LUMBAR SUPPORT ASSEMBLY AND CHAIR INCLUDING SAME

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation Application of PCT International Application No. PCT/KR2023/013052 (filed on Sep. 1, 2023), which claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0053826 (filed on Apr. 25, 2023), which are all hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a lumbar support assembly and a chair including the same, and more particularly, to a lumbar support assembly configured to enable height and depth adjustment on both the left side and the right side of a backrest frame, respectively, thereby allowing indirect support of a user's lumbar region through adjustment of the tension of a backrest support mesh rather than direct user contact and enhancing seating feel and comfort, and a chair including the same.

BACKGROUND ART

In general, a chair includes a seat portion, a backrest portion, and armrests, and cushions are installed on the seat portion and the backrest portion to enhance comfort of an occupant.

However, modern people who often perform office work while sitting in a chair inevitably bend their backs when working for long hours while sitting in a chair, and as people continue working in such a state for a long time, they tend to frequently complain of back pain.

This is because when remaining in a bent-back posture for a long time, the lower portion of the spine, which has a very gentle ‘C’ shape, becomes relatively straight, so that the weight of the upper body is not evenly distributed throughout the entire spine but is concentrated on the lower portion of the spine.

Therefore, conventionally, to prevent back pain, a separate seat cushion or cushion is purchased, and a user sometimes sits with a seat cushion or a small cushion placed against the back to support the back. However, such seat cushions or cushions are not fixed to the chair and cannot maintain a constant angle, which results in a failure to properly support the back according to the user's movements.

Recently, various lumbar support devices have been developed to address these issues. However, most of these devices have a complex configuration that makes assembly difficult and requires a large number of components, thereby increasing manufacturing costs.

Korean Patent No. 10-1148032 (registered on May 15, 2012) (hereinafter referred to as the “related art”) discloses a chair equipped with a conventional lumbar support device. For reference, the related art is a patent registered after filling an application thereof by the applicant of the present invention.

The related art includes a fixed frame fixed to a backrest portion, and a support pad coupled to the fixed frame via a vertical adjustment component and a front-rear adjustment component so as to move in vertical and front-rear directions. The support pad is configured to perform the function by directly supporting the back portion of a user supported by a mesh (not illustrated).

However, in the related art, the support pad directly presses against the user's back portion, and the hard texture of the support pad is directly transmitted to the user, which may cause discomfort. To alleviate such discomfort, a soft material such as sponge may be placed at the front, but this is not preferred since damage is likely to occur due to friction with the mesh.

In addition, in the related art, both ends of the lumbar support device are uniformly adjusted to the same height, which makes postural correction for users suffering from spinal disorders such as scoliosis impossible.

DISCLOSURE

Technical Problem

A technical object of the present invention is to provide a lumbar support assembly and a chair including the same, configured to allow indirect lumbar support by adjusting the tension of a backrest support mesh rather than directly supporting a user's back portion.

In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a lumbar support assembly and a chair including the same, in which a pair of assemblies is installed on each of the left and right sides of a backrest frame, allowing the tension of the backrest support mesh to be adjusted at different heights and depths, thereby enabling postural correction for users suffering from spinal disorders such as scoliosis.

Technical objects of the present invention are not limited to the aforementioned technical objects, and other technical objects, which are not mentioned above, may be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following descriptions.

Technical Solution

A lumbar support assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a pair of moving bodies provided to be movable vertically along the left side and the right side of a backrest frame, and mesh pressing plates provided to be movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the pair of moving bodies, respectively, and pressing, forward, both the left and right ends of a backrest support mesh provided at the backrest frame to support the back portion of a user, wherein the pair of mesh pressing plates provided on the pair of moving bodies, respectively, is capable of pressing the backrest support mesh to different heights and by different pressing forces by a user's operation.

Here, each of the pair of moving bodies may include a handle portion for a user to grip by hand, wherein the handle portion is formed to extend by a predetermined length from the left end to the right end or from the right end to the left end of the backrest frame.

