DISASSEMBLED CHAIRS FOR SHIPMENT

Abstract

An apparatus and associated methodology contemplating a chair, assembled of a plurality of components configured for optimal containerization for shipping, handling, and storing a selected number of the chairs. The selected number of chairs corresponds to a set of disassembled components, including a plurality of disassembled leg frames. Each leg frame includes a plurality of legs circumscribing a central space that is sized so that a first leg frame fits inside a second leg frame forming a nested stack arrangement of the leg frames. A brace interconnects medial portions of the legs together. The disassembled components also includes a plurality of disassembled seats. Each seat is configured to fit entirely inside a storage cavity formed by the nested stack of the first leg frame inside the second leg frame, the storage cavity coinciding with the central space from a top of the second leg frame to the second leg frame’s brace.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This technology relates generally to chair designs and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to designs leveraging the strength and ease-of-assembly benefits of a prefabricated, multiple-component manufactured subassembly for the chair legs, and optimized for nestability, provide for superior packing of all the components of a plurality of disassembled chairs into the smallest possible container to optimize shipping and handling the disassembled chairs.

BACKGROUND

The present technology contemplates new and improved designs for chairs of the type requiring some amount of assembly as they are shipped by the supplier. Disassembled, or ready-to-assemble, chairs have become more and more popular in recent years. Shipping and storing a fully assembled chair instead is more expensive, in relation to the larger-volume shipping container. Chair designs have evolved to include a set of disassembled components, enabling the supplier to pack and ship the disassembled components in a smaller container in comparison to what is needed to pack and ship a fully assembled chair.

One currently-popular furniture market derives the value of designs seeking the absolute minimum-size shipping container necessary for a kit of disassembled components, known as “flat-pack shipping” furniture designs. This reduces the supplier’s shipping, handling, and storage costs, which can advantageously be passed on in reducing consumer prices. IKEA, the furniture retail company, is a leader in the market for such ready-to-assemble” furniture.

But movement toward flat-pack shipping designs also increases the complexity and difficulty of assembly needed by the consumer. And many consumers lack the knowledge, skills, tools, and/or temperament to fully and correctly assemble what can seem to be a multitude of disassembled components. The present technology steps away from flat-pack shipping designs, instead deriving value from designs where robustness of critical features, like the strength of a chair’s legs, comes from the chair manufacturer, not by the consumer. This invariably increases size of the shipping container, but the present technology offsets that penalty by designs providing for storage space for other disassembled components.

Improvements in chair designs are needed that afford the consumer an elegant and reasonably-priced chair, only requiring minimal, goof-proof assembly. Some middle-ground in the chair market in-between shipping furniture that is fully assembled on the one hand, and flat-pack shipping designs on the other. It is to these improvements that are contemplated by the claimed invention, as described by the illustrative embodiments disclosed herein.

SUMMARY

Some embodiments of this technology contemplate a chair that is assembled of a plurality of components, and the components are configured for optimal containerization for shipping, handling, and storing a selected number of the chairs. The disassembled components corresponding to the selected number of chairs includes a plurality of disassembled leg frames. Each leg frame has a plurality of legs circumscribing a central space that is sized so that a first leg frame fits inside a second leg frame forming a nested stack arrangement of the leg frames. A brace interconnects the medial portions of the legs together. The disassembled components also includes a plurality of disassembled seats. Each seat is configured to fit entirely inside a storage cavity formed by the nested stack of the first leg frame inside the second leg frame, the storage cavity coinciding with the central space from a top of the second leg frame to the second leg frame’s brace.

Some embodiments of this technology contemplate a chair having a unitarily constructed leg frame. The frame includes a first side defining first and second legs that are angled toward each other. The frame also has an opposing second side defining third and fourth legs that are angled toward each other. A brace spans the central space between the legs and connects to a medial portion of each leg. The first and second legs angle toward the second side, and the third and fourth legs angle toward the first side. A seat is configured to be assembled to the first side and the second side.

Some embodiments of this technology contemplate a method for shipping all the components of a plurality of disassembled chairs inside the same shipping container. The method includes: obtaining the components of the plurality of disassembled chairs, including a plurality of disassembled leg frames, each including a plurality of legs circumscribing a central space that is sized so that a first leg frame fits inside a second leg frame forming a nested stack arrangement of the leg frames, and a brace interconnecting medial portions of the legs together, and a plurality of disassembled seats, each configured to fit entirely inside a storage cavity formed by the nested stack of the first leg frame inside the second leg frame, the storage cavity coinciding with the central space from a top of the second leg frame to the second leg frame’s brace; obtaining the shipping container; nesting and stacking the first and second leg frames together; storing at least one of the plurality of disassembled seats entirely within the storage cavity; and packing the disassembled, nested and stacked legs frames and the disassembled seats entirely inside the shipping container.

DRAWINGS

The advantages of this technology are more particularly apparent in the light of comprehending the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments and the drawing figures, all in support of the claimed invention.

FIG. 1 depicts an isometric view of an assembled chair that is constructed in accordance with illustrative embodiments of this technology.

FIG. 2 depicts a front elevation view of the disassembled leg frame subassembly of the assembled chair in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 depicts a rear elevation view of the disassembled leg frame of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 depicts a right-side elevation view of the disassembled leg frame of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 depicts a left-side elevation view of the disassembled leg frame of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 depicts a top plan view of the disassembled leg frame of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 depicts a top plan view of another disassembled leg frame that is constructed in accordance with alternative embodiments of this technology.

FIG. 8A depicts an enlarged portion of a bottom plan view of the disassembled leg frame of FIG. 2.

FIG. 8B depicts the same perspective as FIG. 8A but of a portion of another disassembled leg frame that is constructed in accordance with alternative embodiments of this technology.

FIG. 9 depicts an exploded isometric view of assembling the disassembled seat component and the upper portion of the disassembled leg frame to make the assembled chair in FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 depicts an isometric view of two disassembled leg frames that are inverted and stacked together in a nested arrangement, and two disassembled seat components being packed into the lower storage cavity.

FIG. 11 depicts a front elevation view of the nested stacking arrangement of FIG. 10 packed into a shipping container.

FIG. 12 depicts a right-side elevation view of the nested stacking arrangement of FIG. 10 packed into the shipping container in FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 depicts the same perspective as FIG. 11, but with four leg frames packed in the nested stacking arrangement of FIG. 10, wherein two disassembled seat components are stored nested in the upper storage cavity and two more disassembled seat components are stored in the lower storage cavity.

FIG. 14 depicts the same perspective as FIG. 11, wherein two disassembled seat components are stored nested in the upper storage cavity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Initially, this disclosure is by way of example only, not by limitation. The illustrative constructions of and associated methods for using this technology disclosed herein are not limited to use or application for any particular type of chair, and certainly in no way limited to the tall stool depicted and disclosed in the illustrative embodiments herein. Alternatively, the skilled artisan will recognize that the principles set forth in the illustrative embodiments of this disclosure can alternatively be achieved by modified constructions suitable for use with other types of chairs, and beyond that even possibly with other types of seating furniture such as low chairs, benches, and the like. Thus, although the instrumentalities described herein are for the convenience of explanation, shown and described with respect to exemplary embodiments, the skilled artisan understands that the operating principles for chair designs of this technology as set forth herein are in no way limited by the specific disclosures of the exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 1 depicts an isometric view of a fully assembled chair 100 that is constructed in accordance with illustrative embodiments of the claimed invention, relating in the most general sense to a new and improved chair (such as 100) and an associated method for packing two or more of the chairs 100 in one shipping box, or other type of container or constrained space. As depicted by FIG. 1, the assembled chair 100 of these illustrative embodiments generally disassembles into a seat 102 component and a prefabricated subassembly of components collectively making up a leg frame 104. In the embodiments depicted in FIG. 1, the leg frame 104 is of a solid round tubular construction, although the contemplated embodiments of this claimed invention are not so limited. In alternative embodiments, not depicted, the leg frame can be constructed of otherwise-shaped solid tubular construction, or hollow tube construction.

The leg frame 104 includes four upstanding legs 106, 108, 110, 112. Medial portions of each leg 106, 108, 110, 112 are interconnected together by a brace 114 for imparting structural integrity to the leg frame 104 adequate to support a user on the seat 102. In these illustrative embodiments the brace 114 is X-shaped, constructed of four brace subcomponents 116, 118, 120, 122 each connected on one end to a respective one of the legs 106, 108, 110, 112 and commonly connected all together at the other ends.

Connections of the brace subcomponents 116, 118, 120, 122 to respective legs 106, 108, 110, 112, and to each other, can be constructed of welded connections, such as the depicted butt weld connections for example, although the contemplated embodiments are not so limited. In alternative embodiments, for example, ends of the brace components 116, 118, 120, 122 can be inserted into hollow legs and seam welded together. In other alternative embodiments, not depicted, mechanical fasteners can be used instead of welding. In any event, the X-shaped brace 114 construction of FIG. 1 is merely illustrative, not limiting, of the contemplated embodiments of this technology. In other contemplated embodiments, not depicted, a differently-shaped brace altogether can be used, such as but not limited to an H-shaped brace and the like. FIG. 1 further depicts a foot rest 124 interconnecting the two front legs 106, 108 together and, in turn, with the adjacent X-shaped brace subcomponents 116, 118.

FIG. 2 depicts a front elevation view of the leg frame 104, disassembled from the seat 102. In these illustrative embodiments, opposing front support tabs 126, 127 project toward each other in the gap between left-side (legs 106, 112) and the right-side (legs 108, 110). In the assembled state, the seat 102 (FIG. 1) is secured to the tabs 126, 127 and thus, in turn, to the upper end of the leg frame 104. Also, FIG. 2 better depicts how in these illustrative embodiments the brace 114 is angled downwardly from front to rear of the leg frame 104. This is not only an aesthetically-pleasing design feature, it also hides any part to part variation from the manufacturing processes making the brace 114 and attaching it to all four legs 106, 108, 110, 112.

FIG. 3 depicts a rear elevation of the leg frame 104, in which rear support tabs 127, 129 are visible for attaching the seat 102 (FIG. 1) to the leg frame 104. In these illustrative embodiments, it will be understood that the leg frame 104 is constructed and shipped by the supplier as a prefabricated subassembly of components. This design lessens the assembly burden on the seller or user, who does not have to deal with the critical assembly steps of individually attach the weight-bearing legs 106, 108, 110, 112 to support the user’s seating surface.

FIG. 4 depicts a right-side elevation view of the leg frame 104 of FIG. 1, best depicting the angled brace 114 arrangement of these illustrative embodiments. Upper ends of the right-side legs 108, 110 are connected by a top support 130 which, in turn, supports the right-side support tabs 128, 129 (not shown) for attaching the seat 102. Here, the legs 108, 110 and top support 130 are unitarily constructed of a single tubular member formed with two bends. In alternative equivalent embodiments, other kinds of joints could be used such as but limited to fastening or welding them together. Furthermore, like the brace 114, the top support member can be angled downwardly from the front leg 108 to the rear leg 110. This advantageously situates the seat 102, when assembled to the leg frame 104, at a slight angle to provide a seating position that comfortably urges the user uprightly and against the seat’s backrest. The angled top support 130 is accomplished in these illustrative embodiments by sightly under-bending the rear leg 110 in comparison to the front leg 112′s bend angle. The bends can also be placed to make the front legs 106, 108 longer than the rear legs 110, 112. FIG. 5 depicts an opposing left-side view of the leg frame 104, similarly showing the upper ends of the left-side legs 106, 112 connected by another top support 132 which, in turn, supports the left-side support tabs 126, 127 (not shown) for attaching the seat 102.

FIG. 6 depicts a top plan view of the leg frame 104. In these favorable advantageous embodiments, the legs 106, 108, 110, 112 terminate to coincide in a common circular plane 134 centered around the interior space circumscribed by the legs 106, 108, 110, 112. This arrangement of the angled legs 106, 108, 110, 112 along a common frustoconical plane affords superior nestability of one leg frame 104 stacked inside another leg frame 104.

FIG. 7 depicts a top plan view of another leg frame 104′ that is constructed in accordance with alternative illustrative embodiments. All components are configured the same as in FIG. 6, except the support tabs 126, 127, 128, 129 in FIG. 6 are replaced by two support bars 138, 140 in FIG. 7 spanning the entire space between the top supports 130, 132 and connecting them together. Slotted openings are provided in the support bars 138, 140 same as in the support tabs 126, 127, 128, 129 of FIG. 6 for passing fasteners therethrough to attach the seat 102 (FIG. 1) to the leg frame 104′. The support bars 138, 140 lend increased structural integrity to the leg frame 104′ by fixing the top supports 130, 132 together under the seat 102.

FIG. 8A depicts an enlarged partial bottom plan view of a central portion of the leg frame 104 of FIG. 6, showing the lower space below the brace 114. As discussed in more detail below, an upper portion of another leg frame (not shown) can be inserted into this space and moved into a closely-mating, nested stacking arrangement of the one leg frame inside the other leg frame. This lower storage cavity 141 (see e.g. FIG. 10) circumscribed by the angled legs 106, 108, 110, 112 and in between their distal ends and the brace 114, is configured to be large enough so that at least two disassembled seats 102 (FIG. 1) can be packed into it.

In these illustrative embodiments, the frame 114 is constructed of four brace subcomponents 116, 118, 120, 122 each having one end connected to one of the legs 106, 110, 108, 112, respectively. The other ends of the brace subcomponents 116, 118, 120, 122 are connected together, such as by welding them together or fastening them together, and the like.

FIG. 8B depicts the same perspective of an alternative, simpler-manufactured constructing employing only two brace subcomponents 117, 121 each connected to two opposing legs 106, 110 and 108, 112, respectively. Instead of the coplanar arrangement of FIG. 8A, in FIG. 8B the brace subcomponent 117 crosses above the other brace subcomponent 121. The brace subcomponents 117, 121 can advantageously be connected together where they cross each other for increased strength and rigidity in the leg frame 104.

FIG. 9 depicts an enlarged, exploded view of the upper end of the chair 100 of FIG. 1. In these embodiments, fasteners, such as threaded fasteners, are passed through the slots in each of the support tabs 128, 129 (126, 127 not shown) to assemble the seat 102 to the leg frame 104. Installing those four fasteners 142 is all the assembly work necessary to assemble the disassembled components of the chair 100. Advantageously, the assembler is not burdened by any difficult or critical assembly steps such as attaching legs to the seat, or attaching a backrest to the seat. This makes the assembly process painless, quick, and goof-proof.

Turning now to the stacking and nesting advantages of this technology, FIG. 10 depicts an isometric view of two of leg frames 104₁, 104₂ having been inverted and stacked together in accordance with this technology. Particularly, an upper portion of the leg frame 104₂ has been inserted into the space circumscribed by the legs 106₁, 108₁, 110₁, 112₁ of the other leg frame 104₁. A first seat 102₁ (shown in hidden lines) has been packed into the lower storage cavity 141₂ between the frame 114₂ and the ends of the legs 112₂. Another seat 102₂ is depicted being packed into the same storage cavity 141₂, rotated and stacked on the other seat 102₁.

FIG. 11 depicts a front elevation view of the nested stacking arrangement of the two disassembled leg frames 104₁, 104₂ in FIG. 10, and diagrammatically depicted as being packed inside a shipping container 144. The two disassembled seat components 102₁, 102₂ are also depicted now fully packed within the lower storage cavity 141₂. The upper storage cavity 141₁ may or may not be sized to fit the two seat components 102₁, 102₂ inside it. FIG. 12 similarly depicts a right-side view of the packing arrangement of FIG. 11, but depicting the two disassembled seat components 102₁, 102₂ instead in a nested arrangement inside the lower storage cavity 141₂. This packing arrangement provides for a superior dense packing of all the disassembled components for the multiple chairs. FIG. 14 is similar to FIG. 11 except that the two disassembled seat components 102₁, 102₂ are packed inside the upper storage cavity 141₁. As in FIG. 11, the lower storage cavity 141₂ may or may not be sized to receive both of the seat components 102₁, 102₂.

FIG. 13 further shows other illustrative embodiments of four disassembled leg frames 104 along with the two disassembled seat components 102₁, 102₂ nested in the upper storage cavity 141₄, as in FIG. 11 above, and with an additional two disassembled seat components 102₃, 102₄ packed in the lower storage cavity 141₁, below the brace 124₁. This, likewise, provides an optimal dense packing arrangement for shipping all the disassembled components for making four chairs 100.

From the above, the skilled artisan understands this chair design is thus configured to optimize the nested and stacked arrangement of two of more disassembled leg frames within the same container, and to pack a plurality of the disassembled seat components entirely within storage cavities formed by the nested and stacked arrangement of the leg frames.

The various features and alternative details of construction described herein for the practice of the present technology will readily occur to the skilled artisan in view of the foregoing discussion, and it is to be understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of various embodiments of the present technology have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of various embodiments of the technology, this detailed description is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of structure and arrangements of parts within the principles of the present technology to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims

1. A chair, assembled of a plurality of components configured for optimal containerization for shipping, handling, and storing a selected number of the chairs, the selected number of chairs corresponding to a set of disassembled components, comprising:

a plurality of disassembled leg frames, each including: a plurality of legs circumscribing a central space that is sized so that a first leg frame fits inside a second leg frame forming a nested stack arrangement of the leg frames; and a brace interconnecting medial portions of the legs together; and

a plurality of disassembled seats, each configured to fit entirely inside a storage cavity formed by the nested stack of the first leg frame inside the second leg frame, the storage cavity coinciding with the central space from a top of the second leg frame to the first leg frame’s brace.

2. The chair of claim 1 wherein the storage cavity is a first storage cavity, and wherein each of the disassembled seats is configured to fit entirely inside a second storage cavity formed by the nested stack of the first leg frame inside the second leg frame, the second storage cavity coinciding with the central space between the first leg frame’s brace and a bottom of the first leg frame.

3. The chair of claim 1 wherein each of the disassembled seats is configured so that a plurality of the seats fits entirely inside the storage cavity.

4. The chair of claim 2 wherein each of the disassembled seats is configured so that a plurality of the seats fits entirely inside the second storage cavity.

5. The chair of claim 1 wherein each disassembled leg frame is unitarily constructed.

6. The chair of claim 1 wherein each disassembled leg frame comprises:

a first side defining a first front leg and a first rear leg;

a second side defining a second front leg and a second rear leg; and

the brace interconnecting the first side to the second side.

7. The chair of claim 6 wherein the first side further comprises the first front leg angled toward the first rear leg and the first rear leg angled toward the first front leg, wherein the second side opposingly mirrors the first side, and wherein the first side angles toward the second side and the second side angles toward the first side.

8. The chair of claim 6 wherein the first side has a first attachment feature configured for attaching the seat to the leg frame, and the second side has a second attachment feature configured for attaching the seat to the leg frame.

9. The chair of claim 7 wherein the front legs are longer than the rear legs.

10. The chair of claim 7 wherein the legs extend along a frustoconical plane.

11. A chair, comprising:

a unitarily constructed leg frame having a first side defining first and second legs angled toward each other, and an opposing second side defining third and fourth legs angled toward each other; and a brace spanning the central space between the legs and connected to a medial portion of each leg, wherein the first and second legs angle toward the second side and the third and fourth legs angle toward the first side; and

a seat configured to be assembled to the first side and the second side.

12. The chair of claim 11 wherein each of the first side and the second side comprises an elongated member having a first bend forming one of the legs and a second bend forming the other leg.

13. The chair of claim 12 wherein a medial portion of each elongated member, between the first bend and the second bend, is configured for assembling the seat to the leg frame.

14. The chair of claim 13 wherein the medial portion of each elongated member supports an attachment feature for assembling the seat to the leg frame.

15. The chair of claim 11 wherein the legs extend along a frustoconical plane.

16. The chair of claim 11 wherein the brace extends to and is joined to each leg.

17. The chair of claim 11 wherein the brace is X-shaped.

18. The chair of claim 17 where the brace has a plurality of coplanar extensions that are each joined at one end to one of the legs, and the opposing ends of the extensions are joined together.

19. A method for shipping all the components of a plurality of disassembled chairs inside the same shipping container, the method comprising:

obtaining the components of the plurality of disassembled chairs, including: a plurality of disassembled leg frames, each including: a plurality of legs circumscribing a central space that is sized so that a first leg frame fits inside a second leg frame forming a nested stack arrangement of the leg frames; and a brace interconnecting medial portions of the legs together; and a plurality of disassembled seats, each configured to fit entirely inside a storage cavity formed by the nested stack of the first leg frame inside the second leg frame, the storage cavity coinciding with the central space from a top of the second leg frame to the second leg frame’s brace; and

obtaining the shipping container;

nesting and stacking the first and second leg frames together;

storing at least one of the plurality of disassembled seats entirely within the storage cavity; and

packing the disassembled, nested and stacked legs frames and the disassembled seats entirely inside the shipping container.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the storage cavity is a first storage cavity, further comprising storing at least one of the plurality of disassembled seats entirely within a second storage cavity formed by the nested stack of the first leg frame inside the second leg frame, the second storage cavity coinciding with the central space between the first leg frame’s brace and a bottom of the first leg frame.

21. A chair, assembled of a plurality of components configured for optimal containerization for shipping, handling, and storing a selected number of the chairs, the selected number of chairs corresponding to a set of disassembled components, comprising:

a plurality of disassembled leg frames, each including: a plurality of legs circumscribing a central space that is sized so that a first leg frame fits inside a second leg frame forming a nested stack arrangement of the leg frames; and a brace interconnecting medial portions of the legs together; and

a plurality of disassembled seats, each configured to fit entirely inside a storage cavity formed by the nested stack of the first leg frame inside the second leg frame, the storage cavity coinciding with the central space from the first leg frame’s brace to the distal ends of the first leg frame’s legs.