Chair
First Claim
1. A chair comprising:
- a supporting frame;
a back portion;
a seat portion having a central zone and two exterior side zones, one on either side of the central zone, wherein the exterior side zones are resiliently flexible to enable the exterior side zones to deform downwardly from the central zone under the weight of an occupant'"'"'s legs if the occupant sits sideways on the seat portion; and
a seat support for operatively supporting the seat portion from the supporting frame, wherein the seat support comprises resilient support members located generally along respective sides of the central zone of the seat portion and configured to support a seated occupant when the seated occupant'"'"'s weight is centrally located in the central zone, but which enable an angular change of the seat portion to the side if the seated occupant'"'"'s weight is offset to the side of the central zone of the seat portion, and wherein the seat support further comprises at least one further resilient support member that supports a more forward part of the seat portion and that enables forward angular movement of the seat portion as the occupant applies weight forwardly to the seat portion.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A chair has a supporting frame, a seat portion, a back portion, and a recline mechanism. The mechanism moves the seat portion upon a reclining action of the back portion. The mechanism has a rear deformable member and a front deformable member operatively connecting the seat portion and the supporting frame. The recline mechanism also has a lower deformable member operatively connecting a lower part of the back portion and the supporting frame, and a puller member above the lower deformable member. The recline mechanism is configured such that as the back portion is reclined, the lower deformable member deforms and the puller member applies a rearward pulling action which causes the seat portion to move and the front and rear deformable members to deform.
305 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A chair comprising:
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a supporting frame; a back portion; a seat portion having a central zone and two exterior side zones, one on either side of the central zone, wherein the exterior side zones are resiliently flexible to enable the exterior side zones to deform downwardly from the central zone under the weight of an occupant'"'"'s legs if the occupant sits sideways on the seat portion; and a seat support for operatively supporting the seat portion from the supporting frame, wherein the seat support comprises resilient support members located generally along respective sides of the central zone of the seat portion and configured to support a seated occupant when the seated occupant'"'"'s weight is centrally located in the central zone, but which enable an angular change of the seat portion to the side if the seated occupant'"'"'s weight is offset to the side of the central zone of the seat portion, and wherein the seat support further comprises at least one further resilient support member that supports a more forward part of the seat portion and that enables forward angular movement of the seat portion as the occupant applies weight forwardly to the seat portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A chair comprising:
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a supporting frame; a back portion; a seat portion having a central zone; and a seat support for operatively supporting the seat portion from the supporting frame, wherein the seat support comprises a relatively rigid base member and a plurality of resilient support members that extend outwardly from the base member with their outer portions located generally along respective sides of the central zone of the seat portion and configured to support a seated occupant when the seated occupant'"'"'s weight is centrally located in the central zone, but which enable an angular change of the seat portion to the side if the seated occupant'"'"'s weight is offset to the side of the central zone of the seat portion, and wherein the resilient support members comprise elongate members with a vertical cross section, wherein the vertical cross section comprises a wide dimension and a narrow dimension, wherein the narrow dimension is a substantially vertical dimension and the wide dimension is a substantially horizontal dimension. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A chair comprising:
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a supporting frame; a back portion; a seat portion having a central zone and two exterior side zones, one on either side of the central zone, wherein the exterior side zones are resiliently flexible to enable the exterior side zones to deform downwardly from the central zone under the weight of an occupant'"'"'s legs if the occupant sits sideways on the seat portion; and a seat support for operatively supporting the seat portion from the supporting frame, wherein the seat support comprises a relatively rigid base member and a plurality of resilient support members that extend outwardly from the base member with their outer portions located generally along respective sides of the central zone of the seat portion and configured to support a seated occupant when the seated occupant'"'"'s weight is centrally located in the central zone, but which enable an angular change of the seat portion to the side if the seated occupant'"'"'s weight is offset to the side of the central zone of the seat portion. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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27. A chair comprising:
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a supporting frame; a back portion; a seat portion having a central zone and two exterior side zones, one on either side of the central zone, wherein the exterior side zones are resiliently flexible to enable the exterior side zones to deform downwardly from the central zone under the weight of an occupant'"'"'s legs if the occupant sits sideways on the seat portion; and a seat support for operatively supporting the seat portion from the supporting frame, wherein the seat support comprises a relatively rigid base member and a plurality of resilient support members that extend outwardly from the base member with their outer portions located generally along respective sides of the central zone of the seat portion and configured to support a seated occupant when the seated occupant'"'"'s weight is centrally located in the central zone, but which enable an angular change of the seat portion to the side if the seated occupant'"'"'s weight is offset to the side of the central zone of the seat portion, wherein the exterior side zones are cantilevered outwardly from the central portion.
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28. A chair comprising:
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a supporting frame; a back portion; a seat portion having a central zone; and a seat support for operatively supporting the seat portion from the supporting frame, wherein the seat support comprises a relatively rigid base member and a plurality of resilient support members that extend outwardly from the base member with their outer portions located generally along respective sides of the central zone of the seat portion and configured to support a seated occupant when the seated occupant'"'"'s weight is centrally located in the central zone, but which enable an angular change of the seat portion to the side if the seated occupant'"'"'s weight is offset to the side of the central zone of the seat portion, wherein the resilient support members comprise a plurality of outwardly extending resilient support members along each side of the central zone, and wherein the resilient support members comprise elongate members with a vertical cross section, wherein the vertical cross section comprises a wide dimension and a narrow dimension, wherein the narrow dimension is a substantially vertical dimension and the wide dimension is a substantially horizontal dimension.
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29. A chair comprising:
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a supporting frame; a back portion; a seat portion having a central zone; and a seat support for operatively supporting the seat portion from the supporting frame, wherein the seat support comprises a relatively rigid base member and a plurality of resilient support members that are generally radially extending from the base member and that operatively support the central zone of the seat portion and are configured to support a seated occupant when the seated occupant'"'"'s weight is centrally located in the central zone, but which enable an angular change of the seat portion to the side if the seated occupant'"'"'s weight is offset to the side of the central zone of the seat portion, and which also enable forward angular movement of the seat portion as the occupant applies weight forwardly to the seat portion, and wherein the resilient support members comprise elongate members with a vertical cross section, wherein the vertical cross section comprises a wide dimension and a narrow dimension, wherein the narrow dimension is a substantially vertical dimension and the wide dimension is a substantially horizontal dimension. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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Specification