In addition, each of the pair of moving bodies may be provided with a front-rear moving adjustment lever that moves the mesh pressing plate in the front-rear direction, wherein the front-rear moving adjustment lever may be configured to allow the mesh pressing plate to stop after moving, such that pressure applied to the backrest support mesh is different according to a plurality of different rotational angle positions.

In addition, the front-rear moving adjustment lever may be provided in a hollow form to allow a guide pole, which is formed to protrude rearward from a rear surface of the mesh pressing plate, to pass through, and on an inner circumferential surface of a hollow portion of the front-rear moving adjustment lever, a rotation cam surface may be a formed continuously in circumferential direction to form the plurality of different rotational angle positions, and formed at different distances from a rear end.

In addition, around the guide pole of the mesh pressing plate, a corresponding cam surface may be formed to engage with or be spaced from the rotation cam surface of the front-rear moving adjustment lever, and formed at different distances from the rear surface of the mesh pressing plate.

In addition, a plurality of engagement portions may be formed on the rotation cam surface and the corresponding cam surface, wherein the engagement portions engage to restrict rotation of the front-rear moving adjustment lever at the different rotational angle positions.

In addition, the guide pole formed on the mesh pressing plate may be provided to be inserted from the front to the rear of the front-rear moving adjustment lever, and be engaged and fastened by a guide screw, which is fastened from the rear to the front of the front-rear moving adjustment lever, so as to prevent forward disengagement within the moving body.

In addition, the front-rear moving adjustment lever may be formed with a lever handle protruding radially outward to allow rotation by a user's finger.

In addition, the front-rear moving adjustment lever may be rotated so that a front end of the lever handle faces inward, between the left and right ends of the backrest frame.

In addition, the moving body may further include a sliding block having a portion that is inserted into an inner side of the backrest frame and performs a vertical sliding movement, wherein the sliding block may include a haptic block applying a predetermined elastic force relative to an inner surface of the backrest frame.

In addition, the mesh pressing plate, provided on each of the pair of moving bodies, may be disposed on an inner side between the left and right ends of the pair of backrest frames and arranged closer to an outer side than a middle portion between the left and right ends.

A chair according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a backrest frame, a backrest support mesh provided on the backrest frame to support the back portion of a user, and a lumbar support assembly provided to be movable vertically along the backrest frame, pressing the left and right ends of the backrest support mesh forward, and capable of adjusting tension of the backrest support mesh differently, wherein the lumbar support assembly includes a pair of moving bodies provided to be movable vertically along the left side and the right side of a backrest frame, and mesh pressing plates provided to be movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the pair of moving bodies, respectively, and pressing, forward, both the left and right ends of a backrest support mesh provided at the backrest frame to support the back portion of a user, wherein the pair of mesh pressing plates is capable of pressing the backrest support mesh to different heights and by different pressing forces by a user's operation.

Advantageous Effects

With a lumbar support assembly and a chair including the same according to an embodiment of the present invention, the following effects may be achieved.

First, the lumbar support assembly includes a pair of moving bodies and mesh pressing plates respectively installed on the left side and the right side of the backrest frame and is configured to indirectly support the user's lumbar region through adjustment of the mesh tension, thereby enhancing the user's comfort and seating feel.

Second, the lumbar support assembly includes a pair of moving bodies and mesh pressing plates, which enables different height and depth adjustments on the left side and the right side of the backrest frame, thereby providing a function that allows body shape (postural) correction for users suffering from spinal disorders such as scoliosis.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view illustrating a lumbar support assembly and a chair including the same according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view illustrating a lumbar support assembly and a chair including the same according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial rear view of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating an operational principle of a lumbar support assembly assembled on a backrest frame.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a lumbar support assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 6a and 6b are exploded perspective views respectively illustrating one side and the other side of an assembly structure of a lumbar support assembly using lumbar guide rails on an inner backrest frame in the configuration of a backrest portion.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating an operation of the lumbar guide rails of FIGS. 6a and 6b.

FIGS. 8a and 8b are a front exploded perspective view and a rear exploded perspective view of FIG. 5, respectively.

