Chairs and seats – Back movement resiliently opposed in operating position – Resilient leg integral with bottom or back
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-27
2002-07-02
Barfield, Anthony D. (Department: 3624)
Chairs and seats
Back movement resiliently opposed in operating position
Resilient leg integral with bottom or back
C297S295000, C297S300200, C297S452650, C297S300400, C297S239000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06412869
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention relates to nestable chairs, and also relates to chairs having a reclineable back and a seat that moves with a synchronous motion upon recline of the back. The present invention further relates to chairs with components made from a few polymeric moldings that are easily assembled.
Modern consumers demand comfort and style in their chairs, but also demand cost-effective solutions given the highly competitive furniture industry. Further, the chairs must be durable and rugged, yet preferably should be mechanically simple, easily assembled, and use low-cost components. Still further, many consumers want a modernistic appearance and one that takes advantage of modern materials, part-forming processes, and assembly techniques. Often consumers need chairs that are mobile and that can be stored in dense arrangements that minimize the storage space required. A problem is that these requirements create conflicting design criteria. For example, low-cost chairs tend to be less comfortable and less stylized. Chairs that are more comfortable, such as synchrotilt chairs, have more expensive components and greater assembly costs, are not stackable nor nestable for dense storage, and are usually too heavy to be. lifted and/or stacked for storage.
Accordingly, a chair having the aforementioned advantages and features, and solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect of the present invention, a chair includes a base, a seat pivoted to the base, and a back pivoted to the seat. The chair also includes an upwardly extending link pivoted to a rear of the base at a lower pivot and to a bottom of the back at an upper pivot. The base, the seat, the back, and the link define a linkage arrangement where, when the back is reclined at a first angular rate, the seat rotates at a second angular rate in synchronous motion with the back. The chair further includes an energy device operably connected to the linkage arrangement that biases the back toward an upright position.
In another aspect of the present invention, a chair includes a base, a seat pivoted to the base, and a back pivoted to the seat at a back pivot for movement between upright and reclined positions. The chair also includes a link pivoted to the base at a first pivot and to the back at a second pivot to form an interconnected linkage arrangement. The back pivot is located above the first and second pivots. The chair further includes an energy device located at and operably connected to the link and at least one of the first and second pivots, and that is configured to bias the back toward the upright position.
In another aspect of the present invention, a chair includes a base having a horizontal U-shaped structure defining front and rear corners, and further having a down leg extending downwardly from each of the front and rear corners and an up leg extending upwardly from each of the front corners. The chair includes a link extending from each of the rear corners, and includes a seat and a back operably supported on the up legs and connected to the links for movement between upright and reclined positions.
In another aspect of the present invention, an article of furniture includes first and second furniture components pivoted together at a joint defining an axis of rotation. The first and second furniture components include first and second recesses, respectively, extending from the joint. The article of furniture further includes a leaf spring having first and second ends that extend into the first and second recesses and having a section offset from the axis of rotation. The leaf spring. biases the first and second furniture components in a first direction.
In another aspect of the present invention, a chair includes a molded one-piece base, a molded one-piece seat pivoted to the base, and a reclineable back pivoted to the seat. The back is operably mounted on the one-piece base so that it is movable between upright and reclined positions. The chair further includes a spring integrally attached to at least two of the base, the back, and the seat and biases the back toward the upright position.
In another aspect of the present invention, a chair includes a chair frame having a horizontally extending mid-frame section and having up legs and down legs extending from corners of the mid-frame section, with the down legs being adapted to stably support the chair frame on a floor surface. The chair further includes a back and a seat operably connected to the up legs of the mid-frame and configured to move with a synchronous motion upon recline of the back.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a chair includes a base including down legs configured to stably engage a floor surface and including sections forming a rail support, and a seat and a reclineable back operably connected to the base for synchronous movement during recline of the back. The base defines an opening in one direction and has a shape configured to mateably nestingly engage a corresponding opening on an identical chair parallel the one direction. The seat and the back are configured to mateably nestingly engage corresponding structure on an identical chair with the rail support being adapted to support a weight of the identical chair, whereby the chair can be stored in a dense stacked arrangement with other identical chairs.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a system includes a plurality of nested synchrotilt chairs, each successive chair including a base supporting a portion of the weight of an adjacent one of the chairs.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, the present chair design has an inventive ornamental appearance.
These and other features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to a person of ordinary skill upon reading the following description and claims together with reference to the accompanying drawings.
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Discloses a webpage www.theknollshop.com/sbd/knollshop/home.nsf, showing a “Toledo” chair manufactured by Knoll Int'l. and made public prior to the filing date of the present application.
Barfield Anthony D.
Price Heneveld Cooper DeWitt & Litton
Steelcase Development Corporation
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