition and packed in a cardboard box of minimum size. Besides, the chair according to US 4.880.273 is enfaced with the problem that if the flexible strip carrying the weight of the seat/back member and being completely enclosed in the respective arched pipe, should break, repair thereof would be very difficult and costly to undertake.

GB 1.420.334 relates to a reclining chair, comprising flanges on the rear side of the back member, which flanges are equipped with notches co-operating with a transverse rod of the chair base. Consequently, such a chair cannot alter its position in a step-less manner, and this prior art chair is neither provided with a foot rest, let alone comprises simple parts which can be assembled by a buyer without the use of tools.

DE 3.844.102 relates to an office chair wherein the back rest can be adjusted to various angular positions in relation to the seat, which features are different from the present type of reclining chair, comprising a continuous, rigid frame including both back member and seat member.

Objects of the invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a chair, comprising members which can easily be assembled without the use of tools.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a chair, wherein the adjustment of the seat/back member takes place through a sliding movement on the arm rests themselves by means of special slider means.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a chair which in assembled condition can easily be moved from room to room or from one place to another along the floor of any base.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a chair which can be transported to the place of selling in unassembled condition and packed in a box requiring a minimum of space, an appropriate part of the chair then being used as a handle of said box.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a chair in which the various frame members of the chair is kept in assembled condition by means of a cover which can easily be assembled by the buyer of the chair.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a chair in which the combined seat/back member is provided with a top bridle and a bottom bridle which is covered by a cover or pillow which can be locked with a zipper for locking said bridles in relation to the seat/back member in assembled condition of the chair.

Summary of the invention

The above objects are achieved in chair of the type as stated in the preamble, which in accordance with the present invention is characterized in that said pipe-shaped frame members in the area of their respective arched sliding path comprise a superjacent separate correspondingly arched arm rest defining an open curved gap between respective frame member and arm rest, and that in each of said open curved gaps there are arranged two separate slider means which prior to the assembly of said seat/back member and said side frame members, can move separately and independently in an associated gap, and which when appropriately affixed to said seat/back member in a fixed relationship therebetween, slidably support said seat/back member in a reclinable manner.

More specifically, said separate slider means are provided with plugs and said seat/back member is provided with side

holes on each side thereof, said plugs then being adapted for tool-free insertion in respective side holes of said seat/back member for affixing said side frame members with said plug equipped slider means to respective sides of said seat/back member with a fixed distance between said pair of plugs corresponding the fixed distance between said pair of side holes of said seat/back member.

Further details and specific features of the present arrangement in a reclining chair according to the present invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the appending drawings, as well as from the appending patent claims.

Brief disclosure of the drawings

Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 each illustrate a side view of a first embodiment of a reclining chair according to the present invention. Fig. 1 illustrating the chair in which a user can take a substantially raised sitting position, whereas Fig. 2 illustrates a second position of the chair in which the user can take a substantially laying position.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view comprising main frame members included in an embodiment of a chair according to the present invention.

Fig. 4 illustrates a cardboard box in which an unassembled chair according to the present invention can be packed for transportation.

Fig. 5 is an exploded view of a partly assembled embodiment of a chair according to the invention, together with further parts which in mounted position will constitute a finished assembled chair.

Fig. 6 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of a reclining chair according to the present invention.

Fig. 7 illustrates a finished assembled chair as seen from the rear.

Detailed description of embodiments

In Figures 1 and 2 there is illustrated a first embodiment of a reclining chair 1A according to the present invention, comprising two preferably tube-shaped side frame members 9 and a pair of bridle means 12 arranged transversely to said side frame members 9, said side frame members 9 carrying a combined seat/back member 5 which can take step-less positions in relation to said side frame members 9.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate the chair in assembled and user ready position, and the main members included in such a chair will appear from inter alia Fig. 3, in which it is illustrated that the seat member and the back member are constituted by a combined seat/back member 5. To this combined seat/back member 5 there is mounted an upper top bridle 4 which may constitute a head rest, as well as a lower bottom bridle 3 constituting a foot rest. Further, from Fig. 5 it appears that the seat/back frame 5 together with the upper top bridle 4 and the lower bottom bridle 3 may appropriately be covered by a cover 6 or a pillow which for this specific embodiment has been closed by means of a zipper 7 for locking said bridles 3 and 4 in relation to the seat/back member 5.

After the members of Fig. 3 have been assembled and possibly being affixed by means of said cover 6, as this appears from Fig. 5, they can be assembled together with the above mention arched side frame members 9, which in the area of their respective arched sliding path 14A have mounted thereon a superjacent separate correspondingly arched arm rest 14, see also Fig. 1, so as to define an open curved gap 15 between respective frame member 9 and arm rest 14, which gap 15 extends across the overall curved portion of

the side fram members 8. In each of said open curved gaps 15 there are arranged two separate slider means 8 which prior to the assembly of said seat/back member 5 and said side frame members 9 can move separately and independently in an associated gap 15, and which when appropriately fixed to said seat/back member 5 in a fixed relationship therebetween will slidably support said seat/back member 5 in a reclin- able manner.

