Chairs and seats – Collapsible chair; i.e. – relatively folding bottom – back,... – Laterally collapsible
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-29
2001-06-05
Nelson, Jr., Milton (Department: 3636)
Chairs and seats
Collapsible chair; i.e., relatively folding bottom, back,...
Laterally collapsible
C297S016100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241311
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention relates to fabric made portable seat products, and more particularly, to a support ring for holding a fabric seat on an inclined chair frame tube.
BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
Portable chair generally consists of a collapsible chair frame constructed by metal tubes, and a chair seat made of durable fabric.
FIG. 1
illustrates a type of portable chair which includes a chair frame A
1
which is constructed by a set of interlocking tubes A
11
to pvoide a back frame section A
2
and a seat frame section A
3
for supporting a fabric seat B
1
. The interlocking tubes A
11
of the seat frame A
1
are often arranged in inclined manner so that the chair frame A
1
can be easily opened to proivde a rigid cross-support for use and be folded up for storage.
The conventional method of attaching the fabric seat B
1
to the chair frame A
1
is to affix an upper end B
2
of the fabric seat B
1
to a top end of the back frame section A
2
and to have two tube placement holes B
11
provided at two front corners of the fabric seat B
1
for mounting a front end B
3
of the fabric seat B
1
on two the seat frame. Each of the placement holes The conventional fabric seat is attached to the seat frame by slipping the tube placement holes over the inclined frame tubes of the seat frame portion of the chair. The seat can then be hooked over the top of the back frame to secure the back of the fabric seat to the frame. This means that at least two tube placement holes on the front portion of the fabric seat for attaching the fabric seat to the front portion of a seat frame are needed for the conventional fabric seat in order to attach the fabric seat to a seat frame.
All typical frame tubes A
11
, including the two front frame tubes A
11
a,
are cylindrical hollow tube and the tube placement holes B
11
of the conventional fabric seat B
1
are cut in circular shape and to the size of the frame tube A
11
as if the fabric seat B
1
were resting perpendicular to the frame tube A
11
. This allows the tube placement hole B
11
of the fabric seat B
1
to slide onto the inclined frame tube A
11
easily and snugly. This conventional design, however, has inherent problems when the chair is used. Since the two front frame tube A
11
a
are supported inclinedly and pivotally in cross manner but not in vertical manner, an individual sitting down on the fabric seat B
1
causes stress to the lining of the tube placement hole B
11
of the fabric seat B
1
. This causes the tube placement hole B
11
to be stretched and misshapen, or worse, torn open, as a pulling pressure is applied to the lining of the tube placement holes B
11
as an individual sits on the fabric seat B
1
.
Conventionally, in order to reinforce the structural integrity of the tube placement hole B
11
, a circular support ring made of a rigid material, such as metal or hard plastic, can be mounted on the placed within the tube placement hole.
However, since the support ring lining of the tube placement hole B
11
is also cylindrical and just wider then the width of frame tube, it merely shifts the point of stress on the fabric seat B
1
. The circular support ring merely sits perpendicularly to an axis of the frame tube B
11
. In this situation, if an individual sits down, an angle is created on the fabric seat B
1
from the downward pulling force on the fabric seat B
1
at the point where the edge of the support ring ends. A person's weight causes the fabric seat B
1
to be pulled away from the edge of the support ring. Therefore, the fabric seat B
1
at the edge of the support ring is pulled from a stress created at the edge of the support ring. At the same time, the ring itself causes an opposite downward pulling force on the fabric seat B
1
at the same stress point. As a result, two things occur. First, the fabric seat B
1
will be distorted at the edge of the support ring, creating a pointed ridge at the edge of the support ring. Second, a stress point is created at edge of the support ring where the angle is created.
In other words, the stress on the fabric seat B
1
has simply been transferred from the lining of the tube placement hole B
11
to a point just off the tube placement hole B
11
. The stress created will then cause a tear, not at the tube placement hole B
11
, but along the edge of the support ring. Although additional lining layers B
12
may be added to the corners of the fabric seat B
1
around the tube placement hole B
11
to delay the tearing effect, ultimately the stress will cause the fabric seat B
1
to tear. Also, the fabric will be permanently misshapen at the stress point over a period of continued use.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
A main object of the present invention is to provide a support ring for the lining of a tube placement hole of a fabric seat for attaching the fabric seat to tube of a chair frame by sliding the support ring over an respective inclined frame tube of the chair frame in a manner as to allow the support ring to rest horizontally on the inclined frame tube so as to enable the fabric seat also resting horizontally on the chair frame.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a support ring for a fabric seat that can evenly distribute the stress around the support ring so as to minimize the deterioration of the tube placement hole of the fabric seat as the portable chair is used.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a support ring for a fabric seat for attaching the fabric seat to a chair frame that limits damage to the area around the tube placement hole of the fabric seat as the portable chair is used.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a support ring that reduces the horizontal strain on the tube placement hole from being pulled against the inclined frame tube by transferring some of the force to vertical pressure by the support ring against the inclined frame tube.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a support ring for a fabric seat, which slides onto the respective inclined frame tube in such a manner as to allow an individual to sit on the fabric seat without distorting the shape of the fabric seat.
Accordingly, in order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a support ring provided on a corner portion of a fabric seat for holding the fabric seat on an inclined frame tube of a chair frame, wherein the inclined frame tube is a round tube arranged to be inclined with respect to the horizontally supported fabric seat. The support ring has a supporting hole contributed by two semi-circular portions and an intermediate portion extended between the two semi-circular portions. Each of the semi-circular portions has a diameter equal to or slightly larger than a diameter of the inclined frame tube. The intermediate portion also has a width equal to the diameter of the semi-circular portion. When the inclined frame tube fittingly passes through the supporting hole and is supported inclinedly with the horizontal, the support ring can be horizontally mounted on the inclined frame tube while a lower half of the frame tube resting on an upper edge of one of the semi-circular portion of the supporting hole and an upper half of the frame tube supporting by a lower edge of the another semi-circular portion of the supporting hole. Therefore, the fabric seat can be mounted horizontally on the chair frame and the downwardly force applied on the fabric seat can be evenly distributed and supported around the support ring.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3512224 (1970-05-01), Newton
patent: 4890362 (1990-01-01), Odajima et al.
patent: 5975626 (1999-11-01), Aycock
patent: 5984406 (1999-11-01), Lee
patent: 6045177 (2000-04-01), Grace
Chan Raymond Y.
David and Raymond Patent Group
Jr. Milton Nelson
Tofasco of America Inc.
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