No-tools chair seat assembly

Abstract

A seat assembly is constructed such that the consumer can secure the base to the seat without using any tools. A consumer inserts a tab at one end of a mounting plate into a slot at one end of a base plate secured to a seat. An opening on the mounting plate is moved to receive a latch on the base plate. An actuator allows the consumer to retract a spring-loaded latch bolt on the latch to move the latch through the opening. The spring-loaded latch bolt then secures the mounting plate against the base plate. In order to limit the ability of the mounting plate to slide with respect to the base plate, projections on the base plate pass through mounting plate apertures. The seat assembly may also include controls for seat height and seat reclining resistance, as well as a seat back.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A seat assembly comprising:
 a seat having a lower surface, the lower surface having a front edge and a rear edge;   a base plate having a front edge and a rear edge;   wherein the base plate is secured to the lower surface of the seat and aligned such that the front edge of the base plate is adjacent to the front edge of the seat and the rear edge of the base plate is adjacent to the rear edge of the seat;   a retention slot located toward the front edge of the base plate;   a spring-loaded latch mechanism located toward the rear edge of the base plate;   wherein the spring-loaded latch mechanism has at least one spring-loaded latch bolt;   a mounting plate having a front edge and a rear edge;   wherein the front edge of the mounting plate has a tab that is receivable in the retention slot of the base plate; and   wherein the rear edge of the mounting plate has at least one catch opening that is configured and arranged to be received in engagement with the latching mechanism.   
     
     
         2 . The seat assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the spring-loaded latch mechanism has at least one actuator, each actuator configured to retract at least one latch bolt. 
     
     
         3 . The seat assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the spring-loaded catch mechanism has two spring-loaded latch bolts. 
     
     
         4 . The seat assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the spring-loaded latch mechanism has at least one actuator to retract the latch bolts. 
     
     
         5 . The seat assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the spring-loaded latch mechanism has two actuators, the actuators being capable of retracting the latch bolts when the actuators are moved towards each other. 
     
     
         6 . The seat assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a center plate that is secured onto the mounting plate, wherein the center plate is capable of receiving a gas tube for controlling the height of the seat from the ground, and the spring-loaded latch mechanism does not interfere with the ability of the center plate to receive the gas tube. 
     
     
         7 . The seat assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the seat is able to recline, and wherein the seat assembly further comprises a spring that is capable of providing resistance to the seat's reclining motion and a manually accessible tension control knob for manually adjusting a coil spring in order to adjust the resistance to reclining. 
     
     
         8 . The seat assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the base plate is secured to the lower surface of the seat by a plurality of threaded fasteners. 
     
     
         9 . The seat assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a button on the gas cylinder; and   a lever supported by the mounting plate;   wherein the seat is able to recline; and   wherein the lever can be rotated to depress the button on the gas cylinder and can slide longitudinally to control the ability of the seat to recline.   
     
     
         10 . The seat assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a seat back plate for receiving a seat back, the seat back plate being secured to the center plate and the base plate so that the seat back may pivot at a different rate than the seat. 
     
     
         11 . The seat assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of projections on the base plate and a plurality of apertures on the mounting plate, wherein the plurality of projections and the plurality of apertures are located in a corresponding manner such that when the mounting plate is secured to the base plate, the projections pass through the apertures in order to limit the ability of the base plate and mounting plate to slide against one another.