Technician's work chair

1. A technician's work chair comprising:

a frame having a first forward leg portion, a second forward leg portion and a rearward leg portion, with a seat supporting portion located proximate the rearward leg portion of the frame;

an air cushion assembly including a first air cushion device, a second air cushion device and a third air cushion device, the first air cushion device being attached to the first forward leg portion proximate a distal end thereof, the second air cushion device being attached to the second forward leg portion proximate a distal end thereof, and the third air cushion device being attached to the rearward leg portion proximate a distal end thereof, the air cushion assembly being configured to support the frame on a floor surface such that the air cushion assembly and frame freely glide along the floor surface, each of the first, second and third air cushion assemblies having a main plate and a chamber plate fixed to one another defining a recessed area therebetween, the chamber plate having a plurality of air holes extending from the recessed area downward through a lower flat surface of the chamber plate, the main plate and the chamber plate being rigid members;

a seat assembly having a cushion portion and a seatback portion, the cushion portion being supported to the frame and the seatback portion having an inclination adjusting mechanism operable to change an angle of inclination of the seatback portion relative to the frame such that a technician seated in the seat assembly ergonomically operates tools and completes tasks with arms raised over the technician's head;

an air hose having a first end connected to a compressed air source and a second end connected to the air cushion assembly supplying compressed air to the recessed area; and

a pivoting hose support device biased to move in a rearward direction relative to the frame, the pivoting hose support device being connected to a portion of the air hose between the first end and the second end such that with compressed air flowing out of the plurality of air holes in the chamber plate an air boundary is formed between the lower surface of the chamber plate and the floor surface, the frame, the seat assembly and the air cushion assembly being dimensioned and configured such that with the technician seated in the seat assembly the technician's feet freely engage the floor surface in order to move the frame and seat assembly using his/her feet with little or no effort due to near friction free characteristics provided by the air cushion assembly.

2. The technician's work chair according to claim 1 , wherein

the first air cushion device, the second air cushion device and the third air cushion device each include an upper end attached to the frame, a lower end having an air cushion housing facing the floor surface and a mechanical swivel joint located between the upper end and the lower end, the mechanical swivel joint providing the lower end with freedom of movement in response to movement along non-planar surface areas.

3. The technician's work chair according to claim 1 , wherein

the pivoting hose support device includes a gate, a biasing member and a vertical shaft non-movably fixed to the floor surface, the gate being freely pivotal about the vertical shaft, and the biasing member biasing the gate to move away from the frame, with the portion of the air hose being supported at a distal end of the gate above the floor surface.

4. The technician's work chair according to claim 1 , wherein

the plurality of air holes in the chamber plate are vertically oriented.

5. A technician's work chair comprising:

a frame having a first forward leg portion, a second forward leg portion and a rearward leg portion, the frame further having a seat supporting portion located proximate the rearward leg portion;

a first air cushion device attached to the first forward leg portion proximate a distal end thereof;

a second air cushion device attached to the second forward leg portion proximate a distal end thereof;

a third air cushion device attached to the rearward leg portion proximate a distal end thereof, each of the first, second and third air cushion devices being configured to support the frame on the floor surface;

a seat assembly having a cushion portion and a seatback portion, the cushion portion being supported to the seat supporting portion of the frame and the seatback portion having an inclination adjusting mechanism operable to change an angle of inclination of the seatback portion relative to the frame such that a technician seated in the seat assembly ergonomically operates tools and completes tasks with arms raised over the technician's head;

an air hose having a first end connected to a compressed air source and a second end connected to the first air cushion device, the second air cushion device and the third air cushion device; and

a pivoting hose support device biased to move in a rearward direction relative to the frame, the pivoting hose support device being connected to a portion of the air hose between the first end and the second end, the pivoting hose support device including a gate, a biasing member and a vertical shaft non-movably fixed to the floor surface, the gate being freely pivotal about the vertical shaft, and the biasing member biasing the gate to move away from the frame, with the portion of the air hose being supported at a distal end of the gate above the floor surface.

6. The technician's work chair according to claim 5 , wherein

the first air cushion device, the second air cushion device and the third air cushion device each include an upper end attached to the frame, a lower end having an air cushion housing facing the floor surface and a mechanical swivel joint located between the upper end and the lower end, the mechanical swivel joint providing the lower end with freedom of movement in response to movement along non-planar surface areas.

