Mechanical device particularly for moving the seat and backrest of a chair

Abstract

A mechanical device, comprising a single plate that is connectable under a chair and with which an actuation rod can be associated transversely for the combined rotation and translational motion of an intermediate element pivoted inside a box-like body that is partially accommodated at a first seat formed below the single plate, the box-like body being associable with a central column and interacting with oscillation compensators that interact with the single plate.

1 . A mechanical device, comprising: a single plate having upper and lower surfaces and being fixedly connectable at said upper surface under a chair for joint oscillation therewith; a first seat formed in said single plate at said lower surface thereof; a box shaped body partially accommodated at said first seat, said box shaped body having a base that is connectable to a central column for supporting the chair; an intermediate element that is mounted pivoted inside said box shaped body, under said single plate, so as to be able to perform combined rotation and translation motion; oscillation compensation means that interact with said box shaped body and single plate to compensate oscillation thereof; and an actuation rod transversely connected with said single plate for actuating said intermediate element to perform said combined rotation and translational motion.  
   
   
       2 . (canceled)  
   
   
       3 . The mechanical device of  claim 1 , wherein said first seat is shaped complementarily to said box-like body and is formed by a ridge that protrudes, in use, perimetrically downward from said single plate.  
   
   
       4 . The mechanical device of  claim 3 , wherein said ridge is substantially oval in plan view, and triangular with rounded corners in transverse cross-section.  
   
   
       5 . The mechanical device of  claim 3 , wherein said box-like body comprises said base that is substantially flat and oval and a hollow connecting stem for connection to said central column, said connecting stem protruding, in use, downwardly in an off-center position of said single plate.  
   
   
       6 . The mechanical device of  claim 5 , further comprising: a lateral edge that protrudes perimetrically vertically from said base of said box-like body and is directed, in use, upwardly; two first supporting holes formed transversely to said edge; and a transverse pivot mounted at said first supporting hole for mutually pivoting said box-like body and said single plate.  
   
   
       7 . The mechanical device of  claim 6 , wherein said two first holes face each other and are formed in said lateral edge along an axis that is perpendicular to an axis of said stem and to a longitudinal central axis of said box-like body, and are provided with two supporting bushes for said transverse pivot.  
   
   
       8 . The mechanical device of  claim 7 , further comprising pairs of second holes formed in said ridge of said single plate, along a common axis with said pivot, the free ends of said pivot protruding externally to said bushes, so as to be accommodated in said pairs of second holes.  
   
   
       9 . The mechanical device of  claim 8 , wherein said actuation rod comprises a first portion and a second portion, which are substantially straight, lie on a same axis, and are connected to each other by a third C-shaped portion, said third portion being accommodated inside said box-like body, so as to interact with said intermediate element.  
   
   
       10 . The mechanical device of  claim 9 , comprising third holes formed in said box-like body along an axis parallel to the axis of said pivot, on an opposite side with respect to said stem, said first and second portions passing through said two third holes, and said single plate comprising first and second recesses or flattened portions, formed in said ridge, for accommodating said first and second portions.  
   
   
       11 . The mechanical device of  claim 10 , wherein the first recess or flattened portion is deeper than the second recess or flattened portion, so as to allow free oscillation of said single plate with respect to said box-like body.  
   
   
       12 . The mechanical device of clam  11 , wherein said second recess or flattened portion is shallow, such as to ensure temporary oscillation locking of said box-like body and said single plate when said first portion is accommodated in said second recess or flattened portion.  
   
   
       13 . The mechanical device of  claim 10 , wherein said intermediate element has, in plan view, a substantially triangular shape that forms a base side, which is arranged at said transverse pivot parallel to the axis of the transverse pivot, and a vertex, said vertex lying opposite said base side and being directed toward said third C-shaped portion of said actuation rod.  
   
   
       14 . The mechanical device of  claim 13 , wherein said intermediate element has a fourth through hole that is formed parallel to said base side and proximate thereto in order to partially and rotatably accommodate said transverse pivot.  
   
   
       15 . The mechanical device of  claim 14 , wherein said intermediate element has, proximate to said vertex thereof, a transverse slot that is parallel to the axis of said transverse pivot in order to partially and rotatably accommodate said third portion of said actuation rod.  
   
   
       16 . The mechanical device of  claim 15 , comprising a gas-filled cylinder accommodated in said central column, rotation of said actuation rod about the axis of said first and second rod portions producing rotation of said intermediate element about said transverse pivot, so as to actuate said gas-filled cylinder.  
   
   
       17 . The mechanical device of  claim 16 , comprising: a preset protrusion which protrudes downward from said intermediate element; a button that protrudes above said gas-filled cylinder; and a knob associated with an end of said actuation rod that is liftable so as to rotate downwards said vertex of said intermediate element and to force contact between a preset protrusion.  
   
