Mesh stacking chair

• US 8,317,269 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2009
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mity-Lite, Inc. (MITY Holdings of Delaware, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mity-Lite, Inc. (MITY Holdings of Delaware, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Richard D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Allred, David E
• Application Number:
  US12/612,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20100156155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 297/56, 297/239, 297/440.11, 297/440.2, 297/440.21, 297/452.21, 297/452.23, 297/452.33, 297/452.36, 297/447.1, 297/447.2, 403/385, 403/394, 403/396, 403/400, 248/230.1, 248/230.5
• US Class Current: 297/440.11
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/124 Separate chairs, connectible together into a row
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 3/04 Stackable chairs; Nesting chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/282 with mesh-like supports, e.g. elastomeric membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/54 Supports for the arms
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/543 movable to inoperative position

Abstract

A stackable chair has a seat and a backrest carried between opposite frame sides each with a backrest support, a front leg and a rear leg. One or both of the seat and the backrest have a continuous sheet of flexible and elastic mesh or patterned open texture plastic held across and substantially covering an opening in an all-plastic hoop fixed between the frame sides.

Claims

1. A stackable chair, comprising:

a) a seat and a backrest carried between opposite frame sides each with a backrest support, a front leg and a rear leg, the front and rear legs fixed in a spaced apart relationship from one another, the front and rear legs being inclined outwardly to facilitate stacking with another chair;

b) the seat having a continuous sheet of flexible and elastic mesh or patterned open texture plastic held across and substantially covering an opening in an all-plastic seat hoop;

c) a pair of plastic lobes formed as one piece with the seat hoop on opposite sides thereof and extending downwardly from the seat hoop;

d) the front and rear legs being coupled to the pair of plastic lobes; and

e) a plastic seat-support bar formed as one piece with the pair of plastic lobes and laterally traversing the seat hoop.

2. A chair in accordance with claim 1, wherein

the backrest has a continuous sheet of flexible and elastic mesh or patterned open texture plastic held across and substantially covering an opening in an all-plastic backrest hoop;

and

the all-plastic hoop of the backrest and the all-plastic hoop of the seat form the sole structural support between the frame sides.

3. A chair in accordance with claim 1, wherein the backrest has a continuous sheet of flexible and elastic mesh or patterned open texture plastic held across and substantially covering an opening in an all-plastic backrest hoop;

and wherein

the all-plastic hoop of the backrest forms the sole structural support between the backrest supports of the frame sides.

4. A chair in accordance with claim 1, wherein

the all-plastic hoop of the seat forms the sole structural support between the frame sides at a middle of the frame sides.

5. A chair in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a space separating the seat and the backrest and defining a gap between the sheet of mesh or plastic of the seat and the sheet of mesh or plastic of the backrest.

6. A chair in accordance with claim 1, wherein a distance from a top of the hoop of the seat to a lowermost top of the seat-support bar is greater than 2 inches.

7. A chair in accordance with claim 1, wherein

the sheet of mesh is bonded into the all-plastic hoop.

8. A chair in accordance with claim 1, wherein

the sheet of mesh or plastic is attached to the all-plastic hoop without mechanical fasteners.

9. A chair in accordance with claim 1, wherein

the sheet of mesh includes an elastomeric material.

10. A chair in accordance with claim 1, wherein

the backrest has a continuous sheet of flexible and elastic mesh or patterned open texture plastic held across and substantially covering an opening in an all-plastic backrest hoop;

the backrest supports of the frame sides have a tubular configuration with an open top end; and

the plastic hoop of the backrest has a pair of opposite side fingers that extend over and into the open top end to provide support between the backrest supports and to cover the open top end.

11. A chair in accordance with claim 10, further comprising snap lock between the hoop of the backrest and the backrest supports including:

an elongate finger extending from the hoop of the backrest into the open top end of the backrest supports; and

a hook formed on the finger extending into a hole in the backrest support.

12. A chair in accordance with claim 1, wherein the seat further comprising:

a) opposite, parallel, substantially straight, hoop sides coupled to the frame sides; and

b) a front extending between the hoop sides and arcing downward with respect to the chair; and

c) the sheet of mesh or plastic forming a leg relief near the front of the hoop of the seat, the sheet of mesh or plastic forming;

a longitudinal convex arc at the front.

13. A chair in accordance with claim 1, wherein one of the front or rear legs is outside of another of the front or rear legs with respect to the seat and with one of the front or rear legs overlapping another of the front or rear legs at an overlap;

and further comprising;

a) a joint coupling the legs to the seat including an inner clamp coupled to the seat and an outer clamp coupled to the inner clamp with the front leg and the rear leg clamped between the inner and outer clamps at the overlap; and

b) a finger on one of the inner or outer clamps extending towards another of the inner or outer clamps and disposed between the front and rear legs.

14. A chair in accordance with claim 13, further comprising:

a) inner and outer overlapping bores formed between the inner and outer clamps and oriented transverse to one another; and

b) the front and rear legs disposed in different ones of the inner and outer overlapping bores.

15. A chair in accordance with claim 14, wherein the inner and outer bores are formed by channels in the inner and outer clamps;

and further comprising ribs extending into the channels causing an interference fit between the ribs and the front and rear legs.

16. A chair in accordance with claim 13, wherein the inner and outer clamps further comprise:

a plurality of intermeshing posts, fingers or both, on both of the inner and outer clamps with the posts, fingers or both of the inner clamp intermeshing with the posts, fingers or both of the outer clamp.