7. The technician's work chair according to claim 5 , wherein

the inclination adjusting mechanism of the seatback portion of the seat assembly includes a pneumatic cylinder supplied with compressed air from the air hose, the pneumatic cylinder being connected to a switching mechanism configured to manipulate air pressure within the pneumatic cylinder to change an angle of inclination of the seatback portion.

8. The technician's work chair according to claim 5 , wherein

the cushion portion of the seat assembly is supported to the frame via a pneumatic mechanism supplied with compressed air via the air hose, the pneumatic mechanism including a housing and at least two pneumatic pistons, the housing of the pneumatic mechanism being fixed to the seat supporting portion of the frame, and distal ends of the at least two pneumatic pistons being attached to an underside of the cushion portion of the seat assembly, the pneumatic mechanism being attached to a switching mechanism such that vertical positioning of the distal ends of the at least two pneumatic pistons and cushion portion is effected via operation of the switching mechanism.

9. The technician's work chair according to claim 5 , wherein

the cushion portion of the seat assembly includes a pressure switch that operates a shutoff valve connected to the air hose, the pressure switch being configured such that with the cushion portion being vacant, the pressure switch operates the shutoff valve to close, cutting off flow of compressed air to at least the first air cushion device, the second air cushion device and the third air cushion device, and with the cushion portion occupied by the technician, the pressure switch operates the shutoff valve to open such that compressed air flows to at least the first air cushion device, the second air cushion device and the third air cushion device.

10. The technician's work chair according to claim 5 , wherein

the frame, the seat assembly and the air cushion assembly are dimensioned and configured such that with the technician seated in the seat assembly the technician's feet can freely engage the floor surface in order to move the frame and seat assembly using his/her feet with little or no effort due to the near friction free characteristics provided by the air cushion assembly.

11. A technician's work chair comprising:

a frame having a first forward leg portion, a second forward leg portion and a rearward leg portion, the frame further having, a seat supporting portion located proximate the rearward leg portion, a tool supporting portion and a hardware supporting portion located on the frame proximate one of the first forward leg portion or the second forward leg portion, the frame further including a first support beam, a second support beam and a central plate welded to one another, the first support beam having an overall V-shape, with distal ends of the first support beam and the second support beam defining respective ones of the first forward leg portion and a second forward leg portion, the second support beam having an overall U-shape with distal ends thereof being welded to the first support beam at opposite sides thereof at locations proximate respective distal ends of the first support beam, a central section of the first support beam and a central section of the second support beam being spaced apart from one another, and the central plate being supported by each of the central section of the first support beam and the central section of the second support beam, the central plate defining the seat supporting portion of the frame and the rearward leg portion;

a first-floor engaging device attached to the first forward leg portion proximate a distal end thereof;

a second-floor engaging device attached to the second forward leg portion proximate a distal end thereof;

a third-floor engaging device attached to the rearward leg portion proximate a distal end thereof, the first-floor engaging device and the second-floor engaging device being spaced apart from one another by a first distance, and, the first-floor engaging device and the second-floor engaging device each being spaced apart from the third-floor engaging device by a second distance, the second distance being less than 80 percent of the first distance, each of the first, second and third-floor engaging devices being configured to support the frame on a floor surface; and

a seat assembly having a cushion portion and a seatback portion, the cushion portion being supported to the seat supporting portion of the frame and the seatback portion having an inclination adjusting mechanism operable to change an angle of inclination of the seatback portion relative to the frame such that a technician seated in the seat assembly ergonomically operates tools and completes tasks with arms raised over the technician's head, the seat assembly and the frame being positioned such that a forward most portion of the cushion portion is located rearward of the first forward leg portion and the second forward leg portion, the cushion portion being cantilevered in a forward direction from the seat supporting portion of the frame.

12. The technician's work chair according to claim 11 , wherein

the first-floor engaging device, the second-floor engaging device, and the third-floor engaging device are rotatable and swivel-able wheels structures that contact the floor surface.

13. The technician's work chair according to claim 11 , wherein

the first-floor engaging device, the second-floor engaging device, and the third-floor engaging device are air cushion devices supplied with compressed air such that when operating the air cushion devices create an air boundary layer between each of the air cushion devices and the floor surface.

14. The technician's work chair according to claim 11 , wherein

the first-floor engaging device, the second-floor engaging device and the third-floor engaging device define an obtuse angle with the third-floor engaging device being a vertex of the obtuse angle, the obtuse angle being greater than 100 degrees.

15. The technician's work chair according to claim 11 , wherein

the first forward leg portion and the second forward leg portion defined by the first support beam define an obtuse angle that is greater than 100 degrees.