STACKABLE CHAIR WITH RACK ATTACHMENT MEMBERS

Abstract

A stackable chair has a seating surface, at least three legs and a rack attachment member attached to each of the legs. Each rack attachment member has a leg attachment portion attached to one of the legs and a rack attachment portion capable of reversibly securing a portion of a rack to one of the legs below the seating surface. Typically, the invention further includes a rack, such as a thick rack, disposed below the seating surface and generally parallel thereto. The rack having a plurality of radiating prongs, each of the prongs being attached to a rack attachment portion of one of the rack attachment members.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to lightweight chairs and, more specifically, to stackable lightweight chairs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Stackable lightweight chairs have become very popular. Increasingly popular are stackable lightweight chairs having a rack, such as a book rack, disposed below the seating surface of the chair. Such a stackable chair with a rack disposed below the seating surface is illustrated in FIG. 13.

A problem with such stackable chairs having a rack disposed below the seating surface is that, once the rack is attached to the chair, the chair becomes relatively “non-stackable.” This is because the racks prevent each chair from closely nesting with an identical chair. This problem is illustrated in FIG. 14.

The relatively “non-stackable” nature of stackable chairs having a rack disposed below the seating surface is especially important to those responsible for shipping large quantities of such stackable chairs in bulk. Because of the relative “non-stackability”of such chairs, the cost of shipping large quantities of such chairs in bulk is unduly large.

Attempts have been made to avoid the shipping difficulties caused by the aforementioned lack of stackability by shipping chairs separate from “slip-on” wire book racks—flexible wire book racks which can be flexed and installed into leg holes by the end user. However, such slip-on wire book racks are typically retained loosely within a chair, so that the book racks tend to rattle. Also, such slip-on wire book racks can be easily removed from chairs by mischievous students, thereby resulting in safety issues.

Accordingly, there is a need for a stackable lightweight chair designed for use with a rack disposed below the seating surface which avoids the above-mentioned problem with the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention satisfies this need. The invention is a stackable chair comprising (a) a seating surface, (b) at least three legs disposed generally vertically below the seating surface, the at least three legs being disposed at an angle slightly less than 90° with respect to the vertical, such that the chair is capable of stacking onto an identical chair, and (c) a rack attachment member attached to each of the at least three legs. Each rack attachment member comprises (i) a leg attachment portion attached to one of the at least three legs, and (ii) a rack attachment portion capable of reversibly securing a portion of a rack to one of the at least three legs below the seating surface.

DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims and accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stackable chair having features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the stackable chair illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the stackable chair illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the stackable chair illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a rack attachment member useable in the invention;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the rack attachment member illustrated in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a second perspective view of the rack attachment member illustrated in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the rack attachment member illustrated in FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a rear view of the rack attachment member illustrated in FIG. 5;

FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the rack attachment member illustrated in FIG. 5;

FIG. 11 is a detail view illustrating the attachment of a rack to a chair leg using the rack attachment member illustrated in FIG. 5;

FIG. 12 is a side view of a plurality of stackable chairs having features of the invention;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a stackable chair of the prior art;

FIG. 14 is a side view of a stack of stackable chairs illustrated in FIG. 13; and

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a kit having features of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following discussion describes in detail one embodiment of the invention and several variations of that embodiment. This discussion should not be construed, however, as limiting the invention to those particular embodiments. Practitioners skilled in the art will recognize numerous other embodiments as well.

In one aspect of the invention, the invention is a stackable chair 10 comprising a seating surface 12, at least three legs 14 and a rack attachment member 16 attached to each of the legs 14. This aspect of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1-4.

The seating surface 12 is typically disposed in an approximately horizontal orientation. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the seating surface 12 is integral with a back member 18. In such an embodiment, it is typical that the seating surface 12 and the back member 18 are made from a plastic material.

The at least three legs 14 are disposed generally vertically below the seating surface 12. However, each of the legs 14 is disposed at an angle slightly less than 90° with respect to the vertical, such that the chair is capable of stacking onto an identical chair. Typically, the at least three legs 14 comprise four legs 14, as shown in the embodiment illustrated in the drawings. Also typically, each of the legs 14 is made from a tubular metal material such as steel.

Each rack attachment member 16 comprises a leg attachment portion 20 and a rack attachment portion 22 as illustrated in FIGS. 5-10. The leg attachment portion 20 of each attachment member is attached to one of the legs 14 of the chair. The rack attachment portion 22 is capable of reversibly securing a portion of a rack 23 to one of the chair legs 14 below the seating surface 12.

As illustrated in the embodiment shown in the drawings, the rack attachment portion 22 of each rack attachment member 16 can define a continuous hollow cylinder. Such continuous hollow cylinder is sized and dimensioned to snugly attach around a portion of the rack 23 and to thereby firmly be retained to the rack 23.

Also, as illustrated in the embodiment shown in the drawings, the leg attachment portion 20 is adapted to attach to one of the legs 14. As seen in the drawings, the leg attachment portion 20 can define a clamp having a first clamp member 24 and a spaced apart second clamp member 26. The first clamp member 24 and the second clamp member 26 are attachable to one another by one or more fasteners 28, such as nuts and bolts. Preferably, the first clamp member 24 and the second clamp member 26 are attachable to one another by a single fastener.

As best seen in FIGS. 5 and 7, the proximal end 30 of each rack attachment portion 22 has an exterior surface 32. Preferably, the first clamp of the leg attachment portion 20 of each rack attachment member 16 has an edge 34 which is sized and dimensioned to match the exterior surface 32 of the proximal end 22 of the rack attachment portion 22 in such a way that each first clamp member 24 supports a rack attachment portion 22 when the first clamp member 24 is attached to the second clamp member 26.

Typically, the stackable chair 10 further comprises a rack 23, such as a horizontally disposed book rack, attached to each of the rack attachment members 16 as illustrated in FIG. 11. As illustrated in the embodiment shown in the drawings, the rack 23 can have a center portion 36 and a plurality of radiating prongs 38. Typically, each of the continuous hollow cylinders defined by each rack attachment portion 22 is sized and dimensioned to accept and retain one of the radiating prongs 38.

Contrary to the user of “slip-on” wire book racks, the racks 23 are securely attached to each chair 10 such that the racks 23 do not rattle and are not easily removed from the chair 10 by mischievous students.

As illustrated in FIG. 12, stackable chairs 10 of the invention can be conveniently and efficiently shipped in bulk because the chairs 10 can be shipped prior to the rack 23 being attached to the chairs 10. When identical chairs 10 of the invention are stacked upon one another, they nest in close relationship with one another as illustrated in FIG. 12. Because of the use in the invention of the rack attachment members 16, a rack 23 can be quickly and conveniently attached to the chair 10 by the end user after a quantity of the chairs 10 have been shipped in bulk.

The stackable chairs 10 illustrated in FIG. 12 are each shown having rack attachment members 16 attached to each of the chair legs 14. Alternatively, the chairs 10 can be stacked and shipped without having rack attachment members 16 attached to each leg 14. Instead, a kit 40 (described in more detail below) having one or more racks 23 and typically four attachment members 16 for each rack 23 can be shipped separately from the stack of chairs 10. In this embodiment, the end user can quickly and easily attach rack attachment members 16 to each of the legs 14 of each chair 10, and can thereafter quickly and easily attach a rack 23 to each of the chairs 10 using the rack attachment members 16, as described above.

The stackable chair 10 of the invention is contrasted with stackable chairs of the prior art 110. FIG. 13 illustrates such a stackable chair of the prior art 110. In this prior art stackable chair 110, a rack 123 is attached to each of the four legs 114 by inserting one of the four rack attachment prongs 138 into a hole in one of the chair legs 114. Alternatively, each of the four book rack attachment prongs 138 can be welded to one of the chair legs 114. By these methods, the rack 123 is permanently and non-reversibly attached to the chair 110. As discussed in the Background section above, the problem with such chairs 110 of the prior art is that they are very expensive to ship in bulk. Once the rack 123 is permanently attached to each chair 110, the chair 110 no longer nests closely with identical chairs 110. As illustrated in FIG. 14, identical chairs 110 of the prior art stack extremely inefficiently.

In a second aspect, the invention is a kit 40 comprising one or more racks 23 and at least three rack attachment members 16 for each rack 23. One embodiment of such a kit 40 is illustrated in FIG. 15. In this aspect of the invention, the rack 23 comprises a center portion 36 and at least three radiating prongs 38. Each rack attachment member 16 comprises (i) a rack attachment portion 22 defining a rack attachment portion 22 defining a hollow continuous cylinder with a proximal end 30 and a distal end 31, the proximal end 30 having an exterior surface 32, the hollow continuous cylinder being sized and dimensioned to accept one of the radiating prongs 38, and (ii) a leg attachment portion 20 defining a clamp, the clamp having a first clamp member 24 and a second clamp member 26 spaced apart from one another. The first and second clamp members 26 are attachable to one another by one or more fasteners 28. Preferably, the first clamp member 24 has an edge 34 sized and dimensioned to match the exterior surface 32 of the proximal end 30 of the rack attachment portion 22 in such a way that the first clamp member 24 supports the rack attachment portion 22 when the first clamp member 24 is attached to the second clamp member 26.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the kit 40 can further comprise a plurality of fasteners 28, such as nuts and bolts or rivots.

Having thus described the invention, it should be apparent that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope and fair meaning of the instant invention as set forth hereinabove and as described hereinbelow by the claims.

Claims

1. A stackable chair comprising:

(a) a seating surface;

(b) at least three legs disposed generally vertically below the seating surface, the at least three legs being disposed at an angle slightly less than 90° with respect to the vertical, such that the chair is capable of stacking onto an identical chair; and

(c) a rack attachment member attached to each of the at least three legs, each rack attachment member comprising (i) a leg attachment portion attached to one of the at least three legs, and (ii) a rack attachment portion capable of reversibly securing a portion of a rack to one of the at least three legs below the seating surface.

2. The stackable chair of claim 1 further comprising a rack attached to each of the rack attachment members.

3. The stackable chair of claim 1 wherein the rack attachment portion defines a hollow continuous cylinder.

4. The stackable chair of claim 1 wherein the leg attachment portion defines a clamp having a first clamp member and a spaced apart second clamp member.

5. The stackable chair of claim 4 wherein the first clamp member and the second clamp member are attachable to one another by a single fastener.

6. A stackable chair comprising:

(a) a seating surface;

(b) four legs disposed generally vertical below the seating surface, the four legs being disposed at an angle slightly less than 90° with respect to the vertical, such that the chair is capable of stacking onto an identical chair;

(c) a rack attachment member attached to each of the at least four legs, each rack attachment member comprising (i) a leg attachment portion attached to one of the at least four legs, and (ii) a rack attachment portion capable of reversibly securing a portion of a rack to one of the at least four legs below the seating surface; and

(d) a rack attached to each of the rack attachment members;

wherein the rack attachment portion defines a hollow continuous cylinder;

wherein the leg attachment portion defines a clamp having a first clamp member and a spaced apart second clamp member; and

wherein the first clamp member and the second clamp member are attachable to one another by a single fastener.

7. An attachment member comprising:

(a) a rack attachment portion defining a hollow continuous cylinder with a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end having an exterior surface;

(b) a leg attachment portion defining a clamp, the clamp having a first clamp member and a second clamp member spaced apart from one another, the first and second clamp members being attachable to one another by one or more fasteners, the first clamp member having an edge sized and dimensioned to match the exterior surface of the proximal end of the rack attachment portion in such a way that the first clamp member supports the rack attachment portion when the first clamp member is attached to the second clamp member.

8. The attachment member of claim 7 wherein the second clamp member is integral with the rack attachment portion.

9. A method for shipping a plurality of stackable chairs to a destination, wherein each stackable chair comprises (i) a seating surface, and (ii) at least three legs disposed generally below the seat surface, the at least three legs being disposed at an angle slightly less than 90° with respect to the vertical, such that the chair is capable of stacking onto an identical chair, the method comprising:

(a) stacking a plurality of the stackable chairs;

(b) shipping the plurality of stackable chairs stacked in step (a) to the destination;

(c) shipping to the destination a plurality of rack attachment members, each rack attachment member comprising (i) a leg attachment portion attachable to one of the at least three legs, and (ii) a rack attachment portion capable of reversibly securing a portion of a rack to one of the at least three legs below the seating surface; and

(d) shipping to the destination a plurality of racks, each rack being capable of being attached to a chair by the rack attachment members.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein each rack attachment portion defines a hollow continuous cylinder and wherein each leg attachment portion defines a clamp having a first clamp member and a spaced apart second clamp member.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein each first clamp member has an edge sized and dimensioned to match the exterior surface of the proximal end of a rack attachment portion in such a way that each first clamp member supports a rack attachment portion when each first clamp member is attached to a second clamp member.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of attaching a rack to each of the stackable chairs using rack attachment members attached to each of the legs of each chair.

13. A kit comprising:

(a) one or more racks suitable for attachment beneath the seating surface of a stackable chair, each rack having a center portion and at least three radiating prongs; and

(b) at least three attachment members for each rack, each attachment member comprising: (i) a rack attachment portion defining a hollow continuous cylinder with a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end having an exterior surface, the hollow continuous cylinder being sized and dimensioned to accept one of the radiating prongs; and (ii) a leg attachment portion defining a clamp, the clamp having a first clamp member and a second clamp member spaced apart from one another, the first and second clamp members being attachable to one another by one or more fasteners, the first clamp member having an edge sized and dimensioned to match the exterior surface of the proximal end of the rack attachment portion in such a way that the first clamp member supports the rack attachment portion when the first clamp member is attached to the second clamp member.