SEATING UNIT WITH ACCESSORIES
A seating unit includes a tubular support extending upwardly from a chair frame, a retainer telescopingly engaging an upright open end of the support, and an armrest mounted on the retainer. The retainer is keyed at both ends to prevent undesired rotation of the armrest. Accessories are mounted to the retainer, and are positionable at use and non-use positions relative to a seated user. The accessories include a cup holder, a container, a hook for hanging items under the cup holder or container, and different tablets. One tablet includes a wheeled leg that extends downwardly from a center of gravity of the tablet, the leg supporting the tablet and reducing cantilever forces on the retainer. The back and seat comprise a flexible member co-molded onto a supportive partial-perimeter frame member and includes back and seat sections that matably engage corresponding surfaces of the frame member.
This is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/142,650, filed Jun. 1, 2005, entitled SEATING UNIT WITH ACCESSORIES, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety.
BACKGROUNDThe present invention relates to seating units having accessories attached their frame, such as to an armrest support.
Modern consumers want chairs and seating units to be functional and practical for supporting teaming activities and individual preferences, including the ability to stably hold and support such things as a beverage or cup, to provide a work surface that can be manipulated to different use and non-use positions, to provide accessories for holding and/or storing papers, and to be otherwise adaptable for different uses. At the same time, consumers want functionality and adaptability without complexity and without the functional feature interfering with multi-tasking and group discussion. Still further, they want replaceability, retrofitability, and removability, so that the functional items can be replaced, upgraded, and/or stored when not needed. Also, it is desirable to provide for dense storage of the seating units. Still further, consumers want customizability yet without substantial increased costs. Consumers also require style and elegance, while requiring structural integrity and durability and without sacrificing comfort.
Thus, a system having the aforementioned advantages and solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTIONIn one aspect of the present invention, an armrest apparatus includes an upright support, an armrest supported atop the upright support, and an accessory rotatably attached to the upright support for adjustment between different positions relative to the armrest.
In another aspect of the present invention, a seating apparatus includes a seating unit having a frame, and a support extending from the frame. The support has a top section configured to both rotatably support a first device, such as a cup holder or tablet, and shaped to non-rotatably support a second device, such as an armrest.
In another aspect of the present invention, a seating unit includes a frame for supporting a seated user, and a retainer engaging the frame. An armrest and also an accessory are supported by the retainer in desired coordinated positions relative to the seated user.
In another aspect of the present invention, a seating unit includes a base adapted to stably engage a floor surface, a supportive frame member and a sheet support. The supportive frame member is supported on the base and defines at least one of a seat section and a back section, the one section defining an opening. The supportive frame member defines a perimeter frame extending at least partially around the opening to two opposing sides of the opening. The sheet support is co-molded onto the supportive frame member, and has edge strips overlapping the perimeter frame that are secured to the opposing sides with integrally formed rivet-simulating protrusions that engage apertures in the supportive frame member.
These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present invention will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon studying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.
The present seating unit (
A first version of the seating unit 200 (
The illustrated frame 202 includes an underseat portion 203 with four legs 204 extending downwardly from each corner and with a pair of back-supporting side frame members 205 extending upwardly from a rear area on the frame 202 for supporting the back 206 of the seat and back component 201. A protruding mount 207 (
A retainer 210 (
The retainer 210 (
The cup holder accessory 225 (
The illustrated accessory 225 includes a hook 230 that extends downwardly and outwardly from a bottom of the arm 228, such as for supporting a coffee cup or other article in a hanging position. Notably, other accessories can be made by substituting various structures for the cup holder ring 229 and/or the hook 230. These can include pencil-holders, paper holders, electronic-supporting holders, etc.
