Resilient chair incorporating multiple flex zones
First Claim
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1. A reclining chair comprising:
- a base;
a chair back adapted to recline from an upright position to a reclined position; and
a flexible back support member coupling the chair back to the base, the flexible back support member including a flex zone located near a side of the reclining chair and formed from a resilient material, the flex zone of the flexible back support member comprising;
a first portion having a first notch extending through the first portion, the first notch adapted to narrow as the chair back reclines from the upright position to the reclined position, wherein the first notch is open when the chair back is in the upright position and at least partially closed when the chair back is in the reclined position, anda second portion that is laterally separated from the first portion by a gap, the second portion having a second notch extending through the second portion, the second notch adapted to narrow as the chair back reclines from the upright position to the reclined position, wherein the second notch is open in the upright position and at least partially closed in the reclined position.
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Abstract
A reclining chair has a base coupled to a chair back. The chair back is adapted to recline from an upright position to a reclined position. To accommodate that reclining motion, the chair back includes a flex zone formed with notches extending through an inner portion of the flex zone. Those notches narrow as the chair back reclines from the upright position to the reclined position. The flex zone also includes an outer portion that is separated from the inner portion by a gap, the outer portion having one or more notches extending through the outer portion. Those notches also narrow as the chair back reclines from the upright position to the reclined position.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A reclining chair comprising:
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a base; a chair back adapted to recline from an upright position to a reclined position; and a flexible back support member coupling the chair back to the base, the flexible back support member including a flex zone located near a side of the reclining chair and formed from a resilient material, the flex zone of the flexible back support member comprising; a first portion having a first notch extending through the first portion, the first notch adapted to narrow as the chair back reclines from the upright position to the reclined position, wherein the first notch is open when the chair back is in the upright position and at least partially closed when the chair back is in the reclined position, and a second portion that is laterally separated from the first portion by a gap, the second portion having a second notch extending through the second portion, the second notch adapted to narrow as the chair back reclines from the upright position to the reclined position, wherein the second notch is open in the upright position and at least partially closed in the reclined position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
a first portion that has a first notch extending through the first portion, the first notch being configured to narrow as the chair back reclines from the upright position to the reclined position, wherein the first notch is open when the chair back is in the upright position and at least partially closed when the chair back is in the reclined position, and a second portion that is separated laterally from the first portion by a gap, the second portion having a second notch extending through the second portion, the second notch being configured to narrow as the chair back reclines from the upright position to the reclined position, wherein the second notch is open in the upright position and at least partially closed in the reclined position.
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3. The reclining chair of claim 2, wherein the first flex zone and the second flex zone form a lower flex region and wherein the chair back includes an upper flex zone formed of a resilient material.
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4. The reclining chair of claim 1, wherein the flex zone has an upper portion and wherein the flex zone further comprises a plurality of ridges extending from the upper portion of the flex zone into the gap between the first and second portions.
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5. The reclining chair of claim 1, wherein the flex zone is adapted to provide substantially all of the resistance to reclining motion of the chair back.
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6. The reclining chair of claim 1, wherein the flex zone is adapted to define a range of effective pivot points.
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7. The reclining chair of claim 1, wherein the chair back and the flex zone are integrally formed as a single unit.
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8. A reclining chair comprising:
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a base; a seat support coupled to a seat, the seat support comprising; a seat flex region unitarily formed of a resilient material, wherein the seat flex region is configured to flex as the seat moves from a first position, characterized by the seat defining a first tilt angle, to a second position, characterized by the seat defining a second tilt angle, and to provide increasing resistance as the seat moves from the first position to the second position; and a chair back, the chair back comprising a flexible back support member, wherein the flexible back support member includes; an inner portion that has a first notch extending through the inner portion, wherein the first notch is configured to at least partially close as the chair back reclines from an upright position to a reclined position, an outer portion that is laterally separated from the inner portion by a gap, the outer portion having a second notch extending through the outer portion, wherein the second notch is configured to at least partially close as the chair back reclines from the upright position to the reclined position; and a connecting portion that couples the inner portion to the outer portion. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A chair system comprising:
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a seat support incorporating a resilient material, the seat support coupled to a seat; a chair back including a lower flex region and an upper flex region, wherein the lower flex region includes at least a first flex zone and a second flex zone that are located beneath opposite sides of the seat, wherein the first flex zone and the second flex zone each include portions transversely separated by a gap, and wherein the upper flex region is location on the chair back at a location corresponding to a user'"'"'s lumbar region; and a base. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification