Patents Examined by Laurie K. Cranmer
  • Patent number: 7080885
    Abstract: A task chair equipped with a mechanism for independently adjusting the height and width of support arms by the manual operation of a single adjustment knob. Each of the support arms includes a first arm portion and a second arm portion that are pivotally coupled by corresponding pivot joints. Each second arm portion carries one of a pair of arm pads. Each second arm portion may be inclined relative to the corresponding first arm portion for inclining the corresponding arm pad relative to a seat plate of the task chair. Each arm pad is joined with the corresponding second arm portion by a coupling mechanism that permits movement of each arm pad with two degrees of translational freedom and one degree of rotational freedom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Assignee: Kerr Corporation
    Inventors: Charles E. Bain, Jeffrey A. Kennedy
  • Patent number: 7073854
    Abstract: A back supporting device for a motor vehicle seat includes a pair of hollow left and right sliding rails that are disposed fixedly on two opposite sides of a passenger seat portion disposed immediately behind a driver seat portion. Two slidable elements are received respectively and movably within the left and right sliding rails. Two connecting members are connected respectively and fixedly to the slidable elements, and are disposed outwardly of the left and right sliding rails. Two supporting frames have lower ends connected respectively and pivotally to the connecting members. A backrest is retained on the supporting frames so as to permit the slidable elements to be moved forcibly within the left and right sliding rails. Preferably, the slidable elements are locked respectively and releasably within the left and right sliding rails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Inventor: Fang-Sheng Tseng
  • Patent number: 7073857
    Abstract: Apparatus to provide an overhead support for suspending hanging furniture includes a base configured for attachment to a vehicle trailer hitch receiver. An upright member extends upwardly from the base and at least one support member extends outwardly from the upright member a sufficient distance to receive and suspend a hanging chair. Preferably, two support members are provided and extend outwardly from the upright member in different directions from one another so that two hanging chairs can be supported in normal hanging condition spaced from one another and from the upright member. The support members are preferably removably mounted to the upright so that the apparatus can be disassembled for easy transportation and storage. At least one of the support members is preferably rotatably mounted to the upright member so its orientation can be rotatably adjusted in relation to the upright member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Inventor: Braydon R. Bailey
  • Patent number: 7070243
    Abstract: A frame has a pair of laterally spaced tubular supports in a generally inverted U-shaped configuration. A seat panel, in a generally horizontal plane, is secured between the supports. A back panel is supported by the seat panel. A pair of side panels includes one panel coupled to each tubular support. Each panel has an interior wall and an exterior wall. A periphery is provided between the walls. Each exterior wall has a continuous recess congruent with its periphery. The interior wall of each side panel has a discontinuous recess. An inverted U-shaped component extends above the seat panel and a horizontal component is below the seat panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Inventor: Donald R. Frank
  • Patent number: 7070230
    Abstract: A combination of one table and two chairs for two persons includes two folding chairs and one folding table. Each of the folding chairs include arm tubes, front crossed tubes, back-rest tubes, seating frame tubes, rear crossed tubes, and a chair surface fabric. The folding table includes front vertical tubes, front crossed tubes, rear vertical tubes, rear crossed tubes, and a table surface fabric. The arm tubes are connected cross-wise to the front crossed tubes, and the crossed connection point is provided with a reinforced block. The seating frame tubes are connected cross-wise to the back-rest tubes, and the arm tubes are connected to the front ends of the seating frame tubes via U-shaped hinging elements. The upper portions of the rear crossed tubes are connected to the back-rest tubes, and the lower portions thereof are connected to the seating frame tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Inventor: Libin Chen
  • Patent number: 7066551
    Abstract: A beam for a passenger seat has a hollow body including several spaced-apart frame mounting portions each defining a cross-section for being mounted to a seat frame. Seat portions are disposed between consecutive ones of the frame mounting portions and define a second cross-section for being mounted to a seat base disposed centrally below adjacent pairs of seat frames. The body is curved such that the seat portions are laterally downwardly offset from the frame mounting portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: BE Aerospace, Inc.
    Inventor: Glenn A. Johnson
  • Patent number: 7066535
    Abstract: A multi-purpose seat protector is provided for covering, for example, a weight bench and an automobile seat. The seat protector includes an envelope at a first end that receives an upper portion of the seat or bench, so that the protector does not slide off of the seat or bench. The seat protector prevents sweat from staining the surface that it covers. When the seat protector is removed from, for example an automobile seat, a person may safely sit upon the seat without staining his or her clothes. The seat protector also prevents excessive heat from a car seat from burning a person that sits upon the seat. When the seat protector covers a hot car set, a person may safely sit upon the seating surface without the seating surface burning his or her skin. A seatbelt protector is also provided for covering a seatbelt. The seatbelt protector prevents sweat from staining the seatbelt that it covers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Inventor: Phillip J. Moses
  • Patent number: 7063380
    Abstract: This invention discloses a leisure time use easy chair, especially for use in the garden or camping. The chair includes a back, a seat, and a leg rest, with a piece of fabric stretched over the surfaces being formed by these elements, a pair of armrests, and a base with front and rear legs. The chair further includes a transverse link between the front and rear legs. This link has a sliding locking mechanism to maintain a certain incline angle of the back and the leg rest. The position of the sliding mechanism decreases the risk of harm to the user's fingers. In addition, the chair is fully collapsible. The object of the present invention is firstly to solve the problem of safety, and secondly to provide an esthetic and more comfortable easy chair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Inventor: Zhongmin Cui
  • Patent number: 7059674
    Abstract: The invention includes a bicycle saddle whose seating surface is made of a stretched membrane, where the membrane is stretched into a vaulted shape from the nose extending at least partially through the rider's crotch toward the cantle at the rear of the seat. The invention further includes at least one carrier member acting upon the membrane to create, at least partly, the vaulted shape, and an attachment of at least part of a perimeter of the membrane to at least one of the carrier members. The attachment further provides the vaulted shape to the membrane and/or a tension to the membrane. The invention also further includes a saddle undercarriage attached to at least one of the carrier members providing at least part of the tension to the membrane, whenever the saddle undercarriage flexes. The saddle undercarriage is further comprised of a means for mounting to a seat post. An embodiment of the invention includes a ventilation path through the seating surface to the rider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Inventors: Tylor Garland, Aldia Rauda, Geoffrey Craig Pittfield
  • Patent number: 7055905
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a motor vehicle seat with an adjustable reclining backrest, which is articulated to the seat frame on both sides using tilt adjusting fittings. Both tilt adjusting fittings are coupled to each other by a rigid connecting tube, which is formed as a hollow section or at least in the zone of the tilt adjusting fittings as a hollow section. It is used for the simultaneous adjustment of both tilt adjusting fittings by means of a driving device arranged on one side of the seat. The connecting element is fastened bilaterally to one of the two tilt adjusting fittings, so that it is secured on both sides against an axial movement. The object of the invention is to improve this type of seat so that a folding back or opening of the tilt adjusting fittings is prevented while at the same time mounting of the connecting elements without problematic rattling and axial jamming is made possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Faurecia Autositze GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Gunter Spey, Bernd Wilkening
  • Patent number: 7044558
    Abstract: A ball chair with a retaining device has a seat (10), a spherical cushion (20) and two retaining pieces. The spherical cushion (20) rests on the seat (10). The two retaining pieces are selective retaining rods or retaining walls and are respectively attached to a rear end and a front end of the seat (10). Thus, the spherical cushion (20) is held between the two retaining pieces and firmly secured on the seat (10) to keep the spherical cushion (20) from falling off the ball chair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Inventor: Ciber Chiu
  • Patent number: 7044542
    Abstract: In one form of the invention, a rounded bicycle seat is provided. The seat has no front pommel that is a significant factor in causing most pressure and pain to the crotch area of a rider. As such, the bicycle seat is designed to relieve numbness. In one embodiment of the current invention, the seat is provided with a rounded dome portion that minimizes or makes no contact with the crotch area of the rider when the bicycle seat is in use. Further, the seat may pivot in multiple directions in connection with the rider's movement, giving the rider proper coordination and alignment with the seat and the bicycle pedals. The seat is anatomically correct and provides support for the rider with a snug comfortable fit, while at the same time improves balance, flexibility and improves body strength with the least amount of friction and pain experienced by the rider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Inventor: Armond Muscat
  • Patent number: 7040702
    Abstract: A tip-up vehicle seat comprises a seat back (11) attached to a vehicle body, a seat bottom (14) displaceable between a retracted position and a available position, a leg member (17) displaceable between a retracted position and a support position, a lock mechanism (18) arranged to hold the seat bottom at the retracted position. The lock mechanism (18) is connected to the leg member (17) through a wire cable (43) so that the lock mechanism (18) is unlocked by rotational movement of the leg member (17) from the retracted position toward the support position to release the restriction to the seat bottom (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignees: TS Tech Co., Ltd., Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takurou Yamada, Masayuki Takakura, Takahiro Ito, Seiji Waku
  • Patent number: 7040726
    Abstract: A pull (12) includes an elongate flexible member (34) having two end portions. The first end portion (36) is secured to the rear surface (20, 106) of the front structure (16, 102) of a movable member (14, 100) of a piece of furniture made of wood. The flexible member (34) has an intermediate portion (39) extending from the first end portion (36). The intermediate portion (39) extends over an upper region of the front structure (16, 102) of the movable member (14, 100). The flexible member (34) has a manually gripable rigid part (40) at the second end portion (38). The manually gripable rigid part (40) lies against, without being secured to, the front surface (20, 106) of the front structure (16, 102) of the movable member (14, 100). The manually gripable rigid part (40) is pulled to open the movable member (14, 100).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Inventor: Arthur Steffee
  • Patent number: 7025416
    Abstract: A chair having a pair of channels for receiving the posts of an independent, removable desktop. A locking mechanism is provided to secure one of the desk posts within its receiver channel. The locking mechanism may be easily released to extract the desk post from the receiver to remove the desktop when it is not needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Inventors: Oriel Ramirez, Jose M Rives
  • Patent number: 7014261
    Abstract: A lightweight, inexpensive folding chair may have a seat with an interference fit support bracket may be provided. The seat may have a lightweight seat member constructed of a lightweight material, such as a blow-molded plastic, that is generally supported by two such support brackets. The support brackets may be affixed to the lightweight seat member by sliding the lightweight seat member into interference engagement with the support brackets. Thus, the lightweight seat member is supported against bending when the chair is in use, in a way that does not concentrate stresses in the lightweight seat member to cause deformation and failure. The support brackets may have an enclosing shape so that the lightweight seat member is unable to move laterally or transversely out of engagement with the support brackets. The support brackets may thus have lips extending into the lightweight seat member to provide the enclosing shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Lifetime Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Thayne B. Haney
  • Patent number: 7011366
    Abstract: An apparatus protects the feet and legs of an infant from certain rigid parts of an infant bouncer seat while the infant is sitting and playing in the bouncer seat. A foot and leg protector includes a unitary and elongated, shell, wherein the shell is u-shaped when viewed from its top surface. Padded material having a thickness of at least about one half inch is disposed within the shell. The foot and leg protector further includes a removable attachment means including a male part and a female part. The male part is located on the bottom surface of the foot and leg protector and the female part is located substantially near the front lip of the bouncer seat. The removable attachment means is operable to removably attach the foot and leg protector to the bouncer seat such that the foot and leg protector covers substantially the entire portion of the front lip of the bouncer seat, and front portions of left and right side lips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Inventor: Marc A. Cornella
  • Patent number: 7004546
    Abstract: A stowable chair armrest for a seat assembly which includes a armrest portion connected to the seat assembly through a restricted movement rotating joint which has limited rotation about a horizontal X and Y axes, the Y-axis being parallel to the length of the armrest portion and positioned above the plane of the seat cushion whereby the armrest portion is rotatable about the Y-axis approximately 180° from an elevated position of the armrest to a retracted position. When the armrest is in its use position, it cannot rotate downward about its Y-axis. However, the arm rest can be lifted upward 10° about its X-axis, wherein a flat blade connecting the armrest to a spherical pivot becomes aligned in a longitudinal chamber having a circular cross-section thus permitting the armrest portion to rotate 180° about its Y-axis to its stowed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Cessna Aircraft Company
    Inventors: Todd A. Thisius, Arthur E. Chapman, II, Timothy J. O'Connell, Craig D. Cillessen, Christopher A. Pinkerton
  • Patent number: 7000985
    Abstract: A non-freestanding child seat for use with in underlying seat or other support structure. The child seat is well-suited for use with “spectator” seats such as those found at sport event, theatres, and performing arts venues. The child seat may including a flexible member that is placed over and/or attached to an underlying seat or other structure. A child seat platform is attached to the flexible member and configured for position adjustment among other features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Inventor: Douglas Jay Belgarde
  • Patent number: 6997517
    Abstract: A snowmobile seat having a ventilation system for allowing moisture that enters the cushion portion of the seat to be wicked away through a base section that is disposed between the tunnel of the snowmobile and the cushion. The base section provides ventilation spaces between the base section and tunnel and has ventilation holes there through that allow the moisture to be drawn away from the cushion. Grooves formed in the underside of the cushion and channels formed in the top side of the base section also help promote this process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Polaris Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Nick Schrapp, Jason Eichenberger