Flexible chair seat

• US 7,654,617 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2008
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mity-Lite, Inc. (MITY Holdings of Delaware, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mity-Lite, Inc. (MITY Holdings of Delaware, Inc.)
• Inventors: Farnsworth, Orrin C.
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, RODNEY BARNETT
• Application Number:
  US12/134,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20090302651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 297/452.13, 297/452.56, 297/452.63
• US Class Current: 297/452.56
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/024 with double seats
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/282 with mesh-like supports, e.g. elastomeric membranes

Abstract

A chair seat for flexibly supporting the buttocks of a user seated thereon. The chair seat includes a seat surface having a pair of adjacent or side-by-side concentric corrugated regions formed therein, and which are configured for flexibly supporting the buttocks of the user by being deflectable with respect to the seat surface. The seat surface further includes a third corrugated region surrounding and concentric with the pair of side-by-side corrugated regions, and which third region is configured for flexibly supporting the hips and thighs of the user while also being deflectable with respect to the seat surface.

Claims

1. A chair seat for flexibly supporting a buttocks of a user seated thereon comprising:

a seat surface;

a pair of adjacent concentrically corrugated regions formed in the seat surface and disposed side-by-side and configured for flexibly supporting the buttocks of the user, the pair of adjacent concentric corrugated regions being deflectable with respect to the seat surface;

a third corrugated region surrounding the pair of corrugated regions and configured for flexibly supporting the hips and thighs of the user, the third corrugated region being deflectable with respect to the seat surface;

the corrugated regions comprising alternating rib tops and slot bottoms connected by substantially vertical sidewalls, and the slot bottoms being disposed below the seat surface; and

the corrugated regions comprising a plurality of transverse notch lines extending upwards through the slot bottoms and sidewalls and traversing the plurality of concentrically corrugated regions, wherein the notch lines are configured for facilitating the downward bowing of the seat surface under a load.

2. The chair seat of claim 1, wherein the rib tops are substantially co-planer with the seat surface in an unloaded state.

3. The chair seat of claim 1, wherein the width of the rib tops is substantially equal to the width of the slot bottoms.

4. The chair seat of claim 1, wherein a longitudinal length of the plurality of transverse notch lines is radially oriented with respect to one of the pair of adjacent concentrically corrugated regions.

5. The chair seat of claim 1, wherein the concentrically corrugated regions form a plurality of discrete rows.

6. The chair seat of claim 5, wherein the plurality of discrete rows are annular.

7. The chair seat of claim 5, wherein the plurality of discrete rows form complete rings.

8. The chair seat of claim 1, further comprising a foam covering disposed over the chair surface.

9. A chair for flexibly supporting a buttocks of a user seated thereon comprising:

a seat member further comprising;

a flexible seat surface;

a pair of adjacent concentrically corrugated regions formed in the seat member and disposed side-by-side and configured for flexibly supporting the buttocks of the user;

a third corrugated region surrounding the pair of corrugated regions and configured for flexibly supporting the hips and thighs of the user; and

at least one chair support coupled to the seat member to elevate the seat member to a sitting height;

a back rest coupled to the seat member for resting a back portion of the user thereon;

the corrugated regions comprising alternating rib tops and slot bottoms connected by substantially vertical sidewalls, and the slot bottoms being disposed below the seat surface; and

the corrugated regions comprising a plurality of transverse notch lines extending upwards through the slot bottoms and sidewalls and traversing the plurality of concentrically corrugated regions, wherein the notch lines are configured for facilitating the downward bowing of the seat surface under a load.

10. The chair of claim 9, wherein the width of the rib tops is substantially equal to the width of the slot bottoms.

11. The chair of claim 9, wherein the plurality of transverse notch lines are configured with a radially-orientated length.

12. The chair of claim 9, wherein the concentrically corrugated regions form a plurality of discrete rows.

13. The chair of claim 12, wherein the plurality of discrete rows are annular.

14. The chair of claim 12, wherein the plurality of discrete rows form complete rings.

15. The chair of claim 9, further comprising a low-density foam covering disposed over the seat member and back member.