Three point adirondack chair

Abstract

The present invention relates to an Adirondack style chair with an improved design that increases stability on uneven ground and increases structural strength by means of a triangular seat support assembly. Specifically, the Adirondack style chairs of the present invention comprise first and second seat members angled toward each other to form a “V” shape where the point of the “V” extends beyond the rear of the chair so as to come together at the point of contact with the ground, a seat section attached to the top of the seat support members, a back support section attached to the seat support members to form an angle generally comfortable for sitting and two vertical first and second front legs attached to each side of the seat support member at the front or side of the chair. The present invention also relates to an Adirondack style loveseat formed by positioning two 3-point Adirondack Chairs next to each other where each chair has been fabricated to remove the abutting armrests, and the abutting front leg member does not extend above the height of the seat section.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an Adirondack style chair with an improved design that increases stability on uneven ground and increases structural strength.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Adirondack chairs are a type of outdoor furniture in which the seat support members extend beyond the rear of the chair to the ground, forming the rear legs of the chair. They are also known as Muskoka chairs in parts of Canada. An early example is described in U.S. Pat. No. 794,777 to Bunnell.

A present form of the Adirondack or Muskoka chair is described in US Patent No. Des. 109,239 to Wolpin, which includes the contoured seat and curved back that are typical features of modern Adirondack or Muskoka chairs. For many years these chairs were made of wood or plastic simulated-wood material with the pieces of the chair nailed, glued, bolted, or screwed together to from a single unit. More recently, some have been molded as a single piece out of plastic. Current Adirondack or Muskoka chairs have four legs or supports, consisting of two front legs that extend up to support large armrests and two rear supports. Typically, the rear supports are either extension of the seat support members or, in the case of most molded chairs, legs which are angled back from the seat. Adirondack or Muskoka chairs also have an angled back with armrests connected to and helping to support the back of the chair. In many non-molded designs, there are additional supports that form a triangle between the back of the chair and the rear supports, further reinforcing the structure of the chair. This creates a very sturdy chair that is suitable for outdoor use. However, this chair, like any other with four legs, does not work well on uneven ground. On rocky or uneven ground it is not usually possible to find a position in which all four legs will touch the ground. This leaves either an unstable chair that rocks from side to side or a chair that deforms and breaks or wears out at the joints. Thus, there is a need for an Adirondack or Muskoka style chair that will remain stable and structurally sound when used on rocky or uneven ground.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This aforementioned need is satisfied by the chair assembly of the present invention, which in one embodiment comprises an Adirondack or Muskoka style chair in which the two seat support members are angled toward each other and extended beyond the rear of the chair so as to come together at the point of contact with the ground, forming a chair that is in contact with the ground at only three points. More specifically, the present invention relates to an Adirondack Chair comprised of first and second seat support members angled toward each other to form a “V” shape and extended beyond the rear of the chair so as to come together at the point of contact with the ground; a seat section attached to the top of the seat support members, a back section attached to the seat support members to form an angle generally comfortable for sitting (preferably at least 90-degrees); generally vertical first and second front legs attached to the seat support member to the front or side of the chair, and horizontal first and second armrests connecting the top of the first and second legs with the side of the back support section. Preferably, the present Adirondack chair further comprises a back support post of at least one member that attaches the back support members to the seat support members at the point at which the seat support members come together.

Implementations of the present invention provide a chair with an improved design that increases stability on uneven ground and increases structural strength. Preferred embodiments include armrests, most preferably horizontal, connecting the top of each front leg with the back section. Another preferred embodiment includes one or two back support members connecting the rearward point where the seat support members make contact and the back section.

Another embodiment involves removing the left armrest of one chair assembly and the right armrest of another and abutting them so as to form a loveseat configuration.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of embodiments thereof and from the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of this disclosure and its features, reference is now make to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side perspective view of one embodiment of a chair assembly of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the chair assembly in FIG. 1 with the seat covering members and back covering members removed.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the chair assembly in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the chair assembly in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the chair assembly in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a back view of the chair assembly in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a top view of the chair assembly in FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the chair assembly in FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a side perspective view of one embodiment of a loveseat assembly of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to an Adirondack style chair with an improved design that increases stability on uneven ground and increases structural strength. As will be clear from the drawings the the following, the chair utilizes a 3-point leg configuration. Three contact point make the present chairs particularly suited to use on rocky or other irregular surfaces.

Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout. As used herein, the components designated as “first” or with numerals bearing a “a” suffix are oriented on the left side of the chair when seated and the components designated as “second” or with numerals bearing a “b” suffix are oriented on the right side of the chair when seated

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 8, one embodiment of a chair assembly 100 of the present invention is illustrated. A seat section 102 is attached to a back section 104. First seat support member 106a and second seat support member 106b are set at an angle to each other and meet at point 126. A plurality of horizontal seat covering members 120 extend between and may extend beyond the outside edges of the first and second seat support members 106a and 106b. Flat seat members are contemplated in the present invention, but can be uncomfortable. In this preferred embodiment, the first seat support member 106a and second seat support member 106b may be formed with a contoured and beveled top so that the seat covering members 120 define a contoured surface. An additional crossbar support 110 may be attached to the inner faces of seat support members 106a and 106b which provide additional sideways stability.

A back section 104 is attached to the upper surface of the seat support members 106a and 106b in proximity to the seat section 102 and may consist of lower back support member 116, upper back support member 118, first side support member 114a and second side support member 114b. A plurality of back covering members 122 extend between and may extend beyond lower back support member 116 and upper back support member 118. The back covering members 122 are oriented in a generally vertical orientation. Often the vertical orientation is allowed to fan outward at the top as shown in FIG. 4. There may be an odd or even number of back supporting members, typically six to eight in total. Gaps are formed between the back support members and the most central gap may be positioned at the center of the chair. As shown in FIG. 5, back support members 122 may taper in width with the wider part at the top of the member. Back support members 122 may be inclined slightly outward, the inclination increasing with the outermost members having the greatest inclination. This may form diagonal elements that increase the sideways stability of the back section. As shown in FIG. 2, lower back seat support member 116 and upper back seat support member 118 may be formed with a laterally concave front so that the back covering members 122 define a laterally concave surface.

First front leg 108a and second front leg 108b are attached to seat support members 116a and 116b respectively. First front leg 108a and second front leg 108b may be vertical or may extend to the front or side of the chair. First armrest 124a is attached to front leg 108a and may extend beyond the front leg to the front and side of the chair. First armrest 124a is also attached to first side support member 114a. First armrest 124a may be horizontal or inclined and may incorporate sections of extra width to serve as a table. The attachment of the armrest 124a may include first front brace 126a and first rear brace 128a which provide extra support for armrest 124a. Second armrest 124b is attached to front leg 108b and may extend beyond the front leg to the front and side of the chair. Second armrest 124b is also attached to second side support member 114b. Second armrest 124b may be horizontal or inclined and may incorporate sections of extra width to serve as a table. The attachment of the second armrest 124b may include second front brace 126b and second rear brace 128b which may provide extra support for armrest 124b. Attachments may include front brace 126b and rear brace 128b to provide extra support for armrest 124b.

Back support post 112 is attached to upper back support member 118 and to first seat support member 106a and second seat support member 106b. Back support post 112 meets seat support members 106a and 106b at the point 126 at which they come together.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment, in which the back support is achieved with two back support members 112a and 112b, which attach to upper seat support member 118 at different points. Back support posts 112a and 112b meet seat support members 106a and 106b at the point 126 at which they come together.

Back support members 112, 112a and 112b are extremely difficult to fabricate for use in a 3-point chair configuration since they require multiple compound cut to form the contact abutment.

FIG. 9 shows a loveseat assembly 130 of the present invention. in this assembly, 3-point chairs are positioned next to each other to form a 2-person seat. Removing the abutting armrests, and fabricating the front leg member such that they do not extend above the height of the seat section achieves a loveseat configuration. This type of positioning of two chairs is not otherwise possible on rocky or irregular surfaces.

The loveseat 130 comprises (a) a first chair section 140a comprising first and second seat support members, 206a and 206b, angled toward each other to form a “V” shape where the point 226 of the “V” extends beyond the rear of the chair so as to come together at the point of contact with the ground, a seat section 202 attached to the top of the seat support members 206a/b, a back section 204 attached to the seat support members 206 to form an angle generally comfortable for sitting (preferably greater than or equal to 90 degrees), one vertical left side front leg 208a attached to the side of the seat support member 206a at the front or side of the chair and extending above the height of the seat section 220, one vertical right side front leg 208b attached to the side of the seat support member 206b at the front or side of the chair and not extend above the height of the seat section 220; and one left side horizontal armrest 224a connecting the top of the leg 208a with the first side support member 214a, and (b) a second chair section 140b comprising first and second seat support members angled toward each other to form a “V” shape where the point 226 of the “V” extends beyond the rear of the chair so as to come together at the point of contact with the ground, a seat section 202 attached to the top of the seat support members 206a/b, a back section 204a attached to the seat support members to form an angle generally comfortable for sitting (preferably greater than or equal to 90-degrees), one vertical right side front leg 208b attached to the side of the seat support member 206b at the front or side of the chair and extending above the height of the seat section 220, one vertical left side front leg 208a attached to the side of the seat support member at the front or side of the chair and not extend above the height of the seat section 220; and one right side horizontal armrest 224b connecting the top of the leg with the side of the back support section, wherein the first chair section 140a and the second chair section 140b are positioned such that the right side seat section of the first chair section 140a and the left side of the second chair section 140b are in contact and form a double seat. Preferably, the two chair sections 140a and 140b are releasably attached by means of a clamp, hooks or screws.

Accordingly, the above description of example embodiments does not define or constrain this disclosure. Other changes, substitutions, and alterations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure and the following claims.

Claims

1. A chair comprising:

first and second seat support members angled toward each other to form a “V” shape where the point of the “V” extends beyond the rear of the chair so as to come together at the point of contact with the ground;

a seat section attached to the top of the seat support members;

a back section attached to the seat support members to form an angle generally comfortable for sitting; and

two vertical first and second front legs attached to each side of the seat support member at the front or side of the chair.

2. A chair according to claim 1 further comprising at least one horizontal armrest connecting the top of the leg with the side of the back support section.

3. A chair according to claim 2 further comprising a first and a second horizontal armrest connecting the top of each leg with the side of the back support section.

4. A chair according to claim 3 further comprising first and second armrests extending beyond the front of the front legs.

5. A chair according to claim 4 further comprising a back support post of at least one member that attaches the back support members to the seat support members at the point at which the seat support members come together.

6. A chair according to claim 5 wherein the seat section is comprised of a plurality of seat covering members extending between the outside edges of the first and second seat support members.

7. A chair according to claim 6 wherein the seat covering members extend beyond the outside edges of the first and second seat support members.

8. A chair according to claim 7 wherein the first seat support member and second seat support member are formed with a contoured and beveled top so that the seat covering members define a contoured surface.

9. A chair according to claim 8 wherein an additional crossbar support is attached to the inner faces of seat support members providing additional sideways stability.

10. A chair according to claim 4 further comprising a back support post two members that attaches the back support members at complimentary positions proximal to said first and second arm rests to the seat support members at the point at which the seat support members come together.

11. A chair according to claim 10 wherein the seat section is comprised of a plurality of seat covering members extending between the outside edges of the first and second seat support members.

12. A chair according to claim 11 wherein the seat covering members extend beyond the outside edges of the first and second seat support members.

13. A chair according to claim 12 wherein the first seat support member and second seat support member are formed with a contoured and beveled top so that the seat covering members define a contoured surface.

14. A chair according to claim 13 wherein an additional crossbar support is attached to the inner faces of seat support members providing additional sideways stability.

15. A loveseat comprising:

a first chair section comprising: first and second scat support members angled toward each other to form a “V” shape where the point of the “V” extends beyond the rear of the chair so as to come together at the point of contact with the ground; a seat section attached to the top of the seat support members; a back section attached to the seat support members to form an angle generally comfortable for sitting; one vertical left side front leg attached to the side of the seat support member at the front or side of the chair and extending above the height of the seat section; one vertical right side front leg attached to the side of the seat support member at the front or side of the chair and not extend above the height of the seat section; and one left side horizontal armrest connecting the top of the leg with the side of the back support section, and

a second chair section comprising: first and second seat support members angled toward each other to form a “V” shape where the point of the “V” extends beyond the rear of the chair so as to come together at the point of contact with the ground; a seat section attached to the top of the seat support members; a back section attached to the seat support members to form an angle generally comfortable for sitting; one vertical right side front leg attached to the side of the seat support member at the front or side of the chair and extending above the height of the seat section; one vertical left side front leg attached to the side of the seat support member at the front or side of the chair and not extend above the height of the seat section; and one right side horizontal armrest connecting the top of the leg with the side of the back support section,

wherein the first chair section and the second chair section are positioned such that the right side seat section of the first chair section and the left side of the second chair section are in contact and form a double seat.

16. A loveseat according to claim 15 further comprising a releasable attachment between said the right side seat section of the first chair section and the left side of the second chair section.