Seat back with aperture identifiers

• US 6,042,187 A
• Filed: 04/15/1999
• Issued: 03/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Irwin Seating Company (Irwin Seating Holding Co.)
• Original Assignee: Irwin Seating Company (Irwin Seating Holding Co.)
• Inventors: Russell, Robert L., Conner, John P., Coffield, Tim, Finney, Steven E., Thalen, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Peter R.
• Application Number:
  US09/292,246
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: 297/452.14, 297/452.15, 297/452.46, 297/452.6, 297/218.1, 297/218.5, 297/217.1, 40/299.01, 40/320, 5/194, 5/402, 5/408-410, 434/407, 29/91.1, 29/407.01, 29/407.1
• US Class Current: 297/452.6
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 3/12 with shell-shape seat and back-rest unit, e.g. having arm rests
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/02 Upholstery attaching means quilting, quilting means, fastening, fixing or finishing upholstery B68G7/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 5/12 of plastics, with or without reinforcement
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/40 for the back
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/481 Method

Abstract

A plastic contoured seat back includes an inner and an outer shell affixed together. The inner shell includes a three dimensionally curved front surface and a two dimensionally curved back surface. The inner shell may include an internal rib adjacent the top of the shell that is shaped differently from the top edge of the inner shell. The internal rib is adapted to allow the inner shell to be cut adjacent the internal rib so that the inner shell can be varied in shape. The shell may also include indentations on the back side of the shell adjacent the corners of the inner shell. The indentations are dimensioned to receive overlapping fabric that is pulled around the corners such that the fabric on the back of the shell adjacent the corners does not project outwardly more than the fabric elsewhere, despite the over lapping of the fabric at the corners. The inner shell may also include a plurality of uniquely identified holes adapted to allow a variety of different ornamentation to be attached to the inner shell.

Claims

1. A chair back, comprising:

a plastic body having a front and a back, said front including a surface adapted to allow upholstery to be secured thereto, said body defining a plurality of holes extending between said front and back for securing ornamentation on said upholstery to said body, said body including a plurality of indicia molded on said back of said body adjacent said plurality of holes, said indicia being unique for each said hole such that the indicia can be used to specify the particular ornamentation pattern for the upholstery.

2. The chair back of claim 1 wherein said body has a top, a bottom, and a pair of sides, said body further including a staple strip adjacent said top, said bottom, and said pair of sides, said staple strip disposed on said back of said body.

3. The chair back of claim 2 further including an outer shell adapted to be secured to said back of said body, said outer shell including a plurality of fastener holes defined at different heights on said outer shell such that said outer shell can be secured to said body at a plurality of different heights.

4. The chair back of claim 3 wherein said body defines a plurality of internal ribs adjacent said top, said plurality of internal ribs defining a plurality of different shapes to which said body may be cut.

5. The chair back of claim 2 wherein said body further defines a set of apertures adapted to receive a set of fasteners for securing said body to a pair of wings, each of said wings being attached to a leg which supports said chair back on the ground.

6. The chair back of claim 5 wherein said wings are adapted to be secured to said body at a plurality of different positions.

7. The chair back of claim 6 further including an insert and a spacer inserted into each of said apertures, said insert and said spacer substantially preventing said plastic chair back from cracking and creeping in the vicinity of said apertures.

8. The chair back of claim 7 further including at least one alignment boss on said plastic chair back which inserts into an alignment aperture on one of said wings for aligning said wing with said body.

9. The chair back of claim 2 wherein said holes are defined in said body in a series of rows positioned at different heights in said body.

10. The chair back of claim 9 wherein each of said unique indicia include a multiple digit number, the first digit of each said multiple digit number being the same for all of the holes defined in the same row, and the first digit of each of said multiple digit numbers being different for all of the holes that are defined in different rows.

11. The chair back of claim 2 wherein some of said holes are circular and some of said holes are elongated.

12. The chair back of claim 1 wherein said unique indicia are numbers.

13. The chair back of claim 1 wherein said holes are circular.

14. The chair back of claim 1 wherein some of said holes are circular and some of said holes are elongated.

15. The chair back of claim 1 wherein said holes are defined in said body in a series of rows positioned at different heights in said body.

16. The chair back of claim 15 wherein each of said unique indicia include a multiple digit number, the first digit of each said multiple digit number being the same for all of the holes defined in the same row, and the first digit of each of said multiple digit numbers being different for all of the holes that are defined in different rows.

17. The chair back of claim 16 wherein at least some of said unique indicia further include letters.

18. The chair back of claim 15 wherein said holes are circular.

19. The chair back of claim 15 wherein some of said holes are circular and some of said holes are elongated.

20. The chair back of claim 1 wherein said unique indicia include both numbers and letters.