17. A chair in accordance with claim 13, wherein the joint is formed by the inner and outer clamps and the front and rear legs;

and wherein the joint is substantially solid with substantially no exposed openings.

18. A chair in accordance with claim 13, wherein the front and rear legs are disposed adjacent one another at the overlap without any intermediate structure between the front and rear legs at the overlap.

19. A chair in accordance with claim 13, wherein both the inner and outer clamps further comprise:

a channel disposed between posts; and

wherein the joint further comprises;

an inner bore formed between an inner channel in the inner clamp and posts of the outer clamp; and

an outer bore formed between an outer channel in the outer clamp and posts of the inner clamp; and

the inner and outer bores oriented transverse to one another and the inner and outer channels oriented transverse to one another and the posts of the outer clamp being offset with respect to the posts of the inner clamp.

20. A chair in accordance with claim 13, further comprising:

a bolt extending through the outer clamp, the front and rear legs, and the inner clamp at the joint.

21. A chair in accordance with claim 13, wherein the inner clamp is integrally formed with the seat as a single integral, monolithic member of continuous material.

22. A chair in accordance with claim 13, wherein the front and rear legs are clamped independently of one another between the inner and outer clamps so that the front and rear legs have a non-contacting relationship at the joint and between the inner and outer clamps.

23. A chair in accordance with claim 13, wherein the joint further comprises:

a tab extending from the joint to engage a leg or a frame of a lower stacked chair.

24. A chair in accordance with claim 13, wherein the joint further comprises:

a dimple formed in the joint to receive a leg of an upper stacked chair.

25. A chair in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a) the front and rear legs overlapping each other at overlaps on each side of the seat with one of the front and rear legs outside of another of the front and rear legs with respect to the seat;

b) joints on each side of the seat coupling the legs to the seat including inner clamps coupled to opposite sides of the seat and outer clamps coupled to the inner clamps on opposite sides of the seat with the legs clamped between the inner and outer clamps at the overlaps; and

c) a notch disposed on one of the outer clamps on one side of the seat;

d) a tab disposed on another of the outer clamps on another side of the seat; and

e) the notch capable of receiving a tab of an adjacent chair to gang the chairs together at adjacent joints.

26. A chair in accordance with claim 25, further comprising:

a pair of different caps each disposed on a different one of the outer clamps, including a notch cap with the notch formed therein and a tab cap with the tab formed therein.

27. A chair in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

armrests disposed on extensions of the rear legs, each armrest including a brace with a shaft inserted into an open tubular end of the extension of the rear leg and an arm extending therefrom, and a cover disposed over the arm.

29. A device in accordance with claim 13, wherein the finger extends laterally across an entire width of the front and rear legs.

28. A stackable chair, comprising:

a) a seat and a backrest carried between opposite frame sides each with a backrest support, a front leg and a rear leg, the front and rear legs fixed in a spaced apart relationship from one another, the front and rear legs being inclined outwardly to facilitate stacking with another chair;

b) the seat having a continuous sheet of flexible and elastic mesh held taut across and substantially covering an opening in an all-plastic seat hoop, the seat hoop coupled between the frame sides;

c) the seat hoop having a rigid plastic seat-support bar laterally traversing the hoop of the seat and having an arcuate shape into which the sheet of mesh of the seat is deflectable;

d) the backrest having a continuous sheet of flexible and elastic mesh held taut across and substantially covering an opening in an all-plastic backrest hoop, the backrest hoop fixed between the backrest supports of the frame sides;

e) the all-plastic hoop of the backrest and the all-plastic hoop of the seat form the sole structural support between the frame sides;

f) one of the front or rear legs being outside of another of the front or rear legs with respect to the seat and with one of the front or rear legs overlapping another of the front or rear legs at an overlap;

g) a joint coupling the legs to the seat including an inner clamp coupled to the seat and an outer clamp coupled to the inner clamp with the front leg and the rear leg clamped between the inner and outer clamps at the overlap;

h) wherein the front and rear legs are disposed adjacent one another at the overlap without any intermediate structure between the front and rear legs at the overlap; and

i) wherein the inner and outer clamps further comprise;

a plurality of intermeshing posts, fingers or both, on both of the inner and outer clamps with the posts, fingers or both of the inner clamp intermeshing with the posts, fingers or both of the outer clamp.

30. A stackable chair, comprising:

a) a seat and a backrest carried between opposite frame sides each with a backrest support, a front leg and a rear leg, the front and rear legs fixed in a spaced apart relationship from one another, the front and rear legs being inclined outwardly to facilitate stacking with another chair;

b) one or both of the seat and the backrest having a continuous sheet of flexible and elastic mesh or patterned open texture plastic held across and substantially covering an opening in an all-plastic hoop fixed between the frame sides;

c) one of the front or rear legs being outside of another of the front or rear legs with respect to the seat and with one of the front or rear legs overlapping another of the front or rear legs at an overlap;

d) a joint coupling the legs to the seat including an inner clamp coupled to the seat and an outer clamp coupled to the inner clamp with the front leg and the rear leg clamped between the inner and outer clamps at the overlap;

e) wherein the front and rear legs are disposed adjacent one another at the overlap without any intermediate structure between the front and rear legs at the overlap; and

f) wherein the inner and outer clamps further comprise;

a plurality of intermeshing posts, fingers or both, on both of the inner and outer clamps with the posts, fingers or both of the inner clamp intermeshing with the posts, fingers or both of the outer clamp.