Chair with dynamic motion features

Abstract

A chair control includes a rocker assembly configured to be coupled to a chair back, the rocker assembly including a rocker flex element configured to be coupled to a chair seat, the rocker flex element being resiliently deformable and a ground assembly configured to be coupled to a chair base, the rocker assembly being coupled to the ground assembly (e.g., pivotally coupled), the ground assembly including a ground flex element configured to be coupled to the chair seat to which the rocker flex element is coupled, the ground flex element being resiliently deformable.

1 . A chair control comprising:
 a rocker assembly configured to be coupled to a chair back, the rocker assembly including a rocker flex element configured to be coupled to a chair seat, the rocker flex element being resiliently deformable; and   a ground assembly configured to be coupled to a chair base, the rocker assembly being coupled to the ground assembly, the ground assembly including a ground flex element configured to be coupled to the seat to which the rocker flex element is coupled, the ground flex element being resiliently deformable.   
     
     
         2 . A chair control comprising:
 a rocker assembly configured to be coupled to a chair back, the rocker assembly including a rocker flex element configured to be coupled to a chair seat, the rocker flex element being resiliently deformable; and   a ground assembly configured to be coupled to a chair base, the rocker assembly being coupled to the ground assembly, the ground assembly configured to be coupled to the chair seat to which the rocker flex element is coupled.   
     
     
         3 . A chair control comprising:
 a rocker assembly configured to be coupled to a chair back, the rocker assembly configured to be coupled to a chair seat; and   a ground assembly configured to be coupled to a chair base, the rocker assembly being coupled to the ground assembly, the ground assembly including a ground flex element configured to be coupled to the chair seat, the ground flex element being resiliently deformable.   
     
     
         4 . The chair control of  claim 1 , wherein the rocker assembly is pivotally coupled to the ground assembly. 
     
     
         5 . The chair control of  claim 1 , wherein the rocker flex element is one of a pair of rocker flex elements of the rocker assembly, each of the pair of rocker flex elements being formed of a resiliently deformable material and being configured to be coupled to the chair seat. 
     
     
         6 . The chair control of  claim 1 , wherein the ground flex element is one of a pair of ground flex elements of the ground assembly, each of the pair of ground flex elements being formed of a resiliently deformable material and being configured to be coupled to the chair seat. 
     
     
         7 . The chair control of  claim 1 , wherein the ground flex element and/or the rocker flex element is formed of an elastomeric material, such as a rubber material. 
     
     
         8 . The chair control of  claim 1 , wherein the ground flex element and/or the rocker flex element is formed of a material having a durometer hardness value between Shore A 40 and Shore A 75. 
     
     
         9 . The chair control of  claim 1 , wherein the ground flex element and/or the rocker flex element defines a canted portion that is angled relative to horizontal, optionally at an angle between 20 to 60 degrees relative to horizontal, and, optionally at an angle of about 35 degrees relative to horizontal. 
     
     
         10 . The chair control of  claim 1 , wherein the rocker assembly includes a chair back attachment plate with a plurality of fastener apertures, the chair back attachment plate being configured to receive and be coupled to a chair back. 
     
     
         11 . The chair control of  claim 1 , wherein the ground assembly includes a receiver for coupling to a column member of a chair base. 
     
     
         12 . A chair comprising:
 a chair back;   a chair seat;   a chair base;   a chair control including,
 a rocker assembly coupled to the chair back, the rocker assembly including a rocker flex element coupled to the chair seat, the rocker flex element being formed of a resiliently deformable material; and 
 a ground assembly coupled to the chair base, the rocker assembly being coupled to the ground assembly such that tiling of the chair back results in actuating of the rocker assembly relative to the ground assembly, the ground assembly including a ground flex element coupled to the chair seat such that upon actuating of the rocker assembly relative to the ground assembly the one or both of the ground flex element and the rocker flex element resiliently deform to facilitate angular deflection of the chair seat. 
   
     
     
         13 . The chair of  claim 12 , wherein the rocker assembly is pivotally coupled to the ground assembly. 
     
     
         14 . The chair of  claim 12 , wherein one or both of the ground flex element and the rocker flex element resiliently deform when a user places a typical tilting force upon the chair seat. 
     
     
         15 . The chair of  claim 14 , wherein the typical tilting force includes a lateral tilting force. 
     
     
         16 . The chair of  claim 14 , wherein the typical tilting force includes a posterior tilting force. 
     
     
         17 . The chair of  claim 12 , wherein one or both of the ground flex element and the rocker flex element are configured to resiliently deform under a torsion load transmitted between the rocker assembly and the ground assembly through the chair seat. 
     
     
         18 . The chair of  claim 12 , wherein the chair base includes a column and a plurality of leg supports. 
     
     
         19 . A method of assembling a chair, the method comprising:
 coupling a chair back to a rocker assembly of a chair control, the rocker assembly including a rocker housing and a rocker flex element that is resiliently deformable;   coupling a chair base to a ground assembly of the chair control, the ground assembly including a ground housing and a ground flex element that is resiliently deformable;   coupling the rocker housing to the ground housing; and   coupling the rocker flex element and the ground flex element to a chair seat such that tiling of the chair back results in actuating of the rocker assembly relative to the ground assembly with one or both of the ground flex element and the rocker flex element resiliently deforming to facilitate angular deflection of the chair seat.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein coupling the rocker housing to the ground housing is done as a pivotable coupling. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the rocker flex element is a pair of rocker flex elements being coupled to the chair seat, each of the pair of rocker flex elements being formed of a resiliently deformable material. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the ground flex element is a pair of ground flex elements being coupled to the chair seat, each of the pair of ground flex elements being formed of a resiliently deformable material.