FIGS. 9 and 10 are cross-sectional views illustrating depth adjustment of a mesh pressing plate in response to rotation of a front-rear moving adjustment lever in the configuration of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

• • 1: Chair 10: Body portion
  • 20: Seat portion 30: Leg portion
  • 40: Armrest portion 50: Backrest frame
  • 50A: Outer backrest frame 50B: Inner backrest frame
  • 50C: Lumbar rail guide frame 50B-h: Rail guide
  • installation groove
  • 55: Backrest support mesh 100: Lumbar support assembly
  • 110: Moving body 111: Handle portion
  • 112: Sliding block 113: Penetration portion
  • 114: Fastening boss 115: Haptic block
  • 116: Cover panel 117: Decorative panel
  • 120: Mesh pressing plate 123: Corresponding cam surface
  • 130: Front-rear moving adjustment lever 132: Lever handle
  • 133: Rotation cam surface member
  • 140: Interference-fitting

MODE FOR DISCLOSURE

Hereinafter, a lumbar support assembly and a chair including the same according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

It should be noted that when assigning reference numerals to components in each drawing, the same numerals are used for the same components as much as possible, even if the components are shown in different drawings. In addition, in describing embodiments of the present invention, detailed descriptions of related known configurations or functions are omitted if it is determined that such detailed descriptions would hinder understanding of the embodiments of the present invention.

Terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used to describe components of the embodiments of the present invention. Such terms are used merely to distinguish the components from other components, and the nature, order, or sequence of the corresponding components is not limited by these terms. In addition, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meanings as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Terms such as those defined in generally used dictionaries should be interpreted as having meanings consistent with the contextual meanings in the related technology, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or excessively formal sense unless clearly defined in the present application.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view illustrating a lumbar support assembly and a chair including the same according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view illustrating a lumbar support assembly and a chair including the same according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a partial rear view of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating an operational principle of a lumbar support assembly assembled on a backrest frame.

A chair 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, may include a body portion 10, a seat portion 20 horizontally disposed on an upper portion of the body portion 10 to allow a user to sit, a leg portion 30 rotatably provided relative to the body portion 10 and configured to rotatably support the body portion 10 with respect to a floor surface, which is a usage space, an armrest portion 40 including a right armrest 40a and a left armrest 40b extending upward from both left and right ends of the body portion 10 to support the user's arms, and a backrest portion formed to extend upward from a rear end of the body portion 10 to support the user's back portion, and a headrest portion 60 provided on an upper portion of the backrest portion to support the user's neck or back of the head.

Here, the seat portion 20, although not illustrated in detail in the drawings, may be configured to perform a sliding movement in a front-rear direction with respect to the body portion 10 and be adjusted according to the user's body condition.

In addition, the leg portion 30 may include multiple legs branching radially from a central portion that serves as a rotation center, and roller-type wheels 35 may be provided at their respective lower end portions, allowing the chair 1 to be easily moved on the floor surface, which is a usage space.

Meanwhile, the backrest portion may have left and right lower ends fixed to a rear portion of the body portion 10, and an upper end of the backrest portion may be configured to be tiltable at a predetermined angle in the front-rear direction about a certain point of the lower end by a tilting portion (not illustrated).

The backrest portion may include a backrest frame 50 configured as a frame with a substantially hollow interior except for a perimeter portion, and a backrest support mesh 55 made of fabric and coupled to fill the hollow interior of the backrest frame 50.

Here, the backrest frame 50, as shown in FIG. 4, may include an outer backrest frame 50A made of a high-rigidity plastic, and an inner backrest frame 50B coupled to a front end of the outer backrest frame 50A and configured to facilitate installation of a lumbar support assembly 100 to be described later.

Meanwhile, the armrest portion 40 may be configured to allow parts of the front ends of the right armrest 40a and the left armrest 40b to perform a sliding movement in the front-rear direction, enabling the user to place arms in a more comfortable posture.

