Patent US5649741A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5649741A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Adjusting mechanism
Assignee: Leggett and Platt Canada Co
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Filing: 1996-02-16
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Granted: 1997-07-22
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Expires: 2016-02-16
Abstract
Abstract An adjusting mechanism for adjusting the position of a first structural member relative to a second structural member. The mechanism is particularly well suited for use as a mechanism for adjusting the vertical or lateral position of a chair back or armrest relative to a chair seat and is adapted for one-handed adjustment. The adjustment mechanism has an arm mountable to a first structural member and slider securable to a second structural member that slidably engages the arm. A ratchet rack is on the arm and a pawl is supported by the slider, which is adapted to engage the ratchet rack, permitting only one direction movement of the slider along the arm. One of the pawl and slider has a cam guide, which has a portion substantially transverse to the ratchet rack and a portion extending from the substantially transverse portion in a direction substantially parallel to the rack. The other of the slider and the pawl has a cam follower extending therefrom. The cam follower, slidably engages the cam guide. A biasing member resiliently pushes the pawl into engagement with the ratchet rack, and forces the cam along the substantially transverse portion of the cam guide, away from the substantially parallel portion of the cam guide. One of the arm and the paw has a first camming surface, the other of the arm and pawl has a first abutting surface. When the pawl first surface is pushed into abutment with the arm first surface, the cam follower is forced along the substantially transverse portion of the cam guide into the substantially parallel portion of the cam guide. The pawl is then disengaged from the ratchet rack, thereby allowing bi-direction motion of the slider along the arm. The arm has a second surface such that when the pawl is pushed into abutment with the second surface of the arm, the cam follower is pushed into the horizontal portion of the cam guide, re-engaging the pawl and ratchet rack.
Inventors
- 👤 Ken A. Beggs
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 15:47
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47C; A47C7/00; A47C7/36; A47C7/40; A47C7/402
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
265 words
A chair back adjusting mechanism, comprising an arm, mountable to a chair seat to extend therefrom; a slider securable to a chair back and adjusted to slidably engage said arm; a ratchet rack on said arm; a pawl supported by said slider adapted to engage said ratchet rack; one of said slider and said pawl having a cam guide, said guide having a substantially horizontal portion extending in a direction substantially transverse to said rack, and a substantially vertical portion interconnected to said substantially horizontal portion and extending in a direction substantially parallel to said rack from said substantially horizontal portion; the other of said slider and said pawl having a cam follower extending therefrom, said cam follower slidably engaging said cam guide; a biasing member resiliently urging said pawl into engagement with said ratchet rack and urging said cam follower along said substantially vertical portion of said cam guide; said arm having a first surface and said pawl having a first surface arranged such that when said pawl first surface is pushed into abutment with said arm first surface said cam follower is forced along said substantially horizontal cam guide portion and into said substantially vertical cam guide portion; said pawl being disengaged from said ratchet rack when said cam follower is positioned in said substantially vertical portion of said cam guide; said arm having a second surface such that when said pawl is pushed into abutment with said second surface of said arm said cam follower is forced from said substantially vertical portion and into said substantially horizontal portion of said cam guide.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
265 words
A chair back adjusting mechanism, comprising an arm, mountable to a chair seat to extend therefrom; a slider securable to a chair back and adjusted to slidably engage said arm; a ratchet rack on said arm; a pawl supported by said slider adapted to engage said ratchet rack; one of said slider and said pawl having a cam guide, said guide having a substantially horizontal portion extending in a direction substantially transverse to said rack, and a substantially vertical portion interconnected to said substantially horizontal portion and extending in a direction substantially parallel to said rack from said substantially horizontal portion; the other of said slider and said pawl having a cam follower extending therefrom, said cam follower slidably engaging said cam guide; a biasing member resiliently urging said pawl into engagement with said ratchet rack and urging said cam follower along said substantially vertical portion of said cam guide; said arm having a first surface and said pawl having a first surface arranged such that when said pawl first surface is pushed into abutment with said arm first surface said cam follower is forced along said substantially horizontal cam guide portion and into said substantially vertical cam guide portion; said pawl being disengaged from said ratchet rack when said cam follower is positioned in said substantially vertical portion of said cam guide; said arm having a second surface such that when said pawl is pushed into abutment with said second surface of said arm said cam follower is forced from said substantially vertical portion and into said substantially horizontal portion of said cam guide.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
A chair back adjusting mechanism as in claimed in claim 1, further comprising means to retain said cam follower in said vertical portion when said pawl is moved form a position in abutment with said arm first surface to a position in abutment with said arm second surface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
54 words
A chair back adjusting mechanism as claimed in claim 2, wherein said ratchet rack comprises a top and bottom and wherein said arm first surface is a first abutting surface and is located proximate said top of said ratchet rack and said arm second surface is located proximate said bottom of said ratchet rack.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
A chair back adjusting mechanism as claimed in claim 3, wherein said cam follower comprises a retaining pin and said cam guide comprises a cam slot, said retaining pin extending through said cam slot.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
A chair back adjusting mechanism as claimed in claim 4, wherein said biasing member comprises a leaf spring received by said arm.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
A chair back adjusting mechanism as claimed in claim 5 wherein said biasing member further comprises a biasing bar in said arm in engagement with said leaf spring and said pawl.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
46 words
A chair back adjusting mechanism as claimed in claim 6 further comprising upper and lower spacers proximate said top and bottom of said ratchet rack, for establishing a fixed spacing distance between said biasing bar and said rack proximate said top and bottom of said rack.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
A chair back adjusting mechanism as claimed in claim 4 wherein said slider defines a channel for guiding said slider along said arm.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
A chair back adjusting mechanism as claimed in claim 8 wherein said channel is formed by opposing walls of said slider and wherein said retaining pin extends through said channel and extends into said opposing walls of said slider.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
47 words
A chair back adjusting mechanism as claimed in claim 9 wherein said cam slot is disposed in one of said opposing walls of said slider and wherein a second cam slot is disposed in a second one of said opposing walls, directly opposite said first cam slot.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
A chair back adjusting mechanism as claimed in claim 10, wherein said opposing walls are interconnected by side walls and wherein said opposing walls and said side walls are integrally formed.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
79 words
A chair back adjusting mechanism as claimed in claim 2, wherein said means to retain said cam follower comprises a surface on said cam guide and a surface on said cam follower and wherein said cam guide surface exerts sufficient force on said cam follower to retain said cam follower in said vertical portion when said pawl is moved from a position in abutment with said arm first surface to a position in abutment with said arm second surface.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
283 words
An adjusting mechanism for adjusting the position of a first structural member relative to a second structural member, comprising an arm mountable to said first structural member to extend thereform; a slider securable to said second structural member and adapted to slidably engage said arm; a ratchet rack on said arm; a pawl supported by said slider adapted to engage said ratchet rack; one of said slider and said pawl having a cam guide, said guide having a first guide portion extending in a direction substantially transverse to said rack, and a second guide portion interconnecting to said first guide portion and extending in a direction substantially parallel to said rack from said first guide portion; the other of said slider and said pawl having a cam follower extending therefrom, said cam follower slidably engaging said cam guide; a biasing member resiliently urging said pawl into engagement with said ratchet rack and urging said cam follower along said first guide portion of said cam guide away from said second guide portion; said arm having a first surface and said pawl having a first surface arranged such that when said pawl first surface is pushed into abutment with said arm first surface said cam follower is forced along said first guide portion and into said second guide portion; said pawl being disengaged from said ratchet rack when said cam follower is positioned in said substantially second portion of said cam guide; said arm having a second surface such that when said pawl is pushed into abutment with said second surface of said arm said cam follower is forced from said substantially second guide portion and into said first guide portion of said cam guide.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
283 words
An adjusting mechanism for adjusting the position of a first structural member relative to a second structural member, comprising an arm mountable to said first structural member to extend thereform; a slider securable to said second structural member and adapted to slidably engage said arm; a ratchet rack on said arm; a pawl supported by said slider adapted to engage said ratchet rack; one of said slider and said pawl having a cam guide, said guide having a first guide portion extending in a direction substantially transverse to said rack, and a second guide portion interconnecting to said first guide portion and extending in a direction substantially parallel to said rack from said first guide portion; the other of said slider and said pawl having a cam follower extending therefrom, said cam follower slidably engaging said cam guide; a biasing member resiliently urging said pawl into engagement with said ratchet rack and urging said cam follower along said first guide portion of said cam guide away from said second guide portion; said arm having a first surface and said pawl having a first surface arranged such that when said pawl first surface is pushed into abutment with said arm first surface said cam follower is forced along said first guide portion and into said second guide portion; said pawl being disengaged from said ratchet rack when said cam follower is positioned in said substantially second portion of said cam guide; said arm having a second surface such that when said pawl is pushed into abutment with said second surface of said arm said cam follower is forced from said substantially second guide portion and into said first guide portion of said cam guide.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
46 words
An adjusting mechanism as claimed in claim 13, further comprising means to retain said cam follower in said second guide portion when said pawl is moved from a position in abutment with said arm first surface to a position in abutment with said arm second surface.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
53 words
An adjusting mechanism as claimed in claim 14, wherein said ratchet rack comprises a top and bottom and wherein said arm first surface is a first abutting surface and is proximate a first end of said ratchet rack and said arm second surface is located proximate a second end of said ratchet rack.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
32 words
An adjusting mechanism as claimed in claim 15, wherein said cam follower comprises a retaining pin and said cam guide comprises a cam slot, said retaining pin extending through said cam slot.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
An adjusting mechanism as claimed in claim 16, wherein said biasing member comprises a leaf spring received by said arm.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
29 words
An adjusting mechanism as claimed in claim 17 wherein said biasing member further comprises a biasing bar in said arm in engagement with said leaf spring and said pawl.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
46 words
An adjusting mechanism as claimed in claim 18 further comprising upper and lower spacers proximate said first and second end of said ratchet rack, for establishing a fixed spacing distance between said biasing bar and said rack proximate said first and second end of said rack.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
21 words
An adjusting mechanism as claimed in claim 16 wherein said slider defines a channel for guiding said slider along said arm.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
37 words
An adjusting mechanism as claimed in claim 20 wherein said channel is formed by opposing walls of said slider and wherein said retaining pin extends through said channel and extends into said opposing walls of said slider.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
45 words
An adjusting mechanism as claimed in claim 21 wherein said cam slot is disposed in one of said opposing walls of said slider and wherein a second cam slot is disposed in a second one of said opposing walls, directly opposite said first cam slot.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
29 words
An adjusting mechanism as claimed in claim 22, wherein said opposing walls are interconnected by side walls and wherein said opposing walls and said side walls are integrally formed.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
78 words
An adjusting mechanism as claimed in claim 23, wherein said means to retain said cam follower comprises a surface on said cam guide and a surface on said cam follower and wherein said cam guide surface exerts sufficient force on said cam follower to retain said cam follower in said second guide portion as said pawl is moved form a position in abutment with said arm first surface to a position in abutment with said arm second surface.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-07-21 | 2001-01-20 | 2001-07-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-07-21 | 2005-01-20 | 2005-07-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-07-21 | 2009-01-20 | 2009-07-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |