US20130187422A1

US20130187422A1 - Chair having flexibility between seat and back

Info

Publication number: US20130187422A1
Application number: US13/733,233
Authority: US
Inventors: Gregory Scott Schwinghammer; Charles G. Wagner; Jerald W. Nichols; Kade Vogler; Roberto Lucci
Original assignee: Ditto Sales Inc
Current assignee: Ditto Sales Inc
Priority date: 2012-01-24
Filing date: 2013-01-03
Publication date: 2013-07-25

Abstract

A chair includes a support assembly, a chair seat coupled to the support assembly, a chair back and a buckle. A lower portion of the buckle is coupled to the support assembly, while an upper portion of the buckle is coupled to a bottom portion of the chair back. The buckle is configured to orient the chair back at an obtuse angle relative to the seat and is flexible in certain embodiments to vary the angle. The top portion of the chair back includes a top edge and a slot formed in the top edge that extends toward the bottom portion to divide the chair back into left and right portions that can flex relative to each other.

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application is a non-provisional of and claims priority to co-pending provisional application No. 61/589,916, filed on Jan. 24, 2012, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

relates to the field of chairs and, particularly, to chairs capable of flexion and extension between the chair seat and the chair back.

BACKGROUND

Some chairs include chair backs that are fixed relative to the chair seats such that the chair back is not movable relative to the chair seat. Some such chair backs are arranged at an obtuse angle relative to the chair seat to provide additional comfort to a user using the chair. It is desirable to provide a chair wherein the angle of the chair back relative to the chair seat is variable so that the chair will move when a user leans back in the chair enabling additional comfort.
Chairs having variable angles between the chair back and the chair seat are configured to balance maintaining the structural integrity of the chair with allowing sufficient movement and flexibility to enhance the comfort of the user. One way this balance is achieved is by positioning some kind of bending assembly between the chair seat and the chair back. Such bending assemblies, however, are generally relatively bulky, requiring chairs having variable angles to be substantially larger and less compact than chairs with non-variable angles. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a chair having a variable angle between the chair back and the chair seat that has a relatively small and streamlined configuration.
Additionally, chairs having variable angles including such bending assemblies usually require more parts, complicating the construction of the chair and increasing the cost to make the chair compared to chairs with non-variable angles. Accordingly, it is also desirable to provide a chair having a variable angle that is simple and inexpensive to construct. Additionally, chairs having variable angles including such bending assemblies are usually configured having the bending assemblies extending from the chairs such that the chairs are not easily stackable for high density storage. Accordingly, it is also desirable to provide a chair having a variable angle that is configured to be stackable such that it can be stored compactly with a plurality of such chairs. In view of the foregoing, it would be advantageous to provide an improved chair having flexibility between the chair back and the chair seat that is relatively small and streamlined, is simple and inexpensive to construct, and is stackable for high density storage.

SUMMARY

In accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure, a chair is provided which includes a support assembly, a chair seat, a buckle, and a chair back. The chair seat is coupled to the support assembly. The buckle has a buckle upper portion and a buckle lower portion. The buckle lower portion is coupled to the support assembly. The chair back includes a chair back bottom portion and a chair back top portion. The chair back bottom portion is coupled to the buckle upper portion. The chair back top portion includes a top edge and a slot formed in the top edge that extends toward the chair back bottom portion. The slot is arranged between a chair back left portion and a chair back right portion. The slot allows the chair back left portion to move relative to the chair back right portion.
In accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure, a chair is provided which includes a support assembly, a chair seat, a coupling assembly, and a chair back. The chair seat is coupled to the support assembly. The coupling assembly includes a buckle and a vertical panel. The buckle has a buckle upper portion arranged at an angle relative to a buckle lower portion. The buckle lower portion is coupled to the support assembly, and the buckle upper portion has at least one vertical rail. The buckle also has a buckle bend portion arranged between the buckle upper portion and the buckle lower portion. The buckle bend portion includes ribs formed in the buckle which allow the buckle bend portion to flex to vary the angle. The vertical panel slidably mates with the at least one vertical rail. The chair back is coupled to the at least one vertical panel.
In accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure, a chair is provided which includes a support assembly, a chair seat, a chair back, and a coupling assembly. The chair seat is coupled to the support assembly. The chair back has a chair back front side and a chair back back side. The coupling assembly includes a buckle and a slot. The buckle has a buckle upper portion and a buckle lower portion. The buckle lower portion is coupled to the support assembly, and the buckle upper portion has at least one tab. The slot is formed in the chair back side and receives the at least one tab to fix a position of the chair back relative to the buckle.
In accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure, a chair is provided which includes a support assembly, a chair seat, and a chair back. The support assembly has a lower portion, a bend portion, and an upright portion. The support assembly includes at least one insert which is received within the bend portion. The support assembly further includes at least one cap which extends at least partially within the upright portion. The chair seat is coupled to the lower portion. The chair back is coupled to the upright portion and is arranged at an obtuse angle relative to the chair seat.
In accordance with another embodiment of the disclosure, a chair is provided which includes a support assembly, a chair seat, chair arms, a coupling assembly, and a chair back. The chair seat is coupled to the support assembly. The chair seat has a left portion, a right portion, a front portion, and a back portion. The chair arms are integrally formed with and extend outwardly from the left portion and the right portion of the chair seat. Each of the chair arms has an inward portion, an outward portion, a front portion, and a back portion. The front portions and the back portions of each of the chair arms are coincident with the front portion and the back portion of the chair seat. Each of the chair arms is tapered such that the front portions and the back portions of each of the chair arms are closer together at the outward portions than at the inward portions. The coupling assembly is coupled to the support assembly. The chair back is coupled to the coupling assembly.
The above described features and advantages, as well as others, will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. While it would be desirable to provide a chair having flexibility between the seat and back that provides one or more of these or other advantageous features, the teachings disclosed herein extend to those embodiments which fall within the scope of the appended claims, regardless of whether they accomplish one or more of the above-mentioned advantages.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Features of the chair having flexibility between the chair seat and chair back are apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description with reference to the following drawings.

FIG. 1 depicts a top front perspective view of a chair according to the disclosure.

FIG. 2 depicts a bottom front perspective view of a chair back of the chair of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 depicts a top back perspective view of a chair seat of the chair of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4. depicts a top front perspective view of a support assembly of the chair of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 depicts a top front perspective view of a coupling assembly of the chair of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 depicts a side plan view of the chair of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 depicts a top front perspective view of a plurality of the chair of FIG. 1 stacked together.

FIG. 8 depicts a support assembly for use with the chair of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 depicts a support assembly and a chair seat for use with the chair of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 depicts an exploded perspective view of a coupling assembly for use with the chair of FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 depicts an exploded view of a coupling assembly for use with the chair of FIG. 1.

FIG. 12 depicts an exploded view of a coupling assembly and a chair back for use with the chair of FIG. 1.

FIG. 13 depicts a top front perspective view of a buckle of a coupling assembly for use with the chair of FIG. 1.

FIG. 14 depicts an exploded view of a support assembly for use with the chair of FIG. 1.

FIG. 15 depicts a back perspective view of another embodiment of a chair according to the disclosure.

FIG. 16 depicts a perspective view of a spacer for use with the chair of FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 depicts an exploded perspective view of a back spacer assembly for use with the chair of FIG. 15.

DESCRIPTION

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and described in the following written specification. It is understood that no limitation to the scope of the invention is thereby intended. It is further understood that the present invention includes an alterations and modifications to the illustrated embodiments and includes further applications of the principles of the invention as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains.
As shown in FIG. 1, a chair 100 includes a chair front portion 104, a chair back portion 108, a chair left portion 112, a chair right portion 116, a chair top portion 120, and a chair bottom portion 124. For clarity, the chair 100 is divided into these portions by three orthogonal planes. The frontal plane 128 separates the chair front portion 104 from the chair back portion 108. The medial plane 132 is orthogonal to the frontal plane 128 and separates the chair left portion 112 from the chair right portion 116. The transverse plane 136 is orthogonal to both the frontal plane 128 and the medial plane 132 and separates the chair top portion 120 from the chair bottom portion 124. Relative positions and directions of features of the chair 100 will be referred to herein using these three planes.
Specifically, as used herein, “forward” refers to the direction orthogonal to the frontal plane 128 toward the chair front portion 104 and “backward” refers to the direction orthogonal to the frontal plane 128 toward the chair back portion 108. As used herein, “inward” refers to the direction orthogonal to the medial plane 132 toward the medial plane 132 and “outward” refers to the direction orthogonal to the medial plane 132 away from the medial plane 132. As used herein, “upward” refers to the direction orthogonal to the transverse plane 136 toward the chair top portion 120, and “downward” refers to the direction orthogonal to the transverse plane 136 toward the chair bottom portion 124.
The chair 100 further includes a chair back 140, a chair seat 144, a support assembly 148, and a coupling assembly 152. The chair back 140 (described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 2) is coupled to the coupling assembly 152 and is located in the chair back portion 108 and the chair top portion 120. The chair seat 144 (described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 3) is coupled to the support assembly 148 and the majority of the chair seat 144 is located in the chair front portion 104. The support assembly 148 (described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 4) is located in the chair bottom portion 124. The coupling assembly 152 (described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 10) has a bent shape and is coupled to the support assembly 148 such that it extends from the chair front potion 104 and the chair bottom portion 124 to the chair back portion 108 and the chair top portion 120.
Turning now to FIG. 2, the chair back 140 includes a chair back front side 156 facing forwardly and a chair back side 160 arranged opposite the chair back front side 156 and facing backwardly. The chair also includes a chair back top portion 164, a chair back bottom portion 168, a chair back left portion 172, and a chair back right portion 176. The chair back left portion 172 is arranged to the left of the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1) and the chair back right portion 176 is arranged to the right of the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1).
The chair back 140 is constructed out of polypropylene such that the chair back 140 flexes somewhat under force, but returns to its original shape when the force is removed. In another embodiment, the chair back 140 need not be constructed out of polypropylene, but is constructed out of a material having substantially similar properties such that the chair back 140 flexes somewhat under force, but returns to its original shape when the force is removed.
The chair back 140 is shaped as a complex curve to accommodate the back of the torso area of a person using the chair 100 (shown in FIG. 1). Specifically, the chair back 140 is curved from the chair back left portion 172 to the chair back right portion 176 to curve around the torso area of the person using the chair 100 (shown in FIG. 1). The chair back 140 is curved from the chair back left portion 172 to the chair back right portion 176 such that, when a cross-sectional view of the chair back 140 is taken parallel to the transverse plane 136 (shown in FIG. 1), the chair back 140 is forwardly concave. The chair back 140 is also curved from the chair back top portion 164 to the chair back bottom portion 168 to support the back of the person using the chair 100 (shown in FIG. 1). The chair back 140 is curved from the chair back top portion 164 to the chair back bottom portion 168 such that, when a cross-sectional view of the chair back 140 is taken parallel to the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1), the chair back 140 is forwardly convex. Together, both curves of the chair back 140 improve the comfort of the user of the chair 100 (shown in FIG. 1).
Additionally, the chair back 140 includes a chair back top edge 180 and a vertical slot 184. The chair back top edge 180 extends along the chair back top portion 164 from the chair back left portion 172 to the chair back right portion 176. The vertical slot 184 extends through the chair back front side 156 and the chair back side 160 and extends downwardly from the chair back top edge 180 toward the chair back bottom portion 168. The vertical slot 184 interrupts the chair back top edge 180 thereby reducing the mechanical tension across the chair back top edge 180 and enabling movement of the chair back left portion 172 and the chair back right portion 176 relative to each other as the user leans back in the chair 100.
Turning now to FIG. 3, the chair seat 144 includes a chair seat top side 188 facing upwardly and a chair seat bottom side 192 arranged opposite the chair seat top side 188 and facing downwardly. The chair seat 144 also includes a chair seat front portion 196, a chair seat back portion 200, a chair seat left portion 204, and a chair seat right portion 208. The chair seat left portion 204 is arranged to the left of the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1) and the chair seat right portion 208 is arranged to the right of the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1).
The chair seat 144 is constructed out of polypropylene such that the chair seat 144 flexes somewhat under force, but returns to its original shape when the force is removed. In another embodiment, the chair seat 144 need not be constructed out of polypropylene, but is constructed out of a material having substantially similar properties such that the chair seat 144 flexes somewhat under force, but returns to its original shape when the force is removed.
The chair seat 144 is shaped as a complex curve to accommodate the buttocks and upper leg areas of a person using the chair 100. Specifically, the chair seat 144 is curved from the chair seat left portion 204 to the chair seat right portion 208 to accommodate the buttocks and upper leg areas of the person using the chair 100 (shown in FIG. 1). The chair seat 144 is curved from the chair seat left portion 204 to the chair seat right portion 208 such that, when a cross-sectional view of the chair seat 144 is taken parallel to the frontal plane 128 (shown in FIG. 1), the chair seat 144 is upwardly concave. The chair seat 144 is also curved from the chair seat front portion 196 to the chair seat back portion 200 to support the upper leg areas of the person using the chair 100. The chair seat 144 is curved from the chair seat front portion 196 to the chair seat back portion 200 such that, when a cross-sectional view of the chair seat 144 is taken parallel to the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1), the chair seat 144 is upwardly convex. Together, both curves of the chair seat 144 improve the comfort of the user of the chair 100.
The chair seat 144 is also slightly curved at the chair seat front portion 196 to provide additional comfort where the user's upper leg areas contact the chair seat 144 while a user is sitting in the chair 100 (shown in FIG. 1). Specifically, the chair seat front portion 196 is curved downwardly and backwardly such that a smooth curve 198 faces upwardly and forwardly toward a user's upper legs at the chair seat front portion 196.
Turning now to FIG. 4, the support assembly 148 includes front legs 212, back legs 216, a front primary support bar 220, a back primary support bar 224, a left secondary support bar 228, and a right secondary support bar 232. When the chair 100 is assembled as shown in FIG. 1, the chair seat 144 is coupled to, and is supported by, the support assembly 148. The support assembly 148 is constructed of one inch by one half inch rectangular tubing or one inch tubing to provide lightweight, strong, and durable support for a user. In alternative embodiments, however, the support assembly 148 need not be constructed of one inch by one half inch rectangular tubing or one inch tubing, but does provide lightweight, strong, and durable support for a user.
Returning to FIG. 4, the front legs 212 are located at the chair front portion 104 (shown in FIG. 1) and are oriented such that they extend downwardly substantially orthogonally to the transverse plane 136 (shown in FIG. 1). The back legs 216 are located at the chair back portion 108 (shown in FIG. 1) and are oriented such that they extend backwardly and outwardly as they also extend downwardly. The position and orientation of the legs 212 and 216 provides a large area for a stable distribution of weight of a user seated in the chair 100 (shown in FIG. 1) and reduces the chance that the chair 100 will tip when a user seated in the chair 100 leans backwardly.
The front primary support bar 220 is coupled to both front legs 212 such that it is located at the chair front portion 104 (shown in FIG. 1) and is oriented substantially orthogonally to the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1). The back primary support bar 224 is coupled to both back legs 216 such that it is located at the chair back portion 108 (shown in FIG. 1) and is oriented substantially orthogonally to the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1). The back primary support bar 224 is curved such that, when a cross-sectional view of the back primary support bar 224 is taken parallel to the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1), the back primary support bar 224 is upwardly convex. The shapes of the front primary support bar 220 and the back primary support bar 224 are substantially complementary to the shape of the chair seat bottom side 192 (shown in FIG. 3) to enable a secure connection between the chair seat 144 and the support assembly 148 when the chair 100 is assembled as shown in FIG. 1. The front primary support bar 220 is fixedly coupled to the front legs 212 and the back primary support bar 224 is fixedly coupled to the back legs 216 by welding. In another embodiment, the primary support bars 164, 168 need not be welded, but are fixedly coupled to the legs 156 and 160, respectively.
The left secondary support bar 228 is coupled to the front primary support bar 220 and to the back primary support bar 224, is arranged in the chair left portion 112 (shown in FIG. 1), and is oriented substantially orthogonally to the frontal plane 128 (shown in FIG. 1). The right secondary support bar 232 is coupled to the front primary support bar 220 and to the back primary support bar 224, is arranged in the chair right portion 116 (shown in FIG. 1), and is oriented substantially orthogonally to the frontal plane 128 (shown in FIG. 1). The left secondary support bar 228 and the right secondary support bar 232 are fixedly coupled to the primary support bars 220 and 224 by welding. In another embodiment, the secondary support bars 228 and 232 need not be welded, but are fixedly coupled to the primary support bars 220 and 224.
When the chair 100 is configured as shown in FIG. 1, the chair seat bottom side 192 (shown in FIG. 3) is coupled to the secondary support bars 228 and 232 (shown in FIG. 4). Accordingly, the secondary support bars 228 and 232 (shown in FIG. 4) are arranged and configured to distribute and support the weight of the user of the chair 100 over the support assembly 148. To this end, the secondary support bars 228 and 232 (shown in FIG. 4) angle inwardly, toward one another, as they extend backwardly from the front primary support bar 220 toward the back primary support bar 224 (shown in FIG. 4). The angled arrangement of the secondary support bars 228 and 232 provides more support near the intersection of the medial plane 132 and the transverse plane 136, where the majority of the user's weight is concentrated when the user is seated in the chair 100, and provides more stability near the chair front portion 104, where the user supports himself while entering and exiting the chair 100.
Turning now to FIG. 5, the coupling assembly 152 includes a buckle 236. The coupling assembly 152 is located at the chair back portion 108 and extends into both the chair top portion 120 and the chair bottom portion 124 (shown in FIG. 1). The buckle 236 is constructed out of deep drawn sheet metal, for example, ¼″ steel. Deep drawn sheet metal deforms or crushes when flexed or bent; therefore, the buckle 236 is not flexible or bendable.
The buckle 236 includes a buckle upright portion 244, a buckle lower portion 248, and a buckle bend portion 252. The buckle 236 also includes a buckle front side 256 and a buckle back side 260. The buckle front side 256 is configured to face forwardly and the buckle back side 260 is arranged opposite the buckle front side 256 and is configured to face backwardly. The buckle 236 is configured such that, when the chair 100 is assembled as shown in FIG. 1, the buckle upright portion 244 is coupled to the chair back side 160 (shown in FIG. 2) and the buckle lower portion 248 is coupled to the support assembly 148 (shown in FIG. 4). Because the buckle 236 is not flexible or bendable, when the chair 100 is assembled as shown in FIG. 1, the chair back 140, coupled to the buckle upright portion 244, is fixed in position relative to the chair seat 144, coupled to the support assembly 148, which is coupled to the buckle lower portion 248.
The buckle upright portion 244 includes a buckle top portion 264, a buckle upright left portion 268, a buckle upright right portion 272, and an opening 276. The buckle top portion 264 extends along the top of the buckle 236. The buckle upright left portion 268 and buckle upright right portion 272 extend downwardly from the buckle top portion 264 toward the buckle bend portion 252. The opening 276 extends through the buckle front side 256 and the buckle back side 260 in the buckle upright portion 208. The opening 276 is located between the buckle top portion 264, the buckle upright left portion 268, the buckle upright right portion 272, and the buckle bend portion 252. The opening 276 is formed by a lack of material in the buckle upright portion 244 to reduce the amount of material used to make the buckle 236 to facilitate a relatively small and sleek configuration.
The buckle upright portion 244 is configured to mate with the chair back side 160 when the chair 100 is assembled as shown in FIG. 1. To enable the coupling assembly 152 to lie flatly against the chair back 140 when the chair 100 is assembled as shown in FIG. 1, the buckle upright portion 244 is curved substantially complementarily to the chair back 140. Specifically, the buckle upright portion 244 is curved from the buckle upright left portion 268 to the buckle upright right portion 272 such that, when a cross-sectional view of the buckle upright portion 244 is taken parallel to the transverse plane 136 (shown in FIG. 1), the buckle upright portion 244 is forwardly concave. Additionally, the buckle upright portion 244 is curved from the buckle top portion 264 toward the buckle lower portion 248 such that, when a cross-sectional view of the buckle upright portion 244 is taken parallel to the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1), the buckle upright portion 244 is forwardly convex. The curves of the buckle upright portion 244 increase the mechanical stiffness of the buckle 236, enabling construction of a stiffer buckle 236 out of less material. Accordingly, the buckle upright portion 244 is relatively thin but also has a relatively high mechanical stiffness.
The buckle upright portion 244 is coupled to the chair back side 160 using conventional fasteners. In at least one embodiment, the coupling assembly 152 further includes rubber buffers arranged and fastened between the buckle upright portion 244 and the chair back side 160 to provide a stable, conforming connection.
The buckle lower portion 248 is configured to mate with the back primary support bar 224, the left secondary support bar 228, and the right secondary support bar 232 (shown in FIG. 4) when the chair 100 is assembled as shown in FIG. 1. To enable the coupling assembly 152 to lie flatly against the support assembly 148 when the chair 100 is assembled as shown in FIG. 1, the buckle lower portion 248 is curved substantially complementarily to the back primary support bar 224. Specifically, the buckle lower portion 248 is curved such that, when a cross-sectional view of the buckle lower portion 248 is taken parallel to the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1), the buckle lower portion 248 is upwardly convex. The curve of the buckle lower portion 248 increases the mechanical stiffness of the buckle 236, enabling construction of a stiffer buckle 236 out of less material. Accordingly, the buckle lower portion 248 is relatively thin but also has a relatively high mechanical stiffness.
The buckle lower portion 248 includes a buckle front edge 284, primary buckle holes 288, and secondary buckle holes 292. The primary buckle holes 288 are configured on the buckle lower portion 248 such that fasteners (not shown) inserted through the primary buckle holes 288 couple the buckle 236 to the back primary support bar 224 (shown in FIG. 4). The secondary buckle holes 292 are configured on the buckle lower portion 248 such that fasteners (not shown) inserted through the secondary buckle holes 292 couple the buckle 236 to the left secondary support bar 228 and the right secondary support bar 232 (shown in FIG. 4). In at least one embodiment, the fasteners are typical machine screws, and the support assembly 148 (shown in FIG. 4) includes corresponding threaded holes to engage the machine screws. In at least one embodiment, the coupling assembly 152 also includes rubber buffers positioned between the buckle 236 and the support assembly 148 (shown in FIG. 4) to provide a stable, conforming connection. The primary buckle holes 288 and the secondary buckle holes 292 are arranged symmetrically relative to the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1). To enable coupling to the respective portions of the support assembly 148 (shown in FIG. 4), the secondary buckle holes 292 are arranged closer to the buckle front edge 284 than the primary buckle holes 288, and the secondary buckle holes 292 are spaced farther outwardly than the primary buckle holes 288.
The buckle bend portion 252 is arranged between and connects the buckle upright portion 244 and the buckle lower portion 248. The buckle bend portion 252 is curved such that, when a cross-sectional view of the buckle bend portion 252 is taken parallel to the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1), the buckle bend portion 252 is forwardly and upwardly concave. The buckle bend portion 252 is configured such that the buckle upright portion 244 and the buckle lower portion 248 are arranged at an angle A relative to one another. The angle A is defined as projected onto the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1). Because the buckle 236 is not flexible or bendable, the angle A is not variable. In this embodiment, the angle A is about 97 degrees.
As shown in FIG. 6, when the chair 100 is assembled, the chair back 140 is coupled to the buckle upright portion 244 and the chair seat 144 is coupled to the support assembly 148 which is coupled to the buckle lower portion 248 such that the chair back 140 is arranged at an angle C relative to the chair seat 144. Like angle A (shown in FIG. 5), angle C is also defined as projected onto the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1). When no force is applied to the chair 100, the angle C is substantially the same as angle A (shown in FIG. 5) between the chair upright portion 244 and the buckle lower portion 248. The angle C is variable, however, because the chair back 140 and the chair seat 144 are constructed out of polypropylene and because the chair back 140 includes the vertical slot 184 (shown in FIG. 2).
In particular, in use, a user sits on the chair seat top side 188 with his/her back against the chair back front side 156. When a user sits on the chair seat top side 188, the user applies a downward force D to the chair seat 144 in direction substantially orthogonal to and away from the transverse plane 136 (shown in FIG. 1). Because the chair seat 144 is constructed out of polypropylene, the chair seat 144 flexes slightly downwardly under the downward force D to slightly increase the angle C. In particular, the chair seat front portion 196 flexes more than the chair seat back portion 200 because the chair seat front portion 196 is farther than the chair seat back portion 200 from the location where the chair seat 144 is coupled to the support assembly 148.
When the user leans back in the chair 100, the user applies a backward force B to the chair back 140 that is backward relative to the frontal plane 128 (shown in FIG. 1) and downward relative to the transverse plane 136 (shown in FIG. 1). Because the chair back 140 is constructed out of polypropylene, the chair back 140 flexes slightly backwardly under the backward force B to further slightly increase the angle C. In particular, the chair back top portion 164 flexes more than the chair back bottom portion 168 because the chair back top portion 164 is farther than the chair back bottom portion 168 from the location where the chair back 140 is coupled to the buckle upright portion 244.
Additionally, the vertical slot 184 (shown in FIG. 2) in the chair back 140 allows each of the chair back left portion 172 and the chair back right portion 176 (shown in FIG. 2) to move backwardly and outwardly such that the chair back 140 flexes under the applied force to accommodate the user's body further slightly increasing the angle C. The angle C is thus variable even though the angle A (shown in FIG. 5) is not variable. The chair 100 is configured to accommodate the user moving the chair back 140 relative to the chair seat 144 to any angle C that is in a range of, for example, 97 through 104 degrees.
When the user no longer leans back in the chair 100 and, thus, no longer applies a backward force B to the chair back 140, the angle C between the chair back 140 and the chair seat 144 decreases as the chair back 140 moves upwardly and forwardly to return to its initial position. Additionally, the angle C further decreases as the chair back left portion 172 and the chair back right portion 176 (shown in FIG. 2) move inwardly and forwardly to return to their initial positions. When the user no longer sits in the chair 100 and, thus, no longer applies a downward force D to the chair seat 144, the angle C further decreases as the chair seat 144 moves upwardly to return to its initial position.
Returning to FIG. 2, because the chair back left portion 172 and the chair back right portion 176 move inwardly as they move forwardly when a user ceases to apply a backward force B (shown in FIG. 6) to the chair back 140, the vertical slot 184 becomes narrower. Accordingly, any portion of the user's back which remains in contact with the chair back 140 is pinched within the narrowing vertical slot 184. Thus, to improve the comfort of the user, the vertical slot 184 is configured to enable flexure of the chair back when the user applies a backward force B and to prevent pinching the user when the user ceases to apply the backward force B. Specifically, the vertical slot 184 has a vertical slot width 324 and a vertical slot length 328 which are configured to enable flexure and prevent pinching while maintaining the structural integrity of the chair back 140. In one embodiment, the vertical slot width 324 is, for example, 0.4 inches. In one embodiment, the vertical slot length 328 is, for example, 7.6 inches.
As shown in FIG. 7, when the chair 100 is not being used for sitting, the chair 100 is stackable with other identical chairs 100. The configuration of the back legs 216 and the front legs 212 allows the support assembly 148 of each chair 100 to be forwardly offset from the chair 100 below such that the back legs 216 and the front legs 212 do not interfere with those of the chair 100 below. Additionally, the configuration of the primary support bars 220 and 224 and the secondary support bars 228 and 232 (shown in FIG. 4) allows the support assembly 148 of each chair 100 to be nested on the chair seat top side 188 of the chair 100 below. Additionally, the configuration and curvature of the buckle 236 (shown in FIG. 5), including the relative thinness of the buckle upright portion 244 and the buckle lower portion 248, allows the coupling assembly 152 of each chair 100 to be nested on the chair back front side 156 of the chair 100 below. Accordingly, the chairs 100 are configured to be stacked in high density and to be stored compactly.
FIG. 8 depicts a chair 100′ having a support assembly 148′. The chair 100′ is substantially similar to the chair 100 described above and shown in FIG. 1. The chair 100′ includes a support assembly 148′ that is substantially similar to the support assembly 148 described above and shown in FIG. 4. The support assembly 148′ differs from the support assembly 148, however, in that the support assembly 148′ includes a support post 210′ and axial legs 214′ instead of two front legs 212 and two back legs 216. Specifically, the support assembly 148′ includes a front primary support bar, a back primary support bar, a left secondary support bar, and a right secondary support bar coupled to the chair seat 144′. The support post 210′ is coupled to, and extends downwardly relative to, at least one of the front primary support bar, back primary support bar, left secondary support bar, and right secondary support bar. Alternatively, the support post 210′ can include a plate (not shown) which is coupled to at least one of the front primary support bar, back primary support bar, left secondary support bar, and right secondary support bar. The support post 210′ is coupled to, and extends downwardly relative to, the plate.
The support post 210′ is substantially cylindrically shaped, is oriented substantially orthogonally to the transverse plane 136 (shown in FIG. 1), and is positioned at an approximate center of mass of the chair 100′. The axial legs 214′ extend from the support post 210′ such that each of the axial legs 214′ is equidistantly spaced from the adjacent axial legs 214′. In this embodiment, the support assembly 148′ includes five axial legs 214′.
The support assembly 148′ also includes chair arms 218′ arranged and configured to support the arms of a user while the user is seated in the chair 100′. The chair arms 218′ are coupled to at least one of the front primary support bar, back primary support bar, left secondary support bar, and right secondary support bar such that the chair arms 218′ extend upwardly and forwardly and are arranged and configured to support the arms of a user while the user is seated in the chair 100′. In at least one embodiment, the chair arms 218′ are integrally formed with the back primary support bar.
FIG. 9 depicts a chair 100″ having a support assembly 148″ and a chair seat 144″. The chair 100″ is substantially similar to the chair 100′ described above and shown in FIG. 8. The chair 100″ differs from the chair 100′, however, in that the support assembly 148″ includes a support post 210″ and a base plate 211″ instead of the support post 210′ and axial legs 214′ included in the support assembly 148′. Additionally, the chair 100″ differs from the chair 100′ in that the chair seat 144″ includes chair arms 218″.
Specifically, the support assembly 148″ includes a front primary support bar, a back primary support bar, a left secondary support bar, and a right secondary support bar. The support post 210″ is coupled to, and extends downwardly relative to, at least one of the front primary support bar, back primary support bar, left secondary support bar, and right secondary support bar. Alternatively, the support post 210″ can include a plate (not shown) which couples to at least one of the front primary support bar, back primary support bar, left secondary support bar, and right secondary support bar such that the support post 210″. The support post 210″ couples to, and extends downwardly from, the plate. Alternatively, the support post 210″ can include a plate (not shown) which is coupled to the chair seat 144″. The support post 210″ couples to, and extends downwardly from, the plate.
The support post 210″ is substantially cylindrically shaped, is oriented substantially orthogonally to the transverse plane 136 (shown in FIG. 1), and is positioned at an approximate center of mass of the chair 100″. The base plate 211″ is coupled to the support post 210″ opposite the front primary support bar, back primary support bar, left secondary support bar, right secondary support bar, or chair seat 144″ and is arranged and configured to stably support the chair 100″ in lieu of legs.
The chair seat 144″ is substantially similar to the chair seat 144 described above and shown in FIG. 3. The chair seat 144″ differs from the chair seat 144, however, in that the chair seat 144″ includes chair arms 218″ extending from the chair seat left portion 204″ and the chair seat right portion 208″. In this embodiment, the chair arms 218″ are integrally formed with the chair seat 144″ to present a sleek shape formed using simple manufacturing techniques. In alternative embodiments, however, the chair arms 218″ need not be integrally formed with the chair seat 144″, but do present a sleek shape formed using simple manufacturing techniques.
The chair seat 144″ is arranged and configured such that the chair arms 218″ support the arms of a user while the user is seated in the chair 100″. Specifically, the chair seat 144″ curves at the chair seat left portion 204″ such that, when a cross-sectional view of the chair seat left portion 204″ is taken parallel to the frontal plane 128 (shown in FIG. 1), the chair seat left portion 204″ is inwardly and upwardly concave. Similarly, the chair seat 144″ curves at the chair seat right portion 208″ such that, when a cross-sectional view of the chair seat right portion 208″ is taken parallel to the frontal plane 128 (shown in FIG. 1), the chair seat right portion 208″ is inwardly and upwardly concave.
The chair arms 218″ include outer edges 217″, front edges 219″, back edges 221″, and a top side 223″. The chair arms 218″ extend from the chair seat 144″ toward the outer edges 217″ outwardly and upwardly relative to the chair seat 144″ such that the chair arms 218″ resemble outstretched wings. The chair arms 218″ taper as they extend toward the outer edges 217″ such that, nearest to the chair seat 144″, the front edge 219″ of each chair arm 218″ is closer to the back edge 221″ of each chair arm 218″ and, nearest to the outer edges 217″, the front edge 219″ of each chair arm 218″ is farther from the back edge 221″ of each chair arm 218″. In at least one embodiment, the chair seat 144″ and the chair arms 218″ are padded with a continuous pad extending along the top side 223″ of each of the chair arms 218″ and the chair seat top side 188″ of the chair seat 144″. In at least one other embodiment, the chair seat 144″ is padded with a pad and the chair arms 218″ are not padded. In at least one other embodiment, neither the chair seat 144″ nor the chair arms 218″ are padded.
In another alternative embodiment, the chair 100 includes a flexible buckle coupling assembly 154 (shown in FIG. 10) instead of the coupling assembly 152 (shown in FIG. 5). As shown in FIG. 10, the flexible buckle coupling assembly 154 includes a flexible buckle 238 and vertical panels 240. The flexible buckle 238 is substantially similar to the buckle 236 described above and shown in FIG. 5. The flexible buckle 238, however, differs from the buckle 236 in that the flexible buckle 238 is flexible and is indirectly coupled to the chair back 140 via the vertical panels 240.
Turning now to FIG. 10, the flexible coupling assembly 154, including the flexible buckle 238 and the vertical panels 240, is located at the chair back portion 108 and extends into both the chair top portion 120 and the chair bottom portion 124 (shown in FIG. 1). The flexible buckle 238 is configured to be coupled to the back primary support bar 224, the left secondary support bar 228, and the right secondary support bar 232 of the support assembly 148 (shown in FIG. 4). The vertical panels 240 are configured to be coupled to the chair back side 160 (shown in FIG. 2). The flexible buckle 238 and the vertical panels 240 are configured to fit together such that, when the chair 100 is assembled as shown in FIG. 1, the positions of the vertical panels 240 are fixed relative to the flexible buckle 238, thereby fixing the position of the chair back 140 relative to the support assembly 148. To facilitate mating with the vertical panels 240, which are coupled to the chair back 140, the flexible buckle 238 is flexible such that it is conformable to the vertical panels 240 and to the shape of the chair back 140.
The flexible buckle 238 is constructed of die cast magnesium to provide strength and flexibility to the flexible buckle coupling assembly 154. In alternative embodiments, however, the flexible buckle 238 need not be constructed of die cast magnesium, but is constructed of another material having similar strength and flexibility. Like the buckle 236 (shown in FIG. 5), the flexible buckle 238 includes a buckle upright portion 244, a buckle lower portion 248, a buckle bend portion 252, a buckle front side 256, and a buckle back side 260. Further, the buckle upright portion 244 also includes a buckle top portion 264, a buckle upright left portion 268, a buckle upright right portion 272, and an opening 276. The opening 276 formed by a lack of material in the buckle upright portion 244, reduces the amount of material used to make the flexible buckle 238 and also increases the conformability of the buckle upright portion 244 to the vertical panels 240 and, thus, to the chair back 140 (shown in FIG. 2).
The buckle upright left portion 268 and the buckle upright right portion 272 each include a buckle notch 280 cut into the flexible buckle 238. The buckle notches 280 are located between the buckle top portion 264 and the buckle bend portion 252. The buckle upright left portion 268 and the buckle upright right portion 272 are configured to mate with the vertical panels 240, which are coupled to the chair back side 160 when the chair 100 is assembled as shown in FIG. 1. To enable the flexible buckle coupling assembly 154 to lie flatly against the chair back 140 when the chair 100 is assembled as shown in FIG. 1, the buckle upright portion 244 is curved substantially complementarily to the chair back 140. Specifically, the buckle upright portion 244 is curved from the buckle upright left portion 268 to the buckle upright right portion 272 such that, when a cross-sectional view of the buckle upright portion 244 is taken parallel to the transverse plane 136 (shown in FIG. 1), the buckle upright portion 244 is forwardly concave. Additionally, the buckle upright portion 244 is curved from the buckle top portion 264 toward the buckle lower portion 248 such that, when a cross-sectional view of the buckle upright portion 244 is taken parallel to the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1), the buckle upright portion 244 is forwardly convex. The curves of the buckle upright portion 244 increase the mechanical stiffness of the flexible buckle 238, enabling construction of a stiffer flexible buckle 238 out of less material. Accordingly, the buckle upright portion 244 is relatively thin but also has a relatively high mechanical stiffness.
The buckle lower portion 248 of the flexible buckle 238 is configured to mate with the back primary support bar 224 (shown in FIG. 4) when the chair 100 is assembled as shown in FIG. 1 in the same manner as described above with respect to buckle 236. The buckle lower portion 248 of the flexible buckle 238 is coupled to the back primary support bar 224, the left secondary support bar 228, and the right secondary support bar 232 (shown in FIG. 4) in the same manner as described above with respect to buckle 236.
The buckle bend portion 252 is arranged between and connects the buckle upright portion 244 and the buckle lower portion 248. The buckle bend portion 252 is curved such that, when a cross-sectional view of the buckle bend portion 252 is taken parallel to the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1), the buckle bend portion 252 is forwardly and upwardly concave. The buckle bend portion 252 is configured such that the buckle upright portion 244 and the buckle lower portion 248 are arranged at an angle E relative to one another. The angle E is defined as projected onto the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1).
The flexible buckle 238 further includes vertical tracks 296 and ribs 300. The vertical tracks 296 extend forwardly from the buckle front side 256 and extend along the buckle upright portion 244 and the buckle bend portion 252 in a direction from the buckle lower portion 248 toward the buckle top portion 264. The vertical tracks 296 extend along the sides of the buckle upright left portion 268 and the buckle upright right portion 272 and are configured to engage the vertical panels 240.
The ribs 300 extend backwardly from the buckle front side 256 into the buckle 236 and extend along the entire buckle bend portion 252, and also extend slightly along the buckle upright portion 244 and the buckle lower portion 248, in the same direction as the vertical tracks 296. Because the ribs 300 extend into the flexible buckle 238, the ribs 300 are an absence of material within the flexible buckle 238, particularly in the buckle bend portion 252. The added flexibility of the flexible buckle 238 due to the ribs 300 enables conformability of the flexible buckle 238 to the vertical panels 240 and, thus, to the shape of the chair back 140 (shown in FIG. 2). Additionally, because the ribs 300 extend along the entire buckle bend portion 252, the buckle bend portion 252 is more flexible than the buckle upright portion 244 and the buckle lower portion 248. The buckle bend portion 252 is semi-flexible such that the angle E is variable.
The flexibility of the buckle bend portion 252 is determined by the material used for the flexible buckle 238, the thickness of the flexible buckle 238 at the buckle bend portion 252, and by the size and number of ribs 300 provided in the flexible buckle 238. Accordingly, one way to alter the flexibility of the buckle bend portion 252, and thus the range of angle E, is by changing the size and number of ribs 300. When no force is applied to the flexible buckle 238, the buckle upright portion 244 is oriented at an angle E that is the smallest angle in the range of angle E relative to the buckle lower portion 248.
Each of the vertical panels 240 includes a panel front side 304, a panel back side 308, panel holes 312, panel raised edges 316 and a panel tab 320. The panel holes 312 extend through the vertical panels 240 and are configured such that fasteners (not shown) inserted through the panel holes 312 couple the vertical panels 240 to the chair back side 160 (shown in FIG. 1). When the vertical panels 240 are coupled to the chair back side 160, the panel front side 304 of each vertical panel 240 abuts the chair back side 160. The panel raised edges 316 extend along the sides of the vertical panels 240 and extend backwardly and outwardly from the panel back sides 308 such that the vertical panels 240 are generally forwardly convex. The panel raised edges 316 are sized and configured to be slidably received within the vertical tracks 296 such that the flexible buckle 238 slidably mates with the vertical panels 240. Each of the panel tabs 320 is located between the panel raised edges 316 and extends backwardly from the panel back sides 308. The panel tabs 320 are sized and configured to extend within the buckle notches 280 when the panel raised edges 316 are received within the vertical tracks 296.
When the panel tabs 320 extend within the buckle notches 280, the panel raised edges 316 of the vertical panels 240 are fixed in position relative to the vertical tracks 296 located on the buckle upright portion 244. Because the vertical panels 240 are coupled to the chair back side 160 (shown in FIG. 2) and the buckle lower portion 248 is coupled to the support assembly 148 (shown in FIG. 4), fixing the position of the vertical panels 240 relative to the vertical tracks 296 also fixes the position of the chair back 140 (shown in FIG. 2) relative to the support assembly 148 (shown in FIG. 4). Referring to FIG. 1, because the chair seat 144 is fixedly coupled to the support assembly 148, fixing the position of the chair back 140 relative to the support assembly 148 also fixes the position of the chair back 140 relative to the chair seat 144.
Accordingly, referring again to FIG. 10, when the vertical panels 240 are coupled to the chair back side 160 (shown in FIG. 2) and are fixed in position relative to the vertical tracks 296, which are located on the buckle upright portion 244, and the buckle lower portion 248 is coupled to the support assembly 148 (shown in FIG. 4) along with the chair seat 144 (shown in FIG. 3), the angle E between the buckle upright portion 244 and the buckle lower portion 248 is substantially equivalent to the angle C (shown in FIG. 6) between the chair back 140 and the chair seat 144. Changing the angle E between the buckle upright portion 244 and the buckle lower portion 248 also changes the angle C between the chair back 140 and the chair seat 144 (shown in FIG. 6).
Turning again to FIG. 6, before the user sits in the chair 100, the angle E is the smallest angle in the range of angle E, and the angle C is the smallest angle in the range of angle C. When the user sits on the chair seat top side 188 and applies the downward force D to the chair seat 144, the polypropylene chair seat 144 flexes downwardly under the downward force D to slightly increase the angle C.
When the user leans back in the chair 100 and applies the backward force B to the chair back 140, the polypropylene chair back 140 flexes slightly backwardly under the backward force B to further slightly increase the angle C. Additionally, each of the chair back left portion 172 and the chair back right portion 176 (shown in FIG. 2) move backwardly and outwardly due to the vertical slot 184, further increasing the angle C. Additionally, at least a portion of the backward force B applied to the chair back 140 is transferred through the vertical panels 240 (shown in FIG. 10) to the buckle upright portion 244 of the flexible buckle coupling assembly 154. When the buckle upright portion 244 is forced backwardly, the flexible buckle 238 flexes at the buckle bend portion 252 which enables the buckle upright portion 244 to move backwardly and downwardly while the buckle lower portion 248 remains stationary due to its connection to the support assembly 148. Moving the buckle upright portion 244 relative to the buckle lower portion 248 increases the angle E (shown in FIG. 10) and moves the chair back 140 relative to the chair seat 144, which also further increases the angle C.
When the user no longer leans back in the chair 100 and, thus, no longer applies the backward force B, the angle C decreases as the polypropylene chair back 140 moves upwardly and forwardly to return to its initial position. Additionally, the angle C further decreases as the chair back left portion 172 and the chair back right portion 176 (shown in FIG. 2) move inwardly and forwardly to return to their initial positions. Additionally, the angle C further decreases as the flexible buckle 238 returns to its initial position wherein the buckle upright portion 244 is oriented at the smallest angle in the range of angle E (shown in FIG. 10) relative to the buckle lower portion 248. When the user no longer sits in the chair 100 and, thus, no longer applies a downward force D to the chair seat 144, the angle C further decreases as the chair seat 144 moves upwardly to return to its initial position.
In another alternative embodiment, the chair 100 includes a snap cover coupling assembly 332 (shown in FIG. 11) instead of the flexible buckle coupling assembly 154 (shown in FIG. 10). As shown in FIG. 11, the snap cover coupling assembly 332 includes a snap cover buckle 336 and a snap cover plate 340 but does not include vertical tracks 296 (shown in FIG. 10). The snap cover buckle 336 is substantially similar to the buckle 236 described above and shown in FIG. 10. The snap cover buckle 336, however, differs from the buckle 236 in that the snap cover buckle 336 is directly coupled to the chair back side 160 (shown in FIG. 2) instead of being indirectly coupled to the chair back 140 via the vertical tracks 296.
The snap cover buckle 336 is constructed from injection molded glass reinforced nylon or another material with similar strength, flexibility, durability, and weight. The snap cover buckle 336 includes elongated ribs (not shown), upright portion holes 348, and upright portion slots 352. The elongated ribs are configured and arranged substantially similarly to the ribs 300 (shown in FIG. 10). Because the snap cover buckle 336 is coupled directly to the chair back side 160 (shown in FIG. 2), however, the elongated ribs extend along the entire buckle upright portion 244 to facilitate conformability of the snap cover buckle 336 to the chair back 140. The upright portion holes 348 extend through the buckle upright portion 244 such that fasteners (not shown) inserted through the upright portion holes 348 couple the upright portion 244 to the chair back side 160 (shown in FIG. 2).
The snap cover plate 340 is sized and configured to conceal the fasteners extending through the upright portion holes 348 in the buckle upright portion 244 when the snap cover buckle 336 is coupled to the chair back side 160 (shown in FIG. 2). To this end, the snap cover plate 340 includes cover plate tabs 356 sized and configured to extend within the upright portion slots 352 in the snap cover buckle 336. Each cover plate tab 356 includes a cover plate tab foot 360 which extends from the cover plate tab 356 such that it presses against the upright portion slot 352 when the cover plate tab 356 is inserted into the upright portion slot 352 to retain the snap cover plate 340 on the snap cover buckle 336.
The cover plate tabs 356 and the cover plate tab feet 360 are integrally formed with the snap cover plate 340 to facilitate ease of manufacturing and retention of the whole snap cover plate 340 on the snap cover buckle 336. The snap cover plate 340 is constructed from polystyrene or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene so that the snap cover plate 340, the cover plate tabs 356, and the cover plate tab feet 360 are flexible enough to snap onto the snap cover buckle 336, but are stiff enough to retain the position of the snap cover plate 340 on the snap cover buckle 336. Alternatively, the snap cover plate 340 need not be constructed from polystyrene or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, but is flexible enough to snap onto the snap cover buckle 336 and stiff enough to retain the position of the snap cover plate 340 on the snap cover buckle 336.
An advantage of this embodiment is that only the snap cover buckle 336 is coupled to the chair back 140 (shown in FIG. 2) to reduce assembly time and the number of separate parts to be assembled. Another advantage of this embodiment is that the entire snap cover buckle 336 couples to the chair back side 160 (shown in FIG. 2) to improve the security of the connection between the snap cover coupling assembly 332 and the chair back 140 (shown in FIG. 2).
In another alternative embodiment, the chair 100 includes a locking coupling assembly 364 (shown in FIG. 12) instead of the coupling assembly 152 (shown in FIG. 5). As shown in FIG. 12, the locking coupling assembly 364 includes a locking buckle 368 and a chair back locking portion 372. The locking buckle 368 is substantially similar to the buckle 236 described above and shown in FIG. 5. The locking buckle 368, however, differs from the buckle 236 in that the locking buckle 368 is coupled to the chair back side 160 via the chair back locking portion 372 and does not require any additional parts or fasteners to be fastened to the chair back 140.
The locking buckle 368 includes a top tab strip 376, side tab strips 380, and a bottom tab strip 384 arranged on the buckle front side 256 of the locking buckle 368. The top tab strip 376 is located at the buckle top portion 264, a side tab strip 380 is located on each of the buckle upright left portion 268 and the buckle upright right portion 272, and the bottom tab strip 384 is located near the buckle bend portion 252 of the locking buckle 368. Each of the tab strips 376, 380 and 384 includes a tab strip raised ledge 388. The tab strip raised ledge 388 of the top tab strip 376 extends forwardly and upwardly from the top tab strip 376, the tab strip raised ledges 388 of the side tab strips 380 extend forwardly and outwardly from the side tab strips 380, and the tab strip raised ledges 388 of the bottom tab strip 384 extends forwardly and downwardly from the bottom tab strip 384. Each of the side tab strips 380 further includes a tab strip hook 292 extending forwardly and upwardly from the side tab strips 380 to form a hook facing the chair back locking portion 372.
The chair back locking portion 372 includes undercut slots 396 extending into the chair back 140 from the chair back side 160. The undercut slots 396 are arranged and configured to receive the tab strip raised ledges 388 on the locking buckle 368 such that the top tab strip 376, the side tab strips 380, and the bottom tab strip 384 lock the locking buckle 368 onto the chair back 140. The chair back locking portion 372 further includes hook slots 400 extending upwardly into a chair back bottom edge 170 in the chair back bottom portion 168 of the chair back 140. The hook slots 400 are arranged and configured to receive the tab strip hooks 292 on the locking buckle 368 such that the side tab strips 380 further lock the locking buckle 368 onto the chair back 140.
An advantage of this embodiment is that no additional parts are required to couple the chair back 140 and the locking coupling assembly 364. A further advantage of this embodiment is the ease of coupling the chair back 140 to the locking buckle 368 of the locking coupling assembly 364 by inserting the tab strip raised ledges 388 into the undercut slots 396 and inserting the tab strip hooks 292 into the hook slots 400.
In another alternative embodiment, the chair 100 includes a fitted buckle 404 (shown in FIG. 13) instead of the buckle 236 (shown in FIG. 5). As shown in FIG. 13, the fitted buckle 404 is substantially similar to the buckle 236 described above and shown in FIG. 5. The fitted buckle 404, however, differs from the buckle 236 in that the fitted buckle 404 is further includes a buckle groove 408 formed in the buckle lower portion 248.
The buckle groove 408 includes a groove upper portion 412, a groove lower portion 416, and a groove bend portion 420. The groove upper portion 412 extends forwardly of the groove lower portion 416, and the groove upper portion 412 includes primary buckle holes 288 and secondary buckle holes 292 as described above with reference to buckle 236. In an alternative embodiment, the groove lower portion 416 extends forwardly of the groove upper portion 412, and the groove lower portion 416 includes the primary buckle holes 288 and the secondary buckle holes 292. In another alternative embodiment, the groove upper portion 412 includes the primary buckle holes 288 and the groove lower portion 416 includes the secondary buckle holes 292. The groove lower portion 416 is positioned below and is spaced apart from the groove upper portion 412 by the groove bend portion 420. The groove bend portion 420 is configured such that, when a cross-sectional view of the fitted buckle 404 is taken parallel to the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1), the groove bend portion 420 is forwardly concave. The groove bend portion 420 is sized and configured to receive the back primary support bar 224 (shown in FIG. 4) in its forward concavity such that fasteners (not shown) inserted through the primary buckle holes 288 and secondary buckle holes 292 couple the fitted buckle 404 to the support assembly 148.
An advantage of this embodiment is that the buckle groove 408 receives, in addition to being coupled to, the back primary support bar 224 (shown in FIG. 4) to provide additional stability to the connection between the coupling assembly 152 (shown in FIG. 5) and the support assembly 148 (shown in FIG. 4). This improves the ability of the chair 100 to remain securely assembled when a user leans against the chair back 140 and applies a backward force B (shown in FIG. 6) to the fitted buckle 404. An additional advantage of this embodiment is that the fitted buckle 404 covers a portion of the back primary support bar 224 and a portion of the connection between the fitted buckle 404 and the support assembly 148 to present a smooth aesthetic on the chair back portion 108.
In another alternative embodiment, the chair 100 includes a bent support assembly 424 (shown in FIG. 14) instead of the support assembly 148 (shown in FIG. 4). As shown in FIG. 14, the bent support assembly 424 is substantially similar to the support assembly 148 described above and shown in FIG. 4. The bent support assembly 424, however, differs from the support assembly 148 in that the left secondary support bar 228 and the right secondary support bar 232 extend upwardly behind, and are coupled to, the chair back side 160 (shown in FIG. 2) to eliminate the need for the buckle 236 of the coupling assembly 152 (shown in FIG. 5).
More specifically, the left secondary support bar 228 includes a left secondary support bar bend portion 428, a left secondary support bar upright portion 432, and a left secondary support bar open top 436. The left secondary support bar open top 436 is located at an end of the left secondary support bar upright portion 432 opposite the left secondary support bar bend portion 428. Similarly, the right secondary support bar 232 includes a right secondary support bar bend portion 440, a right secondary support bar upright portion 444, and a right secondary support bar open top 448. The right secondary support bar open top 448 is located at an end of the right secondary support bar upright portion 444 opposite the right secondary support bar bend portion 440.
The left secondary support bar bend portion 428, the left secondary support bar upright portion 432, the right secondary support bar bend portion 440, and the right secondary support bar upright portion 444 are extensions of the left secondary support bar 228 and the right secondary support bar 232, respectively, and are thus constructed out of the same material as the secondary support bars 228, 232. Namely, in this embodiment, the left secondary support bar bend portion 428, the left secondary support bar upright portion 432, the right secondary support bar bend portion 440, and the right secondary support bar upright portion 444 are constructed out of 1 inch by ½ inch rectangular tube.
The left secondary support bar 228 and the right secondary support bar 232 are coupled to the front primary support bar 220 and the back primary support bar 224 such that the left secondary support bar bend portion 428 and the right secondary support bar bend portion 440 extend backwardly relative to the back primary support bar 224. The left secondary bar upright portion 432 and the right secondary bar upright portion 444 extend upwardly from the respective secondary support bar bend portion 428, 440 such that the left secondary support bar open top 436 and the right secondary support bar open top 448 are located opposite the back primary support bar 224. The left secondary bar bend portion 428 and the right secondary support bar bend portion 436 are configured such that, when a cross-sectional view of the bent support assembly 424 is taken parallel to the medial plane 132 (shown in FIG. 1), the left secondary support bar bend portion 428 and the right secondary support bar bend portion 436 are forwardly and upwardly concave.
The bent support assembly 424 further includes inserts 452 and a cap 456. The inserts 452 are sized and configured such that one insert 452 is inserted through the left secondary support bar open top 436, is fed through the left secondary support bar upright portion 432, and is positioned within the left secondary support bar bend portion 428. The inserts 452 are sized and configured such that one insert 452 is inserted through the right secondary support bar open top 448, is fed through the right secondary support bar upright portion 444, and is positioned within the right secondary support bar bend portion 440. The inserts 452 are configured to support the left secondary support bar bend portion 428 and the right secondary support bar bend portion 436 to allow the movement of the chair back 140 (shown in FIG. 6) relative to the chair seat 144 (shown in FIG. 6) without deforming the bent support assembly 424.
The cap 456 is sized and configured to be inserted contemporaneously into the left secondary support bar open top 436 and into the right secondary support bar open top 448 after the inserts 452 have been positioned within the secondary support bar bend portions 428 and 440. The cap 456 seals the secondary support bar open tops 436 and 448 to prevent objects from being unintentionally inserted into the bent support assembly 424, to improve the appearance of the bent support assembly 424, and to provide an easily grippable portion of the chair 100. The cap 456 is constructed of die cast zinc alloy or of some material having similar properties.
An advantage of this embodiment is that the bent support assembly 424 replaces the coupling assembly 152 (shown in FIG. 5) such that the bent support assembly 424 can simultaneously act as the support assembly 148 (shown in FIG. 4) and the coupling assembly 152 (shown in FIG. 5), reducing the number of parts and the amount of assembly required to produce the chair 100. Due to the reduced number of parts, the bent support assembly 424 is relatively inexpensive to produce and has a relatively light weight. Another advantage of this embodiment is that the bent support assembly 424 can be welded together, enabling a shorter assembly time and a simpler assembly process.
FIG. 15 depicts a chair 500 that is substantially similar to the chair 100 described above and shown in FIG. 1. The chair 500 includes a chair back 540 that is substantially similar to the chair back 140 described above and shown in FIG. 2, a chair seat 544 that is substantially similar to the chair seat 144 described above and shown in FIG. 3, a support assembly 548 that is substantially similar to the support assembly 148 described above and shown in FIG. 4, and a coupling assembly 552 that is substantially similar to the coupling assembly 152 described above and shown in FIG. 5. The chair 500, however, differs from the chair 100 in that the chair 500 further includes additional features coupled to the chair back 540, the chair seat 544, the support assembly 548 and the coupling assembly 552 that provide additional comfort to a user sitting in the chair 500. Namely, the chair 500 further includes a seat spacer assembly 550 coupled to the chair seat 544 and the support assembly 548. The chair 500 also includes a back spacer assembly 558 coupled to the chair back 540 and the coupling assembly 552.
The seat spacer assembly 550 is shown in more detail in FIG. 16. Each seat spacer assembly 550 includes a spacer 570, a support assembly fastener 578 and four chair seat fasteners 579. The spacers 570 are constructed out of a semi-compressible material such as, for example, rubber. Due to their semi-compressibility, the spacers 570 act, in part, as cushions. Each spacer 570 includes a substantially hollow body 571 having a support assembly contacting face 572 configured to contact the support assembly 548 when the chair 500 is assembled as shown in FIG. 15. Opposite the support assembly contacting face 572, each spacer 570 includes a flange 573 extending from the body 571. Each flange 573 includes a first portion 574 and a second portion 575. The spacer 570 is configured such that the support assembly contacting face 572 is substantially level while the flange 573 is angled such that the first portion 574 is at an angle F relative to the second portion 575. In this embodiment, the angle F of the first portion 574 relative to the second portion 575 is approximately equal to 5 degrees. One benefit of the angle F is that it enables the spacer 570 to snugly fit between the chair seat 544 and the support assembly 548 and thus consistently support the chair seat 544 for a user sitting in the chair 500 as assembled as shown in FIG. 15.
Returning now to FIG. 16, each spacer 570 further includes a support assembly fastener hole 576 formed in the approximate center of the support assembly contacting face 572. The support assembly fastener hole 576 is configured to receive a support assembly fastener 578 to securely couple the spacer 570 to the support assembly 548. Each spacer 570 further includes four chair seat fastener holes 577 formed in a spaced arrangement around the flange 573. The chair seat fastener holes 577 are configured to receive the chair seat fasteners 579 to securely couple the spacer 570 to the chair seat 544. To assemble the seat spacer assembly 550 of the chair 500 as shown in FIG. 15, the support assembly fasteners 578 are inserted through the support assembly 548 and into the spacers 570. Additionally, the chair seat fasteners 579 are inserted through the flanges 573 of the spacers 570 and into the chair seat 544. One benefit of the seat spacer assembly 550 is the accommodation or cushioning of the user of the chair 500 by slightly compressing the spacers 570 between the chair seat 544 and the support assembly 548. This accommodation is provided in addition to that given by features of the chair 100 discussed above.
The back spacer assembly 558 is shown in more detail in FIG. 17. The back spacer assembly 558 includes back spacers 580, plates 581, chair back fasteners 583, and buckle fasteners 587. The back spacers 580 are constructed out of a semi-compressible material such as, for example, rubber. Due to their semi-compressibility, the back spacers 580 act, in part, as cushions. The back spacers 580 include slight preformed curves configured such that the back spacers 580 conform easily to the complex curvature of the buckle 536 when the chair 500 is assembled as shown in FIG. 15.
The plates 581 are constructed out of a rigid material such as, for example, metal. The plates 581 include chair back fastener holes 582 formed through the plates 581 and oriented perpendicularly relative to the chair back 540 when the chair 500 is assembled as shown in FIG. 15. The chair back fastener holes 582 are configured to receive chair back fasteners 583 to securely couple the plates 581 to the chair back 540.
The plates 581 further include tabs 584 extending from the plates 581 substantially perpendicularly away from the chair back 540 when the chair 500 is assembled as shown in FIG. 15. The tabs 584 are configured to receive and grip the back spacers 580 such that each back spacer 580 is loosely held in place by the tabs 584 of one of the plates 581 when the chair 500 is assembled as shown in FIG. 15.
Each plate 581 further includes a plate barrel 585 extending from the plates 581 substantially perpendicularly away from the chair back 540 when the chair 500 is assembled as shown in FIG. 15. Each plate barrel 585 includes an opening 586 formed therethrough that is oriented substantially parallel to the chair back 540 when the chair 500 is assembled as shown in FIG. 15. Each openings 586 has an inside diameter sized and configured to receive a buckle fastener 587. In this embodiment, the inside diameter of the openings 586 is 0.256 inches.
The back spacer assembly 558 further includes buckle barrels 588 formed on the buckle 536. The buckle barrels 588 are oriented in the same manner as the plate barrels 585. Each buckle barrel 588 also includes an openings 589 formed therethrough that is oriented substantially parallel to the chair back 540 when the chair 500 is assembled as shown in FIG. 15. Each openings 589 has an inside diameter sized and configured to receive a buckle fastener 587. In this embodiment, the inside diameter of the openings 589 is 0.250 inches. The buckle barrels 588 are arranged in a particularly spaced arrangement on the buckle 536 so that, when the chair 500 is assembled as shown in FIG. 15, the buckle barrels 588 are adjacent to the plate barrels 585 and the openings 589 of the buckle barrels 588 are aligned with the openings 586 of the plate barrels 585.
To assemble the back spacing assembly 558 of the chair 500 as shown in FIG. 15, the chair back fasteners 583 are inserted through the plates 581 and into the chair back 540 to securely couple the plates 581 to the chair back 540. One back spacer 580 is then fitted between the tabs 584 of each plate 581. The buckle 536 is then placed on the back spacers 580 opposite the plates 581 such that the buckle barrels 588 are adjacent to the plate barrels 585 and the openings 589 are aligned with the openings 586. Buckle fasteners 587 are then inserted through the opening 589 of each buckle barrel 588 and the opening 586 of adjacent plate barrel 585.
One result of the configuration of the back spacer assembly 558 is that the chair back 540 can rotate relative to the buckle 536 of the coupling assembly 552 about the buckle fasteners 587. Thus, the relationship between the plate barrels 585, the buckle barrels 588 and the buckle fasteners 587 is a hinge-type relationship. In one embodiment, the buckle fasteners 587 are spring pins configured to bias the chair back 540 forwardly. Another result of the configuration of the back spacer assembly 558 is that the back spacers 580 can slightly compress between the chair back 540 and the buckle 536 when a user leans back on the chair 500. Both of these results contribute to the benefit of the back spacer assembly 558, namely the accommodation or cushioning of the user of the chair 500. This accommodation is provided in addition to that given by features of the chair 100 discussed above. The chair 500 shown in FIG. 15 includes the accommodation provided by both the back spacer assembly 558 and the seat spacer assembly 550.
The foregoing detailed description of one or more embodiments of the chair having flexibility between the seat and the back has been presented herein by way of example only and not limitation. It will be recognized that there are advantages to certain individual features and functions described herein. Moreover, it will be recognized that various alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements of the above-disclosed embodiments and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different embodiments, systems or applications. Previously unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the appended claims. Therefore, the spirit and scope of any appended claims should not be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A chair comprising:

a support assembly;

a chair seat coupled to the support assembly;

a buckle having a buckle upper portion and a buckle lower portion, the buckle lower portion coupled to the support assembly; and

a chair back, wherein:

a chair back bottom portion is coupled to the buckle upper portion;

a chair back top portion includes a top edge; and

the chair back top portion further includes a slot formed in the top edge and extending toward the chair back bottom portion, the slot arranged between a chair back left portion and a chair back right portion and configured such that the chair back left portion is movable relative to the chair back right portion.

2. The chair of claim 1, wherein the chair back is arranged at an obtuse angle relative to the chair seat and the obtuse angle is variable within a range of angles.

3. The chair of claim 2, wherein the chair seat is flexible and is configured such that applying a downward force to the chair seat increases the obtuse angle.

4. The chair of claim 2, wherein the chair back is flexible and is configured such that applying a backward force to the chair back increases the obtuse angle.

5. The chair of claim 2, wherein the slot is configured to reduce a mechanical tension across the top edge such that applying a backward force to the chair back increases the obtuse angle.

6. The chair of claim 2, wherein the slot is configured such that applying a backward force to the chair back top portion moves the chair back left portion relative to the chair back right portion to increase the obtuse angle.

7. The chair of claim 1, wherein the chair seat and the chair back are polypropylene.

8. The chair of claim 2, wherein the range of angles is approximately 97 through approximately 104 degrees.

9. The chair of claim 2, wherein the chair is configured to be stackable with at least one other identical chair.

10. The chair of claim 1, wherein the slot has a width of approximately 0.4 inches.

11. The chair of claim 1, wherein the slot has a length of approximately 7.6 inches.

12. The chair of claim 1, further comprising a cover plate, wherein the buckle has a buckle front side and a buckle back side, the chair back coupled to the buckle front side, the cover plate coupled to the buckle back side with a snap-fit configuration.

13. The chair of claim 1, wherein:

the support assembly includes a support bar; and

the buckle lower portion includes a groove configured to receive at least a portion of the support bar.

14. The chair of claim 1, further comprising at least one seat cushion arranged between the support assembly and the chair seat.

15. The chair of claim 1, further comprising at least one back cushion arranged between the chair back and the buckle.

16. The chair of claim 15, further comprising:

at least one first opening formed on the buckle;

at least one second opening formed on the chair back; and

at least one fastener configured to engage the at least one first opening and the at least one second opening to form a hinge between the buckle and the chair back.

17. The chair of claim 16, wherein the at least one back cushion is arranged between the chair back and the buckle adjacent to the hinge.

18. The chair of claim 16, wherein the at least one fastener is a spring pin configured to bias the chair back relative to the buckle.

19. A chair comprising:

a support assembly;

a chair seat coupled to the support assembly;

a coupling assembly comprising:

a buckle having:

a buckle upper portion arranged at an angle relative to a buckle lower portion, the buckle lower portion coupled to the support assembly, the buckle upper portion having at least one vertical rail; and

a buckle bend portion arranged between the buckle upper portion and the buckle lower portion, the buckle bend portion including a plurality of ribs formed in the buckle and configured to enable the buckle bend portion to flex to vary the angle; and

at least one vertical panel, the at least one vertical panel configured to slidably mate with the at least one vertical rail; and

a chair back coupled to the at least one vertical panel.

20. The chair of claim 19 wherein:

the buckle upper portion has at least one notch; and

the at least one vertical panel has:

at least one raised edge configured to slidably mate with the at least one vertical rail; and

at least one tab configured to fit within the at least one notch to fix a position of the at least one vertical panel relative to the buckle.

21. The chair of claim 19, wherein:

the buckle upper portion includes two upright portions;

the at least one vertical rail includes two vertical rails formed along each of the two upright portions;

the at least one notch is formed between two vertical rails on at least one of the two upright portions;

the at least one vertical panel includes two vertical panels; and

each of the two vertical panels is configured to slidably mate with one of the two upright portions.

22. The chair of claim 19, further comprising a cover plate, wherein the buckle has a buckle front side and a buckle back side, the at least one vertical rail on the buckle front side, the cover plate coupled to the buckle back side with a snap-fit configuration.

23. A chair comprising:

a support assembly;

a chair seat coupled to the support assembly;

a chair back having a chair back front side and a chair back side; and

a coupling assembly comprising:

a buckle having a buckle upper portion and a buckle lower portion, the buckle lower portion coupled to the support assembly, the buckle upper portion having at least one tab; and

at least one slot formed in the chair back side, the at least one slot configured to receive the at least one tab to fix a position of the chair back relative to the buckle.

24. The chair of claim 23, wherein the at least one tab includes a hook and the at least one slot includes a hook slot configured to receive the hook such that gravity further fixes the position of the chair back relative to the buckle.

25. The chair of claim 23, wherein the at least one tab is received within the at least one slot in a snap-fit configuration.

26. A chair comprising:

a support assembly having a lower portion, a bend portion, and an upright portion, the support assembly including at least one insert configured to be received within the bend portion, the support assembly further including at least one cap configured to extend at least partially within the upright portion;

a chair seat coupled to the lower portion; and

a chair back coupled to the upright portion, wherein the chair back is arranged at an obtuse angle relative to the chair seat.

27. The chair of claim 26, wherein the support assembly is constructed out of one inch by one half inch metal tubing.

28. The chair of claim 27, wherein the at least one insert is configured to prevent deformation in the bend portion.

29. The chair of claim 26, wherein the upright portion includes two upright tubes and the at least one cap is configured to extend at least partially within each of the two upright tubes contemporaneously.

30. A chair comprising:

a support assembly;

a chair seat coupled to the support assembly, the chair seat having a left portion, a right portion, a front portion, and a back portion;

chair arms integrally formed with and extending outwardly from the left portion and the right portion of the chair seat, each of the chair arms having an inward portion, an outward portion, a front portion, and a back portion, the front portions and the back portions of each of the chair arms being coincident with the front portion and the back portion of the chair seat, each of the chair arms being tapered such that the front portions and the back portions of each of the chair arms are closer together at the outward portions than at the inward portions;

a coupling assembly coupled to the support assembly; and

a chair back coupled to the coupling assembly.

31. The chair of claim 30, wherein the chair arms have chair arm top sides and the chair seat has a chair seat top side, the chair arm top sides and the chair seat top side covered by a continuous cushion.