Lounge chair backrest with a three dimensional design

• US 6,371,555 B1
• Filed: 09/21/2000
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atico International USA (Atico International)
• Original Assignee: Atico International USA (Atico International)
• Inventors: Lu, Bruce, Edwards, Beth A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDELL, JOSEPH F
• Application Number:
  US09/667,156
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 297/228.1, 297/445.1, 297/463.1, D 6/361
• US Class Current: 297/228.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/143 Chaise lounges
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/11 for chairs for headrests only A47C7/386; removable protective covers for car seats B60N2/60

Abstract

A backrest of a lounge chair that has an open frame partially shrouded by a sheath. The sheath has a light transmissive front half. The rear half has a decorative design element and the front half has a decorative design element. The two decorative design elements are spaced from each other so that when looking through the light transmissive front half, both decorative design elements may be seen with the decorative design element on the rear half appearing to be further away than the decorative design element on the front half.

Claims

1. A backrest of a lounge chair, comprising

an open frame that has at least two spaced apart sides that define a space between the sides, each of the sides having a width;

a sheath that spans the space between the sides and shrouds the open frame, the sheath conforming in shape to a contour of the sides, the sheath having front and rear halves that are separated from each other as they span the space between the sides, the front half being light transmissive, the front half and the back half of the sheath each having inner faces that face each other and outer faces that face away from each other; and

at least two decorative design elements, one of the decorative design elements being on the inner face of the front half of the sheath and another of the decorative design elements being on the inner face of the rear half of the sheath such that the decorative design element on the inner face of the rear half appears further away than does the decorative design element on the inner face of the front half when viewed through the outer face of the front half of the sheath.

2. A backrest as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the halves of the sheath is translucent.

3. A backrest as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the halves of the sheath is transparent.

4. A backrest as in claim 1, wherein the rear half of the sheath is opaque.

5. A backrest as in claim 1, wherein the two decorative design elements cooperate with each other to provide a three dimensional look.

6. A backrest as in claim 1, wherein the front half of the sheath is transparent and the rear half of the sheath is either translucent or opaque.

7. A backrest as in claim 6, wherein the open frame has a crosspiece that runs between the sides, the sheath being wrapped around the crosspiece and conforming in shape to the crosspiece where the sheath wraps around.

8. A backrest as in claim 1, wherein the front and rear halves of the sheath are thermally welded together.

9. A backrest as in claim 1, further comprising a back support spanning the space between the two sides and being secured to the sheath.

10. A backrest as in claim 1, wherein the back support is composed of a plurality of plastic strips each spanning the space between the two sides, at least some of the plastic strips being thermally welded to the sheath.

11. A backrest of a lounge chair, comprising

an open frame that has at least two spaced apart sides that define a space between the sides, each of the sides having a width;

a sheath that spans the space between the sides and shrouds the open frame, the sheath conforming in shape to a contour of the sides, the sheath having front and rear halves are separated from each other, the front half being light transmissive;

a strip spanning between the sides and contained within the sheath and being closer to the front half than to the rear half of the sheath as the strip spans the sides, the strip and the rear half of the sheath each having inner faces that face each other and outer faces that face away from each other;

at least two decorative design elements, one of the decorative design elements being on the inner face of one of the rear half of the sheath and the other of the decorative design elements being on the outer face of the strip such that the decorative design element on the inner face appears further away than does the decorative design element on the outer face when viewed through the front half of the sheath.

12. A backrest as in claim 11, wherein the strip is transparent.

13. A backrest as in claim 11, wherein the strip is translucent.

14. A backrest as in claim 11, wherein the strip is opaque.

15. A backrest as in claim 11, wherein the design element that is on the inner face of the back half of the sheath is a background and the design element that is on the outer face of the strip is a foreground such that the background and foreground cooperate with each other to provide a three dimensional look.

16. A backrest of a lounge chair, comprising

an open frame that has at least two spaced apart sides that define a space between the sides, each of the sides having a width;

a sheath that spans the space between the sides and shrouds the open frame, the sheath conforming in shape to a contour of the sides, the sheath having front and rear halves that are separated from each other as they span the space between the sides, the front half being light transmissive; and

at least two decorative design elements, one of the decorative design elements being on the front half of the sheath and another of the decorative design elements being on the rear half of the sheath.

17. A backrest as in claim 16, wherein the design element that is on the front half of the sheath is a foreground and the design element that is on the rear half of the sheath is a background such that the foreground and the background cooperate with each other to provide a three dimensional look.