In addition, although not illustrated in detail in the drawings, the headrest portion 60 may be configured to allow height adjustment in a vertical direction according to the user's body shape. In addition, it is naturally understood that the headrest portion 60 may be provided with upper and lower ends that are pivotable in the front-rear direction about the left-right rotation axis.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the chair 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention may further include a lumbar support assembly 100 movably provided in a vertical direction along the backrest frame 50 and configured to press left and right ends of the backrest support mesh 55 forward, wherein the tension of the backrest support mesh 55 may be differently adjusted.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a lumbar support assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 6a and 6b are exploded perspective views respectively illustrating one side and the other side of an assembly structure of a lumbar support assembly using lumbar guide rails on an inner backrest frame in the configuration of a backrest portion. FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating an operation of the lumbar guide rails of FIGS. 6a and 6b. FIGS. 8a and 8b are a front exploded perspective view and a rear exploded perspective view of FIG. 5, respectively. FIGS. 9 and 10 are cross-sectional views illustrating depth adjustment of a mesh pressing plate in response to rotation of a front-rear moving adjustment lever in the configuration of FIG. 5.

The lumbar support assembly 100, as shown in FIGS. 6a and 6b, may be installed to perform a vertical sliding movement on the inner backrest frame 50B coupled to a front end of the outer backrest frame 50A via a lumbar rail guide frame 50C.

More specifically, the inner backrest frame 50B may be screw-assembled to the front end of the outer backrest frame 50A along the perimeter of the backrest frame 50 by a plurality of frame assembly screws 50B-S.

On an inner side of the outer backrest frame 50A, screw assembly bosses 50A-2 may be provided. The inner backrest frame 50B may include screw through-holes 50B-3 formed at positions corresponding to the installation positions of the plurality of frame assembly screws 50B-S and aligned with the screw assembly bosses 50A-2, wherein the plurality of frame assembly screws 50B-S may be screw-assembled by passing from front to rear through the screw through-holes 50B-3 and being fastened to the screw assembly bosses 50A-2.

Meanwhile, at left and right lower ends of the inner backrest frame 50B adjacent to the user's lumbar region, rail guide installation grooves 50B-h may be formed to open in the front-rear direction, for installing a lumbar rail guide frame 50C that facilitates coupling of the lumbar support assembly 100 and allows the lumbar support assembly 100 to perform a vertical sliding movement.

Here, in the inner backrest frame 50B, as shown in FIGS. 6a and 6b, a slot end 50B-1, which is cut rearward from a portion of the rail guide installation groove 50B-h, may be provided so as to form a guide slot 57 described later between a rear end portion of the lumbar rail guide frame 50C installed in the rail guide installation groove 50B-h and the inner backrest frame 50B.

The guide slot 57 may be formed between the slot end 50B-1 of the inner backrest frame 50B and a rear end 50C-1 of the lumbar rail guide frame 50C to provide a vertical sliding movement path after the lumbar support assembly 100 is inserted and installed.

On the inner side of the outer backrest frame 50A, a screw assembly boss 50A-2′ may be provided for screw fastening by a guide frame assembly screw 50C-2 of the lumbar rail guide frame 50C. The lumbar rail guide frame 50C may be formed with a screw through-hole 50C-3 through which the guide frame assembly screw 50C-2 passes and is fastened.

On the rear surface of the lumbar rail guide frame 50C, as shown in FIG. 7, a side guide rib 50C-a and a front-rear guide rib 50C-b may be formed to guide the vertical sliding movement of a sliding block 112, which is integrally formed with a pair of moving bodies 110 described later.

At a front end of the sliding block 112, a stepped support surface 112a projecting forward in a stepped manner and a front-end support surface 112b may be formed.

The stepped support surface 112a may be engaged in surface contact with the side guide rib 50C-a of the lumbar rail guide frame 50C in the outward direction, thereby preventing disengagement to the outside and guiding the vertical sliding movement by surface contact.

The front-end support surface 112b may be in line contact with the front-rear guide rib 50C-b of the lumbar rail guide frame 50C, thereby guiding the lumbar support assembly 100 to smoothly perform a vertical sliding movement along a path formed by the guide slot 57.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 10, a pair of lumbar support assemblies 100 may be provided along the left side and the right side of the backrest frame 50 (as indicated by reference numerals 100A and 100B). Unlike the related art described as an example in the section “Background Art,” the lumbar support assembly 100 is not provided in the middle portion that directly supports the user's back portion, but rather is provided adjacent to the left and right ends of the backrest frame 50 and each assembly is configured to allow height and depth adjustment. Hereinafter, the pair of lumbar support assemblies 100A and 100B differ only in their installation directions, the entire configuration is combined in the same shape and in the same manner. Therefore, for convenience of description, only one assembly will be described in detail, and a detailed description of the other assembly will be omitted.