Most appropriately, said separate slider means 8 are provided with plugs 10, as this appears from Fig. 5, whereas said seat/back member 5 as appearing from Fig. 3, is provided with side holes 11 for affixing said frame members

9 with said plug equipped slider means 8 to respective sides of said seat/back member 5, with a fixed distance between said pair of plugs 10 corresponding to the fixed distance between said pair of side holes 11 of said seat/back member 5.

In case the seat/back member 5 including the top bridle 4 and bottom bridle 3 are covered by the cover 6, it is to be understood that corresponding holes should be provided in said cover 6, and after this tool-free mounting of the plugs

10 of the slider means 8 in respective holes 11 in said seat/back member 5 said seat/back member 5 can slide along the sliding path 14A defined through the curved gap 15 between respective frame member 9 and arm rest 14. Due to the independent movement of the slider means 8 prior to the assembly of the chair, this will facilitate the subsequent tool-free assembly of the chair members.

From Fig. 1 and 2 it appears that the individual arm rest 14 is attached to the subjacent side of the side frame member 9 by a front connection means 13A and a rear connection means 13B constituting a front stopper and rear stopper, respec¬ tively, for said slider means 8 allowing sliding movement of said seat/back member.

In an appropriate embodiment of the chair according to the present invention the individual side frame members 9 can be interconnected by said transversely arranged floor bridles 12, substantially by dimensioning said bridles 12 with such a dimension A, see especially Fig. 5, in relation to the width B between the assembled side frame members 9, that said transversely arranged floor bridles 12 can be attached to said frame members 9 by resilient pressure.

As appearing from Figures 1 , 2 and 3 the bottom bridle 3 is provided with a wheel 18, and if the cover 6 is equipped with a pocket 17 in the area of a transverse rod 16, as this appears from Fig. 3, there will in the seat/back frame 5 be defined a handle which together with the front wheel or wheels 18 make the chair as such easily movable, and then especially when the seat/back member 5 is in the forward position, as this appears from Fig. 1.

Appropriately, the cover 6 may be provided with a neck pillow 19 which can be adjusted up or down along the cover 6, see especially Figures 1 and 2.

It is also appropriate that the pipe-shaped parts or members constituting the chair and being adapted for tool-free assembly, comprise approximately the same pipe dimensions, but wherein one part, i.e. the male part, is shrinked at the end portions thereof, for example at the end portions 3A of the floor or foot bridle 3, and at the end portions 4A of the head or upper bridle 4, see especially Fig. 3.

Correspondingly, the floor bridle or bridles 12 transversely connecting the side frame members 9, may be provided shrinked end portions 12A, see especially Fig. 5.

Since there is provided a chair which can easily be assembled without the use of tools, the chair members can be packed in factory in a minimum box, for example of the type which is illustrated in Fig. 4 in which a second transverse

rod 2 of the seat/back member 5 can be used as a handle through an opening IB in said cardboard box 1. In other words, the present invention provides a step-less reclinable chair including a foot rest or foot stool, see especially Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, wherein the sliding movement takes place on the combined arm rests 9, 14. Most of the parts included in the chair are built up from steel pipes having a dimension which is shrinked at the one ends thereof, whereby the various parts can be assembled by being inserted into each other, see especially Figures 3 and 5.

This simple structure of the chair including elements which can easily be mounted without the use of tools, means that the individual elements or frame parts can be packed in a box of minimum dimension, for example having the triangular shape as illustrated in Fig. 4, and which does not only constitute a space saving stacking of similarly shaped boxes, but which also involves that the individual box can easily be carried by hand due to the accessible handle therein.

With the special design of the foot rest 3 the chair could function as a usual sitting chair in its upright position, see Fig. 1, and the user can in this position with one or both legs on the floor adjust the chair to the most appropriate sitting position. The forward movement of the chair is stopped by the front stoppers 13A between the subjacent correspondingly arched side frame member 9, whereas the rearward movement of the reclinable chair 1A is stopped by the rear connection means 13B between the arm rest 14 and the side frame member 9.

By sliding the chair rearwardly, this will come to a balancing position approximately at the middle of the sliding path 14A and with the legs on the foot rest 3 and the arms on the arm rests 14, respectively, the user can slide the body of the chair 1A forwardly and rearwardly in order to find any desired and comfortable sitting or laying

position.

Fig. 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a chair according to the present invention, wherein the arm rests 14 and the subjacent corresponding portions of the side frame members 9 have approximately the same arched extension, but wherein the lower portions 9A of said side frame members 9 have a larger distance from eachother than in the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

In Fig. 7 there is illustrated a chair as seen from the rear in finished assembled condition, this rear view being the same for the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, as well as for the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 6.

It is to be understood that the material from which the present chair has been manufactured, can be varied within wide limits, provided that there is maintained a simple structure of the various elements to be included therein, such that said elements most readily can be assembled without the use of tools to a finished usable reclining chair.

It is also to be understood that other types of covers can be used, i.e. permanent covers which are part of the individual members of the chair, or possibly, the additional bridles of the chair would be attached to the seat/back member by other affixing means.