Modular seating apparatus and corresponding systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10736470-B2
Application number	US-201715663552-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2017
Priority date	Jul 28, 2017
Publication date	Aug 11, 2020
Grant date	Aug 11, 2020

Abstract

A device ( 100 ) includes a substantially planar portion ( 101 ) defining a seat ( 106 ). One or more legs ( 110,111,112,113 ) are coupled to, and support, the seat. The seat includes a first seat edge ( 104 ) defining a bench receiver ( 122 ) that is selectively attachable to a seat receiver ( 422 ) of a bench ( 400 ) to extend the substantially planar portion along a plane ( 107 ) defined by the substantially planar portion by a predefined additional width ( 601 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a substantially planar portion defining a seat; and
one or more legs coupled to, and supporting, the seat;
the seat comprising a first seat edge defining a bench receiver that is selectively attachable to a seat receiver of a bench to extend the substantially planar portion along a plane defined by the substantially planar portion by a predefined additional width.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the bench receiver defines a concave-up recess into the substantially planar portion.

3. The device of claim 2 , the concave-up recess defining a concave-up L-shaped recess.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the concave-up L-shaped recess comprises at least one female connector.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the at least one female connector comprises three female connectors.

6. The device of claim 5 , further comprising the bench.

7. The device of claim 6 , the bench comprising:
another substantially planar portion;
one or more additional legs to support the another substantially planar portion;
the another substantially planar portion comprising a first bench edge defining the seat receiver of the bench, wherein:
the bench receiver is geometrically complementary to the seat receiver; and
the seat receiver is selectively attachable to the bench receiver, thereby coupling the bench to the seat to extend the substantially planar portion along the plane by the predefined additional width.

8. The device of claim 7 , the seat receiver defining a concave-down recess into the another substantially planar portion.

9. The device, of claim 8 , the concave-down recess defining a concave-down inverted L-shaped recess.

10. The device of claim 9 , the concave-down inverted L-shaped recess comprising at least one male connector.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the at least one male connector comprises three male connectors.

12. The device of claim 11 , the three male connectors selectively insertable into the three female connectors, respectively, to couple and retain the bench to the seat.

13. The device of claim 11 , the another substantially planar portion defining a hand grip, wherein force applied to a surface of the another substantially planar portion disposed opposite the one or more additional legs in a direction normal to the surface separates the bench from the seat.

14. The device of claim 7 , wherein each of the substantially planar surface and the another substantially planar surface each comprising one or more apertures disposed therealong, the one or more apertures allowing water to pass through the substantially planar surface and the another substantially planar surface, respectively.

15. The device of claim 1 , the substantially planar portion defining a second seat edge, disposed opposite the substantially planar portion from the first seat edge, further comprising an armrest coupled to the second seat edge.

16. The device of claim 15 , the substantially planar portion defining a third seat edge extending from the first seat edge to the second seat edge, further comprising a backrest coupled to the third seat edge.

17. A device, comprising:
a substantially planar portion comprising a first major surface defining a seat; and
one or more legs coupled to a second major surface of the substantially planar portion, the one or more legs supporting, the seat;
wherein the second major surface is wider than the first major surface; and
the substantially planar portion defines a bench receiver extending from an edge of the first major surface to an edge of the second major surface, wherein the bench receiver is selectively attachable to a seat receiver of a bench to extend the first major surface along a plane defined by the first major surface by a predefined additional width.

18. The device of claim 17 , the bench receiver defining a first side and a second side, wherein the first side is substantially orthogonal with the first major surface and the second side is substantially orthogonal with the first side.

19. The device of claim 18 , further comprising:
a second substantially planar portion comprising a top major surface defining the bench and a bottom major surface supported by one or more other legs;
wherein the top major surface is wider than the bottom major surface; and
the second substantially planar portion defines a seat receiver extending from an edge of the top major surface to an edge of the bottom major surface, wherein the seat receiver is selectively attachable to the bench receiver.

20. The device of claim 18 , the top surface defining a first edge, the bottom surface defining a second edge, wherein the seat receiver comprises a first surface extending substantially orthogonally from the first edge and a second surface extending substantially orthogonally from the first surface.

Assignees

• Medline Ind Inc

Inventors

• Preece Roy
• Martorelli Frank
• Shelpman John
• Rodriguez Cristobal J

Classifications

• A47K3/282 Primary

  Seats specially adapted for showers · CPC title

• A47C4/03

  Non-upholstered {chairs, e.g. metal, plastic or} wooden chairs · CPC title

• A61H33/067

  Installations for the inside of such cabins, e.g. seats · CPC title

• A61H2201/0149

  Seat or chair · CPC title

• A61H2201/0192

  Specific means for adjusting dimensions · CPC title