More specifically, the lumbar support assembly 100 may include a pair of moving bodies 110 provided to be movable vertically along the left side and the right side of the backrest frame 50, and mesh pressing plates 120 provided to be movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the pair of moving bodies 110, respectively, and pressing forward both the left and right ends of the backrest support mesh 55 provided at the backrest frame 50 to support the back portion of a user.

The moving body 110 may be a component installed on the inner backrest frame 50B of the backrest frame 50. A portion thereof (referred to as the sliding block 112 described below) may be configured to be movable vertically by a predetermined length inside the inner backrest frame 50B, and the remaining portion (referred to as a handle portion 111 described below) may be exposed to the outside of the inner backrest frame 50B.

In other words, the moving body 110 may include the handle portion 111 for a user to grip by hand, which is formed to extend by a predetermined length from the left end to the right end or from the right end to the left end of the backrest frame 50, and the sliding block 112 having a portion that performs a vertical sliding movement into the inner side of the backrest frame 50. Here, the handle portion 111 may be integrally formed with the moving body 110.

In particular, in the inner backrest frame 50B of the backrest frame 50, as shown in FIG. 4, the sliding block 112 may be installed inside, and the guide slot 57 may be formed to guide a vertical movement. As described above, the guide slot 57 is formed between the inner backrest frame 50B and the lumbar rail guide frame 50C coupled to the front end of the inner backrest frame 50B.

Here, the user may grip the handle portion 111 formed on the moving body 110 and configured to extend in the left-right direction of the backrest frame 50, and move the handle portion 111 vertically within the range defined by the guide slot 57, thereby adjusting the height. At this time, the user may adjust the height according to the user's body shape. If the user suffers from spinal disorders such as scoliosis, it is naturally understood that the lumbar support assembly 100A provided on the right side and the lumbar support assembly 100B provided on the left side may each be adjusted to different heights for postural correction.

Meanwhile, a haptic block 115 may be provided on the sliding block 112, which is installed inside the inner backrest frame 50B of the backrest frame 50, to apply a predetermined elastic force relative to the inner surface of the backrest frame (more specifically, the outer backrest frame 50A).

The haptic block 115 may be provided as an elastic body in the form of a roller. When the moving body 110 is adjusted to move vertically, the haptic block 115 may roll along a corrugated surface 50A-3 having a wave shape extending continuously in a vertical direction on the inner surface of the outer backrest frame 50A, and be elastically supported. As the haptic block 115 moves along the corrugated surface 50A-3, the haptic block 115 may provide the user with a tactile sense of height adjustment through the hand that the user grips.

The mesh pressing plate 120, as shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, may be formed as a flat panel having a front portion with a smooth curved cross-section so as to uniformly press a large area of the rear surface of the backrest support mesh 55, which is generally made of a soft fabric material.

As shown in FIGS. 6a and 6b, each of the pair of moving bodies 110 may be provided with a front-rear moving adjustment lever 130 configured to move the mesh pressing plate 120 in the front-rear direction relative to the moving body 110 fixed to the backrest frame 50.

Here, the front-rear moving adjustment lever 130 may be configured to allow the mesh pressing plate 120 to stop after moving, such that the pressure applied to the backrest support mesh 55 is different according to a plurality of different rotational angle positions.

For example, the front-rear moving adjustment lever 130 may be provided to be rotatable up to 90 degrees in either one direction or the other direction, and the different rotational angle positions described above may be configured to engage and stop at three positions at 30-degree intervals including the 90-degree point, or at six positions at 15-degree intervals including the 90-degree point.

This front-rear moving adjustment lever 130 may be configured to allow the mesh pressing plate 120 to stop after moving, such that the pressure applied to the backrest support mesh 55 is different according to a plurality of different rotational angle positions. For reference, the greater the forward movement of the stopped position of the mesh pressing plate 120, the greater the tension of the backrest support mesh 55, and the backrest support mesh 55 with increased tension may support the user's back portion at a more forward position.

In particular, as shown in FIGS. 8a and 8b, the front-rear moving adjustment lever 130 may be provided in a hollow form to allow a guide pole 121, which is formed to protrude rearward from the rear surface of the mesh pressing plate 120, to pass through.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 10, the front-rear moving adjustment lever 130 may be formed with a lever handle 132 protruding radially outward to allow rotation by a user's finger.

Here, the front-rear moving adjustment lever 130 may be rotated so that the front end of the lever handle 132 faces inward, between the left and right ends of the backrest frame 50. This is to prevent the lever handle 132 from protruding outward of the backrest frame 50, thereby avoiding interference or contact with the user.

On the inner circumferential surface of the hollow portion of the front-rear moving adjustment lever 130, as shown in FIG. 8b, a rotation cam surface 133 may be formed continuously in the circumferential direction to form the above-described plurality of different rotational angle positions, and formed at different distances from the rear end.

In addition, around the guide pole 121 of the mesh pressing plate 120, as shown in FIG. 8a, a corresponding cam surface 123 may be formed to engage with or be spaced from the rotation cam surface 133 of the front-rear moving adjustment lever 130, and formed at different distances from the rear surface of the mesh pressing plate 120.

Here, the rotation cam surface 133 is formed at different distances from the rear end of the front-rear moving adjustment lever 130, and the corresponding cam surface 123 is also formed at different distances from the rear surface of the mesh pressing plate 120. Thus, when the front-rear moving adjustment lever 130 is rotated in one direction, the lever may engage (contact) and stop at only one of the plurality of rotational angle positions, and the mesh pressing plate 120 may be adjusted to different depths according to each stop position.

In particular, the rotation cam surface 133 and the corresponding cam surface 123 may include a plurality of engagement portions (see reference numerals 123a, 123b, 123c in FIG. 6a) that engage to restrict rotation of the front-rear moving adjustment lever at different rotational angle positions.

At each of the plurality of engagement portions 123a, 123b, 123c, even when the user does not apply an operating force to the lever handle 132 of the front-rear moving adjustment lever 130, the mutual contact between the rotation cam surface 133 and the corresponding cam surface 123 may engage in the rotational direction to prevent the mesh pressing plate 120 from moving arbitrarily.

Meanwhile, the guide pole 121 formed on the mesh pressing plate 120, as shown in FIGS. 8a and 8b, is provided to be inserted from the front to the rear of the front-rear moving adjustment lever 130, and may be engaged and fastened by a guide screw 170, which is fastened from the rear to the front of the front-rear moving adjustment lever 130, so as to prevent forward disengagement within the moving body 110.

More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 8a and 8b, the moving body 110 may be provided with a fastening boss 114 having a penetration portion 113 formed to penetrate in the front-rear direction. The guide screw 170 may be inserted through a rear end of the penetration portion 113 of the moving body 110 and fastened into a screw fastening hole (reference numeral not shown) provided at a front end of the guide pole 121 of the mesh pressing plate 120. Here, an outer diameter of a head portion of the guide screw 170 is larger than an outer diameter of the front end of the guide pole 121, and an engagement step (reference numeral not shown) may be formed on an inner circumferential surface of the fastening boss 114 corresponding to the penetration portion 113 of the moving body 110, such that a rim portion corresponding to the head portion of the guide screw 170 is engaged, thereby preventing the mesh pressing plate 120 from disengaging outward.

As shown in FIGS. 8a and 8b, the opened portion corresponding to the rear end of the penetration portion 113 of the moving body 110 may be shielded by using a cover panel 116 and a decorative panel 117.

As shown in FIG. 8b, a fixing boss 117a, which is formed to protrude forward by a predetermined length, is provided on the front surface of the cover panel 116, and an interference-fitting member 140 made of an elastic material such as silicone may be screw-fastened to the front end of the fixing boss 117a by a front-end screw 150.