The armrest 214 (
A second embodiment (
A cup holder accessory 165 (
Another cup holder accessory 165B (
It is contemplated that other accessories can be supported on the support 208, such as a leg-supported tablet 170 (
It is contemplated that the support can be an elongated structural member permanently attached to the chair frame. Alternatively, where armless versions of the chair are (or will be) offered, it may be desirable to provide a removable connection at the mounting stud. In such circumstance, the removable connection must be particularly stable and secure. In the illustrated arrangement in
A second keyed connection is formed at a top of the illustrated upright support 208 (
Tablets 170 and 171 include a tablet surface 300 (
It is contemplated that the cup holder accessories 165 and 225 and/or the tablet accessories 170 and 171 (and also the accessory 171A discussed below) can be mounted on the support 208 located on either side of the seating unit (see
It is further contemplated that the tablet can be provided with additional options. For example,
The basic seating unit 200 (
The illustrated sheet-like support 396 (
The seating unit 201 includes a shell 491 defining a large opening, and a sheet-like support 496 co-molded onto the shell 491. The shell 491 includes a seat section 492 with a transverse front section 503 and rearwardly extending side sections 504 and 505 defining a U-shape around an opening 506. The back section 493 of the shell 491 includes vertically extending side section 507 and 508 that form a parallel goal-post-like arrangement from side sections 504 and 505. The illustrated side sections 507 and 508 are not structurally connected, but it is contemplated that they could be interconnected at their upper ends by an arching top member for strength. The opening 506 is defined in part between the side sections 507-508. The sections 503-505 and 507-509 include a series of regularly spaced apertures 510 for attachment purposes, as disclosed below.
The illustrated sheet-like support 496 is co-molded onto the shell 491 as follows. The shell 491 is made of a glass-filled polyester material or other structural plastic that is relatively rigid, but having some ability to flex. The illustrated sheet-like support 496 is made of a non-foam thermoplastic flexible/resilient thermo-plastic or thermoset polyurethane having good tensile strength and a limited amount of stretchability, such as about ⅛ inch to ¼ inch thick. The shell 491 includes a series of regularly-spaced apertures 510 along its border. The sheet-like support 496 includes a top/front border strip 500 of material, and includes a plurality of regularly spaced integrally-molded rivet-like headed protrusions 501 that extend through the apertures in the border strip 500. The protrusions 501 are molded as part of support 496 and form a rivet-like securement of the sheet-like support 496 to the shell 491, with heads of the protrusions 501 interlockingly engaging the shell 491 to retain the support 496 on the shell 491 in a tensioned suspended position. The illustrated second border strip 500′ interconnects the heads of protrusions 501 and extends along the rear/bottom of the sheet support 496 parallel the top border strip 500, with the material of the sheet support 496 being tensioned between the sections 503-505 and 507-508 (due to shrinkage during the molding process). As illustrated, the sheet support 496 comprises a continuous polyurethane. It is noted that, where the polyurethane foam is translucent, the rivet-like protrusions 501 have an aesthetically pleasing novel appearance. Where the side sections 503-505 and/or 507-508 require additional strength, a reinforcement can be molded into them or reinforcement ribs can be formed thereon. The illustrated tubular section shown in
It is contemplated that the present inventive concepts can be used on a side chair as shown, or can be incorporated into office chairs such as task chairs (for example, a pedestal chair). It is also contemplated that the present concepts can be incorporated into any seating unit, such as benches, lounge chairs, class room chairs, and seating units for vehicles (planes, trains, boats, mass transit, etc.). Still further, it is contemplated that the present concepts can be incorporated into other furniture units and systems, and into other arrangements where it is desirable to support multiple items in an arrangement where an adjustable functional component preferably has a coordinated position relative to an armrest.
It is to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned structure without departing from the concepts of the present invention, and further it is to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise.
Claims
1. An armrest apparatus comprising:
- an upright support defining a substantially vertical axis;
- an armrest supported atop the upright support; and
- an accessory rotatably attached to the upright support for adjustment between different positions relative to the armrest, wherein the accessory is rotatable about the substantially vertical axis, and wherein the upright support provides cantilevered support to the armrest at a location generally at a front of the armrest.
2. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the upright support extends below the armrest.
3. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the upright support is a sole support for the armrest.
4. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the upright support includes a circumferentially-extending structure for rotatably supporting the accessory.
5. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the accessory has a first end supported by the support, a laterally-extending leg that extends from the first end, a useful end that is located at another end of the laterally-extending leg, and a hook that extends downwardly from the laterally-extending leg at a location generally under the laterally-extending leg for holding items under the accessory.
6. An armrest apparatus comprising:
- an upright support;
- an armrest supported atop the upright support; and
- an accessory rotatably attached to the upright support for adjustment between different positions relative to the armrest, wherein the upright support includes a retainer that extends upwardly and that includes a first mounting structure for supporting the armrest and a second mounting structure for supporting the accessory, wherein the second mounting structure includes a circumferentially-extending structure for rotatably supporting the accessory.
7. The apparatus defined in claim 6, wherein the first mounting structure is located at a top of the retainer and includes a keyed connection to prevent rotation of the armrest.
8. The apparatus defined in claim 6, wherein the support includes a tubular section with an open end, and wherein the retainer includes a bottom that is configured to non-rotatably engage the open end.
9. The apparatus defined in claim 6, wherein the support includes a tubular section, and wherein the retainer removably engages the tubular section.
10. The apparatus defined in claim 6, wherein the support includes a tubular section, and wherein the retainer telescopingly engages the tubular section at a lower end and also telescopingly engages the armrest at an upper end.
11. The apparatus defined in claim 6, wherein the accessory is selected from a group consisting of one of a tablet, a container, and a cup holder.
12. The apparatus defined in claim 11, wherein the accessory includes at least the cup holder.
13. The apparatus defined in claim 6, wherein the support includes a lower end configured and adapted to be removably attached to a chair frame.
14. The apparatus defined in claim 6, wherein the armrest is removably attached to the support.
15. An armrest apparatus comprising:
- an upright support defining a substantially vertical axis;
- an armrest supported atop the upright support; and
- an accessory rotatably attached to the upright support for adjustment between different positions relative to the armrest, wherein the accessory includes a tablet and an accessory-supporting leg extending downward from the tablet for engaging a floor surface, and wherein the accessory is rotatable about the substantially vertical axis.
16. The apparatus defined in claim 15, wherein the accessory leg includes a floor-engaging bottom part located generally below a center of gravity of the tablet.
17. A seating apparatus comprising:
- a seating unit having a frame; and
- a vertical support extending from the frame and including a top section configured to both rotatably support a first device and non-rotatably support a second device, wherein the first device is rotatable about a substantially vertical axis defined by the support.
18. The apparatus defined in claim 17, wherein the first device has a functional portion forming an accessory.
19. The apparatus defined in claim 18, wherein the second device forms an armrest.
20. The apparatus defined in claim 19, wherein both the armrest and the accessory engage the top section.
21. The apparatus defined in claim 19, wherein the accessory includes a cup holder.
22. The apparatus defined in claim 18, wherein the accessory includes a tablet.
23. The apparatus defined in claim 22, wherein the accessory includes a leg extending downwardly under the tablet at a location generally at a center of gravity of the tablet.
24. The apparatus defined in claim 22, wherein the leg includes a wheel.
25. The apparatus defined in claim 18, wherein the accessory includes a hook that extends downwardly from under the accessory for holding items under the accessory.
26. A seating unit comprising:
- a base adapted to stably engage a floor surface;
- a supportive frame member supported on the base and defining at least one of a seat section and a back section, the supportive frame member defining an enlarged opening and a perimeter frame extending at least partially around the opening to two opposing sides of the opening; and
- a sheet support co-molded onto the supportive frame member, the sheet support having edge strips overlapping the perimeter frame and secured to the opposing sides with integrally formed rivet-simulating protrusions that engage apertures in the supportive frame member.
27. The seating unit defined in claim 26, wherein the sheet support includes a sheet section that at least partially covers the enlarged opening.
Type: Application
Filed: May 4, 2009
Publication Date: Aug 27, 2009
Inventors: John M. Kaloustian (Northville, MI), Russell Plant (London), Robert L. Stewart (Grapevine, TX), Paul Thomas Cornell (Grapevine, TX)
Application Number: 12/435,071
International Classification: A47C 7/62 (20060101);