   
       18 . The mechanical device of  claim 1 , wherein said compensation means comprise a first half-shell and a second half-shell, which are mutually connectable so as to form an ovoid enclosure for an elastically deformable element, formed by a spring, and by a tension element arranged coaxial to said spring, said enclosure accommodating said elastically deformable element for interconnecting said first lower half-shell and said single plate, said tension element comprising a treaded end, a complementarily threaded nut connectable to said threaded end and with said first half-shell, and a head that is T-shaped and protrudes above said single plate.  
   
   
       19 . The mechanical device of  claim 18 , wherein said tension element comprises a stem that is arranged so as to pass through a sixth hole, which is formed above said second half-shell, and said head is arranged so as to pass within a first slot formed in said base of said box-like body.  
   
   
       20 . The mechanical device of  claim 19 , wherein said head of said tension element is arranged so as to pass through a second slot, which is similar to said first slot and is formed along a same axis with said first slot within said single plate.  
   
   
       21 . The mechanical device of  claim 20 , wherein said first and second slots are arranged along said same axis thereof, which is parallel to the longitudinal central axis of said box-like body.  
   
   
       22 . The mechanical device of  claim 21 , wherein said first and second slots are longer than a transverse arm of said T-shaped head of said tension element, in order to allow passage therethrough of said head.  
   
   
       23 . The mechanical device of  claim 22 , wherein said single plate has, on an upper surge thereof, a third longitudinal seat that is formed along a transverse direction with respect to said second slot, in order to accommodate said T-shaped head of said tension element, and to allow nonrotating bayonet-type coupling between said tension element and said single plate.  
   
   
       24 . The mechanical device of  claim 2 , wherein said oscillation compensation means arm connectable with said single plate after assembly of said oscillation compensation means.  
   
   
       25 . The mechanical device of  claim 23 , comprising a bridge that protrudes, in use, upwardly and constitutes a stroke limiting element for said tension element, said second slot being provided by cut through said single plate and deformed locally to form said bridge.  
   
   
       26 . The mechanical device of  claim 1 , wherein said box-like body and said single plate are press shaped in a single sheet of metal.  
   
   
       27 . The mechanical device of  claim 23 , further comprising additional locking means for looking said single plate by interference, said additional locking means being constituted by an L-shaped lever or latch that comprises a first wing and a second wing that lie on the same plane and have, in a connecting region thereof, a locking pivot that is press shaped and protrudes at least below said lever or latch, for providing pivoting of said lever or latch to said box-like body, said locking pivot being accommodated at a seat formed in said base of said box-like body in a region that is adjacent to said third hole on an opposite side with respect to said first slot.  
   
   
       28 . The device of  claim 27 , wherein a fee end of said first wing is arranged, in use and when inactive, transversely to said box-like body, and has a tooth directed, with said additional interference locking means in a not activated configuration, along an axis that is longitudinal to said box-like body, and said second wing having a protrusion that projects at a free end thereof along a plane that is perpendicular to said second wing and arrangeable at an eighth hole formed at said overlying intermediate element.  
   
   
       29 . The device of  claim 28 , comprising a milling formed on said lateral edge and at said tooth, said tooth acing said adjacent lateral edge of said box-like body, and said milling allowing free sliding therein of said tooth until the tooth protrudes outside said lateral edge.  
   
   
       30 . The device of  claim 29 , comprising an abutment provided at said single plate, a movement of said rod that places said first portion of said rod within said second flattened portion being matched by a rotation imparted to said latch or lever, with the consequent arrangement of said tooth beyond said milling so as to engage at said abutment to faker lock movement of the rod.  
   
   
       31 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a bayonet-type coupling that couples said oscillation compensation means to said single plate.  
   
   
       32 . A mechanical device, comprising: a single plate having upper and lower surfaces and being fixedly connectable at said upper under a chair for joint oscillation therewith; a first seat formed in said single plate at said lower surface thereof; a box shaped body partially accommodated at said first seat, said box shaped body having a base that is connectable to a central column for supporting the chair; oscillation compensation means that interact with said box shaped body and single plate to compensate oscillation thereof, and an actuation rod transversely connected with said single plate so as to perform translation motions between two end positions, a first one in which the single plate is allowed to freely rotate, and a second one in which the single plate is locked in rotation.  
   
   
       33 . A mechanical device, comprising: a single plate having upper and lower surfaces ad being fixedly connectable at said upper surface under a chair for joint oscillation therewith; a first seat formed in said single plate at said lower surge thereof; a box shaped body partially accommodated at ad first seat, said box shaped body having a base that is connectable to a central column for supporting the chair; an intermediate element that is mounted pivoted inside said box shaped body, under said singe plate, so as to be able to perform combined rotation and translation motion such as to actuate height adjust of the chair with respect to ground; oscillation compensation means that interact with said box shaped body and single plate to compensate oscillation thereof; and an actuation rod that is transversely connected with said single plate so as to be movable to perform translation motions between two end positions, a first one in which the single plate is allowed to freely rotate and a second one in which the single plate is looked in rotation, and to perform rotation motions, the translation and rotation motions of said actuation rod being further adapted to actuate said intermediate element to perform said combined rotation and translational motion.