A plurality of gear-shaped elastic rings 141 elastically compressed by an external force may be integrally formed on the outer circumferential surface of the interference-fitting member 140. When the cover panel 116 is inserted through the penetration portion 113 of the moving body 110, the plurality of elastic rings 141 of the interference-fitting member 140 are brought into close contact with and pressed against the inner circumferential surface of the fastening boss 114, thereby allowing the cover panel 116 to be interference-fitted and coupled.

Meanwhile, on the outer side of the fastening boss 114 of the moving body 110, a rotation guide member 160 may be interposed to guide the rotational operation of the front-rear moving adjustment lever 130. The rotation guide member 160 may be interposed between the inner circumferential surface of the front-rear moving adjustment lever 130 and the outer circumferential surface of the fastening boss 114 of the moving body 110, and serve to guide or support the rotational operation of the front-rear moving adjustment lever 130.

The lumbar support assembly 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, configured in this manner, may be provided as a pair on the left side and the right side of the backrest frame 50, respectively, as described above, allowing the user to adjust each side to a different height or a different depth.

In particular, the mesh pressing plate 120 provided on each of the pair of moving bodies 110 may be disposed on an inner side between the left and right ends of the pair of backrest frames 50 and arranged closer to an outer side than a middle portion between the left and right ends, so as to minimize direct support of the user's back portion.

This is because, in the case of the lumbar support assembly 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, when supporting the user's back portion (particularly, the lumbar region), the mesh pressing plate 120 minimizes direct support of the user's back portion, and instead, the user's back portion is indirectly supported by increasing or decreasing the tension of the backrest support mesh 55.

Referring to the accompanying drawings (particularly FIGS. 9 and 10), the operation of the lumbar support assembly 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, configured as described above, may be briefly described as follows.

First, the lumbar support assembly 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a pair of assemblies 100A and 100B provided at the left and right ends of the backrest frame 50, respectively. As shown in FIG. 4, along the vertical direction of the backrest frame 50, the user may move the moving body 110 to adjust the height by using the handle portion 111 of the moving body 110, and move the mesh pressing plate 120 to adjust the front-rear depth by using the lever handle 132 of the front-rear moving adjustment lever 130.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 9, when the lever handle 132 of the front-rear moving adjustment lever 130 is oriented toward the upper side in the drawing, the rotation cam surface 133 and the corresponding cam surface 123 remain engaged with each other. As shown in FIG. 10, when the lever handle 132 of the front-rear moving adjustment lever 130 is rotated toward the ground or in the opposite direction, the mutual engagement between the rotation cam surface 133 and the corresponding cam surface 123 is released, so that the lever stops at one of the plurality of rotational angle positions 123a, 123b, or 123c, and the mesh pressing plate 120 moves forward.

When the mesh pressing plate 120 moves forward at both the left and right ends of the backrest frame 50, the central portion of the backrest support mesh 55 moves forward as a whole, increasing the tension. The user's back portion is comfortably supported only by the forward-moved backrest support mesh 55, which provides the advantage of improved usability and comfort.

A specific embodiment of the present invention does not exclude the chair 1 that includes the above-described lumbar support assembly 100.

In other words, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the chair 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the backrest frame 50, the backrest support mesh 55 provided on the backrest frame 50 to support the user's back portion, and the lumbar support assembly 100, provided to be movable vertically along the backrest frame 50, pressing the left and right ends of the backrest support mesh 55 forward, and capable of adjusting the tension of the backrest support mesh 55 differently.

Since the detailed configuration of the lumbar support assembly 100 is as described above, a detailed description of the chair 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be omitted in areas that would be redundant.

Above, the lumbar support assembly and the chair including the same according to the embodiment of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, embodiments of the present invention are not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiment, and it will be apparent that various modifications and implementations within an equivalent scope can be made by those skilled in the art. Therefore, the true scope of the present invention should be defined by the claims described below.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention provides a lumbar support assembly in which indirect lumbar support is enabled by adjusting the tension of the backrest support mesh without directly supporting the user's back portion, and a pair of assemblies is installed on each of the left side and the right side of the backrest frame, allowing the tension of the backrest support mesh to be adjusted to different heights and different depths on each side, and a chair including the same.