Patent EP0081898A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0081898A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
An adjustment means
Assignee: Simmons Universal Corp
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Filing: 1982-09-16
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2002-09-16
Abstract
Abstract A housing (20) is fixed on an adjustable member (18) and supports the same for sliding movement on a portion of a support member (15). Notches (44) are spaced vertically along the upper portion of the support member and a pawl (32) is pivotally supported on the housing and includes a ratchet finger (35) movable between an operative position with the ratchet finger in engagement with the notches and an inoperative position with the ratchet finger out of engagement with the notches. A spring (40) is associated with the pawl and is operable to selectively maintain the ratchet finger in either the operative or inoperative positions. When the adjustable member is moved in a first direction to one end of its adjustment limit, the pawl is switched to the inoperative position and the adjustable member may be freely moved to the other end of the adjustment limit in preparation for a subsequent adjustment in the first direction.
Inventors
- 👤 Wayne C. Seeley
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 20:17
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47C; A47C7/00; A47C7/36; A47C7/40; A47C7/402; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T403/00; Y10T403/32; Y10T403/32254; Y10T403/32426; Y10T403/32434
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
292 words
An adjustment means for adjusting the position of a longitudinally adjustable member supported for longitudinal movement on at least a portion of an elongate support, said adjustment means being characterized by: (a) notch means (43, 44) extending along said portion of said support (15) and including first and second ends, (b) a pawl (32) pivotally supported by said adjustable member (18), movable between an operative position in engagement with said notch means, and an inoperative position, out of engagement with said notch means, .(c) a spring (40) operatively associated with said pawl and being effective, in said operative position of said pawl, to maintain said pawl in said operative position in resilient engagement with said notch means and, in said inoperative position of said pawl, to maintain said pawl in said inoperative position out of engagement with said notch means, and (d) operator means (45) associated with said first and second ends of said notch means for engagement with said pawl, said operator means at one end of said notch means being operable to move said pawl into said operative position when said adjustable member and said pawl are moved to the corresponding end of said notch means so that said adjustable member may be moved to the desired level and maintained in such adjusted position by engagement of said pawl with said notch means, said operator means at the other end of said notch means being operable to move said pawl into said inoperative position when said adjustable member and said pawl have been moved to the corresponding end of said notch means so that said adjustable member may be freely moved to said one end of said notch means in preparation for making a subsequent adjustment of said adjustable member.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
292 words
An adjustment means for adjusting the position of a longitudinally adjustable member supported for longitudinal movement on at least a portion of an elongate support, said adjustment means being characterized by: (a) notch means (43, 44) extending along said portion of said support (15) and including first and second ends, (b) a pawl (32) pivotally supported by said adjustable member (18), movable between an operative position in engagement with said notch means, and an inoperative position, out of engagement with said notch means, .(c) a spring (40) operatively associated with said pawl and being effective, in said operative position of said pawl, to maintain said pawl in said operative position in resilient engagement with said notch means and, in said inoperative position of said pawl, to maintain said pawl in said inoperative position out of engagement with said notch means, and (d) operator means (45) associated with said first and second ends of said notch means for engagement with said pawl, said operator means at one end of said notch means being operable to move said pawl into said operative position when said adjustable member and said pawl are moved to the corresponding end of said notch means so that said adjustable member may be moved to the desired level and maintained in such adjusted position by engagement of said pawl with said notch means, said operator means at the other end of said notch means being operable to move said pawl into said inoperative position when said adjustable member and said pawl have been moved to the corresponding end of said notch means so that said adjustable member may be freely moved to said one end of said notch means in preparation for making a subsequent adjustment of said adjustable member.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
58 words
. An adjustment means according to Claim 1 characterized in that said operator means (45) for moving said pawl into said operative position is positioned at said first end of said notch means, and wherein said operator means for moving said pawl into said inoperative position is an abutment positioned at said second end of said notch means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
157 words
An adjustment means according to Claim 1 or 2 characterized in that said pawl (32) includes a ratchet finger means (35), which in said operative position engages the notch means, positioned on one side of the pivot point of said pawl, said spring (40) comprises an elongate tension spring resiliently extendable along a longitudinal axis and including first and second ends, said second end of said tension spring being connected to said pawl on said one side of the pivot point thereof and adjacent said ratchet finger means, said first end of said tension spring being supported by said adjustable member on the side of the pawl remote from said one side, and said longitudinal axis of said tension spring being positioned to provide an overcenter spring action to resiliently bias said pawl to said operative position when in this operative position and to resiliently bias said pawl to said inoperative position when in. this inoperative position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
An adjustment means according to Claim 3 characterized in that said notch means includes a central slot (43) and spaced notches (44) along opposite sides of said slot.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
69 words
An adjustment means according to Claim 4 characterized in that said ratchet finger means (35) are a pair of ratchet fingers (35), and said pawl includes an operating tongue (36) positioned between and extending outwardly beyond said pair of ratchet fingers, said tongue being positioned to extend into said slot and said ratchet fingers being positioned to engage said spaced notches when said pawl is in said operative position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
49 words
An adjustment means according to Claim 5 characterized in that said operator means at said first end of said notches includes a cam member (45) engageable by said tongue (36), when said housing is moved to the said first end, to switch said pawl (32) to said operative position.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
99 words
An adjustment means according to any preceding claim characterized by a housing (20), fixed to said adjustable member, to which is pivotally mounted said pawl and to which is connected said first end of said spring, said housing including a front stamped housing plate extending behind said support, a rear stamped housing plate extending in front of said support member, and means connecting said front and rear housing plates together along opposite side edges thereof, and including slide guide bars supported in said front and rear housing plates and in engagement with opposed side portions of said support member.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
An adjustment means according to any preceding claim wherein said support includes a relatively flat central portion with forwardly bent opposite side edges to provide rigidity thereto.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
54 words
A chair'characterized by an adjustment means according to any preceding claim wherein the adjustable member is the backrest of the chair, the elongate support is a vertically extending support member having its lower end secured to the seat of the chair and said portion is the upper end portion of the vertically extending support.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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